NBC Fines Arise TV, TVC N2m over Breach of Broadcast Code

National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has fined Arise News TV and TVC N2 million each for allegedly breaching the national broadcasting code in the countdown to the 2023 general elections.

Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, director general, NBC, imposed the fine in separate letters he wrote to the managements of the affected organisations yesterday.

The NBC ordered that the fines should be paid within two weeks of the receipt of the letters or the sanction would be graduated.

In its letter to TVC, the commission accused the television station of breaching sections of the code.

NBC accused TVC News of allowing derogatory and unfair comments to be broadcast on its station.

Ilelah said the worrisome trend had become a house style on TVC.

It said the unprofessional broadcasts by TVC include the Joint media Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council press briefing where Festus Keyamo said; “Obasanjo and Atiku run a criminal enterprise, an empire of fraud in Abuja…” and alleged that some goons of Atiku Abubakar were planning to eliminate Michael Achimugu, a whistleblower.

It also excoriated TVC News for not giving equal news coverage to other political parties in all their news.

In the letter to Arise TV, NBC said there were infractions in sections of the code.

The commission cited the broadcast of the presidential campaign rally of PDP in Delta, the interview with Na’jaatu Muhammed, former APC campaign director, and broadcast of the PDP presidential campaign rally in Sokoto.

It slammed Arise Global Media for giving prominence to unfair content which are glamorized on Arise news programme “What is Trending”.

In the letter to Arise TV, Breach Of The Nigeria Broadcasting Code: A Sanction, NBC said it monitored the consistent breach of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code over a period of time during the countdown to the 2023 General Elections.

It said it was a worrisome trend and had become a house style on the channel that enjoys national coverage.

It said it had gotten so unprofessional that unfair content trending on social media were given prominence and unethically glamorised on Arise news programme “What is Trending”.

The commission said some of such unprofessional broadcasts include; “On the 24th of January, 2023, between 1.00 pm 2.27 pm, Arise TV aired Presidential campaign Rally of PDP which was held in Delta State, replete with unfair remarks and mockery of the APC presidential Candidate by DINO Melaye. Mr. Melaye sang a song “…hand dey shake, leg dey shake, baba wey no well, e dey shout emilokan” he further went on to fall down demonstrating the frailty of the APC presidential Candidate. Arise TV did not only air the programme but repeated the distasteful clip of Dino Melaye in a mockery of the APC Presidential candidate in another programme anchored by Ojy Okpe What’s Trending. The Presenter and her Colleagues had a good laugh over such unfair treatment of one another.

“On the 26th January 2023, at 9.40 am, during the programme Morning Show, a guest, Na’jaatu Muhammed described the Presidential Candidate of APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu as mentally deranged without caution from the anchor. The Guest had a field day with vituperations against the Presidential Candidate of the APC. She referred to him as Senile.

“On 31-01-2023 at 3:30 pm, during the broadcast of the PDP Presidential Rally in Sokoto State, Dino melaye referred to the Vice Presidential Candidate of APC, Kashim Shettima as GCOB, meaning Grand Commander of Bandits.

“During the same Campaign, PDP Presidential chieftain, Dino Malaye said, “we should be happy that our candidate’s hands don’t shake, his legs don’t shake and he doesn’t have a bell that rings in his head” he further said, “if APC come for campaign, sing a song after them saying, APC are bed-wetters…” then he said again, “…his name is not Bola, his name is bola” (the difference is in pronunciation, later meaning dustbin).

“Hajiya Naja’atu in the same broadcast said, “We are not going to vote for hypocrites, the one that lied that he is a Muslim, but he doesn’t know how to recite the suratul fatiha. We are not going to vote for an illiterate that doesn’t know anything, if people insist on voting him then they should also get ready to allow him lead them in prayers…”

In the letter to TVC, NBC said the station said it has gotten so unprofessional that hate speech, inflammatory, derogatory, and unfair comments are been broadcast on the station.

For the avoidance of doubt, NBC listed some of such unprofessional broadcasts as;

“On 06/01/23 at 12:29 PM, the Joint Media Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council made the following comments while briefing the media. Festus Keyamo: “…Obasanjo and Atiku run a criminal enterprise, an empire of fraud in Abuja. At the same time that Ahmed Bola Asiwaju was toiling hard, beautifully, and meticulously to rebuild Lagos, 2 criminals were stealing money in Abuja at the time…they both stole from the SPV account at that time.”

Speaking about the whistleblower, Micheal Achimugu, he said, “We suspect that some goons of Atiku Abubakar are planning to eliminate him and members of his family. In fact, my big brother FFK actually hinted me about something like that yesterday…

“On 24/01/23 at 03:39 PM, during the APC Presidential Rally in Abia State. The APC Presidential Candidate BOLA AHMED TINUBU after telling the public to vote APC under the symbol of broom, he went on to make the following comment “… You know what you do with the rest of them? They are like lizards, cockroaches, and mosquitoes. Just take the broom, wipe them off”

“On 31/01/23 at 02:37 pm, during the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally which held in Anambra State. The party’s Presidential Candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu also made the following remarks; “…When you hear Atiku used the word Muslim and say ‘Wallahi, Talahi’, you know what is in his heart? “na lie I lie”. Anytime you hear Atiku say Wallahi Talahi, just reply him say, na lie you lie.”

“… The man who left here, he calls himself Peter Obi. We read in the Bible, that before cock crows 3 times, he will deny Jesus Christ. He denied, so how can he keep a promise to you if he cannot keep a promise to God.

“On 30/01/23 at 03:50 PM during the APC Presidential Rally in Akwa Ibom State, the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu made the following unfair comment against the PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel. Thus: “…Who rescued him from Obasanjo who wanted to roast him like Goat Meat?” Speaking against Emmanuel Udom, “he said “…That boy wey bring Atiku here, Wey dey call himself Governor tells him Enough is Enough, He lives in my backyard in Lagos if no be because we be one, I’ll drive him home…the biggest palace that he build I’ll just put lizard and pigeon and scorpion there if not because you begged me”.

The commission added that monitoring also indicated that TVC News does not give equal news coverage to other political parties in all their news.