Fiji TV makes an unconditional apology to FBC

Fiji Television Limited has today made an unconditional apology to public service broadcaster, FBC regarding a story aired on Fiji One on Friday night.

CEO of Fijian Holdings Limited which is the majority shareholder of Fiji TV Nouzab Fareed confirms that they have decided to take the step today.

Fareed says he is now awaiting the report on how the journalist and editor handled the story before deciding on further action.

FBC CEO Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum gave Fiji One till close of business yesterday to retract the story and to apologise for the inaccuracy and harm the Fiji One reporter and his story has caused the FBC and Sayed-Khaiyum.

In a letter to the Fiji TV CEO Geoffrey Smith yesterday, Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said that the story about FBC’s media conference on Fiji TV on Friday night started off by saying: 

"Fiji broadcasting CEO Riyaz Sayed‑Khaiyum has bluntly shifted the blame to Nemani Bainivalu the host and producer of the controversial TV show Wasea Bhasha. The state Broadcaster has removed the host in an attempt to put the contentious debacle to rest”.

Sayed-Khaiyum says it seems the Fiji TV reporter in his haste to create further controversy about the issue has now got himself in a situation whereby he has deliberately twisted and manipulated the details of the media conference and got the facts of the story absolutely wrong.

Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says he did not “bluntly shift the blame”.

He says FBC dealt with the serious matter and held responsible the person who wrote and made the irresponsible remarks on the show with subsequent action taken after a thorough investigation process.

Sayed-Khaiyum also raised concern about this comment made by him and how it was reported.

Riyaz Sayed-Sayed-Khaiyum says his comments was a response that was in specific reference to two individuals and a facebook group page.

He says he had asked the reporter who were making the comments on social media about Wasea Bhasha and he specifically mentioned Fiji Exposed Forum, Rajendra Chaudhry and Shalendra Raju.

Sayed-Khaiyum says his very specific response was to a very specific question about individuals and a group page that are

known to be fervently anti Fiji and anti‑Fijian government.

He says it is these specific people that he referred to as idiots.     

He says the story is now being used by certain individuals to cast aspersions against him claiming that he had called the general public “idiots”.