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Is This TV Station Another Arm Of Govt?

By Simon Abah, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
15 March 2015   |   3:26 am
I hope the station can be as independent as other international broadcast media to give us a bird’s eye view as well as a worm’s eye view of all issues. I hope its management also takes criticisms seriously with the view to firming up the Nigeria’s news media.
Photo: Twitter

Photo: Twitter

SIR: I have followed AIT over the years from its unsettled days in the mid-1990s up and until this moment. How can I forget Jika Attoh’s Kakaaki back then? The packages those days were first class, but the station is quickly losing its respect by my assessment.

In 2009, when I watched without fail, I noticed that guest analysts invited to the studio used to be skewed in favour of the masses such that government policies were queried impartially but it is different these days, especially in this political dispensation.

I have noticed that no day passes by without airing a negative advertisement on the opposition. Not that this is bad. Politicking involves the throwing up of sludge and flak on opponents and it is up to the masses to filter propaganda from the truth. What is disturbing is that there isn’t such balance in presentation of materials. The few times I saw adverts placed by the opposition, the catchword ‘sponsored’ was boldly displayed on screen. But this is not always the case with damaging advertisement on Buhari.

I hope the station can be as independent as other international broadcast media to give us a bird’s eye view as well as a worm’s eye view of all issues. I hope its management also takes criticisms seriously with the view to firming up the Nigeria’s news media.

Is that station becoming insularly partisan, the same way NTA was many years back, which made many a Nigerian to look elsewhere for current news? Is it any wonder then, that another television house for eight years non-stop has won the television station of the year?

The female anchors on Kakaaki who interviewed President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday, March 5, 2015, need be reminded that a feature interview, with a statesman on sensitive national issues must be handled with such proficiency, as it is done at other mass media like CNN, Aljazeera, Sky News, etc. – without intermittent, laughing gaffes, as exhibited on that day: for the hope of many Nigerians rest on what a sitting president had to say.

There is the need for BON to set up a television watch body. Millions of people watch feature interviews, documentaries and news daily. Any negative appearance aired certainly will linger in the minds of people.

I hope the station can be as independent as other international broadcast media to give us a bird’s eye view as well as a worm’s eye view of all issues. I hope its management also takes criticisms seriously with the view to firming up the Nigeria’s news media.

Could the management also separate its views from that of the advertised views aired on its channel? But should it want to be a pro-government news media, could they let us know, so we know what to expect daily. Just the way some Americans of the Republican party tune in to Fox Channels daily to catch up on anti-Democratic news or Aljazeera which is slightly anti-America.

• Simon Abah, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

19 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    I have stopped watching AIT since 2013.There are other stations that offer a balanced view of events.AIT has surprisingly turn itself to a partisan station.

  • Author’s gravatar

    AIT is a station under the management of a Dubious owner who will definately be implicated in mutiple corruption scam. AIT and Ray Dokpesi are for sale!

  • Author’s gravatar

    AIT has lost its dignity and pride, the very day they started deceiving people/investors of the shares of AIT that worth 50k per share and was over valued to #5 per share and over 500millions were sold out.few months later the original value showed after investors have been deceived and came down to 50k per share. Invariably the station is own by the public and not Dokpesi as he claims.Ole …Bastard man i pity for your tomorrow.

  • Author’s gravatar

    I hope one day government will wake up to enforce corporate governance law in respect of public limited liability companies. I can’t wait for government to come to the aid of million of Nigerians duped by Mr. Raymond Dokpesi and company for buying shares of the company. The company has been de-listed from companies that have their shares traded on the floor of the Nigerian Stocks Exchange. No dividend from the company since going public and no published account, is Daar Communications including AIT still a limited liability company?

  • Author’s gravatar

    tell your father to set up his own station.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Very stupid article.If not for A.I.T a lot of ignorant Nigerians would not have known how corrupt and deceptive Tinubu is. Who is afraid of A.I.T?

  • Author’s gravatar

    You spoke the mind of many Nigerians Simon but do you think it is appropriate to refer to the presenters at AIT as Anchors? They are more of the PDP spin doctors. I do not blame them remember that he who pays the piper dictates the tune. Uhnnn!! stomach infrastructure.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Hi! Simon, do you watch TVC News Tv channel, would you say it is another arm of the Opposition APC or PR station for those “Skirt” wearing boko haram? I’m sure you must have an opinion on that, just let the world know please.

  • Author’s gravatar

    QUESTION: Who are APC? erm . . . I’m sure the answer is former PDP members who could not live with the real change happening in the country today, far from the dark and institutionally corrupt days of one mr. OBJ who tried to change the law to allow himself more terms in office. Nigerians want change and are enjoying change now, I believe, not recycling of old and out of idea corrupt people who have nothing to speak of their past records than to revert to tribalism for votes. Naija is more mature than that I believe.

  • Author’s gravatar

    It is only natural for a group or party ;APC, suffering from PARANOID SCHIZOPHRENIA to oppose everything that is right. PLEASE AIT keep on your good job.

    #GEJ TILL 2019

  • Author’s gravatar

    AIT is a scam by one of the most fraudulent guys in the books Raymond Dokpesi. He duped us who bought the shares of AIT and now he is insulting us through all these activities and romance of a discredited and corrupt government headed by Goodluck Jonathan.

  • Author’s gravatar

    AIT is already a death station.

  • Author’s gravatar

    instead of pounding AIT let those who such ‘false campaigns’ target go to court immediately. isn’t that what people with clear conscience do? APC has accused this govt of the highest level of corruption ever seen in our history. when you ask for proof, you will hear: sanusi said N49b is missing…..no N20b. But with the PWC report this case is now mentioned when ppl cannot respond eg on campaign podiums. Next allegation? Stella Odua! How? she stole N225b. till date neither APC nor anybody sympathetic to its course has shown us proof that Nigeria paid N225miliion upfront for the cars. the truth is that the corruption that still persists in Nigeria has to do with ppl inflating contract figures and such corruption persists in all levels and arms of govt.
    the tinubu advertorial was specific in its accusations. the questions are simple. who owns those houses and properties? if its not Tinubu am sure lagos state govt can tell us who owns them.