The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, said N4 billion licence renewal fees are being owed it by some 100 broadcast stations.
Consequently, the regulator gave the erring outfits up till February 17, 2022 to pay up or have their licences withdrawn and reallocated to prospective licensees. It also advised the new players to pay their fees to avoid penalties.
Also, the commission said it is in the process to establish an Institute for Broadcast Policy and Regulation for training of broadcasters with a view to institutionalising professionalism in the industry.
NBC’s Director-General, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, stated this while addressing reporters yesterday in Abuja, adding that the NBC had initially planned to publish names of the indebted broadcast stations but later backpedalled after the intervention of the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria, BON.
It, nevertheless, warned that the February 17 remains sacrosanct.
