Connect with us

Broadcasting

MultiChoice Boss Decries Broadcast Piracy

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Joseph Hundah, managing director, MultiChoice Nigeria has frowned on piracy of broadcast content, which he identifies as one of the greatest challenges for pay-TV operators in Nigeria.
He told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek that pirates sign up a decoder as an individual user and distribute to other people at little or no cost. “This is a form of piracy that people are not very much aware of.”
“In some cases however, you find that people do not know that they are pirating. For example, you walk into a shop that sells DVD players and the shopkeeper tells you to buy a particular decoder, which would enable you receive the Premier League. If you do not understand the laws around piracy, you would think it is okay.”
“People need to be informed so as to stay out of trouble. They should not buy decoders that are not from licensed pay-TV operators,” he warned.
“What I have noticed in some hotels in the country is that the pay-TV services there are not even licensed in Nigeria. You find Arabic channels, some relaying EPL – not just pirating MultiChoice’s and HiTV’s rights, but those of the operators around northern Africa. That is illegal!”
Hundah said they were collaborating with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) to put a stop to piracy as it does nobody any good.
Besides, he said that MultiChoice was not in any agreement with any cable TV operator in Nigeria at the moment, to transmit CNN and a score of other channels. “If we must do that with the cable operators, they must get their encryption right because they are not properly encrypted. If we give some of our contents to them, people are going to start pirating those channels. Once those channels are pirated, we have a big issue.”
“The problem with the cable operators is that often they want popular channels but they want to pay nothing for it. It must to be an open market arrangement whereby if I see a particular channel is what so much, I must be prepared to pay what it is worth. So, it is an ongoing debate as to what channels should be shared and under what terms that should be done. That is where we are at loggerheads with the cable operators,” he stated.
The MultiChoice Nigeria helmsman added that the DStv network is very well encrypted and as a result, pirates cannot hack into it to steal signals.

 

 


Kindly share this post

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Comments

Broadcasting

Awba-Ofemili Unveils 2026 Health Campaign, Offers Free Medical Screening

Published

on

Kindly share this post

Awba-Ofemili Development Union (ADU) Health Committee has officially announced the launch of the Awba-Ofemili Health Awareness Campaign 2026, a community-wide initiative designed to promote preventive healthcare, disease awareness, early detection, health education, and healthy living across Awba-Ofemili.

Awba-Ofemili Unveils 2026 Health Campaign, Offers Free Medical Screening

Awba-Ofemili Health Awareness Campaign

The campaign, themed “Beyond Elu-Ulee (Buruli Ulcer): Building a Healthier Awba-Ofemili,” will be held on Thursday, 17 September 2026, at the Civic Centre, Awba-Ofemili, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

The programme builds on the success of the committee’s maiden Elu-Ulee (Buruli Ulcer) Awareness Campaign, which raised awareness on Buruli ulcer and strengthened community engagement on preventive healthcare.

According to the Chairman of the ADU Health Committee, Ogbuefi Remmy Nweke, KSM, the 2026 campaign represents a significant expansion of the committee’s health intervention agenda.

“This campaign is about moving beyond awareness to action. We want to deepen community health education, encourage early detection of preventable diseases, strengthen school health initiatives, promote First Aid awareness, and build sustainable partnerships that will improve the health and well-being of our people,” he said.

The 2026 campaign will feature community health education, free basic health screening, school health support, First Aid awareness programmes, and stakeholder engagement with healthcare professionals, development partners, and community organisations.

Advertisement

The committee has called on sons and daughters of Awba-Ofemili, residents, friends of the community, corporate organisations, philanthropic individuals, NGOs, healthcare institutions, and development partners to support the initiative through financial contributions and strategic partnerships.

To support the implementation of the campaign, the ADU Health Committee has opened a dedicated fundraising channel through Fidelity Bank Plc, with donations payable to Awba-Ofemili Education Volunteers (Account No. 6060490921).

The Committee appealed to all supporters to use “HEALTH FUND” as the transfer narration so that contributions can be properly recorded and accounted for under the ADU Health Committee Health Fund.

Secretary of the ADU Health Committee, Mr. Cornelius Nwakonobi, emphasized that every contribution would make a meaningful impact.

“No donation is too small. Every contribution will support community health education, medical outreach, school health programmes, First Aid support, and preventive healthcare initiatives. Together, we can build a healthier, stronger, and more resilient Awba-Ofemili,” he stated.

Advertisement

The ADU Health Committee reaffirmed its commitment to working with government agencies, healthcare professionals, development organisations, the Nigerian Red Cross, community stakeholders, and the Awba-Ofemili diaspora to advance sustainable health interventions in the community.

For partnership enquiries, sponsorship, or additional information, interested organisations and individuals are encouraged to contact the ADU Health Committee Secretariat.

Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Broadcasting

NBC Files Fresh Appeal against Judgment Barring it from Imposing Fines on Broadcast Stations

Published

on

Kindly share this post

National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has filed an application seeking the permission of the court of appeal to file a fresh appeal against the judgement of the federal high court in Abuja barring it from imposing fines on erring broadcast stations.

