BON threatens Kebbi, others over dues
From Jibril Daudu, in Jos
Four broadcast stations in the country may fall under the hammer of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), if they fail in their financial obligations to the organisation by the end of this month.
Listed for expulsion from BON are member stations that are in arrears of up to four years or more if they still fail to redeem their arrears of financial obligations to the organisation by December 31, 2004.
The affected stations are, the Kebbi State Broadcasting Corporation and the Yobe State Broadcasting Corporation which are in arrears of eight years each, and the Borno Radio Television Corporation and Galaxy Television in arrears of five years each.
The measures are part of the 18-point resolution of the 38th General Assembly of BON which ended in Jos last weekend.
It also threatened legal action against Silver Bird Television, Lagos and its partner, OSMI, a sports marketing consultant, for operating outside the BON umbrella in the transmission of the last Athens Olympic Games and for failing to pay their share of the BON broadcast rights fee for the games.
The BON general assembly also expressed displeasure that only 14 member stations paid their share of the 200,000 US dollars for the Athens Olympic games even as many more stations hooked up to the signals from the games. It therefore urged that these member stations that took the signals from Athens should pay the stipulated levy.
On the other hand, the Assembly expressed displeasure that radio and television stations are being owed about N3 billion as industry debt. It intends to publish the names of such debtors and therefore urged member stations to submit their reconciled debts before the final report by the debt management committee on industry debt project is produced and published.
The Assembly endorsed the chairman of BON/Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Alhaji Abubakar Jijiwa, the director general of the NTA, Dr. Tonnie Iredia and the President of DBN International, Mr. Osa Sonny- Adun as its representatives on the BON-NBC steering committee.
The Assembly rejected some additional fees demanded by the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), sports for technical costs but resolved to find ways to settle the cost of the broadcast rights for the 2003 Commonwealth games.
It also resolved to lead the campaign for tolerance, peaceful co-existence and harmonious relationship among all communities in Plateau State and other communities in the country in consonance with the functions and responsibilities of the mass media and broadcasting in particular.
The assembly hailed the diligent and able leadership given BON by its former chairman, Mr. Taiwo Alimi for five years. It held that Mallam Abubakar Jijiwa, Ag D.G VON, should continue as BON chairman until elections are held in the second quarter of 2005.
TO NEXT NEWS PAGE...
|
|
