Nigerian Television Authority
NTA
About
The Nigerian Television Authority, or NTA, is a government-owned Nigerian broadcaster that runs the largest television network in Nigeria, with stations in many parts of the country. It is widely seen as the official voice of the Nigerian government. The NTA produces and airs a mix of news, current affairs, dramas, children's programmes, sports and religious content. Its news output has largely focused on government activities, and it has partly commercialised its airtime through sponsored and paid programmes.
History
The first television station in Nigeria, the Western Nigerian Government Broadcasting Corporation (WNTV), began broadcasting in Ibadan on 31 October 1959. Other regional stations followed, including Radio-Television Kaduna, the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation's Lagos service, MidWest TV, and the Benue-Plateau Television Corporation. The NTA was founded in 1977, when these state broadcasters were merged and rebranded as Nigerian Television (NTV) under the Nigerian Television Authority, after a 1976 takeover of regional stations by military authorities. The NTA held a monopoly on national television broadcasting until the 1990s, when declining public interest in government-influenced programming and new competitors such as Africa Independent Television ended that position. During the 1990s it began partial commercialisation of its airtime under the structural adjustment programme.
Key Facts
Established
1977
Headquarters
Abuja
Abbreviation
NTA