Several hours after the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) announced the withdrawal of license from DAAR Communications Plc, the firm’s radio and TV networks are still offering full services to its audiences.
Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower FM and Faaji FM are affiliates of Nigeria’s pioneer private broadcast firm owned by top politician and media mogul, Raymond Dokpesi.
Our correspondent reported that despite the action of the NBC, the radio and TV networks were still on the air as at 10 pm, Thursday.
Signs of impending trouble emerged in the morning when Mr. Dokpesi led a protest against a plan by the NBC to shut down his radio and television networks.
Mr. Dokpesi had called on the Director-General of the NBC, Kawu Moddibo, to resign for attempting to gag his radio and TV networks.
But Mr. Moddibbo descended on Mr. Dokpesi’s business empire later in the evening when he announced the withdrawal of the broadcast license of Africa Independent Television (AIT), Raypower FM and Faaji FM.
According to Mr. Moddibo, the decision followed several warnings over what he described as, “perceived lopsided and divisive contents in its programmes.|”
The NBC boss also accused the media organisation of harvesting social media contents to make analyses on national issues.
“DAAR Communications will have to walk through a narrow path to get its license back,” Mr. Moddibo had said of the largest private broadcast network in the country.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the NBC boss said monitoring reports and complaints from concerned citizens have indicted the AIT/Raypower stations.
He drew attention to the “Political Platform” and “Kakaaki” both programmes aired on AIT, adding that the commission has during the past two years summoned the management of the station to address obvious violations of NBC rules.
“In one of our meetings held on 2nd June 2017, the commission expressed its disappointment with the way and manner hate speech, divisive and inciting comments applied in the discussion of national issues in breach of the provisions of the NBC Act and Broadcast Code,” Mr. Moddibo said.
“Again, on 15th August 2017, it became imperative to invite the company for yet another meeting on almost the same issues.
“Furthermore, while addressing another meeting on 7th February 2018 we highlighted issues of concern to the Commission which indicated that the company had been breaching the provisions of Sections 3.1.2 and 3.1.3 of the Broadcast Code.
“The company’s delegates in their response promised to abate the breaches and comply with the law.
“However, on October 18, 2018, the commission was disturbed with the manner in which social media issues became part of the mainstream media unedited on AIT/Raypower, and was constrained to issue a generic letter to all broadcast stations on the need to exercise caution in the use of user-generated content from the social media knowing how volatile and misleading social media has become.
“The management of Daar Communication Plc thereafter took to the social media to display our official correspondences.
“Recently, the Commission’s monitoring reports on AIT/Raypower indicate the use of divisive comments accredited to the segment of “Kakaaki”, tagged, “Kakaaki Social”, where inciting comments like, “Nigeria is cursed, we declare an independent state of Niger Delta,” “Nigeria irritates me,” “this country is gradually Islamizing,” and other similar slogans are used without editorial control in breach of the broadcast Code.
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“We were therefore constrained to issue Daar Communication letters of warning dated May 27th, 2019.
“We also observed from monitoring reports that a documentary on the Presidential Election Tribunal, a pending election petition matter aired on AIT on Wednesday and Thursday, 22nd and 23rd May 2019 without regard to the provisions of the Broadcast Code. The Commission, in line with its regulatory powers again cautioned AIT in another letter also dated 27th May 2019.
“However, instead of making amends, the management of Daar Communications Plc resorted to the use of media propaganda against the regulator. Even the letters from the NBC were posted on social media platforms.
“Needless to state that Daar Communications have over the years turned themselves into a bad example of how a professional broadcast outfit should not be run.
“In their relationship with the NBC, Daar Communications carries on as if it is beyond the regulatory direction of the Commission. They don’t pay their licence fees as and when due.
“Its broadcast is patently partisan and one-sided and deliberately inciting and heating the polity. The management of the Company has created the habit of using the channel to fight its personal battles contrary to the statutory requirements of the law,” the NBC boss said.
Mr. Moddibo said the decision to suspend the license of Daar Communications Plc followed the failure to abide by its directives as contained in the NBC Act Cap N11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
He also cited the provisions of Section 10 of the Third Schedule of the NBC Act Cap N11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as the basis for the action.
The management of DAAR Communications Plc was yet to respond to the withdrawal of its operational license at the time of filing this report.