Olajumoke Coker, zonal director at National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has said that the commission was ready to sanction sports presenters who violated its codes through unprofessional style of presentation.
She disclosed this in Ibadan during a seminar organised by the Oyo State Chapter of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN).
Coker presented at the seminar a paper titled “Hyping, Praise-singing, Sports Rights and Acquisition’’.
She said the hyping of sport events, enthusiasts or sponsors was one big issue the commission had been dealing with.
The NBC official adding that a lot of sports presenters, especially the Yoruba sports presenters, were guilty of it.
“Hype is when a presenter promotes products or services of commercial value in the course of presentation.
This is a violation of Section 7.0.15 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. “NBC is not against giving end-credits to sponsors, but it should be done at the end of the programme in moderation and without giving details or promoting their products or services.
“When you start listing 20 names during your presentation, it makes your programme lack straight-dealing,” she said.
Coker said many stations have received from the commission letters of warning, as well as letters recommending payment of fines and for unprofessional style of presentation.
The official said the commission has had cause to even go as far as suspending some broadcasters from the air waves, saying the commission monitors round the clock.
She said any sports presenter who violated the provisions of the commission’s broadcasting code would be sanctioned accordingly.
“Section 3.1.3 of the Nigeria Broadcasting code clearly prohibits praise singing of sponsors. “It states that broadcasters shall recognise expression as an agent of the society. Therefore, he shall not use his medium for any personal or sectional rights, privileges and needs of his own, proprietor, relatives, friends or supporters,” she said.
Coker urged sports presenters to be more professional in their presentation, reminding them that the commission monitors for compliance round the clock.
