The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the federal government was setting up an audience measurement system to be able to facilitate its decision to fight exclusivity of programme to any cable TV.

The minister, who appeared yesterday before the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, said it had been discovered that there was no scientific measurement system to know the number of viewing eyeballs glued to television per time or its content.

This, he said, prompted the government’s decision to guide advertisers and manufacturers seeking to promote a product.

He said it was also observed that exclusivity of programme that was limited to one organisation, thereby shutting out Nigerians who are not on that platform from having access to the same popular content on their platforms.

However, in a bid to ensure that there is access to same content, the ministry has carried out some amendment of the broadcasting code and compelled the organisation to carry out negotiation between platforms so that in spite of their purchase of television content from the UK and Italy they are compelled by the code to negotiate with other cable platform to allow them use it.

Speaking further, the minister said the rollout of the Digital switch over which will begin April 29 has challenged many artistes to improve on their game because the use of the boxes will create millions of jobs in the industry.

He said the move had promoted local content of programmes and challenged creative directors to double their efforts to man prime time on broadcast stations.

According to him, ‘’the law was made to make for 60 per cent of producers and casters during the prime time between 7pm and 11 pm. There is also the amendment regarding production of advertising for local goods and services. In order to stimulate growth and investment in the advertising sector, the code was further amended to the effect that airing television and radio advertisements for airing on all broadcast platforms, pertaining to products and services manufactured, grown, processed, developed, created and originating from Nigeria, shall be wholly produced in Nigeria.

“Also, under the new amendment for a programme to qualify as local content, it must be authored, directed and produced by a Nigerian. In addition, at least 75 per cent of the leading actors and major supporting cost must be Nigerians, a minimum of 75 per cent of its programme expenses and 75 per cent of post-production expenses paid for services provided by Nigerians or Nigerian companies. This initiative will considerably develop the skills, expertise and industry of the local content market.’’

The minister said the deployment of DSO to parts of the country has improved local content and promoted jobs and creativity among programme directors.

He added that adverts and shots were done in Brazil, and Germany, adding that part of the amendment compels organisations who want to do such adverts to source for actors, producers and location locally especially as the consumer of the adverts are Nigerians.