IMPLEMENTATION OF NIGERIA BROADCASTING CODE: A PERSPECTIVE OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTERS

Broadcast media are not just means of information, education and entertainment but also of influencing public opinions positively or negatively. It is a truism that Press Freedom is an integral part of democracy. However, an unguided Press can be a loose cannon and a mad watchdog that will be harmful to the owner and the society at large. It is the realization of this that makes government of every nation formulate guidelines that will give the broadcast industry a sense of direction. In Nigeria, the National Broadcasting Commission, (NBC), is saddled with the responsibility of the issuance of such guidelines known as Nigeria Broadcasting Code; the first of which was in 1993 and the latest in 2019. The code is expected to regulate all broadcast activities in Nigeria. This study assesses the application of the code to international broadcasters in Nigeria. Conceptual methodology was adopted for the study. The research is based on authoritarian and social responsibility theories. Findings show that international broadcasters cannot be regulated through Nigeria Broadcasting Code and that there are no clear cut international regulations the country can rely on in dealing with these trans-national stations in case of violations of provisions of Nigeria Broadcasting Code in their broadcasts. The study recommended the need for the National Broadcasting Commission to look critically into the lacuna in the Nigeria Broadcasting Code with a view to addressing it at the home front while the commission should take appropriate steps at the international conferences and conventions of broadcast media regulators with a view to coming up with appropriate measures to curb the alleged excesses of international broadcasters considering their increasing roles in Nigeria’s media landscape.