A pay television company, Metrodigital Limited, has lauded the Federal Government for ending the monopoly of cable television rights by major pay television companies in Nigeria.
The companys Managing Director, Ifeanyi Nwafor, gave the commendation at a news conference in Port Harcourt, on Friday.
Nwafor said the Federal Governments decision to outlaw the monopoly of television rights would promote competition, reduce the prices of subscriptions and create jobs for thousands of people in the country. So, we are delighted, considering that in the past the market of broadcasting was foreclosed, as premium contents were bought on exclusivity basis”, he stated.
The exclusivity made bouquets without premium contents unattractive as well as difficult for local cable television stations to compete in the local market. News channels such as CNN, premium sporting events like the English Premier League, Champions League and others were acquired exclusively to the exclusion of other operators in the industry, he further said.
According to him, the monopoly of the industry led to the closure of television companies such as Daar Sat, Trend TV, Consat, FSTV, among others, as they could not cope with unhealthy business practices in the industry. He said the United States with a population of 350 million people had over 400 Pay TV companies, whereas Nigeria with 200 million citizens had only one or two.
Furthermore, the Managing Director said the practice has made Nigeria the highest subscription paying country for pay television in the world, as local operators who lack the muscle are stifled to death, adding that the position of the Federal Government was captured in Code 6 and 9 editions of the nations broadcasting code. He said shortly after the legal provisions were announced, Metrodigital Limited applied to MultiChoice, owners of DSTV, to sublicense channels to it, but the application was turned down.
According to him, the company, thereafter, applied to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to seek redress on the matter but NBC couldnt address the dispute.
Nwafor further thanked the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, for his resilience to stop monopoly in the broadcast industry, to ensure Nigerians pay less for television subscriptions.
