Ofcom fine for Islam Channel

The Islam Channel has been fined £30,000 by media regulator Ofcom for breaching its broadcasting code.

The breaches relate to 24 programmes which were aired during the 2006 local elections, and include incidences where Respect party candidates presented programmes on the channel. It is a breach of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code for candidates standing in UK elections to act as news presenters, interviewers, or presenters of any type of programme during an election period.

Ofcom also found that some of the programmes were in breach of not treating political issues with due impartiality.

The regulator said that the breaches were of even greater concern as they occurred after the regulator had investigated another Islam Channel programme, Saturday Night and had given warnings and guidance, as well as additionally conducting a special compliance workshop at the channel's offices in April 2006.

Ofcom said this was "clear evidence that Islam Channel Ltd could not have been properly monitoring its own output."

The ruling stated: "The fact that the majority of these breaches occurred after this workshop was inexcusable; seriously negligent; and demonstrated that the compliance procedures that Islam Channel Ltd had had in place were seriously inadequate."

Islam Channel's management claimed not to have been aware of one presenter's mayoral candidacy before they were contacted by Ofcom in April 2006, even though the candidate had referred to it on air. It said in its defence that it had since taken "radical steps" to improve compliance and that as an Islamic channel with limited resources, it faced particular compliance pressures and would be "disproportionately damaged by a heavy financial penalty".