2015: We’ve received several queries from NBC – Liberty Radio GM
What has been happening lately between NBC and Liberty Radio?Let me say that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has its own code and this code guides the operations of radio stations and personnel. We have received several queries from NBC for breaching the code, but some of them were found to be a little too […]
What has been happening lately between NBC and Liberty Radio?
Let me say that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has its own code and this code guides the operations of radio stations and personnel. We have received several queries from NBC for breaching the code, but some of them were found to be a little too harsh. When you look at areas of breaches, it borders on individuals coming out to make statements that are not verified or balanced. In fact, one of the queries that we received said that we did not create balance in our programme. But the NBC did not look at it from our own side, that we made attempt to create balance, especially as regards to the ruling party or the government.
In a situation where, in order to create balance you go to people to talk to you and you don’t get them, what would you do? However, we were queried on this. We have also received queries in areas where they said we are casting aspersions on people and institutions. Much as one will say that as regulators, the NBC must be seen as doing its job, we have been worried as operators of a private broadcast station. Sometimes we think the NBC descends on us too heavily. In answering the queries we have always stated our position and we have made ourselves clear.
What particular incident made NBC to fine you?
It was on the National Good Governance Tour of the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku. We had a caller on our phone-in programme who said the money spent on the tours by state governors can be used to develop their states. The caller then said he saw that as wasteful. After we replied the query we were fined. They said that we did not create balance and that the caller was insulting the person of the minister.
How much were you fined?
The fine was N2 million.
Did your station pay the N2 million fine?
We wrote to NBC and asked them to look at it from our own angle and they looked into our matter and made some weavers. So, we did not eventually pay the N2 million.
Did you get other queries after that?
Yes, we got other queries. Sometimes it is even on the kind of music we play. If you know about music you should know that we don’t even understand the language of these artists these days and some of the things they say are unethical. Besides, we don’t have the list of records of CDs that will tell us about CDs that we should not play. So we got queried by playing a CD which the artist used vulgar words. We were also queried on some political issues.
What is the state of things right now?
We are operating the way we should and we are trying as much as possible to ensure balance in all our programmes. We are also sensitizing our guests before we go on air. We tell them that the programme is not about to cast aspersion on anyone or institution, but about dealing objectively with the issues to be discussed. And with that we have been able to stay afloat.
How is the relationship between NBC and Liberty Radio now?
They call meetings, not only for Liberty Radio, but for all broadcast stations and try to explain their own position to us. We know the period that we are in and we know that NBC is a government organ which tries to dance to the tune of its master. But because we are private stations, what other public stations cannot treat we can look at and deal with professionally.
Of late we have not had any problem with the NBC and they have not been putting their radar on us. Honestly, in the past they have not been making the profession an interesting one because you are always conscious of some organization breathing down on you. Anytime you are producing a programme, you will be afraid and hoping that the programme doesn’t get you into trouble again. But if we must give the people voices and express our freedom of information then the way we are being tackled is like we are being muzzled out.
Does NBC fine and punish other broadcast stations similarly?
We share thoughts with colleagues in other media and we hear them say that they receive queries too. But one way we look at it is that when you ask Liberty Radio to pay two million Naira fine, do they also ask erring government stations to pay that amount of money? So we just think that sometimes private stations are more often queried and fined than government stations. Nevertheless, that won’t stop us. We shall continue to live by our mission statement by giving voice to the people, enlightening and educating them.
How was the issue finally resolved?
We held a meeting with the top officials of NBC and we asked them to look into our case. We also appealed to them to consider the cost of operating a broadcast station and all of that because we are a 24-hour station that never says good night. We also explain the employment we are creating in the country which is actually in line with the government’s transformation agenda. So after presenting our case, we had a fruitful discussion with them and they reasoned with us. They said they would get back to us and by the time they got back to us we were let off the hook.
Does that mean you didn’t eventually pay the fine?
As I earlier said, there was some weaver, so we only paid half a million Naira (N500,000). They wrote us a letter, signed by the Director General, Emeka Mba, that they have looked into our case and they had slashed down the fine from the initial N2 million to N500, 000. What they told us again is that we should not overheat the polity because of the times we are in. We were also told not to fan the embers of discord but to rather serve as a unifying factor to the diverse segments of the population.
By and large, it has helped us in repositioning ourselves in handling issues that border on regions, tribes, politics and religion. Again, we have gatekeepers and we have been telling our producers and presenters the appropriate ways to present their programmes.
What have you been doing to create balance in your programmes?
In the case of the National Good Governance Tour where a caller criticized the initiative, we wanted to create a balance and in order to do this we tried to get the Minister, Labaran Maku, to react to the statements made about him and to hear his own angle. But all the attempts to get him proved abortive. One of the things that often get us worried is that you can’t easily get people in government to come and speak. We do write letters inviting them to our programmes but they won’t come. The letters are there for anyone to confirm. Sometimes we are being labeled as opposition radio, but it is not true. Liberty radio is not created for a particular person, organization or political party. The station’s slogan is: Liberty Radio…Voice For All. We give equal opportunities to everyone because we are voice for all. The thing is that government functionaries won’t honour our invitations and whenever we do programmes we endeavour to create balance ourselves by standing in for the government. Often times, the anchor person tries to stand in for the government and make the people see what government is doing. But you know that this does not make for good reporting.
2015 is around the corner. How will you go about producing programmes that will not make NBC to hammer your station?
One of the things we will not shy away from, as a radio station, is that we are out to inform the people, to let them know what is going on around them. Often times, we get calls from our listeners commending us and telling us that we have added to their knowledge in so many ways. They tell us they now have a deeper understanding of situations in the country. Our station is also an interactive one; we are not just there to pass information to people, we also need to hear from them. All this does not amount to overheating the polity. I produce and present a weekday programme (Monday-Friday) and I talk to different people from different political parties. I realize that sometimes people are cautious not to say things that will make them run into trouble with their political parties. But some others will tell you that it is not about the party but the issues that needed to be discussed and treated and how has their party looked at the issues.
How would you react to the allegation that Liberty Radio is favouring the opposition?
Opposition parties usually come because they find radio as an available place to come and talk to advance their course. But that is not to say in any way that our radio is for the opposition as they alleged. We give room to all, including the ruling class. Many times we have the ruling party coming to talk to us.