Ofcom pulls up Bangla TV on three breaches

Bangla TV has been rapped by Ofcom on three separate breaches it made earlier this year.

The first on 15th May during the ‘Property Show’ where Ofcom received a complaint about the amount of airtime the sponsor received during the telecast of the show. It breached rules 9.12(b) due to incorrect product placement (during a consumer advice show) and 9.22(a) for running sponsorship messages like an advertisement.

Ofcom is concerned that, following the meeting on 9 May 2014, Bangla TV broadcast further material in breach of Section Nine of the Code, particularly as Ofcom had published a number of findings concerning Rules 9.12(b) and 9.22(a) that should have already alerted the Licensee to possible compliance issues in ‘Property Show’.

In June 2014, the channel broadcast ‘Ami r Ma’, in which Ofcom received a complaint for product placement of a food product. Ofcom concluded that the channel had no no editorial justification of the food product being displayed so prominently during the show. It therefore found the broadcaster in breach 9.10.

In July 2014, the channel broadcast Ramadan programming, which resulted in a complaint received for incorrect product placement and sponsorship. On nine occasions during the programme, sponsorship credits were shown in the left hand area of the screen, while scenes of pilgrims attending the Sacred Mosque in Mecca were shown on the right side. This visual content was accompanied by the Azan. The broadcaster was found in breach of 9.23 of the broadcast code.

Ofcom has put Bangla TV (UK) Ltd on notice that, in the event of any further similar compliance failures, it may consider further regulatory action.