The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has imposed a fine of N5 million each on Multichoice Nigeria Limited, owners of DSTV, TelCom Satellite Limited (TSTV) and NTA-Startimes Limited for broadcasting a documentary by the BBC Africa Eye titled, “Bandits Warlords of Zamfara.”
Trust Television Network (Trust TV) was also fined N5 million for the broadcast of another documentary titled, “Nigeria’s Banditry: The Inside Story,” which was aired by the station on March 5, 2022.
The NBC disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘NBC Sanction PayTV Platforms,’ and signed by its Director-General, Balarabe Shehu Illela.
NBC said airing and carriage of the documentaries contravened the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, Sixth edition.
The relevant sections cited include “3.1.1 which states that, “No broadcast shall encourage or incite to crime. lead to public disorder or hate, be repugnant to public feelings or contain offensive reference to any person or organisation, alive or dead or generally be disrespectful to human dignity
“3.12.2: The broadcaster shall not transmit a programme that incites or likely to incite to violence among the populace, causing mass panic, political and social upheaval, security breach and general social disorder; and
“3.11.2: The broadcaster shall ensure that law enforcement is upheld at all times in a manner depicting that law and order are socially superior to, or more desirable than crime or anarchy.”
NBC said the imposed penalties on the broadcast media platforms and station was to be remitted not later than August 30, 2022. It said failure to comply would lead to the imposition of a higher sanction as provided in the Code.
It enjoined broadcasters to be instruments of national unity and desist from falling into antics of using their platforms to promote and glamorise subversive elements and their activities.
“Please note that every broadcast station or platform is responsible for the content it transmits or transmitted on its platform, and shall be held liable for any content in violation of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code,” the commission added.