A Bury based community radio station has been fined £3,500 after broadcasting a speech that breached Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code with antisemitic hate speech and offensive content.
Salaam BCR, formerly licensed to Markaz-Al-Huda Limited and based in the radio Bury area, aired a 38 minute pre-recorded speech twice on 17 October 2023. The programme featured a Pakistani religious leader delivering inflammatory statements described by Ofcom as "antisemitic hate speech" and "abusive and derogatory treatment of Jewish people."
The content, broadcast at 14:00 and repeated at 16:38, was in Urdu and included multiple claims referencing historic and religious grievances, equating Jewish people with Satan and labelling them the "worst enemies of humanity."
The speech drew explicit links between historic Jewish communities and the present-day Israeli state, accusing them of economic manipulation, warmongering, and sacrilegious behaviour. Ofcom concluded the broadcast breached Rules of the Broadcasting Code, which govern hate speech, derogatory treatment, and offensive content.
Although Salaam BCR surrendered its community radio licence on 1 October 2024, ceasing its linear broadcasts, Ofcom proceeded with the investigation due to the seriousness of the breach. A fine of £3,500 was imposed, payable to HM Paymaster General.
Markaz-Al-Huda claimed it aired the speech for informational purposes, stating the speaker was a respected figure within the Muslim world. It denied any intent to incite hatred and questioned Ofcom’s translation of the original Urdu speech. However, it did not raise any significant objections to the updated translation provided.
Ofcom determined that the material broadcast went beyond religious or political critique and constituted antisemitic hate speech, particularly during a time of heightened tension in the Middle East following the Hamas attacks on Israel and the Israeli military response in Gaza.
Salaam BCR was previously based in the radio Bury area and aimed to serve the local Muslim community with content in English, Urdu and Arabic.
The station has previously sparked public criticism. In one instance, Salaam BCR was condemned after a presenter said councillors who attended Bury Pride were "no longer Muslim," prompting accusations of intolerance and sectarianism. Separately, the station and community group Project 29 drew backlash for promoting anti-LGBT education messaging, which included signage questioning inclusive teaching in schools. Both incidents attracted media attention and community concern, further fuelling scrutiny around the broadcaster's role in a diverse local population.
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