SUVA (Fiji Broadcasting Corporation / Pacific Media Watch): Communications Fiji Limited has been censured for misleading the public during its coverage of the 2011 Rugby World Cup by the Media Industry Development Authority.
CFL broadcast numerous advertisements, saying they were providing live commentary of the Rugby World Cup when Viti FM rugby commentator Malakai Veisamasama was in fact sitting in the CFL radio studio.
He was watching the game on television and providing commentary based on the TV coverage.
In a letter to CFL managing director William Parkinson, authority chairman Subramani says an explanation by CFL news director Vijay Narayan that radio commentaries had broadcast the event as it happenned in real time "off tube" without commentators being actually present at the game was considered.
However, Subramani states that the Fiji public was not aware of the new means of communication, leading them to believe that commentators were watching the game live in New Zealand and reporting from there, therefore misleading them.
Subramani says it is important for commentators to state their location clearly. The authority says in such broadcasts in the future, CFL is expected to adopt the practice of identifying accurately the location from where the broadcast is being made.
When contacted, Parkinson denied receiving the letter.
"Well as far as I am aware we haven't had any correspondence at all on this matter from MIDA or anybody - we have received zero correspondence from MIDA on this subject right from the beginning of it - so I have no idea."
Attempts to get comments from Subramani proved futile.
The Fiji Times, Fiji TV and FBC were the only media organisations that sent a reporter to New Zealand to cover the World Cup.
(cc) Creative Commons
Pacific Media Watch
