The National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has querried Channels Television over an interview granted with the Executive governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom on its Sunrise Daily, a peogramme usually anchored every morning.
The programme which featured Ortom on Tuesday was considered incitive, hence, the broadcast regulatory agency has written to Channels pointing out breaches of the broadcast code.
NBC insisted that Ortom who was guest on the show made “inciting” comments.
The infractions NBC complainwd about may attract suspension or a penalty of N5 million.
The letter sent to Channels Television disclosing infractions was signed by the NBC’s
Director-General, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah.
According to the letter, Ortom’s utterances were “inciting, divisive and unfair ” but which the anchors failed to control and point out broadcast codes to him on the course of the interview.
The letter reads: “The National Broadcasting Commission monitored the broadcast of your programme Sunrise Daily between 7 am and 9 am on Tuesday, August 24, 2021.
“The programme which had as a guest, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Governor Samuel Ortom was observed to contain inciting, divisive and unfair comments which were not thoroughly interrogated by the anchors. These negate the following provisions of the Broadcasting code:
“Section 1.10.4: The broadcaster shall ensure that its Presenter ….shall handle it with professionalism and sound judgment to ensure that it does not lose focus or lead to unfair treatment or institution.
“Section 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 or organization alive or dead.
“Section 3.1.1(b): the broadcaster shall ensure that all sides to any issue of public interest are equitably presented for fairness and balance.
“Section 3.11.1(a): the broadcaster shall ensure that language…likely to encourage or incite to crime or lead to disorder is not broadcast. Section 3.12.2: the broadcaster shall not transmit a program that incites or likely to incite to violence, among the populace, causing mass panic, political and social upheaval, security breach and general social disorder.
“Consequently, Channels Television is required to explain why appropriate sanctions should not be applied for these infractions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. Your response should reach the Commission within 24 hours of receipt of this letter.”
Reacting, a human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, condenmed the action of NBC while sharing the letter on his Twitter handle on Thursday.
Sowore who has been critical of Buhari government wrote, “The stupid letter from the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission over Gov. Ortom’s interview with @channelstv. They’ve summoned the presenters over another interview with Retired Navy Commodore Kunle Olawunmi! Even a state Gov is NOT allowed to talk under @MBuhari’s tyranny.”
The NBC also summoned the presenters on Thursday for granting an interview to former Nigerian Navy officer, Commodore Kunle Olawunmi (retd.)
Olawunmi had said Boko Haram terrorists mentioned names of current governors, senators and Aso Rock officials as sponsors during interrogation by the military authorities.
He, however, said President Muhammadu Buhari’s government failed to demonstrate the necessary political will to go after the high-profile politicians for reasons best known to it.
Olawunmi, a professor of Global Security Studies, said he was a member of the Intelligence Brief at Defence Headquarters during the leadership of the then Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin.
CAPITAL POST recalled that this is the second time Channels Television is running into stormy waters with the National Broadcasting Commission in less than one year.
