By 
By Chinedu James
MultiChoice, owners of DSTV and GOtv, has assured its over 4.4 million subscribers that it was not shutting down its Nigerian operations and has asked that news circulating to that effect in social media be ignored.
The South African digital broadcast company said it was working hard to renew its operating licenses by the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC). Nigeria is one of the company’s largest markets in Africa.
The NBC had issued a letter to the company warning that the license issued to them in 2014 will not be renewed because it is not in line with Digital Switch over (DSO) White Paper.
The DSO White Paper is a policy, regulatory framework and a broadcasting model for the migration process from analogue TV broadcasting to digital TV broadcasting.
Similarly, the Director General of NBC, Modibo Ishaq-Kawu recently disclosed that all paid DTT operators including DSTV, GOTV and Star Times will be shut down by June 2019 unless they begin discussions with the two signal distributors, ITS and Pinnacle.
According to reports, MultiChoice had in recent statement issued by the company stated that it complies with the regulatory requirements and applicable laws on TV broadcasting.
“GOtv is provided under a fully licensed and registered entity in Nigeria, and this license comes up for renewal in March 2019. As a law-abiding and committed Nigerian operator which has fulfilled (and continues to comply with) all regulatory requirements and applicable laws, it is not clear how or why this license would not be renewed, and as such the company will investigate further in the best interests of the many customers it serves in the market, ” the statement read in part.
