NBC’s Warning To Arise TV ‘Erosion Of Press Freedom’ – Activist

The Nigeria Broadcasting Commission’s warning to Arise TV over what the regulatory body called ‘unguarded incendiary remarks’ by the station’s guests is an erosion of press freedom.

Civil rights activist Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie stated this in an interview with THE WHISTLER in Enugu on Saturday.

According to him, “This is a very unfortunate situation and gross erosion of press freedom in Nigeria which has been on for a long time now. Imagine the sickening and so much slavish ways Arise TV tried to absolve itself from the bare facts presented by Kenneth Okonkwo and Dele Farotimi.

“Just like a slave trying to protect and whitewash the crystal clear brutality of his master to avoid backlash. Yet NBC (the master’s tool of terror) still wants to punish the tv station.

“Let no one tell me that the Nigerian broadcast media is free. And if the media is not free, then the Nigerian press is not free. Pactising journalists should wholly condemn this caging of the press.”

The FG had Friday issued a final warning to Arise Television over an alleged use of derogatory and incendiary remarks on its station. NBC’s Director General Dr Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, in the warning, urged the TV station to have a delay mechanism to guard against undesirable contents.

The letter entitled, ‘Preponderance of derogatory and incendiary remarks: final warning’, read in part: “The NBC has observed with concern preponderance of incendiary remarks allowed on Arise news. This letter seeks to underscore the tremendous responsibility put on the broadcaster to manage the array of guests that may feature on the station from time to time.

“The commission listed the station’s morning show programme on 5th October anchored by Reuben Abati, Rufai Oseni and Ayo Maio-Ese, which featured Oladokun Hassan and Dele Farotimi as guests. The programme contained unguarded incendiary remarks by Dele Farotimi against the Legislature and the Executive, the Judiciary and Mr President.

“The station was also accused of not keeping to its responsibility while airing its programme ‘Newsday’ which featured Kenneth Okonkwo (spokesperson of Labour Party) who used derogatory remarks on air.

“The commission therefore drew the attention of the broadcast station to broadcast rule and code 1.10.3, 3.3.1(a), 3.3.3(c), 3.3.1 (e), 5.3.3(b) and 5.5.6.

“Arise TV is advised to install a delay mechanism to guard against undesirable contents as prescribe in section 5.5.6 of the broadcasting code.”