News Obiaks News

Major stakeholders in the media industry have brokered a truce between the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and DAAR Communications Plc., owners of Africa Independent Television (AIT) and Raypower FM over the suspension of the operating licence of the media group.
        At a meeting held on Sunday night in Abuja, the stakeholders resolved that NBC, which last week suspended the operating licence of the organisation, and DAAR Communications, which approached a court for refuge, should sheathe their swords. The regulatory agency had complained that the media group’s licence had to be suspended because of incessant infractions of the broadcasting code, saying several efforts to get the company to comply had failed. The regulator also complained that the company was in default of payment of its licence fees. Although DAAR responded with a law suit, which brought it temporary relief, stakeholders in the industry felt this was not the way to go, opting to bring both parties to the table on Sunday night. The meeting, midwifed by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), was attended by representatives of the NBC, DAAR Communication, Newspapers Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ). Elders and patrons of NPO, Mallam Isa Funtua and Mr. Sam Amuka-Pemu, the Publisher of the Vanguard Group, hosted the meeting.