SECTOR 3 Broadcasting regulation is transparent and independent; the State broadcaster is transformed into a truly public broadcaster. 3.1 Broadcasting legislation has been passed and is implemented that provides for a conducive environment for public, commercial and community broadcasting. Nigeria’s broadcasting sector is regulated by the National Broadcasting Commission Act. The goal of the NBC was to break the monopoly of the past and open up the sector to commercial broadcasting. It failed to foresee nonprofit community broadcasting as public broadcasting, which has led to the slow development of the sub-sector. For instance, the NBC’s licencing procedures are based on the concept of shareholders, whereas community radios are run by stakeholders. Nonetheless, about 17community radio licences have already been issued and at least one of these stations has started broadcasting. Public broadcasting is governed by several Acts setting up each Federal public broadcaster. These include the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria Act, the Voice of Nigeria Act and the Nigerian Television Authority Act. States also have laws setting up state broadcasters and these vary in form and content from state to state and media organisation to media organisation. Frequency management is carried out by separate bodies that cover the broadcasting and telecommunications sectors. It is expected that the coming digital switchover will free up frequencies and increase the spectrum available to broadcasters. In the meantime, frequency allocation is riddled with corruption and irregularities. In some instances, broadcast frequencies were sold to telecommunications companies in shady deals. 40 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER NIGERIA 2015