MJA expresses concern over attempted criminalization of MNBC content by DhiFM

The Maldivian Journalists Association (MJA) has expressed its concern over the complaint lodged by the Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation at the police requesting criminal investigations against DhiFM, a privately owned media group in the Maldives.

DhiFM broadcast, by mistake according to the group, contents of MNBC on the 11th of this month for 3 minutes, and DhiFM formally apologized for the mistake. However, MNBC later requested the police to run investigations against DhiFM, intending to pursue a criminal case against the latter.

The contents broadcast by DhiFM were on the SAARC Summit held from 10th-11th of this month.

MJA issued a Press Release which says that such course of action could jeopardize the cooperation and good relations among various media outlets, and that it would kill the chances of them working together for national interest and good.

MJA also noted the point that MNBC lodged a complaint with the police after the matter was attended to and presumably resolved by the Maldives Broadcasting Commission.

MJA also noted that MNBC had previously broadcast a video footage from a DhiTV news piece, and that the issue was being looked into by the Maldives Broadcasting Commission. The case was not referred to the police, and it is being handled by the parent Commission of the broadcasters in the country, said the Press Release.

The Maldives Police Services has already summoned a number of senior officials of DhiFM, in connection with the complaint lodged by MNBC claiming that “DhiFM had committed theft of MNBC’s intellectual property”.

DhiFM and DhiTV have been noted as media outlets highly critical of the current government and the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).