The National Broadcasting Commission has fined DAAR Communications Plc N500,000 for alleged continuous violations of the provisions of the broadcasting code.
The NBC’s Head of Public Affair, Mrs. Maimuna Jimada, announced the sanction through a statement issued today in Abuja.
Specifically, the industry regulator alleged that Political Platform, a Raypower programme, and its anchors contravened the broadcasting rule through comments considered to be provocative, inflammatory and divisive.
The Commission justified its action to sanction DAAR Communications Plc after efforts to make it comply with the broadcasting code failed.
The NBC also stated that meetings were held severally with the staff of the organisation on the need for them to maintain good standard without success.
Jimada stated inter alia: “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.
“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”, he stressed.
The Commission harped on the need for broadcasting organisations in the country to train their staff adequately and ensure compliance with the ethics of the journalism profession.
DAAR Communications is the owner of African Independent Television, AIT, and Raypower, a radio station.
