Ofcom is today imposing a total financial penalty of £375,000 on religious channel, The Word Network, for breaching our broadcasting rules on multiple occasions.
Having received viewer complaints - and in one case following routine monitoring - we launched investigations into the following programmes:
- Stem Cell Activators, broadcast on 24 July 2023
- Various episodes of Peter Popoff Ministries, broadcast on 6 December 2023 (repeated on 8 December 2023); 7 December 2023; 11 December 2023; and 12 December 2023
- Peter Popoff Ministries, broadcast on 24 May 2024
Our investigations concluded that the programme Stem Cell Activators made unsubstantiated claims that serious medical conditions could be treated by using certain unlicensed products, which were promoted in the programme. The Peter Popoff programmes promoted and made unsubstantiated claims that using a particular product or contacting a religious ministry were effective in treating serious medical conditions or alleviating financial difficulties. In broadcasting these programmes, the Word Network failed to adequately protect views from harm.
Given the serious and in some cases, repeated and reckless nature of these breaches, Ofcom has imposed financial penalties on The Word Network of £50,000 for the broadcast of Stem Cell Activators, and £150,000 and £175,000 for the broadcasts of Peter Popoff Ministries in December 2023 and May 2024 respectively. Payment of these penalties will be passed on to HM Treasury.