Senate probes DStv, GOtv over subscription fees hike

*Constitutes seven-man Adhoc Committee *Directs Service Providers to review prices downwards

The Senate has begun moves probe to probe the operations of Multi-Choice Nigeria, owners of DSTV and GOTV Satellite decoders over alleged arbitrary price hikes of monthly subscriptions of various bouquets on their platforms.

The probe is designed to ascertain the possible constraints that have made it difficult for the Pay-TV providers to introduce Pay-Per-View for subscribers in the Nigerian market, especially with the pricing activities of DStv (MultiChoice Nigeria) in Nigeria with a view to bringing them in line with international practice. 

Consequently, the Senate yesterday constituted a seven-man ad-hoc committee to carry out a very comprehensive investigation into the tariff hike introduced by pay-tv service providers operating in the country. 

The Upper Chamber has directed all pay-tv service providers to as a matter of urgency, review their bouquet prices downwards in tandem with the prevailing reality of the economic situation in Nigeria, just as it kicked against the increase in tariffs by Multi-Choice Nigeria. The Senate has urged the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, and the Nigerian Communications Commission to direct all pay-tv providers to introduce a pay-per-view model of subscription as against the month to month prepaid model presently in place;  

The Senator  expressed concern that thousands of pay-tv subscribers in Nigeria have bitterly reacted to the development on different social media platforms, ranging from deep shock to pure outrage with many asking the Nigerian government to checkmate the activities of pay-tv service providers in Nigeria especially in the area of fixing prices.

According to him, among the bitter complaints of Nigerian subscribers of pay-tv services is the poor network service experienced as a result of bad weather/ epileptic electricity supply, which sometimes makes a whole month subscription wasteful without the subscriber watching anything before the expiration.