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As PDP, SERAP knock Commission over action
BY EDMOND ODOK, ABUJA – Amid scathing criticisms trailing its imposition of fines on three major television stations in the country, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is insisting the media houses ran foul of the rules and must be held accountable for their actions.
Acting Director General of the Commission, Professor Armstrong Idachaba, also warned that the TV outfits risk facing full wrath of the law, including suspension of their operating licences, if they continue towing the same path of professional indiscretions.
He said the sanction already announced is the B category and could be further extended to the A category punishment if the erring media organisations fail to comply with existing broadcast codes.
Giving additional insight on what led to the fines, Prof Idachaba said: “The National Broadcasting Commission is concerned about the professional misdemeanour of some broadcasting stations in the past couple of days. Whereas it can be said that the Nigerian media, especially the broadcast media, discharged its role professionally and most patriotic in confronting the challenge of #COVID-19 crisis, the same cannot be said of the coverage of the recent #EndSARS campaign.”
He said: “In line with the provisions of Section 5.6.9 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which states that ‘the broadcaster shall be held liable for any breach of the Code emanation from the use of material from User Generated Sources’, the commission has, therefore, sanctioned Arise TV, Channels TV and AIT, in line with the provisions of the broadcasting Code.”
The NBC boss said the penalties on the trio is meant to “serve as deterrent to broadcasters who deliberately ignore to verify stories before they broadcast.”
Idachaba therefore cautioned broadcasters to always ensure the veracity and authenticity of User Generated Sources (UGC) and social media sources before broadcasting them to the public.
Further defending its position, the NBC said; “Monitoring reports available to the Commission indicate that indeed at the early stages of the conflict, the broadcast industry largely gave a fair and balanced coverage to the issues. This trend became completely reversed when violence, wonton destruction and looting were added to the dimensions.
“Perhaps in the eagerness to break news and be pace setters, stations engaged in the very unprofessional attitude of speculative and unverifiable broadcast. This is in spite of the following provisions the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which provides as follows:
5.6.1 “In contemporary times, the impact of modern technology has significantly enabled citizens’ contributions to journalism, which are beneficial to broadcasting. This genre of citizens’ reportage deploys methods, such facilities as “User Generated Content” (UGC), providing instantaneous eye-witness account of events. Such technological benefits place further demand on the broadcaster to be more cautious of its editorial responsibility.
5.6.2 “The news materials sent in by public must be vetted by broadcaster who has editorial responsibility.
5.6.3 “The broadcaster shall be mindful of materials that may embarrass individuals or organisations or cause disaffection, incite to panic or rift in the society, in the usage of UGC.”
The Commission accused “Channels Television, Arise TV and AIT” of sustained transmission of footages obtained from “unverified and unauthenticated social media sources”, claiming that; “No doubt, these pictures stimulated anger and heightened the violence that was witnessed during the crisis.
“We believe that the whole country has now seen why the spurious and recklessness on the social media must not be patronised by mainstream traditional media. Broadcasters who, therefore, dogmatically patronise the social media must bury their heads in shame.
“The Commission wishes to seize this opportunity to condemn in total terms the assault and intimidation of media houses. The burning of TVC Lagos, the brief closure of Channels TV, Lagos, are all worrisome indicators of mob treat to the freedom of the press. No nation can grow when the citizens muzzle and intimidate its press.
“We are at the stage of our nation’s history when our broadcasters have a crucial responsibility for responsive and professional broadcasting”, he charged.
Prof Idachaba maintained that; “By picking unverified, unsubstantiated Social media sources and repeating the narratives, our broadcasters have shown crass lack of professionalism and a disposition to be escalators of conflict and more seriously a threat to Nigeria.”
But Nigeria’s main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a Civil Rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), are not convinced by NBC’s explanations and have delivered knocks on the Commission for sanctioning the three media organisations.
PDP’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan said in a statement that; “Indeed, this clampdown on broadcast stations, if anything, has heightened widespread public apprehensions of attempts at concealments of details and suppression of material evidence relating to human rights violations during the protest.”
Kicking against the sanctions, Ologbondiyan further stated; “In fact, this display of high-handedness by the NBC has hugely detracted from the efforts being made by well-meaning Nigerians to douse the tension in the land and reassure Nigerians at this critical time.”
Similarly, SERAP said in a statement by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, that: “This action by the NBC is yet another example of Nigerian authorities’ push to silence independent media and voices.
“The NBC should drop the fines and uphold Nigerian constitution and international obligations to respect and protect freedom of expression and media freedom.”
However, the organisation has threatened to sue the NBC if what it described as “the unconstitutional fines are not rescinded within 48 hours.”
