Nigerians who are tired of the limited choices and high prices of existing satellite TV providers can now rejoice as the federal government has launched a new pay TV service that promises to offer more value for money.
The new satellite TV, Silver Lake Television (SLTV), was unveiled on Thursday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja. Akume said the government was fully behind the initiative, which he said aligned with the aspirations of Nigerians to harness the potential of the Nigerian economy.
He commended the operators of SLTV, Metrodigital Limited, for taking a patriotic step in setting up the satellite TV, which he said would give Nigerians more options and break the monopoly of the dominant players in the industry.
According to the Managing Director of Metrodigital Limited, Ifeanyi Nwafor, SLTV will offer over 55 channels of quality entertainment, news, sports, and education, with packages starting from as low as N2,500 per month. He said the company was encouraged to invest in the sector because the government had taken positive steps to address the policy and legal challenges that had hampered the growth of pay TV in Nigeria.
He added that SLTV would leverage on the latest technology and innovation to deliver a superior viewing experience to Nigerians, while also creating employment opportunities and contributing to the development of the broadcast industry.
The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Broadcasting Commission, Charles Ebuebu, also expressed his support for SLTV, saying the commission would consider the calls of Nigerian subscribers for the introduction of pay-per-view options.
