Jonathan Approves 12 New Community Radio Stations

Is this the best time for new community radio stations approval? Well, President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the establishment of 12 community radio station in the country with the aim of creating effective platform for rural dwellers.

This is coming ahead of the federal government consideration of the possibility of pushing forward the June 17 deadline, set by the International Telecommunication Union, for the global switch-over of television signals from analogue to digital transmission.

The Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr. Emeka Mba, who made this known yesterday, said the president had approved the establishment of two radio stations in each of the six geo-political zones in the country.

Mba, disclosed that the commission was working with the Community Radio Coalition that will be visiting the NBC with the representatives of the licensed stations in order to give them deep understanding of  the roles of a community radio.

The NBC boss, however, said Nigeria would be unable to meet up with the deadline for digital switchover of the broadcast stations next month as a result of lack of funds to execute the transition process.

The Federal Government has failed to release the N60 billion, long earmarked as the cost of the Digital Switchover (DSO) process in the country, with the director general saying the commission had been operating on zero-budget allocation to DSO.