NTA removed from largest UK cable platform, Sky

The Nigerian Television Authority has been removed from the largest digital satellite television service platform in Europe, Sky Limited.

A visit to Sky’s website showed that NTA had been barred indefinitely from airing on Channel 794.

A message on Sky’s website read in part, “794: NTA International; currently temporarily removed from EPG (Electronic Programme Guide).”

A Sky customer service official told our reporter on the telephone in the UK that it had no control over NTA International whose rights are owned by Ben TV.

The news of the suspension of NTA International began to trend barely 24 hours after the National Broadcasting Commission, Nigeria’s broadcast regulator, suspended the licences of Africa Independent Television and Raypower 100.5FM.

However, sources within BEN TV told our correspondent that the NTA was pulled down two weeks ago.

Sky Limited is a British media and telecommunications conglomerate owned by Comcast and headquartered in London.

According to Wikipedia, it has operations in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Spain.

Sky is Europe’s largest media company and pay-TV broadcaster by revenue (as of 2018) with 23 million subscribers and more than 31,000 employees as of 2019. The company is primarily involved in satellite television and broadband services.

The NBC headed by Kawu Modibbo had on Thursday announced the suspension of AIT and Raypower FM both owned by opposition politician, Chief Raymond Dokpesi.

Although the NBC had cited several infractions as the reason for the suspension, human rights groups claim the suspension was an attempt to stifle press freedom.

The founder of BEN TV, Alistair Soyode, did not respond to telephone calls on Friday.