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Tag: National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

  • Demolition: Breeze FM sues NASG, demands N1.5 billion

    Demolition: Breeze FM sues NASG, demands N1.5 billion

    The Management of Breeze 99.9 FM, Lafia has dragged the Nasarawa State Government to court over the demolition of the private radio station.

    In the suit filed at High Court 4, Lafia, the station is demanding N1.5 billion as compensation for damages it suffered following the demolition of the structures housing the outfit, and the communication equipment inside them.

    According to Mr Ocha Ulegede, Counsel to Breeze FM, the station is also praying the court to declare the action of the state government “illegal, unconstitutional, high-handed and vindictive”.

    “We are asking for public apology and monetary damages totaling  more than of N1.5 billion.

    “We also want the court to restrain the state government from carrying out further demolition of the property because we have it on good authority that they are planning to demolish other structures housing other facilities,” he said.

    The counsel said that the monetary demand of N1.5 billion was for general damages, while N17.8 million was in compensation for special damage for the unlawful act.

    “From the documents available to us, the government did not serve any notice to the management of the station as required by the law.

    “The radio station followed due process and met all requirements before it was given the licence to operate by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

    “There is no law in Nasarawa State that specifically designated places for residential and commercials purposes; so, no law was breached,” he said.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government demolished the radio station on May 20, 2017, citing violation of land approval laws.

    Governor Umaru Al-Makura has said that the radio station would be made to pay a fine for violating the approved land laws.

    No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.

  • Demolition of Breeze 99.9 FM shocking – NBC

    The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has described the demolition of the structures housing the Breeze 99.9 FM, Lafia as “shocking and unbelievable.”

    The structures were demolished on Saturday, May 20, 2017, by the Nasarawa State Urban Development Board (NUDB), over alleged violation of approved land laws.

    Mrs. Franca Ayetan, NBC Zonal Director for North-Central, who led a team on a verification visit to the destroyed station on Monday, said that the development was surprising because the station followed due process in obtaining its broadcast license.

    “The owner of the private radio station, Dr. Nawani Aboki, followed due process in obtaining the broadcast license after all necessary inspections were carried out.

    “On March 31, when we came to commission the station, the state government was fully represented.

    “If government had raised any reservation then, as a regulatory body, we would have waited a little more before inaugurating the station. But none was raised,” she said.

    Ayetan said the NBC would seek for justice in the matter, but promised to follow due process in doing that.

    The Director said that the commission, apart from being a regulatory body, had the mandate to protect broadcasters from any form of injustice or attacks.

    She commiserated with the owner of the station over the demolition, pointing out that the prime reason for deregulating the broadcasting industry was to give the people alternative voices to bare their minds.

    The official said that the NBC had been monitoring Breeze 99.9 FM broadcast and had never found a breach of the guidelines of the Nigeria broadcasting code.

    She said that the commission had never received any complaint from any quarters regarding offensive or inciting broadcast from the station, since it went on air on March 31.

    “We are sad that this is somebody’s investment being destroyed. We are also sad that a radio frequency serving as a platform for the airing of views has been destroyed.

    “A Frequency is usually given to owners of licenses to hold in trust for the people; this station has not abused that trust. It has served the audience diligently.

    “We will support the owner of the station to recover from this and continue,” she said.

    She urged the proprietor not to allow the voice of the people to die, saying that the main component of the station was not the physical building, but the voice and broadcast license.

    “That the structure has been destroyed does not mean you should stop broadcasting, given that advancement in technology broadcast has been made easy,” she said.

    Earlier, Aboki, the Executive Director of the station, had told the team that some officials from the ministry of lands had, on May 12, inscribed “show approval” message on the wall of the station.

    “We then met with them on May 15, where they raised the issues of my Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) showing `residential’, and suggested that the station should not be there.

    “We agreed at that meeting, based on their advice that I should apply for ratification of the document only for us to see “demolition” inscription on May 19, before the structure was pulled down on Saturday May 20” he said.

    Aboki said that the NUDB did not follow the procedural requirement for demolishing “illegal” structures, and insisted that government was yet to come out with the actual reason for the demolition.

    He, however, said that he would follow due process to seek justice over the incident.

    Mr Adamu Sule, the Managing Director of NUDB, has however told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the radio station was among buildings demolished in the state capital for not complying with approved land laws.

    “We brought down the radio station because its structures did not comply with approved land laws,” he said.

     

  • Social media inciting Nigerians – NBC DG

    The Director-General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Malam Modibbo Kawu, says the social media remains the biggest source of incitement and distribution of unsubstantiated crudely insensitive reports in the country.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kawu spoke in Sokoto on Tuesday at the opening of a two-day National Conference of Catholic Social and Communication Directors.

    NAN also reports that the conference has as its theme: “The Nigerian Media: The Ethics of Reporting Violence in Nigeria.”

