this is madness.
if competing companies fails to meet up with subscribers needs, why would u blame a foreigner who know his job.
the mentality in some of our leaders is just too disappointing.

u can't just come out and take a decision that'll affect over a hundred million people without consulting them.
people should excersice their right for choice.

anyways, lets see how far this will go.

I'm sure Frank himself has DSTV all over his house.

what kind of decision is this, where did he expect us to watch it now and the season is very close.

This is serious madness, why not one month before now?
I weep for these country

I am in support of The Fed Govt's decision. Those South Africans are killing our industry. DSTV in particular monopolises all the good channels including Free to Air CNN on the guise of buying franchise asthe sole broadcaster and as such indiginous DTH (Direct to home) companies are dieing. Look at FSTV, TITV, they are no where to be found. The surviving ones are strugling to stand. Its unfair of DSTV to monopolise this sector. We all know generating new programmes or let me say World class indigineous programme is a lot of money. So what they use as support are these foreign programmes.

Seye:

I am in support of The Fed Govt's decision. Those South Africans are killing our industry. DSTV in particular monopolises all the good channels including Free to Air CNN on the guise of buying franchise asthe sole broadcaster and as such indiginous DTH (Direct to home) companies are dieing. Look at FSTV, TITV, they are no where to be found. The surviving ones are strugling to stand. Its unfair of DSTV to monopolise this sector. We all know generating new programmes or let me say World class indigineous programme is a lot of money. So what they use as support are these foreign programmes.

said it perfectly. this is more than the english premiership. it is about our economy. No sane country will ciontinue to permit the monopolization of a sector. the consumers will be exploited in this situation [it cost 9000 naira everymonth in a country were peope, get paid that amount every month. My cable internet and phone bill is 3000 naira more in the states]. i guesswhat i am tryingto say is, this will affect a few people in the short run but will benenfit all in the long run.

I am totally i agreement with the steps that the federal Government has taken. What DSTV is doing is realy not fair.There should be competition and choice. What has happened before now is a lack of competition and they can get away with just about anything.It just reminds me of MTN saying that per second billing is not possible in Nigeria before Glo came along suddenly they worked a miracle!

One must salute the courage of the new minister in taking the decision that is predecessors had failed to take.Let there be fair competition.It is the language of free enterprise!

And while we are on about this, I dont think it is right that everytime a decision is taken that requires analysis, we start this 'I am sorry for this country thing'Haba!

No pains, no gains Nigerians. The Government action is laudable and I wish they will deal with every sector of the economy that way. I think those who may have objected to the Governement's decision here never read through the article but only reacted based on the headline. Carry go Obasanjo.

The ban though justifiable needed to be thought-through.

DSTV brought their money to this country and invested; it worked out. Let's forget about the strategy which is simply capitalist and focus on the diplomatic implications of infringing on the rights of a foreign company.

The world is a global village, if one cable station takes exclusive right from a channel, you can partner with other cable stations. It really needs to be thought-through.

What is wrong with the FG THen who will Broadcast the Premiership in Nigeria?Please Frank Nweke Should go back and think again.

Breaking the monopoly ofthe southafricans is the best thang that has happened to the brodcasting sector. Though they have been in the game since, but lack of competition has made them clamped down riddiculous prices on Nigeria,i heard its 9000 naira now for subscription .To be fair to these DSTV guys, Nigerian subscrption rates are very low compared to south africa where the stuff came from and other african countries.Yet, i think they are milikng us dry cos they know an average naija guy is premiership crazy!!!!.

Those guyz should prepare for a Folly War! How dare they. where went their brains. While they embezzle money and rob their bellies @ the Nicon, we watch the premiership for 8k a month. Who's biz.

Tell dem o, tell them.

is this a joke or are u guys serious?

I knew people would come up with a pseudo-nationalistic justification for this nonsense

This is not governance, this is military- style madness. You just dont put a blanket ban on a company that has invested millions in your economy. If they invest in your economy you cannot grudge them for their profits, they are not a charity organization

There are better ways of dealing with this issue. This is a legitimate company licensed to deal in Nigeria, if u feel they have an unfair advantage adjust your policies to level the field. Charge them a higher tarrif for thier operations and exempt indegenous companies, peg their subscription fee and force them to sublet thier broadcasts to companies within Nigeria. All these done slowly and unobtrusively.

