NBC to sanction broadcast stations for messages that insult Nigerian leaders
- The NBC has warned that broadcast stations will face punitive actions over messages that insult the Nigerian president, governors, and other leaders
- The warning was issued in a letter to broadcast stations by Chibuike Ogwumike, zonal director of the NBC Lagos office
- The NBC mandated all broadcast stations to be guided by the ethics and code of the profession
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A federal government agency, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has warned that broadcast stations will face punitive actions over messages that insult the Nigerian president, governors, and other leaders.
According to The Cable, the warning was issued in a letter to broadcast stations by Chibuike Ogwumike, zonal director of the NBC Lagos office.
Source: UGC
The letter which was dated August 3, warned against insulting messages from guests during programmes.
The NBC mandated all broadcast stations to be guided by the ethics and code of the profession.
Ogwumike pointed out that the professional rules of the broadcasting code prohibit content that denigrates the social norms, values, and culture of the society.
The agency stated that while broadcasters have a duty to hold government and leaders accountable, such duty must not be done in abusive language.
“We expect Broadcasters, especially anchors to show professionalism in the handling of programmes such that guest or callers that exhibit such tendency are professionally handled.
“The recourse to abusing, denigrating and insulting the President, Governors, MPs and other leaders does not show us as cultured people,” the agency said.
Meanwhile, Nigeria Info 99.3FM, a popular radio station in Lagos, has been slammed with a sum of N5 million by NBC.
The fine was imposed on the radio station on Thursday, August 13, by the regulatory commission, because it allegedly provided its platform to be used to promote unverifiable and inciting views.
Coming on the heels of a comment made by a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Obadiah Mailaifa, NBC in a statement said it was concerned with "the unprofessional conduct of Nigeria Info 99.3FM, Lagos, in the handling of the Programme, Morning Cross Fire."
Mailafia, while speaking on the radio on August 10, had claimed that some governors are contributing to the festering insecurity in the country by providing financial and moral support for the Boko Haram terrorists and bandits.
Reacting, NBC said Mailafia's claims are unverified and are capable of inciting violence in the country amid mounting security threats, saying for that reason the radio station was fined.
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