Ondo Elections: Adaba FM, OSRC Under Fire for Political Broadcast

The National Broadcasting Commission, (NBC) has condemned the unprofessional conduct of Continental Broadcasting Services Ltd, operators of Adaba FM, Akure and the Ondo State RadioVision Corporation, (OSRC) in the on-going governorship campaigns in Ondo State, which it said breached the provisions of the National Broadcasting Commission Act and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.

NBC has also threatened to suspend the broadcast licences of both stations, should they continue to breach the Code.

A statement signed by Yomi Bolarinwa, director general of the NBC said that “the Commission notes that despite several warnings and admonitions to these stations, the OSRC has continued to exhibit bias in political coverage and broadcast of political jingles in favour of the Labour Party candidate, in contravention of Section 5.2.8 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code which states that: In adherence to the principles of pluralism, equal airtime shall be provided to all political     parties or views, with particular regard to the amount of time and belt, during political campaign periods.

''ADABA FM'' which was also recently fined and has paid the sum of N400,000 for persistent violations of the provisions of the Code, has continued and is being used for public incitement to violence.  The station’s continuous transmission of offensive content as in ‘Elaloro’, poses  a threat to law and order in Ondo State, contrary to Section 5.2.5 which states that: Political broadcasts shall be in decent language and Section 5.2.7 which states that: A broadcaster shall, in using political material for news, avoid  taking inflammatory and divisive matter in its provocative form” he added.

The NBC boss also stated that the commission “wishes to reiterate that broadcasting stations hold their licences in trust for the people. Therefore, no station should be used, contrary to the provisions of the broadcasting Laws to promote personal or sectional interests at the expense of the people.
  
The broadcast stations are therefore admonished to desist forthwith, all unwholesome programming, or be ready to face appropriate sanctions”