Republic TV Fined 20,000 Pounds By UK Regulator For ‘Hate Speech’

In yet another blow for Republic TV, the United Kingdom's communications regulator Office of Communcations on Tuesday fined Republic Bharat, the Hindi news channel of Republic TV, with 20,000 pounds (approximately Rs 19.73 lakh) for broadcasting content that involved "offensive language", "hate speech" and " abusive or derogatory treatment of individuals, groups, religions or communities". The channel was also asked to air an apology.

According to a release by the Office of Communications, or Ofcom, in the channel's "Poochta Hai Bharat" programme that was aired on September 6, 2019, views expressed by the presenter Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and some of the guests violated its broadcasting norms. The sanctions have been imposed on Worldview Media Network Limited, which holds the license for airing Republic Bharat in the UK.

The programme for which Republic Bharat has been penalised was related to India's Chandrayaan 2 spacecraft mission to the moon and "involved a comparison of India's space exploration and technological advancements compared to Pakistan, and Pakistan's alleged terrorist activities against Indian targets," the release noted.

Ofcom took exception to comments made by Goswami and his guests on the discussion panel, which the regulator said "amounted to hate speech against Pakistani people, and derogatory and abusive treatment of Pakistani people".

The regulating body in the release pointed out Goswami referring Pakistani people and the guests as terrorist – "Their scientists, doctors, their leaders, politicians all are terrorists. Even their sports people. Every child is a terrorist over there. Every child is a terrorist. You are dealing with a terrorist entity"

"In the context of these criticisms, the presenter [Goswami], addressing Pakistan and/or Pakistani people, said: We make scientists, you make terrorists."

Ofcom further mentioned comments made by one of the guests identified as "General Sinha", who referred Pakistani people as "beggers" and also threatened military attack on the country.

Ofcom noted that the content of the programme was "potentially offensive and was not sufficiently justified by the context". It added that the comments made were "expressions of hatred based on intolerance of Pakistani people based on their nationality alone" and promoted and justified intolerance towards Pakistani people among viewers.

The use of the term "Paki", which it said was a racist word and unacceptable to the audience of UK was also noted by Ofcom.