Four major television stations have been sanction by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), for what it termed hate speech.
The television stations are namely Nigerian Television Authority, (NTA), African Independent Television, (AIT), Channels TV and Television Continental, (TVC).
They were sanctioned for allowing hate speeches by politicians from both the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC), and the main opposition People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), to be aired on their networks.
Director General of NBC, Malam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu stated this during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, January 30.
According to him, letters have been sent to the affected organisations notifying them about the sanction.
Malam Kawu said the four stations failed to shut out chieftains of both parties who wilfully engaged in hate speeches during their political campaigns.
He said:
‘Broadcasters have huge responsibility of protecting and guiding our democracy; and we have a very huge responsibility of ensuring that we don’t promote violence or anything that can lead to it.
We have discovered that despite our repeated warnings some broadcast stations still allow politicians to let out hate speeches which are capable of throwing this country into crisis. We have prepared sanctions and the letters to this effect will be delivered to them soonest. These broadcast stations include NTA, AIT, Channels, TVC and some other radio stations.’’
According to Malama Kawu, media houses must not allow themselves to be used by politicians.
Post Views: 900
