Douglas Blessing
An indigenous pay cable television company, Metro Digital Limited has commended the federal government, especially the Ministry of Information and Culture for ending the monopoly of cable television rights by major pay television companies in Nigeria, including DSTV.
Managing Director of Matrodigital, Dr Ifeanyi Nwafor, made the commendation yesterday, during a chat with Journalists, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The company’s MD posited that the federal government intervention will create jobs for thousands of people in the country, tackle the challenge of economic inequality and improve life quality.
He stressed that the decision of the government to outlaw monopoly of television rights would further promote competition and reduce prices of subscriptions.
“We believe that with the end of monopoly, the industry will grow exponentially with lots of innovations. So, we are delighted, considering that in the past the market of broadcasting was foreclosed, as premium contents were bought on exclusivity basis.
“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 said.
Nwafor said the monopoly of the industry led to 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 “United States with a population of 350 million people has more 400 viable pay television companies. There is no reason why Nigeria with a population of over 200 million people should have only one or two.
“Metrodigital and the entire Nigerian broadcast industry wish to express profound thanks to the federal of Nigeria and especially the Minister of Information and Culture for taking the bold step to stop monopoly to enable the industry contribute in reducing unemployment poverty, economic inequality and improve quality of life”.
Meanwhile, Metrodigital has also called on the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission to comply with the directive of the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, asking it to address the firm’s complaints on a trade dispute between it and MultiChoice within 21 days.
Nwafor said the company has made the outcome of the Appeal Court judgement available to the NBC without response as of the time of the briefing.
He said, “The NBC is yet to reach us, and the 21-days directive I think expired a few days ago. But we are working with the federal government to ensure that NBC listens to us.”
He however warned that if the NBC continued to delay in carrying out its responsibilities, more so, following the court’s directive, it would take appropriate steps within the law to tackle the matter head on.
Recall that the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, had on July 13, 2022 ruled in favour of Metro Digital in a case of cable TV channels licensing it appealed against leading entertainment Company, MultiChoice.
