by Thinus Ferreira
Liberia's dictatorial state TV boss is demanding the immediate shutdown of MultiChoice Liberia as a private pay-TV company in the struggling West African country, after MultiChoice Liberia refused to add and carry its LNTV channels on DStv Liberia's service for free.
Eugene Fahngon, the director-general of the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), Liberia's state-controlled broadcaster that runs LNTV, on Tuesday at a hastily arranged press conference demanded that MultiChoice Liberia be shut down for refusing to carry LNTV for free on DStv.
MultiChoice Liberia is run by LIBMAX Consolidated Group Incorporated (LIBMAX), a local concession agency of MultiChoice Africa.
Mary Williams, CGI's general manager for content at MultiChoice Liberia, revealed at a press conference over the weekend that Eugene Fahngon wants to destroy DStv Liberia.
Together with the politician and businessman Simeon Freeman, through the Liberian government's House of Representatives, Eugene Fahngon allegedly wants to shut down DStv Liberia after LIBMAX refused to add and carry the state-run LNTV channels to DStv.
The Liberian Observer reports that LIBMAX and MultiChoice Liberia told LBS and Eugene Fahngon that it can't uplink and broadcast LBS's LNTV channels for free, which is expensive.
MultiChoice Liberia told Eugene Fahngon that LBS would have to pay $38 000 per month for LBS' LNTV to be added to DStv, which Eugene Fahngon rejected. He then decided to retaliate against MultiChoice Liberia and now wants to get it shut down.
Eugene Fahngon said on Tuesday "The Liberia Broadcasting System will not pay a dime to DStv for the inclusion of our national broadcaster".
He also cited regulations claiming that the LBS controls and oversees all pay-TV services in Liberia to make sure they provide so-called local content.
Eugene Fahngon also slammed MultiChoice Liberia for having a "control system" he and LBS can't control and which is therefore not a proper control system and another reason why DStv Liberia should be shut down.
According to Mary Williams, Eugene Fahngon told DStv Liberia in a meeting that LBS is working on its own subscription-based pay-TV service which will cost $5 and which will be in direct competition with DStv Liberia.
The Liberian Investigator reports that Mary Williams accuses Eugene Fahngon of making politically motivated demands and unreasonably expecting LIBMAX and pressuring the company to offer the state-run TV channels for free.
"It costs money, equipment and several other requirements to be on satellite. We as an agent in Liberia cannot unilaterally put any content, including LBS, on the platform," she said.
She revealed that LIBMAX wrote to Eugene Fahngon in July to set up a meeting and explain the procedures involved, but that he failed to show up. A second meeting was then scheduled and took place, during which Eugene Fahngon demanded that MultiChoice Liberia uplink LBS to DStv for free.
"He insisted that as a government-owned broadcaster LBS should be exempt from paying for services but I explained that it doesn't work that way because we are just an agent of DStv here in Liberia."
"We saw no reason to continue discussions after learning that LBS was offering similar services, effectively making us competitors in the market."
She said LIBMAX is disappointed with Eugene Fahngon who can't dictate how LIBMAX is supposed to run DStv Liberia as a private company.
"I am surprised that after our interaction with Eugene Fahngon he chose to take this route. It is becoming more political than professional." She said LIMBAX's "legal team is fully briefed and prepared to take action if necessary".
