Ofcom has imposed a £30,000 fine on Panjab Radio Ltd in relation to its service Panjab Radio for failing to comply with our broadcasting rules.
On 24 August 2018, 22:00, the Licensee broadcast a Punjabi poetry and listener call-in programme, in which the presenter discussed acts he perceived to be sacrilegious and how he believed people should react to them.
In Ofcom’s Decision published on 10 February 2020 in Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin 396 (PDF, 358.1 KB), Ofcom found the programme in breach of Rules 3.1 and 2.3 of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code for broadcasting material that was likely to encourage or incite the commission of crime or lead to disorder and for failing to provide adequate protection to members of the public from the inclusion of offensive and harmful material.
Ofcom has imposed a sanction on the Licensee of a financial penalty of £30,000 and a direction to broadcast a statement of Ofcom’s findings on a date and in a form to be determined by Ofcom.