The Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has fined Nigeria Info 99.3FM Lagos the sum of N5 million (about $13,888) for the breach of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
A statement by the NBC on Thursday said that the radio station provided its platform for the guest, Dr. Mailafia Obadiah, to promote unverifiable and inciting views that could encourage or incite to crime and lead to public disorder.
The NBC described the handling of the Programme, “Morning Cross Fire”, aired on August 10, 2020, between 8.30am and 9.00am as unprofessional conduct by Nigeria Info 99.3FM Lagos.
According to the NBC, Dr. Mailafia Obadia’s comments on the “Southern Kaduna Crisis” were devoid of facts and by broadcasting same to the public, Nigeria Info 99.3FM, is in violation of the following sections of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code:
3.1.1 No broadcast shall encourage or incite to crime, lead to public disorder or hate, be repugnant to public feelings or contain offensive reference to any person or organisation, alive or dead or generally be disrespectful to human dignity;
3.1.2 Broadcasting shall promote human dignity, therefore, hate speech is prohibited;
3.3.1 (a) The broadcaster shall ensure that any information given in a programme, in whatever
form, is accurate among others.
“The Commission, again, wishes to reiterate that Broadcasters hold Licenses in trust for the people. Therefore, no Broadcast Station should be used, to promote personal or sectional interests at the expense of the people,” it said.
“Consequent on these provisions and in line with the amendment of the 6th edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, Nigeria Info 99.3FM Lagos, has been fined the sum of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira), only.
“This is expected to serve as a deterrent to all other broadcast stations in Nigeria who are quick to provide platform for subversive rhetorics and the expositions of spurious and unverifiable claims, to desist from such,” the NBC said.
The NBC warned that it will not hesitate to suspend the Broadcast Licence of broadcast stations that continue to breach the Code and that “Stations are, by this statement, admonished to desist forthwith, from airing unwholesome content, or be ready to face appropriate sanctions”.
GIK/APA