The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on Friday announced it is suspending its decision to shut down certain broadcast stations over failure to renew their licences.
The commission had a week ago ordered Silverbird TV, AIT, Raypower FM and Rhythm FM and a host of others to shut down over a debt of N2.66 billion.
On Saturday, NBC gave the debtors a three-day ultimatum to pay up which elapsed on Wednesday.
However, in a communique signed by the director-general, Balarabe Ilelah, NBC said it is putting a halt to revoking the licenses of the defaulting media organisations.
“Sequel to a follow-up meeting held with Executives of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), and other critical Stakeholders in the industry, the Commission has decided to temporarily suspend the shutdown of the indebted Broadcast stations all over the Country,” Ilelah said.
“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.”
The communique also revealed that NBC was aware of the inconveniences the shutdown must have caused the operators and other stakeholders, but it insisted that it “will always operate within the National Broadcasting Commission Act, Cap. N11, Laws of the Federation, 2004.”