Besides, if one reads the wordings of the statement u see stuff like "colonial" and "challenging the sovereingty of Nigeria". This is the kind of Mugabe-esque drivel that incompetent leadership uses to stir up the emotions of the naive. This is strictly business , no need to bring up your inferiority complex towards South African business. Why dont you ban MTN in the same breath?

There is no smoke without a fire, someone with vested interest is probably pressuring some one in power to deal with DSTV so he can have a monopoly of his own

I dont understand how DSTV is breaking the law. . . the bought exclusive rights to broadcast the game didnt they? If the local companies cant do their job why cant someone else do it?

At last the FG has done it, breaking the monopoly of DSTV over Nigeria's DTH industry. Even in their home country - south africa, they don't have monopoly rights over nothing, then they go and pay small money and collect monopoly for the rest of africa. Nigeria is bigger than that, Trendtv is billed for relaunch in September, am sure they were waiting patiently for this type of thing. DSTV should now compete within the rules and see how many subscribers they can retain.

Maybe some of us don't just get it. DSTV didn't break any law, but they cannot be allowed to hold our people and economy to ransom. What the Fed. Govt. has done is very commendable. It is absurd for DSTV to threat the whole of Africa as a country. I mean with just one broadcast right they have covered the whole continent. Nigeria is too big a guy for that.

I don't care if we woke up from our slumber today and decided to take the bull by the horn. No time is late! The monoploy must be broken! The market should be widened for more players and we the customers will be better for it.

No pain, No gain!

why didnt any other nigerian company buy the right to broadcast?

Weird decision. DSTV is the wrong company to target. Afterall its the content provider that decided to offer exclusive rights for the whole continent together. Note that the content provider is not the same as DSTV.

Instead of going after DSTV, the NBC should be asking the content provider to offer rights to Nigeria's market separately from the rest of Africa. Of course the content provider will only respond if bidding for the Nigerian market is competitive between several broadcast companies otherwise it is cheaper to include Nigeria with the rest of the African market.

It is the "norm" in the broadcast industry to offer exclusive, bundled rights in "non-competitive" markets. I'm not sure if NBC spoke to the owners of the programs but they are simply going the easy route and using a bully pulpit to force the content provider's hand.

Super Sports bought the right, i believe for Africa, for a huge amount of money, i guess for some years (a lucrative contract) and they have exclusive rights. Nigerian Stations can subscribe to CFI or some other stations but for the premiership, I guess its them.

Meanwhile I do not think any Nigerian Station can pay for it. Maybe the Fed. Govt should sponsor NTA and I hope they'll put off all those PDP news and dry programs for Premiership games on Weekends - Can they? Jobless people.

@mocha

It is the "norm" in the broadcast industry to offer exclusive, bundled rights in "non-competitive" markets. I'm not sure if NBC spoke to the owners of the programs but they are simply going the easy route and using a bully pulpit to force the content provider's hand.

thank you man, that is what i understand too, every country is under a "region" so they have to bundle nigeria together.
now benin republic n togo will have their own unique bundle  

Anyway, as it stands how are people in nigeria going to watch the games?

Meanwhile I do not think any Nigerian Station can pay for it. Maybe the Fed. Govt should sponsor NTA and I hope they'll put off all those PDP news and dry programs for Premiership games on Weekends - Can they? Jobless people.

lol why should the FG sponsor NTA to show EPL? when the FG can't sponsor the Nigerian priemer league

the independent stations should come together and buy the right, then split the matches among themselves. 

What a pity, where do we go from here, or is it one of the Fallout of the Third Term Bid, GOD SAVE US in these Country

na wa for this country oooooooooo, na everything dey want dey ban? very soon dey go ban Garri. how dey want make we dey keep body and soul together. that the best part of DSTV, no be our money we dey pay, wetin dey NTA self ? if you know that guy one on one , i beg tell am to use him church mind ooo.
omo, i got to see my arsenal play oooooooooooo or na die be that.

I dont know the meaning of this and what the minister is trying to achieve. all I can say is that make dem no try am cos season go soon start.

