The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) orders 52 media houses in Nigeria to shut down operations within 24 hours for failing to clear outstanding debts and renew their broadcasting licenses amounting to N2.66 billion.
The concerned media houses have been owing the commission since 2015.
Malam Balarabe Ilelah, Director General of NBC, made this announcement at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja today.
NBC revealed that they had been communicating with the media houses for over a year but there was no feedback. The commission also announced a two-week waiver was addressed to the media houses in a publication, with the list of indebted houses in May 2022, to renew payments and clear outstanding debts or risk revoking their licenses.
Yet, Three months after the publication, some media houses are yet to clear their outstanding debts.
After due deliberation, the commission decided to revoke the licenses of the indebted media houses and to shut down operations within twenty-four hours.
In addition, Balarabe said all media houses who are yet to renew their licenses for the recent duration, must do so within the next 30 days to avoid sanctions.
Below is the list of indebted media houses:
Africa Independent Television (AIT) and its sister radio station, Raypower FM.
Silverbird Television (STV).
Rhythm FM (Silverbird Communications Ltd), Greetings FM (Greetings Media Ltd).
Tao FM (Ovidi Communications Ltd), Zuma FM (Zuma FM Ltd), Crowther FM (Crowther Communications Ltd), WE FM (Kings Broadcasting Ltd), Linksman International ltd, Bomay Broadcasting Services Ltd.
MITV (Murhi International Group Ltd), Classic FM (Pinkt Nigeria Ltd), Classic FM (Pinkt Nigeria Ltd), Classic TV (Pinkt Nigeria Ltd), Beat FM (Megalectrics LTD), Cooper Communications Ltd, Splash FM (West Midlands Ltd), Rock City FM (Boot Communications Ltd), Family FM (Kalaks Investments Nig. Ltd), Space FM (Creazioni Nig. Ltd), Radio Jeremi (Radio Jeremi ltd), Wave FM (South Atlantic Media Ltd), Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation, Kwara State Broadcasting Corporation, Niger State Broadcasting Corporation, Breeze FM (Bays Water ltd), Vibes FM (Vibes Communication ltd) and Family Love FM (Multimesh Broadcasting Co. ltd).
The others are Gombe State Broadcasting Corporation, Lagos State Broadcasting Corporation, Osun State Broadcasting Corporation, Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation, Ondo State Broadcasting Corporation, Rivers State Broadcasting Corporation, Bayelsa State Broadcasting Corporation, Cross River State Broadcasting Corporation, Imo State Broadcasting Corporation, Anambra State Broadcasting Corporation, Borno State Broadcasting Corporation, Yobe State Broadcasting Corporation, Sokoto State Broadcasting Corporation, Zamfara State Broadcasting Corporation, Kebbi State Broadcasting Corporation, Jigawa State Broadcasting Corporation, Kaduna State Broadcasting Corporation, and Katsina State Broadcasting Corporation.