Egyptian state TV has sacked the head of its news department following the airing of an old interview by mistake with Egyptian President Abdel- Fattah El-Sisi.

The state-owned TV channel aired an interview on Tuesday by the American public broadcaster Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) with El-Sisi from last year, instead of PBS’s most recent interview with El-Sisi earlier this week with a different host.

The decision on Tuesday by Safaa Hegazy, the head of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union which runs state television, to dismiss Mostafa Shehata was followed by naming his deputy, Khaled Mehanna, as acting chief of the news department.

"The Radio and Television Union apologises for the grave mistake made by the news department," the union said in a statement published on Tuesday, adding that it subsequently decided to sack the head of department.

Mehanna will take office until a new chief is appointed, it added.

This week's PBS interview was conducted by host Charlie Rose while last year’s was hosted by the network’s chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner.  

El-Sisi is in New York to take part in the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly during which he has met with top world leaders.