Africa Independent Television, also known by its acronym AIT, is a privately owned television broadcaster in

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. It operates Free To Air in Nigeria as the largest privately operated terrestrial television network with stations in twenty-four out of thirty-six states in Nigeria. AIT is also broadcast via

satellite television Satellite television is a service that delivers television programming to viewers by relaying it from a communications satellite orbiting the Earth directly to the viewer's location. The signals are received via an outdoor parabolic antenna comm ...

from its operational headquarters in

Abuja Abuja () is the capital and eighth most populous city of Nigeria. Situated at the centre of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it is a planned city built mainly in the 1980s based on a master plan by International Plann ...

. AIT is a subsidiary of DAAR Communications plc, available throughout Africa, and via

Dish Network DISH Network Corporation (DISH, an acronym for DIgital Sky Highway) is an American television provider and the owner of the direct-broadcast satellite provider Dish, commonly known as Dish Network, and the over-the-top IPTV service, Sling TV. A ...

to North America. In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, it was available on

Sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...

channel 454 as a free-to-air channel (originally a subscription channel until 1 August 2016). An additional channel called AIT Movistar, formerly on Sky channel 330, ceased broadcasting on 28 July 2009. AIT International ceased broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland on 15 October 2019.

Shutdown

The Founder,

Raymond Dokpesi Chief Raymond Anthony Aleogho Dokpesi (born 25 October 1951) in Ibadan is a Nigerian media entrepreneur. His parents are from Agenebode, Edo state in a family including six sisters siblings. He entered the Nigerian mass media industry with hi ...

, led a peaceful protest to the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

on 6 June 2019 to submit a petition requesting a review of the broadcast laws. Raymond Dokpesi had at a press conference earlier called the attention of the media to editorial interference, threats of sanctions and political bias by the Director-General, Modibbo Kawu of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), who had recently contested a

primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

as an aspirant of the ruling

All Progressives Congress The All Progressives Congress (APC) is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Nigeria, along with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Founded on 6 February 2013 from a merger of Nigeria's three largest opposition parties, the ...

for governorship in

Kwara State Kwara State ( yo, Ìpínlẹ̀ Kwárà), is a state in Western Nigeria, bordered to the east by Kogi State, to the north by Niger state, and to the south by Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states, while its western border makes up part of the internation ...

. Dokpesi also alleged that the NBC was working on the orders of the Nigerian presidency to clamp down on the TV network over trumped up charges of violation of the broadcast code. The broadcasting license of the television station was suspended indefinitely by the National Broadcasting Commission on 6 June 2019 on the grounds of its alleged failure to pay license fees and use of inciting contents from

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

. A Federal High Court in

however ordered the reopening of the television station on 7 June 2019.Court orders reopening of AIT, Raypower https://www.thecable.ng/just-in-court-orders-reopening-of-ait-raypower

Personalities

Ohimai Amaize Ohimai Amaize (born 9 September 1984) is a Nigerian journalist with a multi-sectoral background that spans anti-corruption, youth advocacy, civil society, political campaigns, brand development, communications strategy and governance. He was pro ...

References

External links

AIT News
Television stations in Lagos Companies based in Lagos Television production companies of Nigeria {{Nigeria-tv-station-stub

Shutdown

Personalities

See also

References

External links