The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has disclosed that it recorded 716 infractions of its broadcasting code between April to June 2020.
This was disclosed in a report by NBC on Wednesday evening.
PRESS RELEASE
Breach Profile of Broadcasting Stations For 2nd Quarter, 2020.
“The report shows that a total of 716 infractions of the @nbcgovng Code were sanctioned by the Commission between April and June 2020” pic.twitter.com/NBloH1dVyA
— Fed Min of Info & Nat’l Orien (@FMINONigeria) November 25, 2020
What you should know
In June, when the new NBC codes were launched, Jason Njoku, Chief Executive Officer, iRokoTV, one of the top PayTV platforms in Nigeria, explained that the new law, if implemented, will destroy PayTV in Nigeria.
Thus, alleging that NBC in compelling sub-licensing of content and regulating price, would effectively turn a private enterprise into state property.
Njoku said, “Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in making exclusivity illegal, compelling sub-licensing of content & regulating price, are effectively turning the private enterprise into state property. Interference Distorts Markets. If implemented this 100% destroys PayTV in Nigeria.
“This our champagne socialism and zero input style of policymaking is the reason Nigeria is stunted in everything. I invest billions of naira in content, then I am compelled to share with everyone else as NBC sets the price. Why? Dark forces or incompetence are at play here. Ridiculous!”
(READ MORE: FG plans to spend N336 million on advocacy against hate speech, rape, others in 2021)
Nairametrics reported in August that the Federal Government on Tuesday, August 4, 2020, announced the increase of fines for hate speech from N500 to N5 million.
The announcement was made by the Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at the unveiling ceremony of the revised National Broadcasting Code by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
“Out of the 716 infractions, only 22 (3%) were a financial penalty.
“The remaining 694 were either cautions or warnings for obscenity, political, hate speech, unverifiable claims, unprofessionalism, advertisement, and technical breaches.”
The NBC said advertisement breaches made up 51% of the sanctions, followed by unverifiable claims to cure by tradomedics and preachers with 17%.
“Twenty two (22) penalties were imposed on 18 stations across the country during the quarter ranging from the sum of N250- N300k each, seven of these were for misinformation or false health advisory about covid-19”.
The NBC disclosed that seven (7) stations were penalized for “tradomedics” claims to cure serious diseases and promotion of fortune-telling on radio.
The NBC infraction report is compiled quarterly by the Directorate of Broadcasting Monitoring from weekly reports filed by the 10 zonal and 25 state offices of the Commission monitoring 600 functional broadcast stations in Nigeria.
