•••AIT, RAYPOWER,,SILVERBIRD, RYTHM FM, OTHERS AFFECTED
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has revoked the broadcast licences of about 50 media houses.
The affected media houses include Silverbird TV, AIT, Raypower FM, Rhythm FM and others.
The Director-General of NBC, Malam Balarabe Ilelah announced the revocation in a news conference in Abuja on Friday.
Te affected media houses are alleged owing N2.6 billion debt.
According to him, the stations affected include Zuma FM, Suleja, Niger State, Bomay Broadcasting Service L.td., Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Gombe, Lagos, Osun, Ogun, Ondo Rivers States Broadcasting Corporations.
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.
He added that 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 were also among the affected stations.
The Network gathered that the NBC decided to withdraw the licenses of the affected broadcast organizations for failing to renew their licenses.
Ilelah directed State offices of the NBC to liaise with the security agencies to ensure immediate shut down of the operations of the affected broadcast houses with 24 hours of the announcement.
The NBC boss recalled that the commission published a list of indebted licenses in the national newspapers and gave the organizations a two week period of grace to pay the debts of risk the revocation of their licenses.
He urged all broadcast stations to ensure renewal of their licenses within the next 30 days to avoid sanctions.
He said, “Three months after the publication, some licenses 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.,
“In view of this development, the continued operation of the debtor stations is illegal and constitutes a threat to national security.
“Therefore, after due consideration, the NBC hereby announces the revocation of the licenses of the under-listed stations and give them 24 hours to their operations,” he said.