The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has on Thursday July 26, 2018 imposed a fine of N500,000.00, on Daar Communications Group, owners of Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Ray Power Radio.
Business Hilights recalls that Ekiti State Broadcasting Corporation was recently axed by the Commission after series warnings on breaches to Electoral laws and broadcasting code relating to elections reportage.
The Director General, Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu announced this decision following the persistent and flagrant infringement of the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code through the use of provocative, inflammatory and divisive comments by anchors on the Raypower programme “Political platform”.
Business Hilights recalls that NBC had on 2nd May, 2017, 15th August, 2017 and 7th February, 2018 held meetings with staff of Daar Communications and on each occasion, the Director General, had expressed concern on the unprofessional manner anchor persons have been handling the programme.
He charged the team on all occasions to be fair and balanced in their reportage devoid of expression of personal opinions. He also at the last meeting on 7thFebruary, 2018 sounded a warning to Daar Communications to ensure compliance in order to avoid stiff sanctions.
Political Platform’s episode of Tuesday, 24thJuly, 2018 was marked by sensational and heated expression of opinion by its anchors, who went on to make unproven and inciting allegations.
NBC said in a statement signed by Head, Public Affairs, Mrs. Maimuna Jimada averred that “For the avoidance of doubt, Kawu hereby draws the attention of all, to the following provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code: (1) Section 1.9.3: “A presenter/anchor shall not express his or her personal opinion in the programme.”
(2) Section 5.2.7: “A broadcaster shall, in using political material for news, avoid taking inflammatory and divisive matter in its provocative form”.
(3) Section 5.2.5: “Political broadcasts shall be in decent language”.
(4) Section 3.1.3: “The broadcaster shall recognize expression as an agent of society; therefore, he shall not use his medium for any personal or sectional rights, privileges and needs of his own, proprietor, relatives, friends or supports”.
(5) Section 3.3.2: “A broadcaster shall acknowledge his or her own inherent biases and prejudices, and transparently rise above subjective mind-set.”
(6) Section 3.3.3: “All sides to any issue of public interest shall be equitably presented to ensure fairness and balance.”
(7) Section 4.5.1: ‘No individual or organization shall be treated in an unjust or unfair manner in any programme.”
(8) Section 5.2.18: “While a broadcast producer may interact with politicians in the course of his professional duties, this shall not be such, as to lead to the belief, that he is either a member or sympathizer of any political party”
Mallam Kawu wishes to reiterate that broadcasting stations must ensure that anchors of their programmes are well informed and properly trained on the ethics of the profession as well as the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code as the Commission would impose severe sanctions for any breach of the Broadcasting Code. The station is required to redeem the fine within two weeks from the date of receipt of the letter of fine.
