Ahlebait TV Networks fined £10,000 for broadcasting antisemitic hate speech

Ofcom has today imposed a financial penalty of £10,000 on Ahlebait TV Networks after we found its service, Ahlebait TV, broke our broadcasting rules.

Our investigation concluded that statements in an episode of its current affairs programme 20th Hour – entitled “Money Power, Islam and a Just Order” – amounted to antisemitic hate speech and derogatory and abusive treatment of Jewish people. We also found that the content had clear potential to cause significant offence and we did not consider there to be sufficient context to justify its broadcast.

Given the seriousness of these breaches, we have imposed a financial penalty of £10,000 on Ahlebait TV Networks, payable to HM Treasury. We have also directed Ahlebait not to repeat the programme and to broadcast a statement of our findings against it on a date and in a form to be determined by Ofcom.

More information is available in our sanction decision.