Broadcast company discontinues Multichoice alleged transgender movie

October 26, 2015 8:33 PM

This directive is said to be contained in a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs of the NBC, Mr Awwalu Salihu, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

The National Broadcasting Commission logo

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has directed Multichoice, the parent company of DSTV, not to air a programme titled: “I am Jazz” a mini-series about a transgender child.

Read: Movie heads to NBC as TV series

This directive is said to be contained in a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs of the NBC, Mr Awwalu Salihu, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

The NBC says the programme is capable of corrupting youths as it is also at variance with Nigerian law which prohibits homesexuality.

“The attentions of the NBC has been drawn to the concern raised by some members of the public about some alleged plans by the TLC Channel on DSTV to begin airing a programme, I am Jazz, which is about a transgender child.

“The commission has drawn the attention of the service provider to this concern and has received firm assurances that it will investigate and if it concerns that the programme is indeed promoting undesirable ideas that will offend the Nigerian public,” it added.

Meanwhile, MultiChoice Nigeria has complied with the directive of the NBC not to air the controversial mini-series.

A statement from the organisation obtained by NAN in Abuja said it was aware of the concerns raised by Nigerian viewers across various platforms about the movie.

“After careful consideration and wide consultation from various stakeholders, MultiChoice informs its esteemed subscribers that the mini-series, “I am Jazz” has been pulled off the schedule.

“We regularly assess the impact our content have on our customers and we reassure them that their interests are always considered.

“However, we take comfort in knowing that our decoders are encrypted with the parental control feature that empowers parents with ultimate control over what their children view.

“We also encourage parents to make use of this feature as much as possible to ensure that their children only watch what their parents deem appropriate.

NAN reports that Nigerians on Sunday took to various social media platforms with messages to protest the airing of the movie.

Read: The NBC has decided to neutralise Radio Biafra's signal

An extract from the trending message read:

“I join parents to protest as DSTV Nigeria plans to air Transgender theme soap opera for children starting on Oct. 27.

“Please let’s stand up to protect our children and the moral fibre of this country."