Our people dey do anything wey dey very good. U are watching a Nigeria station by ur house signa is not clear and a station coming from SA is very clear what do they expect?

Abeg make dem leave am as he be.

Please lets us not be myopic too self- centred  about this issue. I think this is one of the best things this governement has achieved since its inception.
I have always hated the idea of one (foreign) company having such a monopoly over our DTH industry and charging absurd rates like N9000 a month while Nigerian companies that can render similar services at lower rates are dying off.

The football loving guys and babes may be crying blue murder but lets not allow our love for football blind us to the rape of our economy. We want Nigeria to develop and some very painful steps have to be taken to achieve that. Breaking DSTV monopoly over EPL is one such painful step.

In the short term you might not be able to watch EPL but in the long term, most likely before the Season ends, you will be able to watch EPL and so many other channels from different subscribers at ridiculously low rates.

Mark my words, if the Federal Governement enforcres this ban Nigerian companies will rise up to the challenge, get the rights and broadcast cable TV at very low rates. I see subscription rates crashing down to N3000/month or less in a very short time and there will be variety, which is the beauty of a free market economy. If you are not happy with DSTV you can easily switch to FSTV or Trend TV, unlike this present situation where one is stuck with DSTV.

And for those who say they have no problem paying N9000/month to watch EPL remember the vast majority of other Nigerians who also love EPL but can't watch it, or have to go for a "forced" hair cut at a barber's simply because N9000 is  no joke to them. We should aim for a country where the basic things for a good life is affordable to all and not a few rich people.

For once I declare, BABA CARRY GO !!!

me i'm not against the FG O!
its just that d season is starting in 2 wks time O!
chelsea is meeting liverpool nxt wk O!
and me i must not miss that match O!
i'm a die hard [color=#000099]CHELSEA[/color] fan O!
[color=#000099]STAMFORD BRIDGE[/color] 4 LIFE O!
[color=#990000][/color]

check out RAI every sunday from 2pm for hot Serie A action!

Loverbwoy. This beyond just banning DSTV. I have been involved with football rights purchase especially for the Nigerian territory and will give you a classic example of the abuse of monopoly as exercised by DSTV.
DSTV/SUPER SPORTS purchased the SATELLITE TRANSMISSION(LIVE GAMES) rights to the English premier league. They bought the rights of the HIGHLIGHTS to the premiership. They bought the LIVE GAMES rights TERRESTRIAL TRANSMISSION. But apart from the live games on DSTV they are not exercising any other rights thereby denying other companies such rights.
I have particularly been interested with securing the rights to the highlights for rebroadcast on terrestrial tv. This is cheaper than Live games . But Super sports bought this right yet you cannot see premiership games on any terrestrial station in Nigeria. So why buy the rights when they had no intention of exercising it?

To all contributors, do not fret or worry . You will see the premiership live and direct on your tv screens.

i am 100% behind the FG's action. these SAfricans will soon "own" everything in Nigeria if care is not taken.  And yes, why should DSTV have continent-wide rights to some of these channels? let other (foreign & indiginous) cable coys mushroom. and why watch the permiership? there are some peeps here who would rather support Arsenal, ManU, Madrid, Barca etc than the Super Eagles gone are the days when people were Rangers, Shooting or Nationale fans. maybe we'd start to follow our local league which will improve the standard, revenue and several other ripple-effects.

are my yarns just nationalistic rants/foolish sentiments? maybe. But what i do know is that we Nigerians are arguably the one of the least patriotic/nationalistic people on earth. at least this is a start. BRAVO FG!

I feel that technically, the federal government is correct by banning a South African company from buying the broadcasting rights for other African countries. What I just feel is that a lot of time will be wasted in trying to resolve the issue either diplomatically, legally or otherwise, and this would hamper the chance of Nigerians witnessing the start of the English Premiership. Anyway, with time, everything will take shape.
The step the government has taken is a bold and commendable one; let’s just hope the effort is sustainable, and that Nigerians will get alternatives to watch the premiership before the season starts.

dis is pure madness so dey[fed govt]dont want us 2 watch n enjoy our wkends any more sombody should pls
advice em