Takbeer TV has been put on notice by media regulator Ofcom for continuous breach of broadcasting rules including content that constituted abusive treatment of the Ahmadi community.
Takbeer aired two programmes ‘Global Khatm-E-Nabuwat Movement’, broadcast on 9th June 2012 and ‘Khatm Nabuwat’, broadcast on 3rd July 2012 in which they both encouraged callers to make “derogatory and extreme” statements about the Ahmadi community.
The Khatm-E-Nabuwat organization is believed to be involved in the persecution of the minority Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan.
The Licensee expressed its apology “to all those viewers how were offended due to some comments made during these programmes”.
Ofcom said: “Given this background, we are greatly concerned that Takbeer TV has broadcast further programmes including content that constituted abusive treatment of the Ahmadi community, despite specific assurances given directly to Ofcom by the Licensee that it had improved its compliance processes to address Ofcom’s concerns.”
Ofcom also noted that Channel S World Limited changed its name to Takbeer TV Limited in 2010. However, the Licensee in the earlier case and the present case are the same corporate entity: Company No. 05398413.
It continued: “In light of these previous assurances and Code breaches, Ofcom regards the current breaches of Rules 4.1 and 4.2 of the Code as serious.”