The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has served controversial broadcaster ARISE Television a final warning over the permission of derogatory and incendiary remarks on its station.
The commission’s warning was contained in a letter by its Director General, Dr Balarabe Shehu Ilelah and addressed to the Chief Executive Officer, Arise Global Media Limited, on Friday, October 6, 2023.
In the letter titled, ‘Preponderance of derogatory and incendiary remarks: final warning,’ NBC flagged the station’s flagship programme, The Morning Show of October 5, 2023, as containing unguarded incendiary remarks by a guest, Dele Farotimi.
Farotimi, a lawyer, seasoned political activist, and Labour Party sympathiser, became a trending topic on social media on Thursday following his unsavory remarks against the Nigerian judiciary and the person of President Bola Tinubu.
Similarly, NBC also faulted Arise Television for failing to keep its responsibility while airing its ‘Newsday’ programme, which featured a Labour Party spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, who also made derogatory remarks on air.
The commission, therefore, advised Arise Television to install a delayed mechanism to guard against undesirable content on its platform.
The letter 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 guest 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.”
