Posted by By AMOS DUNIA, Abuja on
The Senate on Sunday gave conditions that must be met by Multi-Choice, organizers of Big Brother Africa, a television reality show, before it can be allowed to continue airing the programme on the Nigerian air waves.
The Senate on Sunday gave conditions that must be met by Multi-Choice, organizers of Big Brother Africa, a television reality show, before it can be allowed to continue airing the programme on the Nigerian air waves. It, however, said that Nigeria had no intention of banning the programme.
Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and Media Senator Ayogu Eze at a press conference in Abuja, said the Senate was concerned about the aspects of drunkenness, shower hours and explicit nudity contained in the programme, adding it should be repackaged to conform to Nigerian broadcasting standards.
Senator Eze said the position of the National Assembly on the matter should not in be misconstrued to mean an attempt by the Nigerian government to ban business organizations from coming into the country.
He said the Senate commissioned the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission to carry out an audience audit on the programme and the result showed that certain aspects of the programme did not take into cognizance some basic social and cultural values of the Nigerian people.
His words: 'It is important not to create negative impression to the effect that we don't want business concerns to come to Nigeria. Big Brother Africa reality show and any other business concern is free to come and operate in Nigeria, but must conform with the rules of broadcasting in the country as being regulated by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission."
The Senate spokesman said all Nigeria required of Big Brother Africa was to repackage to conform with acceptable social and cultural values as well as take into consideration the broadcast rules and requirements.
He explained that his committee decided to hold a private meeting with the owners of Multi-Choice in Nigeria to enable the Senate to put some safety valves in place as well as get to the root of the matter.