The Media Ethics Committee on Tuesday came down hard on the Alpha television channel for airing a talk show in December where a guest made sexist remarks that sparked a backlash.

The committee accused the channel of having deliberately violated the journalistic code of ethics, “consciously sacrificing these ethics on the altar of TV ratings”.

It effectively accused Alpha of wanting to grab attention with disregard for the journalistic code of ethics, of which one clause specifically cautions against the dissemination of “sexist speech or attitudes”.

The affair relates to an episode of the Sunday Night show aired on December 8. It hosted ex-footballer Costas Malekkos, who during the course of the conversation with the female host made a number of controversial remarks.

These included: “You women have to accept that the man is in charge” and “A man is allowed to do whatever he wants.”

The broadcast led to angry reaction on social media, while women’s movement Pogo filed a complaint to the chief of police, citing the anti-sexism law which in some cases provides for jail time if a person is found guilty by a court.

The media ethics committee said it held “multiple sessions” looking at the issue, stressing that from its perspective it holds the television channel accountable, rather than Malekkos himself.

It said that the trailer advertising the December 8 show, as well as the show itself, contained the offensive content.

Given that Malekkos’ views on the subject were well known, the television channel should have taken extra care when hosting him.

The committee also slammed the show’s host Christiana Aristotelous.

“Not only did she not ask him [Malekkos] to avoid such remarks, but she never interrupted him nor pointed out to him that he cannot use his time on television to spread speech which reproduces stereotypes and offends not only the female gender but also the male gender.”

In fact, the committee said Aristotelous ought to have known what to expect from her guest. At the start of the interview, Aristotelous told Malekkos: “The last time I had you on, I had to cut out half the content so I could air the interview.”

In addition, the television channel did not edit the final cut for the December 8 show.

Demonstrably and without a doubt, the committee added, the producers wanted to transmit this “unacceptable content”.

Higher viewership seems to have been their sole criterion, it added.

It went on to “strongly condemn the deliberate violation of ethics, sacrificed on the altar of ratings, and in a bid to cause laughter, annoyance, anger and a public debate, so that the show could garner attention”.

Malekkos later apologised for the comments.