News Broadcasting
Ofcom slaps £20k fine on Republic Bharat for hate speech
NEW DELHI: British TV regulatory authority Office of Communications (Ofcom) has imposed a £20,000 fine on Republic Bharat, Republic TV’s Hindi channel, for promoting hate speech and intolerance in a programme that was broadcast last year, on 6 September 2019.
Ofcom, is a government-approved regulatory and competition authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom.
The decision stated that Republic Bharat’s Poochta Hai Bharat programme – the evening primetime show hosted by Arnab Goswami – had failed to comply with its broadcasting rules in respect of "offensive language", "hate speech" and " abusive or derogatory treatment of individuals, groups, religions or communities" with its comments against people of Pakistan. The show under the scanner was a discussion that focused upon India’s Chandrayaan mission.
Ofcom said, “The programme contained statements which amounted to hate speech against, and was abusive and derogatory about, Pakistani people on the basis of their nationality. Under the Equality Act 2010, race is a protected characteristic, and race includes both nationality and ethnic or national origins. These statements would potentially be harmful and highly offensive to any person who did not share the sentiment being expressed by the presenter and his Indian guests.”
Ofcom further mentioned that the time of the broadcast, the licensee was already aware, having been notified by Ofcom by telephone call and by email on 21 August 2019, that Ofcom was receiving a number of complaints about the service, including in relation to "highly pejorative references to members of the Pakistani community (e.g. continually referring to them as ‘filthy’)". Ofcom asked the licensee's compliance contact to remind the business of its obligations under the Broadcasting Code. It was therefore the regulator's view that appropriate steps were not taken by the licensee to prevent this contravention.
Worldview Media Network Ltd, the licensee which airs Republic Bharat in the UK, will also need to broadcast a statement of Ofcom’s findings and is not allowed to repeat the programme in the UK.
News Broadcasting
India Today Group debuts AI anchor ‘Sutra’ at AI Impact Summit 2026
Sutra aims to simplify live policy debates using sovereign AI models
NEW DELHI: India Today Group has unveiled Sutra, an AI-driven news anchor designed to deliver real-time, contextual reporting, marking the group’s latest push to integrate artificial intelligence into mainstream journalism.
The AI anchor was introduced at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi and developed in collaboration with BharatGen, with the initiative showcased by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
India Today Group said Sutra is built to navigate complex policy discussions and fast-moving developments by synthesising information into concise, accessible insights, aimed at narrowing the gap between high-level debates and public understanding. The AI anchor was used to surface live takeaways from key sessions at the summit.
India Today Group chief AI officer Nilanjan Das, said the project was focused on clarity and accessibility without diluting editorial rigour. He added that working with BharatGen aligned the group’s AI ambitions with India’s broader push towards sovereign technology capabilities.
BharatGen CEO Rishi Bal, said the partnership reflected a shift from basic automation towards deeper contextual intelligence in media. He emphasised the importance of indigenous, multimodal AI models capable of understanding Indian languages, regional dialects and cultural nuance, particularly as AI-driven news formats gain traction.
The launch positions India Today Group among the first major Indian media houses to deploy an AI anchor backed by home-grown technology, underscoring a growing convergence between journalism, public policy and sovereign AI infrastructure.
