NBC postpones suspension of 53 broadcast stations amid backlash

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has suspended the revocation of the operating licenses of 52 broadcast stations owing various sums in licensing fees.

The Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on Friday revoked the broadcast licences of Silverbird TV, AIT, Raypower FM, and Rhythm FM amongst others over failure to renew their licences amounting to N2.66billion.

The stations have allegedly not renewed their licences in years.

The commission said it had, in May 2022, given affected stations “two weeks to renew their licenses and pay their debts or consider their licenses revoked.”

Addressing a press conference in Abuja, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, director-general of the commission, said the stations had been owing NBC since 2015.

Ilelah said the affected stations indebted to the tune of N2billion should shut down their operations within 24 hours.

But the NBC’s decision had been greeted with public criticisms and outrage, with many groups and civic societies calling for its reversal.

Following the intervention of the Nigerian chapter of the International Press Institute that engaged the Ministry of Information and Culture, the NBC and the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) decided to explore an amicable resolution of the dispute.

The NBC has now given the affected stations up to 6 pm on Tuesday, August 23, to pay up their debts, Premium Times reports.

The statement reads; “We are glad to report that the Director General of NBC, Malam Balarabe Shehu Ilela, has graciously agreed to grant an extension on compassionate ground,” IPI Nigeria President, Musikilu Mojeed, said on Saturday.

“Even though this is a temporary relief, we are hopeful that all parties will engage in the next few days with a view to arriving at a lasting resolution of the matter. We thank the Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and Mallam Illela for listening to us and allowing a window for dialogue.

“During our engagement with the Commission, NBC explained that the commission had in the past granted several concessions to broadcast organisations, including writing off substantial parts of their debts and engaging them consistently to fulfill their financial obligations to the regulator.

“We implore the affected broadcasting organisations to take advantage of this window of opportunity by reaching out to NBC.

“Nobody benefits when broadcasting stations are shut down. Members of the public have come to rely on these stations to know what their governments are doing to keep them safe in this challenging security environment. Other governments’ policies are also disseminated to the public through these channels.

“In view of the nation’s economic downturn, we further appeal to the affected broadcast stations and NBC to agree on a workable payment arrangement of the outstanding dues.”