All broadcasting stations must comply with these regulations and others contained in the Code. The responsibility for the observance of regulations on advertisement contained in the code rests with the licensee, that is, the individual broadcasting stations respectively. Therefore, stations must ensure that any advertisement brought to them by their clients, whether directly by the advertiser or the advertiser's agent, complies with the regulations contained in the Code. This means that stations will be held responsible by the NBC where there is a violation of these regulations, and the NBC may apply appropriate sanctions in the event of such violations. Thus, the NBC's regulatory authority on advertising applies to all broadcasting stations. The NBC's regulatory activities on advertising constitute minimum legal restraints on advertising. 3. Self-Regulation by Advertisers: production and packaging of advertisements in the broadcast media, especially television, cost a lot of money. In the event of an advertisement being rejected for containing elements forbidden by the Code or for being against established ethical standards of the advertising profession, the advertiser loses his investment in the packaged material. Considerable goodwill could also be undermined where an advertisement is perceived to offend religious or moral sensibilities of a section of the public which may include the advertiser's target consumers or prospect. For these reasons, it is better for an advertiser to ensure that its packaged advertising materials comply with the entire ethical standards established by both the NBC and the advertising profession. This calls for proper screening of packaged advertisements before they are sent to the chosen media houses. At the screening stage, offensive aspects of the advert should be expunged. 3. Regulation by industries and Professions: Industries can regulate advertising. Members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, for instance, can establish rules on advertising, based on the NBC's regulations and other relevant laws, and insist that members must comply with them. Their members should realize that advertising, being a vital aspect of their respective trades, should accord with certain basic ethical standards. Erring members whose advertisements generate public outcry should receive adequate sanctions from their association. That way, the big stick of the NBC and the law, would be kept at bay. Also, professional bodies such as the legal and medical professions have laid out rules on advertisement. These professional bodies should continue to apply sanctions on members who violate such rules. Other professional bodies should follow the examples of the legal and medical associations by encoding certain dos and don'ts of their professions in respect of advertising. That way ethical standards can be sustained.
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