Broadcasting
NBC Code to Protect Nigerians from Harm –Idachaba
Professor Armstrong Idachaba, former acting director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has said the code of the regulatory agency is mainly to protect broadcast programme consumers from harm.
President Muhammadu Buhari government came under heavy criticism lately with its review of the NBC code.
Also, Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture, had said that the amended NBC Code included the provision raising the fine for hate speech from N500,000 to N5 million.
But, Idachaba called for increased dialogue between media houses, practitioners, and the commission, saying this became necessary to improve broadcasting practice in Nigeria.
According to him, the review of the NBC code every four years has always been an opportunity for negotiations and new arguments.
The former NBC boss revealed that there are about 33.5 million homes in Nigeria with access to television sets and programmes, adding that this robust television audience must be protected, even as they offer their position the nation as the “delight of every investor.”
Speaking in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, during the investiture of Victor Mark as the Charter President of the Rotary Club of Laderin/Hilltop, the Professor of Mass Communication touched on the topic, “Finding a Balance Between the Broadcast Code and Making a Commercial Radio Station Thrive in Present Nigeria.”
He urged practitioners to always disseminate the truth in a way that is fair and beneficial to all in order to build a better friendship for all.
“As you can also see, the provisions of the code are actually meant to protect society from harm. It is also intended to protect the rights of citizens to a peaceful and fair right to living in line with tenets of Rotary International.
“Every four years there is an opportunity for the review of the broadcasting code, it has always been an opportunity for negotiations and new arguments,” he said.
Stressing the need for broadcast stations to survive, he clarified that the time allocated for advertising had been increased by the commission based on demands from operators.
Idachaba added that sporting rights and alcoholic advertising rules were also allowed for-profit, warning, however, that “profit motive must tally with core values.”
The heartbeat of Lagos is about to receive a powerful new rhythm as KONFAM 89.5 FM officially launches in Lagos tomorrow, Wednesday.
Kayode Adegbite, founder, KONFAM FM,
KONFAM FM, Kayode Adegbite, brainchild of seasoned entrepreneur and media innovator, is a cutting-edge radio station poised to redefine the broadcasting landscape in Nigeria.
It promises to bring a fresh, tech-driven, and culturally rich approach to radio transmission.
Described as a fusion of technology, creativity, and community, KONFAM FM aims to captivate Lagosians with content that speaks directly to their experiences.
Whether it’s music, news, entertainment, lifestyle, or talk shows, the station is built to reflect the soul of the city and the pulse of its people.
Adegbite is no stranger to transformation.
As CEO of MediaCrush Nigeria Ltd, a leading Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising company, he has spent the past decade revolutionizing how brands engage with audiences across Nigeria.
With over 20 years of experience spanning finance, marketing, and media, he is now channeling his vision into broadcasting.
“KONFAM is not just another radio station,” Kayode said in a pre-launch interview.
“It is a movement, a platform for authentic voices, compelling stories, and meaningful conversations that empower and entertain.”
From its sleek state-of-the-art studio in the heart of Lagos to its impressive lineup of on-air personalities and programs, KONFAM FM is designed to be interactive, engaging, and youth-focused.
Festus Sanmi Onifade, subscriber and legal practitioner, has withdrawn his lawsuit challenging alleged unfair price hikes by MultiChoice Nigeria Limited, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Also listed as a defendant in the suit is the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
In a notice of discontinuance, dated April 1, 2025, the claimant formally informed the court of his decision to wholly withdraw the suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/363/2025.
However, the notice, signed by Onifade, did not advance reasons for the withdrawal.
Onifade had earlier approached the court to challenge what he described as an unfair and unjust price increase announced by MultiChoice Nigeria, slated to take effect from March 15, 2025.
In the originating summons, he asked the court to determine, among other things, whether, given Section 128 of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, and other relevant laws, the notice of the impending price increase issued by the first defendant was not unfair, unjust, grossly inadequate and a breach of his consumer rights; whether, considering the subsisting appeal in MultiChoice Nigeria Ltd & Ors v. Festus Onifade & Ors, the defendant was not stopped from further increasing the price of its services.
The suit centred on legal tussle between Onifade and MultiChoice over price hikes, which the claimant insisted were being implemented in defiance of regulatory standards and without adequate consumer engagement.
Uche Nnaji, minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, has, said that the federal government has been exploring measures to curb the growing exploitation of satellite technologies, lamenting that Starlink, DStv, and a few other service providers pay ‘peanuts’ to operate in Nigeria.
According to him, some foreign investors have been known to find a way to bypass the system and deprive the government of its mandatory revenues.
The minister made the revelation at a stakeholders’ Workshop on Space Regulation organised by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in Abuja.
Addressing the gathering, Nnaji noted that if the regulation of space is properly handled, it would not only boost revenue, it will also whittle down the growing activities of pipeline vandals, insurgents and criminal groups.
He said, “In the near future, we will move from the $ 1 trillion economy to $ 5 trillion. So with this space regulation and licensing. Starlink and most of them, including DSTV will come here, some will pay peanuts and shortchange Nigerians. These are part of what we want to address through this space regulation and license.
“You can be sure that yearly, if we are going by what my capacity DG of NASRDA has said, we will be looking at over N200 billion annually, with annual increment of 18-20 per cent. This is just one of the initiatives coming out of the agency.”
Continuing, Nnaji said the era of satellite pay-tv or radio losing signal when it is raining will soon be a thing of the past.
The minister said they have discovered some service providers are not operating on the right bandwidths hence the loss of signal when there is a change in weather.
“All these challenges of your TV or radio not working or losing signal whenever it is raining are because the DSTV and the likes are not hosting their equipment at the right bandwidth. They will host it at the lower bandwidth, where they will not spend money on the higher bandwidth.
“But with the regulation, we will force them to move it up to where it’s supposed to be. Because if you move it up to where it’s supposed to be, you won’t have any of those problems of losing signal as soon as it starts raining. So this is part of the many reforms that are going on under this very capable man, Dr. Olumide Adepoju.
KONFAM 89.5 FM Hits Airwaves in Lagos Tomorrow
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