The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has fined DAAR Communications (owners of AIT and Raypower FM) N500,000 over alleged persistent violation of the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The company was founded by a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Raymond Dokpesi.
NBC Head of Public Affair, Mrs Maimuna Jimada, in a statement issued on Saturday, said comments made on Raypower’s ‘Political Platform’ were against the broadcasting code.
Jimada said that the organisation was sanctioned due to provocative, inflammatory and divisive comments by anchors of progamme.
She said that the Commission on May 2, 2017, Aug. 15, 2017 and February 2018, held meetings with staff of DAAR Communications to caution them on the unprofessional manner of anchors of the programme.
“The Political Platform episode on July 24, was marked by sensational and heated expression of opinion by its anchors, who went on to make unproven and inciting allegations.
“For avoidance of doubt, the Director-General drew the attention of DAAR Communications to the following provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code: (1) Section 1.9.3:
“A presenter/anchor shall not express his or her personal opinion in a programme.
“Also Section 5.2.7: ‘A broadcaster shall, in using political material for news, avoid taking inflammatory and divisive matter in its provocative form and Section 5.2.5 stated that political broadcasts shall be in decent language,” she said.
Jimada reiterated that broadcasting stations should ensure that anchors of their programmes were properly informed and trained on the ethics of the profession as well as the provisions of the broadcasting code.
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