NBC Files Fresh Appeal against Judgment Barring it from Imposing Fines on Broadcast Stations

In the application filed at the court of appeal in Abuja by Dapo Akinosun, counsel to the NBC, the commission argued sanity in Nigeria’s broadcasting sector is under threat and that the public interest would be better served if the court grants the application.

On January 17, 2024, Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, a judge at the federal high court in Abuja, restrained the NBC from imposing a N5 million fine on broadcast stations sanctioned in 2022 over allegations of “undermining Nigeria’s national security by broadcasting documentaries on banditry in Nigeria”.

The affected broadcast stations were Multichoice Nigeria Limited, owners of DSTV; TelCom Satellite Limited (TSTV); Trust-TV Network Limited; and NTA StarTimes Limited.

The suit was filed by Media Rights Agenda (MRA).

Advertisement

Dissatisfied with the ruling, the NBC appealed the judgement filed an appeal at the court of appeal in Abuja.

In June, the court of appeal dismissed the commission’s appeal, holding that it was “fundamentally defective” and incompetent.

Jane Inyang, lead judge of the panel, held that the parties before the lower court were identified as “Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda (as applicant) and National Broadcasting Commission (as respondent)” but in the notice of appeal the purported appellant was described as the “Nigerian Broadcasting Commission”,

The judge held that the discrepancy was significant and that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the commission’s appeal.

In the application, the NBC urged the court to grant it leave to raise and argue a fresh issue on appeal relating to the legal capacity of MRA to institute and maintain the original suit before the lower court.

Advertisement

The commission argued that the defect in the earlier notice of appeal, which resulted in the dismissal of its appeal, arose “solely from an inadvertent misdescription” of its name by its lawyer.

The NBC told the court that the subsisting judgement raises questions on the commission’s statutory powers to regulate broadcasting and enforce compliance with broadcasting standards in Nigeria.

The commission argued that the subsisting judgment is capable of creating uncertainty regarding its regulatory powers if it is allowed to stand.

The NBC also argued that without the pronouncement by the appellate court on the issues raised in the appeal, its regulatory framework would be weakened.

“A weakened regulatory framework may embolden non-compliance with established broadcasting standards, thereby increasing the dissemination of false, misleading and unverified information capable of causing unnecessary public anxiety, panic and social unrest,” the NBC said.

Advertisement

“Absence of effective regulatory oversight may further encourage irresponsible broadcasting practices and the misuse of broadcast and digital media platforms by persons who deliberately publish sensational, inaccurate or inflammatory content to intimidate, harass or unduly influence individuals, institutions and public discourse.”

Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Broadcasting

Davido Shares Past Suicidal Thoughts, Drops Oriadé Album

Published

on

Kindly share this post

David Adedeji Adeleke, known professionally as Davido, has shared his past suicidal thoughts as he dropped Oriadé,  his sixth studio album yesterday.

Davido Shares Past Suicidal Thoughts, Drops Oriadé Album

Davido

Davido said he chose the date on purpose as it marks exactly 15 years since he began his professional music career.

Oriadé is a Yoruba word combining “Ori,” meaning destiny, and “Adé,” meaning crown.

It translates to “the crowned head.” The album has 13 tracks and features Black Sherif, Aya Nakamura, Leon Thomas, Mayorkun, and Llona.

It follows his 2025 project, 5ive, which reached number two on the Billboard World Albums chart.

Davido also announced an international tour to support the new record.

Advertisement

In the days leading up to the release, Davido gave interviews that revealed personal details about his past and his current life.

Speaking to Vibe Magazine on Thursday, he described a 2014 incident in Ghana that left him feeling suicidal.

He said he invited a woman back to his hotel room after a show, and she later posted a photo of him sleeping online.

He said the fallout overwhelmed him.

“My daddy was calling me. My sisters were calling me. If I saw the balcony that day, I would have jumped,” he said.

Advertisement

He said he was young at the time and did not fully understand the consequences of his actions.

He described the experience as a turning point that changed how he thinks about privacy and fame.

In the same interview, he explained why he often dresses down in public despite his wealth.

He recalled a trip to the South of France where he went out in shorts and slippers without his watch.

“I’ve been on jets, I’ve been flying, I’ve been in all these places since I was a baby. I’ve been seeing money since I was a baby. So all these things don’t really excite me,” he said.

Advertisement

He added that he sometimes prefers to drive a Toyota to the supermarket in Atlanta instead of one of his luxury cars.

In a separate livestream with Davrel, Davido spoke about how his life has changed since marrying his wife, Chioma, and becoming a father.

He said his home no longer holds the large crowds it once did.

“I can no longer have 100 people in my house like before,” he said.

He said he speaks to Chioma every day regardless of his schedule.

Advertisement

He also disclosed that he spends between $200,000 and $300,000 a month on himself, not including costs for his wife, children, jewelry and cars.

He said the amount is lower when he is in the United States, where he described his lifestyle as quieter.

 

Kindly share this post
Continue Reading

Trending