5 Jul 2012

Head of Fiji's state television says it gets no privileges

5:48 pm on 5 July 2012

The head of the television arm of the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation says it doesn't get any special privileges as the country's state television service.

Last month, the regime issued a decree that empowers the minister to revoke or vary a television licence if the licensee is found to have breached the Media Code of Ethics.

The 12-year broadcasting licence of Fiji TV - a private station - was set to expire last weekend but it got a six-month extension, after reportedly being warned that its licence was at risk for giving coverage to two former prime ministers.

The FBC's CEO, Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, says it is subject to the same rules as other broadcasters in Fiji but isn't sure how many years it has left on its licence.

The Ministry of Information has refused to say how many years the state broadcaster has left on its licence and declined to explain the Fiji TV licence decision.

Richard Broadbridge, who heads the country's other private television station Mai TV, says its licence is valid for another eight years.