The Director General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mallam Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, has spoken on the reason behind the revocation of the broadcast licences of Silverbird TV, AIT, Raypower FM, Splash FM and Rhythm FM, among others, saying that it was due to their failure to renew them.
Aside the licence revocation, the Director General also directed its state offices to liaise with security agencies to ensure that operations in these stations are shut down within the next 24 hours.
According to him, the stations were owing a total of N2.6 billion, while some of them had not renewed their licences since 2015.
Ile lag said: “This is the first batch, there are those who have not renewed their licence since 2015, 2016 and 2017. We are asking them to come and pay their licence fees.”
The Director General listed other stations affected to include Zuma FM, Suleja, Niger State, Splash FM, Ibadan, Space FM, Ibadan, Bomay Broadcasting Service Ltd., Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Gombe, Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Ondo and Rivers States broadcasting corporations and stations.
Also named were Katsina Broadcasting Corporation, Kaduna State Broadcasting Corporation, Jigawa Broadcasting Corporation, Kebbi State Broadcasting Corporation, Zamfara State Broadcasting Corporation and Yobe State Broadcasting Corporation.
He added that Imo State Broadcasting Corporation, Anambra State Broadcasting Corporation, Cross River State Broadcasting Corporation, Bayelsa State Broadcasting Corporation, Borno State Broadcasting Corporation and Crowther FM Abuja were among the affected stations.
He warned that all stations that had not renewed their licences should do so in 30 days to avoid sanction.
He also called on all Internet Protocol Television and all other broadcast stations that were streaming online to register with the commission to avoid disconnection.
“Broadcasters should note that having a DTT or FM license does not warrant a broadcaster to stream online; they are two different licences.” the DG added.
