DSTV, GOTV may be shut down by June 2019

.NBC begins analogue switch-off in May, sanctions stations for violating broadcast codes

.After $14m fine, DSTV boss Ogunsanya in collusion scandal with ex-NBC DG

.DSTV boss colluding with Police to destroy Daily Times- Anosike

The Director General of National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), Modibo Ishaq Kawu, has disclosed that all paid DTT operators including DSTV, GOTV and Star Times will be shut down by June 2019 unless they begin discussions with the two signal distributors, ITS and Pinnacle.

The regulatory authority has also notified the management of MultiChoice DSTV/GOTV in a White Paper that their operations in Nigeria will come to an end in 2019 as their licence expires June next year.

The broadcast giant was also fined $14 million (R180 million) in South Africa for price fixing in Nigeria with the aid of former NBC Director General, Emeka Mbah.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, Kawu said that in preparation for full implementation of switch over from analogue to digital signals, all operators in the sector including signal distributors, content aggregator, Set top Box manufacturers ought to be on the same page now, to help in delivering a seamless Digital Switch Over (DSO).

The NBC boss also said in line with a Federal Government White paper, Multichoice who are the owners of DSTV and GOTV as well as Star Times owned by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) will no longer be able to operate as both signal distributor and content provider.

He said: “NBC has also informed the pay DTT operators, GOTV and NTA/STAR TIMES, to begin discussions with the two signal distributors, ITS and Pinnacle Communications.

“This is because, in line with the Government White Paper on the Transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting, after June 2019, these pay DTT operators would no longer be licenced to operate as both content providers and signal distributors”.

Kawu further explained that DSO has been implemented in two mores states of Kaduna and Kwara at the end of 2017, bringing the number of states on DSO to four with FCT and Plateau topping the list. He informed that NBC has already scheduled Monday, February 12, 2018 to switch on Enugu Atate while February 23 has been affirmed for Osun State just as Delta and Gombe states will be the next.

Kawu, who gave a schedule of the planned DSO, stated that the next phase will include one state from each of the six geo-political regions, during this year, 2018.

“We envisage that by the end of the third quarter of 2018, we would have switched on in 12 states around Nigeria,” he assured.

The NBC boss also commended stakeholders in the implementation process for their resolve to work together. He said that at a retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, players in the sector were made to appreciate each others responsibility and a clear role was carved out for each player to guarantee a seamless transition in the DSO eco-system.

“We have also consciously delineated revenue streams for all players, an issue which was the basis for some of the rancour that existed before. The broadcasters, signal distributors, content aggregator, Set top Box manufacturers are all on the same page now, to help strengthen the work of delivering the DSO.

“Similarly, we are going to also begin a phased Analogue Switch Off (ASO), in Plateau State and the FCT, by the end of the First Quarter of 2018.

“And as part of acceleration of the work, we have commenced the digital mapping of Nigeria. It is a process that would help to give clarity to the entire DSO process,” he added.

Kawu also stated that NBC has submitted a long list of new radio and television stations to President Muhammadu Buhari for presidential assent.

He said, “The President has always been encouraging the NBC to open up accesses for Nigerians to be able to register newer radio and television stations, because of his belief that they help to deepen democratic discourse, while also helping to create new jobs through the broadcasting value chain.”

He urged broadcasters to use their medium to promote democratic ethos and discourage hate speeches as election year approaches and to be moderate in their reportage of sensitive national issues.

“Broadcasters are reminded that they have a duty to respect all extant laws related to the reportage and coverage of the electoral process. Don’t broadcast campaigns when the period for commencement of campaigns have not commenced.

“We are disturbed by the pattern of insensitive and inflammatory broadcasts emanating from some broadcast stations, especially in their coverage of national crises, like the Herdsmen/Farmers crises.

“We have observed that some stations deliberately and repeatedly air very inciting contents long after the events break. We have warned stations that they must follow the tenets of the Broadcasting Code.

“Having warned broadcasters, we shall follow up with appropriate sanctions should any station continue to violate the Broadcasting Code,” Kawu warned.

The Broadcast umpire reported that NBC on Wednesday, published on its website, sanctions profile for Nigerian broadcast stations for the 4th quarter of 2017 containing list of stations fined for hateful and inciting broadcast.

