A man who knows how to punish a child for wrongs done should often also be responsive when it comes to the welfare of the child. But for the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) it is not same.
This is the position of a public analyst, Dr Dayo Kayode, who spoke to iBrandTv on the sanctioning of media organisations by the NBC.
On iBrand TV’s flagship programme, ‘iBrand DayBreak’, Dr Dayo said the NBC, has taken pleasure in sanctioning television stations at will while neglecting other roles it ought to play in the industry.
It is a known fact that in recent times, television stations have received heavy sanctions from the regulatory body over their programme content.
In the same vein, practitioners of the noble profession and journalists have been subjected to undue scrutiny from the NBC and the public, especially politicians and those in government.
Threat To Press Freedom
But Dr. Dayo, in his opinion feels that NBC should be more concerned with the welfare and security of practitioners in the country instead of coming down on television stations with sledge hammer alone.
“Would you believe that before the 2019 general elections not less than 86 television and radio stations were slammed with fines amounting to ₦11,850,000 million.
“Also, in 2022, the trio of Channels TV, Arise TV and AIT faced sanctions from the NBC over their coverage of the #Endsars protest.
“Trust TV also received a ₦5 million sanction for airing a documentary entitled ‘Nigeria’s Banditry: The Inside Story’, on March 5, 2022.
“These fines and sanctions threaten the freedom of the press in Nigeria, because if you look at it this media organisations were just doing what they signed up for,” he explained.
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Furthermore, it is a known fact that journalists are poorly remunerated. They do not get incentives due to them from where they work and they are also not adequately covered in terms of security.
NBC’s Arbitrariness
These and much more are the things that the NBC ought to be regulating in the industry instead gaging media houses from operating optimally, he stresses.
“In the course of monitoring, the NBC observed, that some stations allowed their platforms to be used by some guests, callers, and analysts to score unhealthy political points inimical to our corporate existence.
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“Subversive discussions and reckless comments capable of tearing us apart as a people were broadcast freely without proper gatekeeping.
“Ethics and professionalism were thrown overboard.” Balarabe Illela, DG NBC, said at a press conference while defending the organisation’s actions.
When asked about the recent ₦5 million fine slammed on Channels TV, Dr Dayo Kayode said: “I am not in support of the fine placed on Channels TV and Seun Okinbaloye”.
It is, however, believed that the NBC’s arbitrariness has been taken too far and needs to be nipped in the bud.
