‘Divisive comments’: NBC imposes N500,000 fine on Raypower

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has imposed a fine of N500,000 on DAAR Communications, owner of AIT/Raypower for “persistent violation” of the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting code.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Maimuna Jimada, NBC’s head of public affair, said comments made on “Political Platform”, Raypower’s programme, was against the broadcasting code.

Jimada said the organisation was sanctioned due to “provocative, inflammatory and divisive comments” by anchors of the political platform.

She said the commission on May 2, 2017, August 15, 2017 and February 2018, held meetings with staff of DAAR Communications to caution them on “unprofessional manner” of anchors of the programme.

She said the commission had charged the team handling the programme to be fair, and balance their reportage.

According to her, during the February 7 meeting, the commission said the need to comply with the broadcasting code to avoid sanctions.

“The Political Platform episode on July 24, was marked by sensational and heated expression of opinion by its anchors, who went on to make unproven and inciting allegations,” he said.

“For avoidance of doubt, the director-general drew the attention of DAAR Communications 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 a programme. Also Section 5.2.7: ‘A broadcaster shall, in using political material for news, avoid taking inflammatory and divisive matter in its provocative form and Section 5.2.5 stated that political broadcasts shall be in decent language.”

Jimada said broadcasting stations should ensure that anchors of their programmes were properly informed and trained on the ethics of the profession as well as the provisions of the broadcasting code.