Tag Archives: Daar Communications

AIT gets ready for The Weekend

The Weekend’s Osasu Igbinedion and Ohimai Godwin Amaize

Africa Independent Television (AIT) has launched a weekend lifestyle show aptly titled The Weekend.

Airing on Saturday and Sunday from 08.00 to 10.00, the show is anchored by Ohimai Godwin Amaize and Osasu Igbinedion, who also produces.

Raymond Dokpesi, chairman of AIT owner Daar Communications, said: “We are very excited about this new brand. We have taken our time to put this together and we are very confident it will revolutionise breakfast television in Nigeria. The show is the ‘next best thing’ Nigerians have been waiting for as far as weekend television programming is concerned.”

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DAAR set for third award ceremony

Independent Nigerian media outfit DAAR Communications is set to present its third DAAR Awards this month.

Raymond Dokpesi Jr

The aim of the event is to recognise notable Nigerians who have pioneered excellence in their various industries during 2018. The presentation will take place on January 19 at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

The selection process has looked at exceptional performances across various sectors such as business, politics, media, fashion, entertainment and lifestyle.

Raymond Dokpesi Jr, chairman of DAAR Communications, said: “DAAR Awards is an event to commemorate those individuals in society who have made it their life’s work to be exemplary. It celebrates the individuals who ought to be celebrated by the work they have done, the positive influence they have imparted, their drive to be symbols of excellence as Nigerians and the lives they have touched in the process.

“It is one of the key roles of the media to maintain an upwardly progressive society, to create sustainability by applauding the architects of growth at all levels.”

Notable brands and personalities that made the nomination list include GT Bank, Access Bank, Coca-Cola, Peak-Milk, Indomie, Guinness, presidential aspirant Oby Ezekwesili, Nigeria’s first lady Aisha Buhari and music icons Wizkid, Burnaboy, 2Baba, Davido.

Also shortlisted were sport icons Ahmed Musa and Alex Iwobi, business moguls Mike Adenuga, Sanni Dangote, Mo Abudu and Ibukun Awosika, and online platforms BellaNaija, Linda Ikeji and Kraks TV.

The awards will be a broadcast live on AIT although the channels have not yet been confirmed

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Daar boss says NBC fines ‘unjust’

AIT, Raypower and DaarSat owner Daar Communications has claimed that the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is exploiting its power by fining and shutting down broadcasters.

Tony Akiotu

The NBC recently sanctioned Daar Communications for breaching broadcast codes by airing inciting and provocative comments during one of its programmes. The commission imposed a fine to the tune of N500,000.

According to Daar MD Tony Akiotu, the fines imposed on Daar were “unjust” and all broadcasting carried out by his company constitutes freedom of expression.

He also requested that the commission grant the company permission to begin operations again.

“As a responsible corporate citizen and licensee, we have paid the fines which to all intent and purposes are unjust, unfair and an assault on us. We hereby request that after due diligence by the appropriate officers of the commission and institution of the state, it will eventually be discovered that we were indeed unjustly fined, and the most honourable thing is to appropriately effect the necessary refund and restitution.”

Addressing the issue of inflammatory and partisan comments during Daar programmes, Akiotu said: “As an organisation, we do not bear any hatred for any government nor are we affiliated with, or an appendage of, any institution, political interest or group of persons. Our loyalty is to the people of Nigeria in particular and humanity in general.”

The NBC has yet to respond to Akiotu’s comments.

 

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Daar licence suspension lifted

The Federal High Court has nullified the suspension of Daar Communications’ broadcast licence ahead of a court hearing next Thursday.

Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu

The suspension imposed on Daar, which owns African Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower FM, was imposed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) yesterday but has now been lifted by the Federal High Court, led by Justice Inyang Ekwo.

At a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, NBC director-general Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu said the reasons for the indefinite suspension included the airing of a presidential election documentary by the AIT, a matter pending before a tribunal, the inability of the company to pay its fees and the use of “divisive and inciting contents from social media.”

Modibbo said: “In their relationship with the NBC, Daar Communications carries on as if it is beyond the regulatory direction of the commission. They don’t pay their licence fees as and when due and their broadcast is patently partisan and one-sided and deliberately inciting and heating up the polity.