    Represented by Dr Armstrong Idachaba, a Director in his office, Kawu said: “I must now draw our attention to the now evident – not emerging anymore – danger of the insensitivity of the social media.

    “It does not even pretend to any ethical foundations and it does not give a damn about it. I will indulge us to investigate this disturbing trend.

    “The role of the social media is adding salt to the injuries created by the lack of ethics by the media.”

    Kawu reiterated that the media has a patriotic and professional role to play in reporting violence.

    “In all, it must remember that beyond reporting, it must protect the sanctity and humanity of the Nigerian society at all time.

    “It must be sensitive to the national ethos and the sanctity of humanity.”

    Also speaking, the Catholic Bishop of the Sokoto Diocese, Most Reverend Mathew Kukah, admonished Journalists to always make honesty, patriotism and the love for peace and unity as their watchwords.

    “Often, there is much anxiety as to how the media get their information for their reportage.

    “The decisions journalists make can make countries to decide to go to war or not.

    “Journalists must yet be respected, but they should work according to the ethics of their noble profession,” Kukah added.

    A former Director-General of NBC, Mallam Danladi Bako said,” conflict can be induced or inflamed by the mischievous use and dissemination of false information, such that it can ignite or accelerate the spread of conflict.”

    Bako, a former Information Commissioner in Sokoto State, delivered a paper entitled: Managing Information in Conflict Situations.

    “Rumours come in here as information packaged by mischief makers. The information flow between the pre-conflict, conflict and post conflict periods are very crucial,” Bako said.

    The Social Director, Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Father Sixtus Onuh, explained that the conference would brainstorm on extant ethics of Journalism and strict adherence to it by practitioner.

    NAN reports that participants at the conference were drawn from Catholic Provinces and Dioceses and media organizations from across Nigeria.

     

  • NBC revokes licenses of 54 broadcast stations

    NBC revokes licenses of 54 broadcast stations

    The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has revoked the licenses of 54 broadcast stations that were issued licenses but had refused to pay their fees within the mandatory 60-day window, its Director General, Is-haq Modibbo, has said.

    He said more licenses of both private and public stations who has so far failed to pay-up their license fee to the commission would be revoked.

    Modibbo, at a press conference in Abuja on Monday said the NBC had given all stations who owe the commission over N5 billion till the end of March 2017 to pay up their license fees or their stations’ license faced being revoked.

    He said: “Over the past two weeks, I gave directive that the licenses of 54 companies that were issued licenses but had refused to pay their fees within the mandatory 60-day window be revoked.

    “Those licenses are revoked! There is another list of over 120 licenses that were paid within the mandatory period but were unable to come on air, within the mandatory two years; they are also being processed for revocation. And they will be revoked! Frequencies cannot be held indefinitely by individuals.

    “At our stakeholders’ conference with broadcast organizations, I had informed stations of a persistent pattern of refusal to pay license fees. Stations around Nigeria owe the NBC over N5 billion. Even the statutory act of informing NBC, six months before expiration of licenses and signification of intention to continue as licensees is willfully ignored by stations.

    “License fees are in arrears; there is no plan by many of these stations to pay; while some even have the temerity to write NBC, the regulatory institution, that the amount they are obliged to pay is too much, consequently, they then tell us how much they are willing to pay, and even adding the time they are going to pay such sums that they have decided to pay.”

    He warned that cases where some private station owners use political connections with the top most political leadership the country in the past to get illegal and undue favours that run contrary to the NBC Act and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code would no longer be condoned.

    “We are delighted that Nigerians are investing in setting up radio and television stations; they create jobs; open up accesses for content producers to showcase talents and are contributing to national development. But no one has a right to hold on to allocated frequencies indefinitely, when the resource itself is finite and there are other people waiting and ready to make use of those frequencies,” he said.

    He said June 2017 deadline remained sacrosanct on Digital Switch Over (DSO).

    “The next phase is our plan for the six states that we have chosen to switch on. As I address you today, Pinnacle Communications Limited has commenced the installation of the facilities for Kaduna. I was there to inspect the work being done at the weekend.

    “Our colleagues can go to the site on Rabah Road, in Kaduna to verify that work is advancing very rapidly there. They have also concluded plans for Delta and Gombe states, while the second signal distributor, ITS, will similarly mobilize into Kwara, Enugu and Osun states,” he added.

  • Digitisation: Nigeria needs 30m set up boxes for switch over

    The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) says about 30 million set up boxes are required for the complete switch over from analogue to digital transmission in Nigeria.

    Mallam Moddibo Kawu, the Director-General of NBC, told newsmen in Ilorin on Tuesday that the setup boxes would cost billions of Naira to procure.

    The NBC chief said that the country had already procured 850,000 set up boxes costing $ 26 million to commence the switch over process.

    He also said that the commission was able to switch over 30 local, national and regional channels to digital in Abuja.

