PDP Condemns NBC’s Suspension of Channels TV
PDP condemns NBC’s Suspension of Channels TV and regards the decision as hasty and inconsiderate towards the popular media house.
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not in support of the suspension and fining of Channels Television by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
On Monday, NBC suspended Channels TV’s program, ‘Politics Today’, and also fined the television station N5 million for going against the broadcast code.
Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, the current acting Director-General of NCC, took the decision in a letter to the Managing Director of Channels TV titled, ‘Inciting Comments By Proscribed Group: Politics Today’
The commission accused the TV station of granting permission to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to make secessionist and false declarations on air without any form of warning or caution by the station.
According to NBC, it shows the breach in the broadcast code. The station was also accused of allowing the guest speaker to allegedly make dishonest and misleading statements about the Nigerian Army, despite being banned by a court of law from doing so.
But in a statement on Monday the 26th of April, 2021, the PDP described the reported suspension and fine of N5 million slammed by NBC on Channels Television over alleged violation of broadcasting code as very harsh and inconsiderate.
The party said without damage to the issues raised against Channels Television, the reported hasty suppression, without the advantage of caution, was suggestive of intolerance and arrogance by the regulatory body.
According to the statement by the opposition party PDP:
“Our party is highly concerned that such decision could be counter-productive and lead to an increase in the already tensed situation our nation faces at this critical time.
“The PDP, therefore, requests that the NBC reviews the punitive measure on the media house, in addition to a scale-up system-friendly measure that will make promote the best practices in information dissemination in our country.”
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