Author: Vivian Michael

The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) says that pay TV operators and other related service providers in the country have the choice and right to fix their desired fees.

DSTV and GoTv are billed to begin a review in the new price hike l 1, 2024.

BON’s position stems from the social media calls on the Federal Competition and Con¬sumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to review the new price hike proposition.

In a statement issued by BON and signed by its Exec¬utive Secretary, Yemisi Bamg-bose, tagged ‘Increase in Price of Goods and Services – Let Pay Tv Providers Fix their Prices’, it took exceptions to the posi¬tion of some netizens for kick¬ing against the upward price review by MultiChoice, owner of DsTV and GoTv.

According to Bamgbose, “I was going through social media last Friday, and I came across a story titled ‘FCCPC to review the new price hike for DSTV and GOTV’. What a wonderful way of protecting consumers’ interests.

“I would have given FCCPC thumbs up if they have been intervening on price matters, most especially those that have direct bearing on the livelihood of the masses. If the mandate of FCCPC includes price con¬trol of goods and services in a free and deregulated economy, where was the organisation when bakers association in the country increased the cost of a loaf of bread more than 200% in the last one year? Bread is an essential commodity. What took away the mandate of FC¬CPC to review the cost of the most staple food of the com¬mon man which Nigerians can no longer afford?”

Stating further, Bamgbose expressed doubts if FCCPC was aware that a sachet of pure water had been increased from N5 to N20 in the last one year. She also queried why FCCPC didn’t stop the bottling companies in the country from astro-nomically increasing the cost of Malt and other soft drinks and didn’t call stakeholders meeting to review the new prices.

On the cost of a bag of cement which has now been in¬creased from N4,000 in the last one year, she asked why FCCPC did not deem it fit to invite Dangote, BUA and Lafarge cement manufacturers with relevant stakeholders to discuss the more than 100% increase on a bag of cement. Aviation sector, according to her, on a daily ba¬sis, increases the cost of domes¬tic flights.

In the education sector, she wondered why FCCPC could not call for the review of the cost being charged by private educational institutions, especially those charging in dollars in a country where naira is the legal tender.
“On the part of broadcasting, I want to assume that FC¬CPC does not know what goes into the business of broadcasting. Perhaps, that could inform the decision of the agency to plan the proposed review of the increase in the price of DsTv and GoTv pay TV channels, respectively.

“I would not blame FCCPC for inadequate information about the challenges confronting players in the broadcast sector, more so, that media practitioners are saddled with the responsibility of dancing the dance of other people and also mandated to carry loads of others on their heads while leaving their own luggage un¬attended.
nels, state owned radio and TV stations, private radio stations, etc where consumers don’t pay to listen to radio or watch television. There are subscription channels such as MULTI¬CHOICE, GOtv, TNtv, STAR¬TIMES, etc where viewers pay to watch and listen. There are choices.”

She said that during COVID-19 pandemic, stations burnt diesel without adverts or other sources of revenue for more than twelve months in national interest. “The centre is yet to hold before the last straw that broke the camel’s back came in the name of subsidy removal from petroleum products as well as floating of the nation’s currency”, BON said.

The challenge, according to her, is that not many people buy diesel to run business and they can switch on and off as they want depending on their needs. They should not be blamed for not knowing what it means to buy a litre above N1,500. To sev¬eral others, the removal of fuel subsidy affected the premium motor spirit only, it noted.

“The cost of diesel rose from N200 per litre in 2021 to N1,700 per litre in 2023/24, and broad¬cast stations have to transmit for twenty-four hours changing from one generator to the other.

“None of the national stations such as Channels TV, Arise, TVC, AIT, Silverbird, NTA, amongst others, commits less than N100 million on diesel on monthly basis to keep their mandate of information, education and entertainment.

“It may interest the public to know that many, if not all, of the national radio and television stations in Nigeria have not been able to break-even since 2020 when the nation’s economy was shut down as a result to COVID-19 pandemic. In Nigeria, we want everything free.

“What subscribers pay to MultiChoice, Startimes or any DTT and DTH is the quality of content of many channels brought direct to their homes or offices. It’s a business and there are choices.