    Kawu said that the technical process would be carried out in all the geopolitical zones of the country.

    The NBC  boss, however,  described funding as one of the challenges delaying the switch over process.

    He said that President Muhammad Buhari had consciously put resources into the process.

    Kawu harped on the need for the African continent to begin to create a genuine digital evolution that would create jobs for young people.

    According to him, the switch over process in Nigeria is unique in West Africa as the entire technical process is being handled by Nigerian experts.

    The director-general said the switch over process was part of the national strategic vision to provide job opportunities and create media content that would reflect the reality of Nigeria.

    Kawu, however, expressed the determination of the Buhari-led administration to completing the process.

  • GOTV: Reps to investigate licence status

    GOTV: Reps to investigate licence status

    The House of Representatives on Tuesday mandated its Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values to investigate the licence status of GOTV in the provision of Digital Terrestrial Television Services in Nigeria. It will also engage the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to enforce the pay-per view scheme on the digital television broadcasting service providers for the benefit of Nigerians.

    The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion titled “Call for Investigation of the License Status of GOTV in the Provision of Digital Terrestrial Television Services in Nigeria’’, sponsored by Rep. Jones Onyereri (PDP-Imo). Moving the motion, Onyeriri argued that GOTV does not possess the licence to provide digital terrestrial television services in Nigeria.

    He said that “Details Nigeria Limited” was the company which obtained a Digital Mobile TV (DSTV MOBILE) for 10 Nigerian cities in 2007. He said the license was then converted by GOTV to provide digital terrestrial television through a high-tech manoeuvre without due process and in violation of the provisions of the law,’’ Onyeriri said.

    According to him, the National Broadcasting Commission is empowered to regulate the operations of Radio and Television stations, including Cable Television Services, direct broadcasting and any other medium of broadcasting in Nigeria.

    “Section 2 (1) (g) of the Act empowers the Commission to receive processes and consider applications for the establishment, ownership or operations of radio and television stations in Nigeria.

    “In violation of the Act, GOTV, a subsidiary of Multi-Choice Nigeria, started operations of Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting in April 2012 at Ibadan, Port Harcourt and Lagos without passing through the due process of bidding for the private signal distribution.

    “Nigerians are made to pay for what they do not consume through the monthly subscription scheme presently obtainable in the service charges of major Digital Television Broadcasting service providers like DSTV, Star times and GOTV.

    “This is as against the pay per view scheme obtainable in other countries like USA, UK, Brazil, France, and even South Africa,’’ Onyereri said.

    The committee was given eight weeks to carry out the investigation and report back to the House for further legislative action.

  • Buhari directs EFCC to release N10b recovered fund to NBC

    Buhari directs EFCC to release N10b recovered fund to NBC

    President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to release the N10 billion recovered loot to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

    The fund was part of the proceeds from the sales of spectrum made by the past administration which was diverted.

    NBC Director General, Mr. Modibbo Kawu revealed this Thursday while briefing Journalists in Abuja on the forthcoming International Conference for African Broadcasters (AFRICAST) which is expected to be attended by more than 700 people from the continent.

    Kawu noted the agency is already processing the release of the money, which he said will be committed into the country’s digitalization process.

    He said, “President Muhammadu Buhari has gracious approved that the N10 billion be returned to NBC so that we can use it for digital transmission process.

    “The money will be  used as part of what we have being dong so far, I would not be letting out the secret  if I tell you that money that was taking from the account of NBC into the EFCC recovery account.”
    He also assured that going by the level of work, the country will meet up with the Digital Switch Over (DSO) 2017 deadline.
    “I am optimistic that we are going to achieve the 2016 digital switch over deadline.

    “Two or three weeks ago, the president was in United Nations when he met the captains of American industry, he did say something that Nigeria was willing  to use digital revolution as a major starting point for kick starting a revolutional approach to employment in our country, that includes digital broadcasting.
    “So at the very top level, the president and the people around him, understand that this is a very important process that we need to achieve.”

    On the coming 2016 AFRICAST, he said “We are thinking about a new future for AFTICAST, we plan to make it bigger and better.”

    He also noted that there are plans on ground to make it a yearly activity instead of the current biennial. we want Afriast to be a permanent industry activity on the global calendar. We also expect stronger and more visible-buy in into the AFRICAST, by the industry.

    On the possible financial benefit to the country, Kawu said “sometime when we talk about the benefit that Nigwria is expecting from the programme, he said sometimes, you don’t quantify everything in terms of Naira and kobo. If you are looking for bottom line every time, you might miss the critical point.

    But seriously, it is also an opportunity for networking and this will count in terms of procurement and possibilities of training and so many intangible that can help to develop our industry so it is not just about the money that is coming in, but about long term, short term and medium term possibilities, for broadcasting development in Nigeria and Africa.”