The Federal Government has launched the reviewed sixth Broadcasting Code of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who unveiled the document on Tuesday at an event in Lagos revealed that the government has raised the fine for hate speech from N500,000 to N5 million.
He explained that the code was reviewed in line with the directive of the President for an inquiry into the regulatory role of the NBC in the wake of the 2019 general elections.
Mohammed noted that President Buhari had also ordered the probe of the conduct of the various broadcast stations before, during and after the polls.
The government also mandated broadcast stations to devote airtime for public education and enlightenment on emergencies such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
This was contained in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, titled, ‘Remarks By The Hon. Minister Of Information And Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, At The Unveiling Of The Reviewed Broadcasting Code In Lagos On Tuesday, Aug. 4th 2020’.
According to the statement made available on the social media platforms of the ministry, Mohammed said the amendments were necessitated by a Presidential directive, in the wake of the 2019 general elections, for an inquiry into the regulatory role of the National Broadcasting Commission as well as the conduct of the various broadcast stations before, during and after the elections.
The minister noted that the recommendations were approved by President Mohammed Buhari, to reposition the NBC to perform its regulatory role better mostly in the areas of political broadcasting, local content, coverage of emergencies, advertising, and anti-competitive behaviour.
Mohammed, who explained that section 2h of the NBC Act empowers the Commission to establish and disseminate a National
Broadcasting Code, said, “There are many desirable provisions in the new Broadcasting Code:
“The provisions on Exclusivity and Monopoly will boost local content and local industry due to laws prohibiting exclusive use of rights by broadcasters who intend to create monopolies and hold the entire market to themselves. It will encourage Open Access to premium content.
“The law prohibiting backlog of advertising debts will definitely promote sustainability for the station owners and producers of content.
“The law on registration of Web Broadcasting grants the country the opportunity to regulate negative foreign broadcasts that can harm us as a nation. Such harms could be in the area of security, protection for minors, protection of human dignity, economic fraud, privacy etc.
“The provisions on responsibility of broadcast stations to devote airtime to national emergencies: This provision obviously mandates terrestrial and Pay TV channels to make their services available to Nigerians at time of national emergencies – like the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic – for their education and enlightenment.
“The provision raising the fine for hate speech from 500,000 Naira to 5 million Naira.”
