Arise TV Fined N2m For Airing Fake News About Tinubu

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has sanctioned Arise TV for airing fake reports about the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC)  Bola Tinubu.

The television station was fined N2 million for breaching the broadcasting code.

Naija News reports that this development follows the petition written to the NBC by the APC.

It was gathered that the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has demanded a sanction on Arise News and Channels TV over the alleged fake news about the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

The APC has petitioned the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for the two television stations to be sanctioned for violation of the commission’s codes of operation.

Naija News learnt that the Director of Media and Publicity of the council, Bayo Onanuga in a statement today revealed that a petition has been signed and addressed to the Director-General of NBC, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah by the Special Adviser, Media, Communications and Public Affairs of the PCC, Dele Alake.

The statement noted that the party had accused the two television stations of an indictment of Tinubu as reported and discussed on Arise News and Channels TV, even after the issue was cleared in correspondence between then Inspector General of Police Tafa Balogun and the US government.

“The case in question, which did not indict our candidate, has since been overtaken by events after interrogation and correspondences between then Inspector General of Police Tafa Balogun in 2003 and the United States government. The US Justice Department in a letter dated 4th February 2003, issued by the Lagos Consulate of the United States Embassy cleared our candidate. The letter was signed by Michael Bonner, the Consulate’s legal attache.

“The Campaign Council was therefore surprised that certain media houses, such as ARISE News and Channels TV among others, went ahead to transmit and broadcast issues purportedly indicating our candidate in violation of section 3,3 I of the Code which says that:

“The Broadcaster shall
(a) Ensure that any information given in a programme in whatever form is,
“We believe that the operators of the stations, by their professional standing, should have access to research platforms to verify the information before dishing it to the public,” the petition read.

It further accused both stations of using the already cleared document in their interviews of Festus Keyamo SAN and the spokesman of the opposition PDP respectively.

Alake also noted that their action went against the NBC code, which forbids broadcasting fake news.

He said, “Notwithstanding the broadcast of the falsehood peddled by opposition elements, ARISE TV and Channels TV went ahead to transmit and circulate a fake letter insinuating that the Independent National Electoral Commission has initiated an investigation of the APC Presidential candidate premised on the fake letter in circulation.”

Arise TV was reported to have apologised yesterday after reporting the Independent National Broadcasting Commission (INEC) was investigating Tinubu over alleged criminal forfeiture of money on offences bordering on narcotics and illicit drugs.