UK media regulator Ofcom has fined a Manchester Shia Muslim TV network $12,500 for airing “antisemitic hate speech” that violated its broadcasting regulations.
The Ahlebait TV Networks’ current affairs program 20th Hour in a segment titled “Money Power, Islam and a Just Order” broadcast content that “amounted to antisemitic hate speech, and derogatory and abusive treatment of Jewish people,” Ofcom found, according to Broadband TV News.
Besides the fine, Ahlebait TV was told not to show the episode again and to air a statement of Ofcom’s findings in a format to be determined by the regulatory agency.
The segment in question, which was broadcast on March 21, was determined by Ofcom to have the potential to cause offense and did not meet the requirements for having sufficient context to be shown, which violated Ofcom Broadcasting Code Rule 3.2 stating that material involving hate speech cannot be broadcast on TV unless it is justified by the context, according to Digital TV Europe.
“Given the seriousness of these breaches, we have imposed a financial penalty of £10,000 [$12,500 USD] on Ahlebait TV Networks, payable to HM Treasury," Ofcom said in a statement. "We have also directed Ahlebait not to repeat the program and to broadcast a statement of our findings against it on a date and in a form to be determined by Ofcom.”