The Senate has requested that the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) direct all pay-TV providers to implement a pay-per-view subscription model, as opposed to the current monthly prepaid model.
The upper chamber is also requesting that all pay-tv service providers in Nigeria immediately reduce their bouquet prices to reflect the country’s current economic realities.
It also resolved to form an ad hoc committee to launch a full-scale investigation into the incessant increase in pay-tv subscription fees, with the goal of understanding the reasons for the price increases and finding long-term solutions.
These decisions taken by the Senate are sequel to a motion by Senator Abba Morro titled “Nigerians dumbfounded and outraged over pay-tv tariff hikes, demand for the pay-per-view subscription model”.
Senator Moro informed the Senate of the recent subscription price hike announced by leading pay-tv service provider, Multichoice Nigeria, of an increase in subscriber fees.
He noted that Multichoice Nigeria willfully and perpetually increases its bundles because there is no regulation in the area of fixing rates.
According to him, Nigerians are demanding that rather than paying fixed rates for packages monthly, pay-tv service providers should introduce a subscription model which allows subscribers pay-per-view to enable them to match their tv consumption to subscription as is the case with electricity metering and mobile telephony.