By Chioma Obinagwam
Nigeria’s broadcast regulator, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has revoked the broadcast licenses of 52 broadcast stations across the country for being indebted to it.
Confiance News gathered from NBC’s official Twitter handle on Friday.
The Director-General of NBC, Malam Balarabe Ilelah said, “In May 2022, the commission published in the national dailies, the list of licensees that that are indebted to NBC, granted them two weeks to renew their licenses and pay their debts or consider their licenses revoked, frequencies withdrawn.”
“Three months after the publication, some licensees are yet to pay their outstanding debts, in contravention of the NBC Act CAP N11, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, particularly section 10 (a) of the third schedule of the Act,” he continued.
The affected stations are: Silverbird TV Network, AIT, Zuma FM, Suleja, Niger State, Bomay Broadcasting Service L.td., Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Gombe, Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Ondo and Rivers States Broadcasting Corporations and Stations.
Others are: Katsina Broadcasting Corporation, Kaduna State Broadcasting Corporation, Jigawa Broadcasting Corporation, Kebbi State Broadcasting Corporation, Zamfara State Broadcasting Corporation and Yobe State Broadcasting Corporation.
Also in the list are: 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.
Confiance News further gathered that the stations were owing the Commission N2.6 billion since 2015.
He, however, urged those affected to pay their fees before 24 hours or risk total disconnection.
