Implement Court Judgement On Pay TV Monopoly, Firm Urges NBC

A broadcasting company, Metrodigital Limited, has called on the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to implement a judgement of the Court of Appeal, which ordered the regulatory agency to resolve the impasse between the company and MultiChoice.

A three-man justices of the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt had on June 13, 2022 ordered the NBC to, within 21 days, commence the process of settling the dispute between Metrodigital and MultiChoice over the monopoly of Pay TV services in the country.

Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt on Friday, Managing Director of Metrodigital Limited, Dr. Ifeanyi Nwafor, expressed regrets that the NBC was yet to respond more than 21 days after the judgement of the appellate court.

Nwafor said: “NBC has not responded and 21 days as ordered by the Appeal Court has passed. However, we have been working with the federal government to ensure that NBC comply with the Court judgement.”

He expressed the hope that with the Appeal Court judgement, there will be an end in monopoly of the Pay TV services in Nigeria, while the broadcast industry will grow with lots of innovations.

The Metrodigital boss added: “We believe that with the end of the monopoly, the industry will grow exponentially with lots of innovations. Many jobs will be created. Prices will come down for the Nigerian public.

“Quality of service delivery will improve due to the new-found competition. United States with a population of 350 million people has more than 400 viable pay-tv companies. There is no reason why Nigeria with a population of over 200 million people should have only one or two.”

Nwafor, however, commended the federal government, especially the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for taking the bold step to stop monopoly in the nation’s broadcast industry.