The National Broadcasting Commission, NBC on Tuesday said it would begin the issuance of licenses for the provision of free view digital television content  to Nigerians.

The regulatory agency said that this service which will be enjoyed by many families was as a result of a detailed assessment by the commission after it had noticed gaps in the content available for unique needs of Nigerians.

The commission’s director of public affairs,  Awwalu Salihu, who issued a statement to this effect in Abuja, said the agency was inviting prospective service providers to submit proposals for meeting the observed gaps as a preliminary step towards applying for such licences.

The NBC categorised the new initiative into several genres which include general entertainment, kids, lifestyle, sports, movies/soaps/sitcoms, music, documentaries and factual/news.

Salihu added that the channels would strictly comply with the programming mandates of the commission as well as the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.

“In keeping with the commission’s laid down procedure, successful applicants shall be invited to formally apply for a licence to provide channel content in accordance with the National Brodacasting Act, the Nigeria Broadcasting Code and the Digital Terrestrial Television Regulations,” he said.