DSO: Nigeria reiterates no more monopoly in broadcast ecosystem

*We have taken some steps to create the enabling environment for the Digital Switchover to succeed, for local content to thrive, and for indigenous producers to be more engaged, says Lai Mohammed, Minister for Information and Culture

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

The Federal Government has stated it that it took some steps to create the enabling environment for the Digital Switchover (DSO) project to succeed for local content and indigenous producers to thrive in the country.

Subsequently, the government has reaffirmed that the era of monopolising the broadcast space by bigger players in the industry at the expense of the growth and development of the local industry is now over.

Digital SwitchOver in Nigeria

Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Honourable Minister for Information and Culture, noted this Monday, April 12, 2021, in Lagos State, at the engagement meeting between the Digital Switchover Ministerial Task Force and other stakeholders ahead of the Lagos DSO rollout April 29.

Mohammed said: “We have taken some steps to create the enabling environment for the DSO to succeed, for local content to thrive, for indigenous producers to be more engaged and for the local advertising market to grow.

“Some of these measures have generated a lot of controversies and triggered pushback from some quarters, but we remain undaunted in implementing them for the benefit of our people.”

According to the Minister, the Nigerian Government has deliberately carried out an unprecedented reform of the broadcasting industry.

He noted: “Because we know that there is a nexus between those reforms and the success of the DSO.

“The amendments were necessitated by the need to boost the local content in Nigeria, curb anti-competitive and monopolistic tendencies and boost advertising revenues.

“We have amended the Code to curb monopoly and exclusivity of programme content in order to create room for the local industry to grow.”

He further said: “For example, the Pay TV sector of the Broadcast Industry had been controlled by foreign interests, while indigenous efforts to compete have been frustrated or weakened by the established control of the big monopolies.”

Alhaji Mohammed revealed hitherto, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) had licensed over 30 Nigerian Pay TV companies, but only one surviving firm is currently struggling to break through.

The situation was not acceptable, said he.

The Minister stated: “The monopolies exclude many Nigerians from enjoying or having access to premium content, especially in the area of sports and movies.

“With the amendment to the Code, anyone owning any sports rights must make such available to other parties in Nigeria, who may be interested in acquiring these rights. This obviously extends the opportunity for TV sports content to indigenous players.”

The amended Code will stimulate growth in the Advertising Industry, introducing regulations mandating Media Agencies and Advertisers to offset all outstanding invoices within 60 days related to adverts placement and the barring of carriage of adverts of defaulters, he noted.

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