Sanction of Trust TV archaic, unproductive, Prof tells NBC

A Professor of Strategy and Development and Centre Director at Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies, Anthony Kila, has faulted the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC’s) N5 million fine on Trust Television Network (Trust TV), describing it as archaic and unproductive measure. 

The NBC had on Wednesday slammed a N5 million fine on Trust TV, owned by Media Trust Group, over the broadcast of a documentary titled “Nigeria’s Banditry: The Inside Story”, which was aired by the station on March 5, 2022.

The documentary was produced after months of investigations intended to trace the roots of the raging banditry and provide policymakers insight into possible means of ending the carnage.

The NBC communicated the sanction through a letter dated August 3, 2022, which was signed by its Director General, Balarabe Shehu Illela.

The commission said the fine was imposed on Trust TV because the broadcast of the said documentary contravened sections of the National Broadcasting Code.

Reacting, Kila said:  “The fine by NBC on the Daily Trust (Trust TV) is an archaic and unproductive measure.

“Those that imposed the fine seem to be tied to an analogue wherein broadcasting is still fully reliant on the traditional mode of broadcasting. They seem to be unaware of the fact that the documentary in question could have been viewed by equal amount of viewers without using a regulated platform.

“The process invites all to review the status and of the NBC as a regulatory agency and its relationship with the government, it seems to be totally dependent on and reflective of the government’s position. Who will regulate the actions of the government. Personally, I believe in self regulation or at best a regulation done by peers.

“The questions to be asked about any news item should be is it true, and is it of public interest and does it inform and warn? I suspect the NBC is not thinking this way at all.”