By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
THE National Broadcasting Commission has temporarily suspended the shutdown of the indebted broadcast stations across Nigeria.
Stonix News had reported that NBC had, on Friday, August 19, 2022, issued a shutdown notice to licensees that were indebted to the commission.
The big names among the licencees included the African Independent Television (AIT), Silverbird Television and 50 others across the country.
The threat had drawn the ire of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the International Press Centre (IPC), the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) which was joined by NGE to file a suit against the NBC.
But a week after the threat, NBC, in a statement signed by the Director General, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, has reconsidered its threat, suspending the ultimate, albeit temporarily.
“Following the ultimatum, the Commission received positive responses from the debtor Licensees, including big players in the broadcast industry.
“Sequel to a follow-up meeting held with Executives of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), and other critical Stakeholders in the industry, the Commission has decided to temporarily suspend the shutdown of the indebted Broadcast stations all over the Country.
“We express our profound appreciation to the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, the affected licensees and Broadcast Stakeholders for their responses and interventions.
“We, specifically, thank DAAR Communications Ltd and Silverbird TV/Rhythm FM for their responses.
“The Commission is not unaware of the difficulties this shutdown must have caused the operators and other stakeholders, but must state that the commission will always operate within the National Broadcasting Commission Act, Cap. N11, Laws of the Federation, 2004,” the statement read in part.
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