Ofcom has imposed a financial penalty of £25,000 on Al Mustakillah Television Limited for unduly promoting a political movement in Tunisia. Al Mustakillah is a news, current affairs and general entertainment service broadcast in Arabic that surrendered its broadcasting licence to Ofcom on November 20th 2012. It incurred the fine for two programmes aired in […]
Ofcom has imposed a financial penalty of £25,000 on Al Mustakillah Television Limited for unduly promoting a political movement in Tunisia. Al Mustakillah is a news, current affairs and general entertainment service broadcast in Arabic that surrendered its broadcasting licence to Ofcom on November 20th 2012.
It incurred the fine for two programmes aired in October 2011 around the general election in Tunisia. Ofcom found that the shows Aridah Chaabia and Al Aridah breached impartiality rules by promoting the Popular Petition for Freedom, Justice and Development in Tunisia.
The regulator learned that the Popular Petition was a manifesto written by Dr Mohamed Elhachmi Hamdi, or Dr Hamdi, who featured in both of the programmes and discussed the document. Ofcom also found that Dr Hamdi was listed as the compliance contact for Al Mustakillah Television while it was broadcasting.
“This was in breach of Rule 5.4. Programmes must exclude all expressions of the views and opinions of the person providing the service on matters of political controversy and matters relating to current public policy,” said Ofcom.
