The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has temporarily suspended the shutdown of debtor broadcast stations.
LEADERSHIP reported that the NBC had earlier on Friday, August 19, 2022, issued a shutdown notice to licensees that were indebted to the Commission to the tune of N2.6 billion.
Following the ultimatum, the director general of NBC, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, this Friday in Abuja, said the Commission has received positive responses from the debtor Licensees, including big players in the broadcast industry.
Sequel to a follow-up meeting held with executives of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), and other critical stakeholders in the industry, Ilelah in a statement obtained by LEADERSHIP, said the Commission has decided to temporarily suspend the shutdown order against the indebted broadcast stations across the country.
The statement reads in part: “We express our profound appreciation to the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, the affected licensees and Broadcast Stakeholders for their responses and interventions. We, specifically, thank DAAR Communications Ltd and Silverbird TV/Rhythm FM for their responses.”
He added that the Commission is not unaware of the difficulties the shutdown would have caused the operators and other stakeholders, however, adding that the Commission will always operate within the National Broadcasting Commission Act, Cap. N11, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
