Eighty-six broadcasting stations in nine zones of the country are to pay a fine of about N11.8million for contravening Nigeria’s broadcasting code

THE National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has sanctioned 86 broadcasting stations in nine zones of the country for various offenses. The NBC said the offenses contravene the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

The stations were fined N11.8 million, with each getting up to N100,000 fine. Maimuna Jimada, head, Public Affairs, NBC, who confirmed the sanction, said the contraventions included breaches of the rules on vulgar lyrics, unverifiable claims and hate speech among others.

“The Commission wishes to re-iterate to all broadcasters that they have a duty to promote the socio-economic well-being of the Nigerian state and abide strictly by the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code,” she said.

A detailed list of the errant stations and the sanctions applied, showed that NBC investigated 10 zones across the country and discovered that broadcast stations from nine of the 10 zones contravened the Nigerian Broadcasting Code. The zones investigated included Abuja, Benin, Enugu, Ibadan, Jos, Kaduna, Lagos, Maiduguri, Sokoto and Uyo. Among the 10 zones, only one zone, which is the Sokoto zone complied fully with the broadcasting code and was not fined.

While 19 broadcasting stations in Abuja zone were fined a total of N2.4 million; four broadcasting stations in Benin zone were fined N500,000; 20 broadcasting stations in Enugu zone were N2.8 million; 12 broadcasting stations in Ibadan zone were fined N1.3 million, and only one station in Jos zone was fined N100,000.

In Kaduna zone, 12 broadcasting stations were fined N1.8 million; three stations fined N1.05 million in Lagos zone; another three stations fined N300,000 in Maiduguri zone, while 12 stations were fined N1.6 million in Uyo zone, totalling N11.8 million from 86 broadcasting stations in all nine zones that were investigated. Having sanctioned the broadcasting stations, NBC directed them to pay their fines without delay.

The Commission also advised other stations that have complied with the broadcasting code, to continue to do so in the interest of the country, and warned those stations that erred to amend their ways immediately.

The NBC also warned against unprofessional broadcasting that could incite the people against each other, especially as the country is preparing for its 2019 general elections.

– Feb.  23, 2018 @ 14:09 GMT |