Federal Ministry of Information and Culture Press Release
FG To License Online Radio, TV Stations
President
Muhammadu Buhari has approved wide ranging reforms in the broadcasting
industry, including the licensing of online radio and television
stations.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, who disclosed this in Abuja on Friday when he received members
of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) on a courtesy visit,
was responding to a request made by BON for the review of the
Broadcasting Code.
“I just want to use this opportunity to inform
you that Mr. President has actually already approved a review of the
Broadcast Code that is going to take care of many of the issues you have
already raised here.
“In particular, the President has approved
that WebTVs and radio stations, including foreign broadcasters beaming
signals into Nigeria, will be licensed because we must bring sanity into
this industry.
Mr. President has also approved a wide range of
reforms in the industry which, at the appropriate platform, I will let
you know,” he said.
The Minister, who promised to carry along
members of BON in the review of the Broadcasting Code, restated the
commitment of the present administration to free media.
“I have
said it on many platforms that this administration is not about to gag
the press. No! But we will appeal to the press to please self-regulate
for the sake of this country and also for the sake of the industry
itself,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed also appealed to BON to
partner with the government in the promotion of peaceful co-existence
and cohesion in order to engender progress and national development.
“Today,
if anybody listens to what is being said on some radio or television
stations, you will think that this country is at war or that Christians
actually cannot live with Muslims or that there is a dichotomy between
the North and the South.
I think we need to appeal to you to use your platforms for the unity and cohesion of the country,” he said.
In
his remarks, the Acting Chairman of BON, Sir Godfrey Ohuabunwa, said
the re-appointment of the Minister was deserving because he brought life
and great innovation to the broadcast industry during the first tenure
of the administration.
He pledged the readiness of BON to key into the government’s agenda, especially the fight against #fakenews.
Segun Adeyemi @SegunAde88
SA To Hon. Minister of Information and Culture Abuja 23 Aug. 2019
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