In a bid to offer Nigerians alternatives and enhance competition in the satellite pay television sector, the Federal Government has unveiled Silver Lake Television (SLTV), an indigenous satellite pay television.
The launch event, held at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, saw the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, affirming that SLTV would provide Nigerians with real value for their money.
Represented by his Senior Special Assistant (Technical), Prof. Babatunde Bernard, Akume highlighted the need for the SLTV’s establishment to meet the aspirations of Nigerians to benefit from the opportunities inherent in the Nigerian economy. He commended Metrodigital Limited, the operators of SLTV, for their patriotic initiative and expressed the Federal Government’s full support for the venture.
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“In recent times, Nigerians have been yearning for alternatives to Satellite PayTV that can serve as an alternative to the existing ones,” he said.
“SLTV has responded very loudly and clearly, and from the information made available to me, they are willing to give their fellow compatriots real value for their money in terms of service quality and affordability.
“Nigeria is an opportunity that is impossible to replicate or find elsewhere in any part of the world. The Federal Government wishes to assure the management of SLTV of her full backing as they continue to do legitimate business in Nigeria’s broadcast industry.”
Dr. Ifeanyi Nwafor, the Managing Director of Metrodigital Limited, lamented the impediments faced by the pay-TV industry in Nigeria due to policies and legal frameworks promoting monopoly. However, he expressed optimism, noting that recent positive steps taken by the government had encouraged investment in the sector.
Nwafor emphasized SLTV’s commitment to affordability and quality of service, offering packages for as low as N2,500 hosting over 55 stations.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Charles Ebuebu, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), addressed calls for the introduction of pay-per-view options for Nigerian pay satellite television subscribers.
While acknowledging the validity of such requests, Ebuebu highlighted the need for renegotiating existing contracts with content providers to accommodate the new model.
He assured Nigerians of NBC’s commitment to addressing issues of overpricing and exploitation in the broadcasting sector. He emphasized the commission’s efforts to create a competitive ecosystem where market forces determine prices, ensuring that consumers have choices and are not subjected to exploitative practices.
“The NBC is reviewing policies and regulations to create a viable competitive ecosystem in broadcasting where consumers will be the ones to choose, and therefore, market forces determine prices, and it’s not exploitative,” affirmed Ebuebu.
He however acknowledged potential obstacles to achieving a successful pay-per-view system. He said, “There are two sides to that coin; the first part to it is that with the current economic situation of the country, inflation and all of that, it’s not just broadcasting that is affected, all businesses are affected, so when you have prices being reviewed upwards, it’s not located only within the broadcast sector.
“However, we do acknowledge the fact that in some cases, there has been exploitation in certain areas and as NBC, we’re looking at it.
“As I said, we’re reviewing our policies and regulations so as to create a viable competitive ecosystem in broadcasting where the consumers will be the ones who’ll have to choose and therefore, market forces determined prices and it’s not exploitative.”
The launch of SLTV marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s broadcasting industry, heralding increased competition, choice, and affordability for consumers.
It comes against the backdrop of longstanding tensions between the Nigerian government and Multichoice, the parent company of DStv, the dominant player in the country’s pay TV market. Incessant squabbles over pricing and regulatory issues have characterized the relationship between the two parties, with accusations of monopolistic practices and exploitation leveled against DStv.
Critics argue that DStv’s dominance has stifled competition and limited consumer options, resulting in exorbitant subscription fees and subpar service quality. The government has been under pressure to address these concerns and create a more level playing field for emerging players like SLTV.
Nigerian lawmakers had repeatedly, moved to force Multichoice to reverse the price hike, citing exploitation of subscribers.