MEDIA CHAT
Director General, NBC, Mall. Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, has said that ‘’Monitoring reports available to the NBC indicate that ahead of the 2018 Gubernatorial Election the Ekiti Radio has become highly unprofessional and dangerously partisan, especially in its reportage of the democratic process in Ekiti’’.
He made this statement today, 11th July 2018, while addressing the press in the Commission’s headquarters.
According to the DG, the Commission has earlier had cause to query the stations General Manager who is also doubling as the spokesman of the Ayo Fayose campaign organization, in breach of Section 5.2.18 of the Broadcasting Code.
While a broadcast producer may interact with politicians in the course of his professional duties, this shall not be such, as to lead to the belief,
that he is either a member or sympathizer of any political party.
The Station has also consistently refused to balance its political. Programmes, often patronizing the State Governor and his party alone in breach of Section 7.6.8.
All broadcasters shall give equal access to all Registered political parties or candidates on their facilities.
The most recent infraction is the broadcast by the station inciting the citizens of Ekiti State not to welcome the President to the state. We find this as a breach of Section 5.2.7 of the Code and 5.2.8.
Section 5.2.7: A broadcaster shall, in using political material for news, avoid taking inflammatory and divisive matter in its provocative form.
Section 5.2.8: In adherence to the principles of pluralism, equal airtime shall be provided to all political parties or views, with particular regard to the amount of time and belt, during political campaign periods.
The Commission has therefore reprimanded the station in very strong terms and shall impose the necessary sanctions.
Mall. Kawu further stated that the Commission is also monitoring closely for strict compliance.
