Federal government recently notified the management of MultiChoice DSTV/GOTV that their operations, in Nigeria, will come to an end in 2019 as their license expires June next year.
According to a letter to that effect by the National Broadcasting Corporation(NBC), the license issued to them in 2014 by NBC will not be renewed because it was not in line with Digital Switch Over (DSO) White Paper.
Modibo Ishaq Kawu, director general, National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), recently disclosed that all paid DTT operators including DSTV, GOTV and Star Times will be shut down by June 2019 unless they begin discussions with the two signal distributors, ITS and Pinnacle.
The license issued to MultiChoice in 2014 is not reportedly in line with the Digital Switch Over (DSO) White Paper and that’s why it wouldn’t be renewed.
Pulse reported MultiChoice as saying it complies with the regulatory requirements and applicable laws on TV broadcasting.
“GOtv is provided under a fully licenced and registered entity in Nigeria, and this license comes up for renewal in March 2019″ the statement read.
“As a law-abiding and committed Nigerian operator which has fulfilled (and continues to comply with) all regulatory requirements and applicable laws, it is not clear how or why this license would not be renewed, and as such the company will investigate further in the best interests of the many customers it serves in the market” it further said.
The statement added that “MultiChoice remains committed to providing its customers with a wide variety of quality entertainment through the usual best standards.”
The Digital Switch Over (DSO) White Paper is a policy, regulatory framework and a broadcasting model for the migration process from analogue TV broadcasting to digital TV broadcasting.
It was created in 2009 by a Presidential Advisory Committee to smoothen the transition from analogue to digital. The committee was created because Nigeria had signed an international and regional agreement to conclude the digital switchover by June 17, 2012.
MultiChoice entered into the Nigerian space in 1994. In 1995 it launched DSTV (Digital Satellite Television), a direct broadcast satellite service for the Sub-Saharan African market.
In 2011 MultiChoice launched the GOtv digital platform, a pay television offering on digital terrestrial television (DTT).
