FG, operators move to end DSO crisis

The federal government has resolved the brewing crisis threatening the implementation of the Digital Switch Over (DSO) from analogue television broadcasts in the country.

Gen. Babagana Monguno, national security adviser, had reportedly summoned the critical stakeholders in the DSO to a meeting to resolve some of the issues.

At the meeting were: Alhaji Ikra Bilbis, senator-elect and chairman of the Board of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC); Malam Ishaq Modibbo-Kawu, director general NBC; John Ugbe, CEO of Details Nigeria Limited and operators of Gotv,.

The meeting was also attended by Mr Lucky Omoluwa, chairman, Pinnacle Communications Limited, whose efforts to make the meeting possible was acknowledged by the NSA; and Mr Dipo Onifade, CEO of Pinnacle Communications Limited.

The NSA told the stakeholders that the Federal Government was determined to uphold its policy on DSO and continue encouraging private investment in the nation’s economy.

The meeting facilitated a resolution of the five-year ďispute which had challenged the smooth implementation of the DSO and led to missing of its set deadline twice.

The meeting facilitated the protection of the Federal Government policy on DSO from legal interpretation in law courts as well as salvaged private investment in the nation’s economy and attendant jobs creation.

The NBC, in 2018, issued a warning notifying leading pay television service providers, DStv and GOtv, operating under MultiChoice, that their operations in Nigeria might be terminated in 2019.

The action of the regulatory agency not to renew the service operator’s licence, which was issued in 2014, was hinged on non-compliance with DSO White Paper.

The House of Representatives in April 2017, instructed its Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values to investigate Multichoice Nigeria’s ‘exorbitant charges’ for its DStv and GOtv packages. DSTV, which is one of the South African brand’s biggest markets, has been around in Nigeria for about 22 years.