NBC suspends Channels TV over interview with ‘proscribed’ IPOB

THE National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has suspended and fined Channels TV N5m for breaching the broadcast code.

In a letter today to the Managing Director of the station, signed by its Acting Director-General, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, the Commission referred to Channels 7 pm live broadcast programme of Sunday, April 25, 2021, in which it accused the TV station of allowing a leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB, to make secessionist and inciting declarations on air without caution or reprimand contrary to the broadcasting code.

It also accused the station of allowing the guest speaker to make derogatory, false and misleading statements about the Nigerian army, despite being proscribed by a court of law.

Part of the letter read:

“In the programme, a so-called new leader of IPOB made several secessionist and inciting declarations on air without caution or reprimand by your station. He also made derogatory, false and misleading statements about the Nigerian Army.”

“This is reprehensible, especially that IPOB remains a proscribed organisation as pronounced by the law courts of the land. This much Channels ought to know and respect.

“The programme was very clearly in violation of the provisions of the code, and extant provisions of the broadcasting act. Refer Sections 3.11.1(b) and 5.43 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code which state the following; ‘311 1(b) The Broadcaster shall ensure that no programme contains anything which amounts to subversion of constituted authority or compromises the unity or corporate existence of Nigeria as a sovereign state.’Advertisement

“For obviously breaching the above provisions of the law, your station remains liable to sanctions provided in section 15 of the code which prescribes among others — suspension of broadcast licence and a fine of N5 million.”

Idachaba added that the station needs to be ethical and professional “especially at times of crisis”.