The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has fined Arise Global Media Limited and Continental Broadcasting Services Limited N2m each for breaching Nigeria’s broadcasting codes.
Arise and TVC’s offences, as per correspondences NBC Director-General, Balarabe llelah signed and sent to both, border on accommodating politically-inciting language on their platforms.
The media watchdog also found TVC guilty of favouring All Progressives Congress, APC with more coverage and almost shutting out other parties.
In the letter to Continental Broadcasting Services Limited, Ilelah wrote, “On January 6, 2023 at 12:29pm, the Joint Media Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, made the following comments while briefing the media.
“Obasanjo and Atiku run a criminal enterprise, an empire of fraud in Abuja. At the same time that Ahmed Bola Asiwaju was toiling hard, beautifully and meticulously to rebuild Lagos, 2 criminals were stealing money in Abuja at the time…they both stole from the SPV account at that time.
“On January 24 2023, at 03:39pm, during the APC Presidential Rally in Abia State, the APC Presidential Candidate Bola Tinubu after telling the public to vote APC under the symbol of broom, he went on to make the following comment ‘…You know what you do with the rest of them? They are like lizards, cockroaches and mosquitoes. Just take the broom, wipe them off.”
Continued, “On October 10, 2022, your station started its news with 17 minutes of APC news and one minute of PDP story with a video clip that did not play.
“Consequently, pursuant to the aforementioned Sections of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, TVC News is hereby sanctioned and shall pay a penalty of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Naira Only).
“Note that the penalty shall be paid within two weeks of the receipt of this Letter or sanction shall be graduated,” the NBC said.
The letter to Arise Global Media Limited partly read, “For avoidance of doubt, some of such unprofessional broadcasts are listed below for your perusal.
“On January 24, 2023, between 1.00pm – 2.27pm, Arise TV aired the Presidential campaign rally of PDP which held in Delta State, replete with unfair remarks and mockery of the APC presidential candidate by Dino Melaye.
“Mr. Melaye sang a song ‘…hand dey shake, leg dey shake, baba wey no well, e dey shout emilokan’ he further went on to fall down demonstrating the frailty of the APC presidential candidate.”
It argued that Arise TV did not only air the programme but repeated the clip of Dino Melaye in a mockery of the APC Presidential candidate in another programme anchored by Ojy Okpe What’s Trending.
“On January 26 2023, at 9.40am, during the programme Morning Show, a guest, Na’jaatu Muhammed described the Presidential Candidate of APC, Bola Tinubu as mentally deranged without caution from the anchor. The guest had a field day with vituperations against the presidential candidate of the APC.
“On January 31 2023, at 3:30pm, during the broadcast of the PDP presidential rally in Sokoto State, Dino Melaye referred to the Vice-Presidential candidate of APC, Kashim Shettima as GCOB, meaning Grand Commander of Bandits.
“Consequently, pursuant to the aforementioned Sections of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, Arise TV is hereby sanctioned and shall pay a penalty of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Naira Only),” the letter read.
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