The National Broadcasting Commission has said the proposed Fulani radio station will broadcast “purely educational,” programmes designed to cater for the interest of itinerant fishermen, herders, hunters and farmers.
It also called on all broadcasting stations to exercise restraint in the treatment of sensitive issues that could threaten the unity and stability of Nigeria.
The commission, in response to criticism of the planned radio station by Federal Government to reach Fulani herdsmen, urged broadcasting stations to be professional and take guidance from the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, at all times.
The NBC, in a statement on Saturday, reminded all broadcasters to be mindful of their social responsibility to promote the well-being and peaceful co-existence of the various groups in Nigeria in keeping with the objectives of broadcasting in Nigeria.
It stated, “The commission is reacting to the media controversy over the license granted to the National Commission for Nomadic Education for the establishment of a radio station to operate on the AM band.
“The National Commission for Nomadic Education duly applied for broadcast license in furtherance of its objectives to develop and maintain nomadic education outreach programmes, including electronically mediated ones.
“The letter of provisional approval dated September 28, 2018, was issued to the National Commission for Nomadic Education. The duration of the license is from October 8, 2018 to October 8, 2023.”
The NBC noted that the station’s programmes, which it describes as “purely educational,” were designed to cater for the interest of migrant fishermen, herders, hunters, farmers, and migrants.
It added, “Consequently, it is a misrepresentation for any person or organisation to imply that the licensed station was just for a particular group.
“The commission wishes to state that similar educational broadcast licences were issued to institutions of higher learning and other governmental institutions with comparable needs, such as the Armed Forces of Nigeria, the Federal Road safety Commission, and related institutions.
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