“The management of the company has created the habit of using the channel to fight its personal battles contrary to the statutory requirements of the law.

“Recently, NBC monitoring reports on AIT and Raypower indicate the use of divisive comments accredited to the segment of Kakaaki, tagged Kakaaki Social, where inciting comments like, ‘Nigeria is cursed,’ ‘We declare independent state of Niger Delta’, ‘Nigeria irritates me’, ‘This country is gradually Islamising’ and other similar slogans are used without editorial control in breach of the broadcast code.

“Consequently, after several meetings with the management of Daar Communications Plc and many letters of warning, the NBC took a decision to suspend the licence of Daar Communications Plc for failure to abide by the commission’s directives, the provisions of the NBC Act Cap N11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.”

Daar Communications had asked the court to order the commission to reverse its ban, claiming that it had not breached any broadcast code.

Justice Ekwo ordered the NBC, the Federal Ministry of Information and the Attorney General to appear before the court on June 13 to show cause why the motion from Daar Communications should not be granted.

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Awoh joins Daar board

Independent Nigerian media outfit Daar Communications has appointed Nornah Awoh to its board as an independent director.

Nornah Awoh

In a note to the Nigerian Stock Exchange this week, Daar revealed that Awoh’s appointment had taken effect from August 1 last year and was approved by the board back in June at the company’s headquarters in Abuja.

Awoh anchors the 12-year-old TV programme Stocks & Shares, which airs on local and international networks. He has more than three decades of experience in business journalism, having previously worked at the now defunct Business Concord and the Nigerian Television Authority.

Awoh holds a bachelor of science degree in economics and is the founder and chief equity analyst/CEO of Palesa Capital Markets Associates. He also sits on the board of Three Points Industries as non-executive director.

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NBC, Daar settle dispute

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has resolved its dispute with Daar Communications, the owner of Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Ray Power FM.

Daar’s licence suspension has been lifted

The NBC has lifted the suspension of Daar’s broadcast licence, while the media group has withdrawn its court case against the commission.

The dispute was resolved via a meeting attended by Daar founder Raymond Dokpesi and and NBC director-general Ishaq Modibbo-Kawu, as well as Nduka Obaigbena, president of the Newspapers Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN); Ismaila Funtua, former president of NPAN; and Sam Amuka, publisher of the Vanguard newspaper.

The NBC had suspended Daar’s licence over breaches of its Nigeria Broadcasting Code. It also accused the company of a lack of editorial balance and said it had failed to pay licence fees.

Daar had countered that its editorial team was free to comment on the issues of the day under section 39 of the Nigerian constitution, which guarantees freedom of expression and freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas without interference.

To resolve the dispute, Daar agreed to work out a realistic licence payment plan with the NBC and to appoint an ombudsman to ensure balance in its news coverage, especially when it comes to political commentary. It also pledged to take full editorial responsibility for the use of content sourced from social media.

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DGN unveils Africa Creative Summit

The Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) is set to convene the first edition of Africa Creative Summit, aimed at filmmakers and technical experts, in April.

Fred Amata

DGN will hold the event in Nigeria in collaboration with Brainz & Lloyds International, a Dublin-based TV and film consortium. The Summit is a partnership between the Kaduna state government and CAVS, an audiovisual service in Ireland.

According to the organisers, the event will focus on the economic development of the technical and creative aspect of the entertainment industry. DGN president Fred Amata said the event is scheduled to run over three days and will take place in Lagos, Kaduna and Asaba sometime in April 2018.

Supported by Don Pedro Obaseki, a film producer and former MD of Daarsat and executive director of Daar Communications, the seminar will focus on the technicalities of film, television, audiovisual, music, radio, entertainment law and creative investment.

Brainz, a representative of Brainz  & Lloyds International, said: “The workshops will be delivered by top players in this field who will be able to provide practical knowledge and skills as well as valuable insights into how we can go about ensuring improvements in the Nigerian creative industry.”

The objective of the event is to structure an alliance between foreign technical experts and Nigerian creatives in order to strengthen the business partnerships between them, she added.

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