Nigeria: NBC Suspends Communication Trends Broadcast License

The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, has suspended the broadcast license of Communication Trends Limited with effect from February 8, 2010. The suspension of the broadcast license followed a continued breach of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code by the broadcasting organisation

"Monitoring reports had revealed that a majority of the programmes in the bouquet of the company were being aired without franchise agreement or authority from the rights owners. communication Trends have also failed to show the commission any evidence of franchise agreement, thus making the continued airing of such programmes an act of piracy", the Commission said.

This is in contravention of section 3.1.11 of the Code which states that:

"The broadcast or rebroadcast of any content shall be only with the express permission of the right owner, piracy is strictly prohibited,” it added.

NBC said that some of the programmes aired by organisation which they do not have rights include: BBC World, Cartoon Network, Wild, JSC Sports 2, JSC Sports 3, CNN, MBc Action and NBA TV.

"The Management of the commission views it as immoral and dishonest for a broadcaster to pick programmes from free-to-air channels and turn round and charge the public for them without any agreements with the rights owners, and warns all broadcasters against acts of piracy", it stated.

The Director General of the commission, Engr Yomi Bolarinwa, in a letter to the broadcasting outfit directed the station to shut down its transmission and seal up the transmitters immediately.

The commission has, consequently, declared any further transmission by CTL as illegal and subject to more severe sanctions.

- February 20.02.2010 by Betrand Nwankwo

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Source: www.leadershipnigeria.com/index.php/news/business/12199-nbc-suspends-communication-trends-broadcast-licence (accessed on 23.02.2010)