The National Broadcasting Commission on Friday said that the Digital Switch Over from analogue broadcasting to digital would achieve 95 per cent nationwide target before the end of the year.
The commission also explained that the new broadcasting regulations were not aimed at gagging people from expressing their views in accordance with the constitution.
The NBC said they were intended to mandate owners of distribution platforms to regulate what was placed before them.
The acting Director-General of NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, made the clarification during a press conference, which was his first public function exactly one week after taking over from his predecessor, Mallam Modibbo Kawu, who has been placed on suspension.
He assured Nigerians of the agency’s determination to promote pluralism of ideas and inject sanity into the broadcast industry.
Idachaba said, “In the area of new regulations on content emanating from social media, let me make it clear that the NBC does not intend to and cannot deny citizens freedom of expression as entrenched by the constitution.”
“The regulations are intended to mandate owners of distribution platforms to ensure through self-regulations, and the statutory provisions that contents that will emerge on their platforms are not harmful content. I want to assure you that the commission remains committed on its objectives of promoting broadcasting for national development.
“We are avowed to promoting pluralism of ideas, diversity of opinion and choice of content. We believe that the broadcast industry is critical to the realisation of the economic potential of our nation and in building national cohesion.”
While assuring that the reform would be implemented to the fullest, he urged Nigerians to be focused on the need for social responsibility.
“Our broadcast stations have a responsibility to extol positive family values and promote a sound and morally built nation. We must discourage contents that corrupt the minds, inciting comments, fake news and other harmful content,”the NBC DG said.
He said, “The commission and indeed the Federal Government remained committed to the realisation of the digital transition because of its vast benefits to the vast number of Nigerians. We acknowledge that the roll out has been slow.
He assured that before the end of the year, the 95 per cent target across the country will be achieved.
According to him, already, five states – Kaduna, Plateau, Enugu, Osun, Kwara and Federal Capital Territory have rolled out, while other states will come on stream in phases.
Idachaba also said Lagos, Rivers, Kano, Gombe, Delta, Anambra and Bauchi are the next states to roll out.
Punch
