The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has threatened to sanction Daar Communications Group over the use of social media comments in one of its programmes, Kakaaki, and ‘unprofessional’ conducts by the media house.
The NBC, Nigeria’s broadcast regulatory commission, wants the media house to explain why it should not be sanctioned for broadcasting ‘inciting’ and ‘unfair’ contents.
The commission’s reservations were contained in three separate letters written to the media house recently.
The first letter, signed by Armstrong Idachaba, a professor and the Director, Broadcast Monitoring, was addressed to the Group Managing Director of Daar Communications.
Daar Communications owns Africa Independent Television (AIT) and its radio wing, Raypower FM.
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In the letter dated May 27, NBC referred to an October 2018 letter warning the management of Daar Communications to exercise caution in the use of social media comments.
The NBC noted that the media house has refused to heed to its warning and continues to broadcast ‘treasonable comments.’
The commission made specific reference to a May 22 edition of the Kakaaaki Social programme in which ‘a story from an online news platform was read about a proposed declaration of the Sovereign State of Biafra on June 1st 2019.’
According to quotes referenced by NBC, the declaration was made by a group named Niger Delta Republic Fighters which ordered all oil companies to vacate the region before the said date.
NBC said the content is ‘no doubt a call to war and outrightly inciting.’
The commission added that broadcasting such content was a breach of sections 3.1.2, 5.6.2, 5.6.3, 5.6.4 and 0.2.3 (g) of Nigeria’s broadcasting code.
To the effect of its breach, the commission demanded an explanation from Daar Communications on why the media house should not be sanctioned.
“You are hereby, by this letter, requested to explain why the full weight of sanction should not be meted against you for this inflammatory broadcast and the flagrant disregard of your editorial responsibility,” the letter reads.
In the latter part of the letter, NBC cautioned Daar Communications to desist from using ‘media propaganda’ against it (NBC) and the Nigeria police.
