What is now known as the Nigerian Television Authority started as the Western Nigerian Television Services (WNTV), which beamed its first signals to the people of Nigeria and the entire Africa on 31st October 1959. By the beginning of 1962, the three regional Governments that existed in Nigeria had set up the Nigerian Television Service (NTS). Then with the creation of twelve (12) States in Nigeria, more television services were established and by 1976 when all television stations were taken over by the Federal Government under Decree 24 of 1977, the Nigerian Television Authority was born as the sole entity responsible for Television broadcasting in Nigeria, beginning with ten (10) stations. It later added twenty (20) more stations, bringing it to thirty (30) stations by 1999; and today, the organization boasts of one hundred and one (101) stations following the decision by the Federal Government of Nigeria to further expand television services in the year 2002 for wider reception, especially to the rural areas. These developments have given NTA the status of the largest network in Africa.