‘Sikh’ TV in UK fined by regulator

Aug 16, 2013 |

Age Correspondent

British media regulator Ofcom has fined a Birmingham-based Sikh television channel £30,000 for broadcasting a 30-minute discussion in October 2012 which incited the Sikh community to take “violent action” against the members of Indian Army involved in the Operation Bluestar at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Sangat TV, a satellite channel which broadcasts in English and Punjabi, is shown on Sky UK platform and a live stream is also available on its website. The licence for Sangat TV is held by Regis 1 Limited. The channel is financed by advertising revenue and donations, through Sangat Trust, from trustees and the Sikh community.
The television channel will also have to broadcast the statement of Ofcom findings in this case at a date and form to be determined by the regulator.
The discussion, with eight panellists including the presenter, held almost entirely in Punjabi was aired just a day after the violent attack on Lieutenant-General Kuldeep Singh Brar, who led the controversial Operation Bluestar in 1984.

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