He called on presenters and On-Air-Personalities (OAPs) to professionally detach themselves from the stories and reports of crises phenomena.

“They are to offer platforms for Nigerians to present all the sides to issues in the news, not become the subjects of these stories, as they are wont to doing on many programs. This is especially true of political programs on broadcast stations”, he added.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian authorities have further notified the management of MultiChoice DSTV/GOTV that their operations in Nigeria will come to an end in 2019 as their licence expires June next year.

According to a letter sighted by The Daily Times and issued on Tuesday by the NBC on the matter, licence issued to the affected companies in 2014 by NBC will not be renewed because it was not in line with Digital Switch Over (DSO) White Paper.

The letter stated that if Multichoice DSTV/GOTV will ever operate in Nigeria again after expiration of its licence, the only option left for them is to go to licenced Signal Distribution firms – Pinnacle Communications Ltd or ITS.

GOTV has been accused of being used as a conduit to siphon foreign exchange from Nigeria by its parent company, South African MultiChoice DSTV.

This is even as MultiChoice’s DStv has been fined $14 million (R180 million) in South Africa for price fixing after being found guilty by South Africa’s Competition Commission to have contravened the country’s Competition Act in relation to “price fixing and fixing of trading conditions”.

The company whose largest market is in Nigeria where it has been in operation for about 22 years has been in the news for ripping Nigerians off with its inflexible subscription conditions and unfriendly quality of service (QoS) which could be attributed to its monopolistic status in the Nigerian market.

The House of Representatives had in April, 2017 instructed its Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values to investigate Multichoice Nigeria’s ‘exorbitant charges’ for its DStv and GOtv packages.

In May 2017, Multichoice Nigeria increased its prices by 5% on all its packages, after it had increased it prices by more than 20% earlier.

The Chairman of DSTV Nigeria, Mr. Adewunmi Ogunsanya is being questioned for his shady practices in Nigeria and NBC has stated in a White Paper that its GOTV brand circumvents the licence of digital switch over, DSO, a service provided by ITS and Pinnacle communications.

It has been alleged that this contravention was perpetuated with the collaboration of Emeka Mba, former National Broadcasting Commission DG but the circumventions are currently being reversed by the current NBC DG , Modibo Kawu.

Investigations by Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) alleged that MultiChoice exercised undue influence to change government policy on digital migration.

The Democratic Alliance (DA), which lodged the complaint last November, confirmed ICASA conducted an inquiry into payments made by MultiChoice to news channel ANN7 and public broadcaster, SABC.

Furore erupted last year in South Africa over the allegation that the pay-TV company sought to pay the SABC R100 million a year for its 24-hour news channel in exchange for the public broadcaster’s political influence over digital migration.

MultiChoice has maintained that the payments were above board, with its board announcing it will also conduct its own investigation pertaining to the alleged dubious payments.

In a statement, the DA’s shadow Minister of Communications, Phumzile Van Damme, revealed that ICASA confirmed in writing that the matter has been referred to its compliance and consumer affairs division for investigation.

The DA is pleased that ICASA has agreed the payments require investigation, says Van Damme in a statement.

She explains: “South Africa deserves to know whether the payments were indeed above board, as MultiChoice has maintained.

“The DA believes that while companies like MultiChoice should be allowed the space to do business and create much-needed employment, their conduct must at all times be within the bounds of the law, in line with business ethics and in an environment where competition is not stifled.

“There is no issue with companies lobbying for policy positions through debate, but a situation where policy is bought cannot be allowed. It is tantamount to policy capture,” Van Damme stated.

The Publisher of The Daily Times, Mr. Fidelis Anosike, also alleged that the DSTV boss is a very shrewd business magnet and will stop at nothing to realise his business interest even if he runs foul of the law.

Commenting on the role of the DSTV boss on the recent clampdown of The Daily Times, Anosike alleged that the DSTV boss is “a property magnate and this is what he does.

“He sees where there is conflict, he moves in there, provides the weaker party or so to speak money and in this case, he gave them N700 million to prosecute this because he targeted Daily Times properties.”

According to him, Ogunsaya, the DSTV boss is doing everything within his power to continue to milk Nigerians dry with their monopoly of the DTT which explains why they are not ready to subject themselves to either Pinnacle Communications or ITS who have been officially licenced by the Federal Government to provide digital content for the DSO.