Buhari Govt Takes Drastic Action Against DSTV

The President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government is putting plans in place to compel MultiChoice, a South Africa-based cable service provider, to implement pay-per-view options to Nigerian subscribers.

This was made known by the Acting Director-General of Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Mr. Armstrong Idachaba, while briefing members of an Ad Hoc Committee looking into the hike in DSTV tariffs

Naija News reports that MultiChoice is the parent company of DSTV and GOtv.

Idachaba said Multichoice has been directed to suspend the implementation of its new hiked tariffs on different bouquets on DSTV.

“I want to agree, with the Committee and call on DSTV to suspend the hike in tariffs”, Idachaba, said.

Also speaking at the hearing, the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, disclosed that the Federal government plan to break the Sporting rights monopoly of DSTV.

According to Mohammed, broadcasting codes will be amended to prevent DSTV from monopolizing its channels and contents.

Mohammed said he has already signed a code to break the monopoly of MultiChoice in the country, saying “our amendments to the Broadcasting Act, will affect the break in the monopoly of MultiChoice. Amendments to Section 628 of the Broadcasting Act, is in our broad national interest.”

Recall that the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) had been directed by the House of Representatives to ask DSTV to reverse its subscription rates introduced on June 1, 2020.

DSTV  is being probed for allegedly cheating its Nigerian subscribers by restricting them to prepaid plans.