Radio presenter fined Dh10,000 for on-air insult

A radio presenter has been fined Dh10,000 for insulting a sacked colleague on the air.

DUBAI // A radio presenter who hosts a social programme on an Arabic station was fined Dh10,000 by a Dubai court yesterday for insulting a former colleague.

AY, who received the penalty from the Dubai Court of Misdemeanours, said on air that AA was sacked from the station for uttering inappropriate phrases during an episode of his Happiness Road show. According to prosecutors, AA left the religious and educational radio programme in September 2009 due to problems with his manager.

The following month, AY, an Emirati, started presenting a programme on the station. AA listened to an episode on October 5, 2009 and heard AY insult him.

"AA was shocked when he heard the defendant's insults. AY was responding to callers' questions and requests when one of the callers asked about the reason behind sacking AA from the programme and the defendant replied that it was for moral reasons," an Emirati police officer told prosecutors.

Records show that the episode was rebroadcast and that AA recorded it, filing a complaint on December 20, 2009. AY pleaded not guilty at the first hearing, on October 21 last year. In addition to the cash fine, the court ordered the case to be referred to the Civil Court for compensation. The verdict is subject for appeal.