The regulatory agency for broadcasting in Nigeria, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), last month threatened to sanction Government and privately owned radio and television stations around the country alleged to be operating illegally without valid licenses.
In a “Public Notice” issued on December 23 and titled “Notice of Sanctions on Defaulters Against the NBC Act”, the Commission published a list of 11 broadcasting entities owned by the Federal and State Governments as well as a list of 18 privately owned broadcast entities which it claimed were operating radio and television stations illegally.
The NBC said the lists are of broadcast stations whose licenses have lapsed but have continued to operate illegally without renewal or payment of statutory fees and levies.
The Commission said in the notice that “repeated grace periods given to every licensee to settle all outstanding licence and other statutory fees and levies have expired” and that “law-abiding stations have since settled their accounts with the Commission and have been issued with fresh Licence certificates.”
Listing the names of the stations that are alleged to still be in default, the NBC said the publication would be “followed by the enforcement of appropriate sanctions against such stations in accordance with the NBC Act, Cap N11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as at December 23, 2013.”
Affected government-owned stations are the Network Licence for Radio for the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and the radio and television licenses of Borno State Broadcasting Services;, Delta State Broadcasting Services, Edo State Broadcasting Services, Kano State Broadcasting Services, Katsina State Broadcasting Services, Kebbi State Broadcasting Services, Plateau State Broadcasting Services, Taraba State Broadcasting Services, Yobe State Broadcasting Services, and the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State.
The privately-owned entities on the list are the Network Licence for Radio and Television of Daar Communications Plc., owners of the Africa Independent Television (AIT) and RayPower Radio; the Daarsat – the Direct-to-Home (DTH) license of Daar Communications; the FM Radio of Zuma Radio Limited in Suleja, Niger State; the FM Radio of Radio Jeremi Limited in Warri, Delta State; the FM Radio (Kiss FM) of Samina Broadcasting Company Limited in Abuja; the FM Radio (Crowther FM) of Crowther Communications Limited; the FM Radio of Vision Africa Limited in Umuahia; the FM Radio of Ceuna Communications and Technology Limited in Umuahia, Owerri, Awka, Aba, and Enugu; the Direct Broadcast Satellite (DSB), Terrestrial Television and FM Radio licenses of Foisi Broadcasting Network Limited in Lagos.
The other privately-owned entities on the list Satellite Television (MMDS) licenses for several locations for Smile Communications Limited; the DSB licence of Network News 24 Limited in Lagos; the DTH licence of Famsun-Ben Nigeria Limited in Lagos; the DTH licence of Frontage Satellite Television Limited in Lagos; the DTH licence of Proudly Africa Media Limited in Lagos; the DTH licence of African Trumpet Telecommunication Limited in Lagos; the DTH licence of United Tribes of Africa Limited in Lagos; the DTH licence of Woodcock Communications Limited in Lagos; and the MMDS licence of Worldlink Network Limited in Warri.
The Commission also published a list of 20 companies whose provisional licence offers have lapsed. They include Primero Communications Limited for FM Radio in Oguta; Sheriff Communications Limited for FM Radio in Maiduguri; Premium Advertising Agency Limited for FM Radio in Sokoto; Afrinet Limited for FM Radio in Abia State; Konaliz Investment Limited for FM Radio in Port Harcourt; Cross Media Limited for Terrestrial Television in Abuja; Chrome Communications Limited for Terrestrial Television in Oraifite; Metronet Communications Concept Limited for MMDS in Jos; Real Summit Cable Network Limited for MMDS in Nsukka; and Suburban Broadcasting Limited for MMDS in several locations.
The other companies are Sunrise Advance Technology Limited for MMDS in several locations; 21st Century Technology Limited for MMDS in several locations; Entertainment Television Limited for MMDS in Lagos; Danwill Communications Limited for MMDS in Uyo; Interactive Learning Network Limited for MMDS in several locations; Platinum Plus Television Limited for MMDS in several locations; Mambilla Broadcasting Company Limited for DTH in Lagos; Monarch Communications Limited for DTH in Lagos; Nisa Advance Technology Limited for DTH in Lagos; and 28 Digitect Broadcasting Limited for DTH in Lagos.
