The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has threatened to impose  stiffer penalties against defaulting  broadcasting stations that fail to pay up their license renewal and remit dues after its new deadline of 9th September 2023.

Recall that the Commission has granted a one-month of grace to enable defaulting broadcast groups owing the regulator to settle their debts or risk revocation.

The broadcasting umpire, after reconsidering its initial resolution, lamented over the huge amount of debt which it complained had become a constraint on its regulatory functions. NBC also added that efficiency is grossly hindered by license renewal debtors and defaulters of 2.5 percent annual income remit.

Mal. Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, NBC Director General, during a stakeholders’ meeting held in Kano, expressed ill-feeling over poor compliance of broadcast stations in remitting their statutory dues to the Commission. He recalled the large number of defaulters across public and private entities yet to meet their mandate. The NBC boss also emphasized that, henceforth, indebted stations that failed to meet the ultimatum would be considered illegal operators and saboteurs of the national economy.

According to the DG, provisional licenses not paid for after two years of issuance would be considered lapsed, while  stations granted provisional approval without fulfilling their financial obligations after 60 days shall lose the privilege.

“None payment of license fees means that the broadcast station is not permitted by law to be on air. For over 20 years, the Commission has not reviewed its license fees, yet the licensees have reneged on their financial obligations to the Commission. This has greatly affected the operations of the Commission, considering the fact that the it does not receive any budgetary allocation from the government,” he noted.