The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has queried Channels Television over an interview granted to Benue Governor Samuel Ortom.
Recall that NBC fined Channels Television N3 million over its “unprofessional coverage” of the EndSARS protests and the crisis that followed it in October 2020.
In April 2021, the commission suspended the broadcast licence of Channels Television and imposed a N5 million fine on the station for alleged breach of the broadcast code in its live programme entitled: Politics Today.
Ortom, who was a guest on Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, August 24, had accused President Muhammadu Buhari of trying to “Fulanise” Nigeria.
The governor further faulted the President’s decision to review grazing reserves across the country, describing it as unconstitutional.
But NBC Director-General, Balarabe Ilelah, in a letter signed and dated August 24, said Channels TV violated six of its codes during the broadcast of the interview.
The NBC said the comments of the Governor were “divisive, inciting and unfair,” adding that Channels TV anchors did not “thoroughly interrogate,” Ortom.
“The national broadcasting commission monitored the broadcast of your program Sunrise Daily between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Tuesday,” the letter reads.
“The programme which had as guest the executive governor of Benue state governor Samuel Ortom was observed to contain inciting divisive and unfair comments which were not thoroughly interrogated by the anchors.
“This negates the following provisions of the Nigeria broadcasting code. Consequently, Channels Television is required to explain why appropriate sanctions should not be applied for these infractions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code. Your response should reach the commission within 24 hours of receipt of this letter.”
