CCTV censors Obama speech
January 21, 2009
Chinese translations of US President Barack Obama’s inaugural speech broadcast on CCTV and printed on various websites deleted references to "communism," the New York Times reported. The offending comment in Obama’s speech was: “recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions." During the live CCTV broadcast, audio faded after Obama said "communism," although his lips continued to move. The broadcast cut abruptly to an interview with a startled analyst about the economic challenges Obama faces. The reference to communism was also removed from prominent Chinese websites. The government did allow the full English text of the speech to be published online.