NBC orders foreign broadcasters to register within 30 days

Foreign broadcasters with offices in Nigeria who beam their signals into the nation are urged to register with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) within 30 days.

The decision was made by Malam Balarabe Ilelah, Director-General of NBC, on Friday in Abuja when he presented 67 newly approved licensees with provisional approval.

In order to prevent disconnections and legal action, Ilelah also urged Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) and other broadcast stations that stream their content online to register with the commission.

He stated that NBC was committed to working with security organizations to crack down on illegal broadcasters in the nation.

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The head of NBC urged licensees who have not yet paid their outstanding debts to do so right away to avoid having their licenses revoked for illegal broadcasting.
The commission will be forced to work with law enforcement and anti-corruption organizations to recoup the debts because failure to pay is considered economic sabotage, he said.

He urged the 67 licensees who had just received approval to return President Muhammadu Buhari’s favor by putting the license to use within the allotted timeframe.

Ilelah urged them to act morally, in accordance with the Act, the Code, and other applicable laws governing broadcasting.

The presidential nod serves as a testament to Buhari’s desire for media diversity and freedom of speech.

I beg you to support our democratic values, national unity, and cultural heritage in order to complement the gesture.
He, therefore, advised the new licensees to pay attention to safeguarding the peaceful coexistence of Nigeria through their broadcast.

” This is in addition to promoting and sustaining the Nigeria’s diverse culture by ensuring diversity in programming content for the Nigeria’s widest audience.“Most importantly is to promote Nigerian content and encourage the production and projection of Nigerian life, hence try to achieve 100 per cent local content.
Broadcasters should be aware that sending staff to the recently established Nigeria Broadcast Institute for training is one of the conditions for the start of test transmission, the speaker said.

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Dr. Mustafa Lecky, the CEO of Afe Elamah Company Ltd. Edo, responded on behalf of the licensees and promised that they would work hard to advance national unity.

“We hereby pledge to uphold the laws and rules on behalf of our members who have been granted this license. We won’t fall short. We hold this trust to be of the utmost importance.

We will diligently and completely pay our annual licensee fees on time, and the commission will be pleased with us.