The
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on Tuesday said Channels Television has
apologised over its infraction of the broadcasting code.
NBC’s
Director of Public Affairs, Mrs Franca Aiyetan, said this in an interview with
the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Tuesday in Abuja.
Aiyetan
explained that the commission’s letter to the TV station was a regulatory
instrument to check the excesses of the station called “the bridge letter “.
She said
that the intent of the letter was neither to close down nor sanction the
station, rather it was meant to draw the station’s attention to its breach of
the broadcasting code, adding that “the station has accordingly apologised’’.
According
to her, the letter is asking Channels TV to explain why it gave credence to an
organisation that was already proscribed by the Federal Government.
“It was
actually not for public consumption, it was not a press release. It was a
regulatory instrument to check the excesses of the station.
“It is a
station that won an award but we say in this particular situation, you did not
handle it professionally.
“It is
possible to bridge the public peace and that was what the letter conveyed to
Channels TV, to which the TV station has responded, saying we apologise, we did
wrong.
“When the
media started asking me about Channels TV, I had to go and find out what letter
we had issued out because if it is a press release or something that is for
public consumption it will come to the Public Affairs Department of NBC.
“And I
will be able to communicate to the media about it but this letter that went to
Channels TV is our way of regulating the broadcasting industry.
“It is
called a bridge letter to the station to say in this particular programme you
did not act professionally; you did not do it in line with the provision of the
Nigeria Broadcasting Code.”
The
director further explained that the particular programme in reference was an
interview of somebody who was representing an organisation that was already
proscribed by the Federal Government.
She said
that in the exercise of its power as the regulatory body, NBC wrote a letter
asking Channels TV to explain why it gave credence to the spokesman of the
proscribed organisation.
“The
spokesman made lots of allusion that were not true, that are inciting and
inimical to the peace of the society that could cause unrest.
“The NBC
now said because of that this bridge attracts a shut down or a fine of N5
million; but the pay line was that they were advised to discontinue the
programme.
“Because
when a station interviews live, they keep repeating it for maybe 24 hours
before that kind of news will be dropped.
“And when
I followed up on Monday April 26, I discovered that the monitoring department
that had written the letter had also received an apology letter from the
Channels TV to say okay, we have received your letter and see where we went
wrong, we are sorry.
“So it is
now left for NBC to say this station has responded or reacted this way. The
letter was neither meant to shut down the station nor sanction it. Rather, it
is drawing their attention to what they have done.”
Aiyetan
said that the station was also free to write NBC back to say “we stand on what
we have done because in our own professional analysis of what we have done we
think we are right.’’
“May be
NBC misinterpreted our intention. And when we have a situation like that, we
invite the station to sit down on dialogue table and understand where they are
coming from.
“And then
we will also explain to say this is what you intend to do but for those
receiving the signals, this is what it connotes, this is what the gravity of
what you have done to the country.”
According
to her, when a particular programme in a bid to pursue a particular trending
issue begins to threaten the security and peace of the nation, then you check
yourself.
“Because
broadcasting is not self-serving; it is for the society. So everything you do
must be to the common good of the people and it must also hold the people
accountable.”
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