TB Joshua's Emmanuel TV to cease broadcast on DStv amid BBC doc controversy

Emmanuel TV, the religious television network established by the late Prophet Temitope Babatunde (TB) Joshua, the founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), is set to discontinue its broadcast on MultiChoice's DStv, GOtv, and other pay-TV services starting January 17, 2024.

A notification on DStv informed viewers, stating, "Dear viewer, please note that Emmanuel TV will exit on the 17th of January 2024. Thank you for watching."

Reports suggest that Emmanuel TV will also cease broadcasting on StarSat and various other pay-TV platforms. Since the passing of TB Joshua in June 2021, the network faced challenges in creating new content and relied heavily on rebroadcasting old material.

After the demise of TB Joshua, Pastor Evelyn Joshua, the late founder's wife, took over leadership of SCOAN. The decision to exit MultiChoice platforms coincides with the release of a controversial three-part documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The documentary alleges atrocities and sexual crimes committed by the late TB Joshua towards his disciples.

The BBC investigation involved interviews with at least 30 alleged former members and workers of SCOAN, revealing a covert lifestyle of rape, abuse, deception, and staged healings by the late preacher. The documentary disclosed that the church was aware of the accusations but never addressed them, allowing more than 20 years to pass without addressing the sexual offences.

A segment of the documentary also exposed how SCOAN concealed the truth from its members regarding the 2014 collapse of one of the church's guesthouses. The video showed the building with what appeared to be an aircraft flying over it and was repeatedly presented to members on Emmanuel TV.

The Nigerian-based Emmanuel TV was founded by the late televangelist T.B. Joshua in 2006 and expanded to a YouTube channel, becoming one of the most-subscribed Christian ministry YouTube channels worldwide.