Fiji Broadcasting Corporation has filed a formal complaint against Fiji One News for its coverage of the Wasea Bhasha issue.

The matter has been handed to the Media Industry Development Authority.

FBC Chief Executive Riyaz Sayed-Khaiyum had asked for a formal apology and retraction on Fiji One news, its website and all its social media pages.

However this didn’t happen in a timely manner as Sayed-Khaiyum had given until close of business on Monday – but the apoplogy and retraction didn’t air until last night.

“I got an email from the CEO saying they will look into the matter and they’ll come back to me but I haven’t heard from them since. As I had stated in the letter I have forwarded the matter to MIDA and we’ll leave it at that.”

Parent company of Fiji TV, Fijian Holdings Chief Executive Nouzab Fareed says he’s asked for a thorough investigation as to how the story was allowed to air in the manner that it did.

The FBC Chief Executive says the Fiji One news report deliberately misrepresented his comments and ignored media ethics and principles.

Sayed-Khaiyum was quoted as saying that people who criticised the Wasea Bhasha programme were idiots when in-fact he was referring to specific individuals.

He says these people – Rajendra Chaudhry, Shailendra Raju and members of the Fiji Exposed Forum have tried to incite violence and rebellion in Fiji.