Press TV
Iran's Press TV has been banned from British screens after it broke broadcasting rules. Reuters Reuters

Iranian state TV channel Press TV has been ordered off of British screens by broadcasting regulators for breaching its licence - and it's refusal to pay a £100,000 fine.

Press TV had its broadcasting license revoked by OfCom for breaching rules that demand editorial control of a broadcaster must be with the person holding the license.

OfCom said that it was suggested in meetings with Press TV that control of the channel was held in Tehran, Iran's capital, not with the license holder in the UK.

"Ofcom gave Press TV Limited the opportunity to apply to have its operations in Tehran correctly licensed by Ofcom and Ofcom offered to assist it to do so," said a statement from the regulator.

"Press TV Limited has failed to make the necessary application and Ofcom has therefore revoked Press TV's licence to broadcast in the UK."

The channel is broadcast on Sky TV and it is "expected to be removed" by the end of 20 January.

"In addition, Press TV Limited has indicated it is unwilling and unable to pay the £100,000 fine and Ofcom is pursuing this as a separate matter," added Ofcom.

There has been an ongoing feud between Press TV and OfCom.

It was taken off air by the regulator in October, but had its license reinstated in November after discussions between the two.

May 2011 saw the end of a year long investigation by OfCom into the channel, which concluded that it had seriously breached broadcasting rules in an interview with an imprisoned journalist in Iran.

Maziar Bahari, a Newsweek journalist, said he was forced to give the interview under duress and made to read answers from a script.

The interview was then broadcast in the UK on Press TV's channel.

International Business Times UK is awaiting a response from Press TV.