Reactions have continued to trail the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) decision to sanction Channels Television for hosting the spokesperson of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) in a live interview programme, in alleged contravention of broadcast code.
The acting Director-General of NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, had on April 26, 2021, complained that during the interview hosted by Seun Okinbaloye on its political programme, ‘Sunday Politics’ on Sunday night, an acclaimed new leader of IPOB made several secessionist and inciting declarations on air without caution or reprimand by the TV station.
In its reaction, the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE) said although IPOB is a proscribed group, media organisations are not barred to interview anybody in the society.
The guild cited instances when media organisations in the country interviewed the leader of Boko Haram terrorist Abubakar Shekau.
President of the guild, Mustapha Isah said NBC should rather guide Channels Television and not threaten or fine it.
Isah said threatening or fining broadcast stations in the country is not good for the nation’s nascent democracy.
He however advised broadcasters to always find a way of delaying their broadcast during phone-in programmes to avert such infringement of the NBC code.
‘’For Channels TV, next time they should not conduct such an interview as live phone-in interview. It should be prerecorded.
“NBC should not threaten or fine Channels, next time such a broadcast station should be guided. Threatening or fining a broadcast station is not good for our democracy.
“We live in a precarious time and we should be guided,” he said.
Also reacting to the issue, a leading Mass Communication don, Prof Ralph Akinfeleye, said NBC should query Channels Television and not fine or sanction them.
Prof Akinfeleye said NBC should follow its code but warn the broadcast station.
He noted that “at a time when most stations are unable to pay their annual licensing fee, stations should not be sanctioned at the slightest mistake.”
“NBC should call Channels Television to order. They should not sanction or fine them,” he said.
He also called on broadcasters to always caution their guest against making inciting comments.
According to him, “Broadcasters should always caution their guest against making inciting comments during interview or programme.”
On its part, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), through its National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondinyan stressed that, without prejudice to the issues raised against Channels Television, the reported hasty clampdown, without the benefit of caution, is suggestive of intolerance and high-handedness by the regulatory body.
The party expressed worries that such disposition could be counter-productive and heighten the already tense situation in our nation at this critical time.
The PDP, therefore, urged NBC to review the punitive measure on the media house as well as a scale-up system-friendly measure that will ensure best practices in information dissemination in the country.