Panjab Broadcasting Channel in breach with Ofcom for “harmful and commercial” content
Panjab Broadcasting Channel has been found in breach of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code after an edition of PBC Good Morning, aired on 1 July 2025, included what the regulator ruled to be harmful and unduly promotional content. The programme, broadcast in Punjabi, featured a guest discussing ayurvedic treatments; Ofcom obtained an English translation as part of its assessment.
According to the Licensee, strict compliance measures had been put in place before transmission, including a written agreement requiring the guest not to promote products or services, and confirming that the appearance was unpaid and intended solely for educational discussion. The broadcaster argued that the issues arose from how the live conversation unfolded, rather than from a lack of safeguards. Following an internal review, the voluntary presenter involved was taken off air for three months, and the channel began developing structured training on presenter control and live‑broadcast compliance.
The Licensee also informed Ofcom that it was updating control‑room procedures to ensure production staff could intervene more effectively during live output. It offered to air a corrective statement in both English and Punjabi during PBC Good Morning at 9:00, subject to Ofcom’s approval.
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Ofcom acknowledged these steps but found that the programme included offers of remote diagnoses and promoted unlicensed treatments for serious medical conditions, posing a risk that viewers might abandon or avoid conventional medical care. The regulator concluded that the programme failed to apply generally accepted standards, ruling a breach of Rule 2.1.
A second complaint highlighted repeated verbal and visual references to the guest’s business, including contact details displayed throughout the 52‑minute broadcast. Ofcom determined that these references went beyond what was editorially justified and amounted to undue promotion, finding a further breach of Rule 9.5.
