#ENDSARS: ChannelsTV, AriseTV, AIT in trouble, as NBC sanctions them for broadcasting Fake News

For the first time since the government’s campaign against fake news began in Nigeria last year, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) made its first noticeable sanctions against erring television stations on Monday for airing unverifiable video footages from social media to cover the #EndSARS protests.

The NBC sanctioned three major Nigerian television stations, namely Channels Television, Arrive Television and African Independent Television (AIT), for their breach of the code guarding broadcasting in the country, thereby misleading the world.

This was disclosed, in a television report, Monday afternoon.

According to reports, the regulators imposed various fines on Arise TV, African Independent Television (AIT) and Channels Television between N2 million and N3 million.

“The National Broadcasting Commission has sanctioned Africa Independent Television, AIT, Arise TV and Channels for what it calls, a gross violation of the broadcast code, top of which is the use of unverifiable online video footages on the social media,” AIT said.

The Acting Director General of the NBC, Mr. Armstrong Idachaba, warned that further sanctions will be harsher and announced that the owners of AIT, DAAR Communications would be fined separately for alleged reports of a fire incident at the National Christian Centre.

The sanction, according to Idachaba, will be a fine of not less than N2 million.

The NBC had warned last week that broadcasters must “perform the role of a peace agent by adhering to the principle of responsibility, accuracy and neutrality” in reporting the protests.

More details later..