NBC Suspends Revocation of Debtor Broadcast Stations’ Licenses 

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja 

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has announced a temporary suspension of its decision to revoke the licenses of the broadcast stations that were indebted to it.

The Director-General NBC, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah revealed this in a statement on Friday.

He said that the temporary suspension order was sequel to a follow-up meeting it held with executives of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and other critical stakeholders in the industry.

He said the move also came on the heel of the positive responses from the debtor licensees, including big organisations in the broadcast industry who had started to redeem their debts. 

It would be recalled that the regulator had on  August 19, 2022, issued a shutdown notice to the licensees that were owing it to the tune of N2.6 billion. 

The NBC DG also expressed profound gratitude to the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, the affected licensees and broadcast stakeholders for their responses and interventions.

He specifically thanked Silverbird TV/Rhythm FM and DAAR Communications Ltd, the owners of Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower 100 FM for their responses.

While noting that the Commission was not unaware of the difficulties the shutdown must have caused the operators and other stakeholders, Ilelah insisted the Commission would always operate within the National Broadcasting Commission Act, Cap. N11, Laws of the Federation, 2004. 

It would be recalled that NBC had on August 19 revoked the broadcast licenses of 

52 broadcast stations across the country following their failure to defray the N2.6 billion they were owing it.

However,  the revocation was suspended until August 24, after BON and other industrial stakeholders intervened on behalf of the affected licensees.