Egypt media union bans Rabie Yassin and Osama Hassan from TV appearances

The Egyptian Media Syndicate has barred former footballers Rabie Yassin and Osama Hassan from appearing on television after an investigation into an incident broadcast on Al Shams channel.

The decision means the two guests cannot appear on programmes until the legal and professional reasons for the ban have been resolved.

Magdy Abdel Ghany, the presenter of Malab Al-Bulldozer, has been issued with a formal warning, while the programme’s director and editor-in-chief have both been suspended.

The sanctions were announced by Tarek Saada, head of the Egyptian Media Syndicate, following extensive investigations carried out on the same day.

The syndicate said its decisions were as follows:

– The director and editor-in-chief of Malab Al-Bulldozer are to be suspended. – The programme’s presenter, Magdy Abdel Ghany, is to receive a warning. – Rabie Yassin and Osama Hassan are prohibited from appearing on television until the legal and professional grounds for the ban no longer apply.

The syndicate said the director and editor-in-chief were punished because they shared responsibility for a technical error during the broadcast. It said they had failed to instruct the technical team to cut the sound from the source of the audio.

In contrast, the syndicate concluded that Abdel Ghany had acted in accordance with the media code of ethics. It said he had asked all of the guests to remain calm and had requested an advertising break from the director in an attempt to defuse the situation.

The ban on Yassin and Hassan was imposed because of the legal and professional violations identified during the programme.

The Egyptian Supreme Council for Media Regulation had previously approved recommendations from its complaints committee concerning the incident. Those recommendations included summoning the legal representative of Al Shams channel and suspending Malab Al-Bulldozer, which is presented by Abdel Ghany.

The Egyptian Media Syndicate also called on everyone involved in live broadcasting to respect the privacy of people’s homes, the responsibilities that come with live television and the views of the public.

It further stressed the importance of observing the customs, traditions and ethical standards of society.