"Fudhijje-Fundijje" song issue: Broadcom asked to clarify whether song falls under news & current affairs category

The Maldives Broadcasting Commission (Broadcom) has been asked to clarify whether the song composed by privately-run television station RaajjeTV for the special coverage of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s "Fudhijje, Fundijje" rally, falls under the news and current affairs category.

RaajjeTV sent a letter to the commission on Thursday in response to the opportunity given to respond to the issue of the song, currently under investigation at the commission.

In the letter addressed to the President of the Maldives Broadcasting Commission, Sofa Shafeeq, RaajjeTV stated that while the commission's letter mentions that the song broadcast by RaajjeTV violates the fifth principle (1) of the Broadcasting Code of Practice mentioned in the letter, which refers to news and current affairs delivery, they request clarification on whether the aforementioned content is considered news or a report.

Further, the letter states that the content violates the fifth principle (4) of the Broadcasting Code of Practice mentioned in the letter, which states "When disclosing information about an unproven event, it should be based on a source deemed reliable." As this also refers to how news and information should be delivered, RaajjeTV has requested clarification on whether the content broadcast by RaajjeTV is considered content falling under the news and information category as mentioned in the fifth principle (1) of the Code of Practice. They state that if the Broadcasting Commission determines and informs that it is content falling under the news and information category, it would be easier to respond to the statement that the content violates this article.

On February 11, Broadcom issued a 15-day deadline for responses in the ongoing investigation. However, recognizing that the case represents an entirely new type of situation; one with no precedent for broadcasters globally, additional time was requested to evaluate the matter thoroughly. Given the potential for the case to set a significant legal precedent, the commission extended the deadline, allowing more time for consideration, with the new due date set for Thursday.

In a letter addressed to RaajjeTV's Deputy CEO Naazmee Saeed on 9 February 2025, Broadcom stated that after reviewing the song aired by RaajjeTV on 26 January 2025, it was found to be in violation of the Broadcasting Code of Practice.

The letter stated that some of the content of the song violates parts 1 and 4 of the Broadcasting Code of Practice principles. Broadcom revealed that the content does not meet the standards of "delivering news and current affairs without bias, and delivering true information with equality in news reporting."

In addition to this, Broadcom has decided that the content also violates the principle of "when disclosing information about an unproven event, it should be based on a source deemed reliable." The letter highlighted what Broadcom considers to be content that does not meet the standards.

The commission stated that they began investigating the matter on 30 January 2025.