Elenoa Baselala
SUVA (Fiji Times / Pacific Media Watch): Fiji TV is waiting for a decision on its application for a television licence renewal.
The company chairman, Isoa Kaloumaira, issued a statement to the South Pacific Stock Exchange yesterday confirming he met with the Attorney-General and Communications Minister, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, on May 25 this year to discuss various issues of concern with respect to news reporting by Fiji TV.
"Fiji TV acknowledges the government's position on the need for balanced and fair reporting of news by all media organisations, including Fiji TV," the statement said.
"Fiji TV will ensure that it will improve its news — reporting and implement measures to overcome any practices contrary to spirit and substance of the Media Code of Ethics and Practice, as provided in the Media Industry Development Decree 2010.
"The initial reports that have come out regarding Fiji TV in the international media and the politicisation of this issue by political parties and politicians, does not have any merit.
"None of these reports or allegations have been verified by the chairman nor the board of Fiji TV.
"Accordingly, the Fiji TV board wishes to categorically state that it does not wish to to be part of or be involved in anybody else's agenda."
A statement from Sayed-Khaiyum on Wednesday confirmed the May 25 meeting.
"At this meeting, the Attorney-General emphasised that as far as news reporting was concerned, Fiji TV, like all other media organisations, needed to adhere to the Media Code of
Ethics and Practice and be balanced and fair, not just in form but in substance," the statement said.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 New Zealand Licence.
Pacific Media Watch
