NLC seeks reduced license fees for broadcast companies
Ayuba Wabba, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has asked the federal government to reduce the costs of broadcast license.
His request follows the shutting of 52 broadcast stations by the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) last week. The NBC accused the affected stations, among them African Independent Television (AIT) and Silverbird, of failing to renew their operational licenses.
“The most palpable reason for the failure of many of the media houses to pay for the renewal of their operating licences could be easily found in the deteriorating economic conditions in Nigeria,” Wabba stated.
“This is understandable given the severe stress, and strain businesses in Nigeria have been subjected to owing to the fallout of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
“The ongoing disruption in global and domestic energy supply, the foreign exchange volatilities, and the associated hyper-inflation.”
He said that many media houses, like other businesses in Nigeria, suffered the double jeopardy, due to escalating business costs and plummeting revenues.
“To compound the situation is the epileptic supply of electricity with the national grid collapsing intermittently for the umpteenth time in recent months,’’ Mr Wabba said.
He also said this was in addition to the soaring and scary rising energy costs, which hit electronic media houses hardest.
“There are salaries to pay, maintenance services, and sundry basic operating costs to keep the media houses running and serving their listening and viewing public,” the NLC leader added. “Amidst these operational suffocations, how does NBC expect the media houses to generate the money to renew their operating licences?”
He also said NBC’s action showed insensitivity to the welfare of staff of the affected media houses, especially at a time of “very traumatic economic realities.”
The organised labour also asked the NBC not to withdrawal the operating licences of the affected media organisations.
(NAN)
