Broadcasting
FG Tasks NBC Governing Board Members on Digital Transition
Alh. Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, has charged the newly reconstituted Governing Board of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC to ensure a successful transition of the broadcast industry from analogue to digital broadcasting, through the Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.
The Minister gave the charge while inaugurating the board members of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC in Abuja.
He reminded the board that its role is to formulate policies, and not to engage in the day-to-day running of the Commission and to evolve strategic ways of supporting the commission to effectively deliver its mandate.
Mohammed also charged the board to always synergize with the management of the Commission for optimal service delivery in line with the broadcast Code and other extant regulations guiding them.
“Your appointment is a call to service, and I am sure you will all live up to expectations. Please note that the role of the board of any organization is to formulate policies, and NOT to engage in the day-to-day running of the organization.
“I therefore enjoin you all to maintain a cordial relationship with the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission to engender a smooth working relationship.
“The most important task facing NBC today is to successfully transition the broadcast industry from analogue to digital broadcasting, through the Digital Switch Over (DSO) project. While the NBC is the implementing agency for this all-important project, a Ministerial Task Force on DSO, under my chairmanship, is driving the project.’’
On their part, the Minister said the Ministry has ambitious plan to ensure timely completion the DSO plan.
“We have an ambitious plan to fast-track the DSO this year by launching it in at least two states every month. Unfortunately, we have not been able to meet this target. But we are working hard to resume the DSO launch as soon as possible. I urge you all to buy into this project to ensure that NBC is able to deliver on what we perceive as a legacy project – because it will change the face of broadcasting in Nigeria’’.
Recall that the Ministry had launched the pilot phase of the project in Jos, Plateau State, on 30 April 2016 and, since then, we have launched the DSO here in the Federal Capital Territory, as well as in Kwara, Kaduna, Enugu, Osun, Lagos and Kano States.
As the 2023 general elections draw closer, he urged the board to work together with the Commission to ensure that its licensees adhere strictly to the tenets of the Broadcasting Code, as the NBC will come under increasing pressure to step up its regulatory role of preventing some broadcast stations from throwing caution to the wind in the course of inciting, incendiary and unprofessional broadcasts.
Earlier in her welcome Address, Dr. Ifeoma Anyanwutaku, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, urged the board to always make itself available to the management of the Commission to effectively discharge its mandate to the Nigeria people with multi-ethnic and religiously diverse country.
She also cautioned them to be wary of the fifth columnists who are most likely to exploit any fault lines made by the media, especially in this era of fake news and misinformation.
Responding, the Director General of the Commission, Balarabe Ilelah assured the Minister that that the board would not disappoint the nation and also promised they would try as much as possible to assist the Commission to achieve its desired objectives.
The board has Hon. Bashir Omolaja as Chairman. Other members, who represent various interests as stipulated by the NBC Act, include Mr. Wada Asab Ibrahim, Mr. Iheanyichukwu Azubike Dike, Mrs. Adesola Oyinloye Ndu and Mr. Olaniyan Olatunji Badmus.
Also on the Board are Mr. Bashir Ibrahim, Mr. Obiora Ilo, Mr, Ahmad Sajo, Engr. Bayo Erikitola, a representative of the State Security Service, a representative of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture as well as the Director-General of the Commission.
A major shake‑up rocks viewers and subscribers of DSTV/GOTV as many channels are set to shut down and be removed on January 1, 2026.
The trigger for the upcoming shut‑down is a breakdown in negotiations between the owners of multiple global channels and the pay‑TV operator.
As of December 2025, the deal between Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and DStv/GOtv has expired and the two parties have not reached a renewal agreement.
Without a new carriage/distribution agreement, the channels belonging to WBD risk being pulled off the DStv/GOtv line‑up.
This is the most significant content cutback the service has seen in years.
The affected channels are:
Discovery Channel
TLC
Cartoonito
Cartoon Network
CNN International
Food Network
The Travel Channel
TNT
Investigation Discovery
Real Time
HGTV
Discovery Family
Paramount Africa is officially shutting down at the end of December 2025, drawing the curtain on more than two decades of operations in South Africa and Nigeria.
The company, which once reached over 100 million viewers across 52 African territories, confirmed it will close its doors as part of a massive global restructuring at its parent company, Paramount Global.
This is the same Paramount Africa behind channels like BET, MTV, MTV Base, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and more.
Its digital footprint has also been significant, with millions of monthly page views, social media engagements, and content partnerships across Africa.
But despite that scale, rising costs and a global strategic reset have caught up with the business.
Paramount’s retrenchment has been building for months.
Earlier this year, plans to launch a standalone Paramount+ app in South Africa were quietly shelved.
Then in August, the company said its content would remain available only via DStv and Showmax.
And last month, MultiChoice confirmed that BET Africa and MTV Base will disappear from DStv and GOtv on January 1, 2026, as Paramount Africa winds down entirely.
The shutdown is tied to aggressive cost-cutting after Paramount’s merger with Skydance. The company is targeting a 15% reduction in global staff and $3 billion in savings.
International divisions, including Africa, have taken the hardest hit as the business pivots away from linear TV and doubles down on a more streamlined streaming-first model.
At the same time, the global media landscape is being shaken by Warner Bros. Discovery’s chaotic auction. Netflix, Paramount, and Comcast have all submitted fresh bids for WBD, with some offers reportedly focusing on the studios-and-streaming division, home to HBO, HBO Max, DC, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Analysts say the crown jewel bundle could go for as much as $70 billion, a deal that would reshape Hollywood and accelerate the decline of traditional TV.
DStv subscribers may lose access to 12 major Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) channels, including CNN International, Discovery Channel, TLC, and Cartoon Network, from Jan. 1, 2026, if MultiChoice and WBD fail to conclude a new distribution agreement.
DStv
MultiChoice, now owned by Canal+, issued a notice to customers on Monday, warning that its current carriage deal with WBD will expire on Dec. 31, 2025, and negotiations to renew the contract remain inconclusive.
“While discussions between the parties continue, no agreement has been reached at this stage. If this remains unchanged, several Warner Bros. Discovery channels may no longer be available on DStv from Jan. 1, 2026,” the company said.
The channels at risk include Discovery Channel, CNN International, TLC, Discovery Family, Real Time, TNT Africa, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, and Travel Channel.
The development comes amid subscriber losses for MultiChoice, which has shed 2.8 million active linear subscribers over the last two financial years.
This includes 1.2 million customers lost in 2025 alone, representing an 8 per cent decline across South Africa and the rest of Africa.
In Nigeria, MultiChoice has lost 1.4 million subscribers in the past two years, largely due to repeated subscription price increases, according to Nairametrics.
The broadcaster is also set to lose additional content in the coming months. Paramount Africa will discontinue BET Africa and MTV Base from Jan. 1, 2026, while CBS Reality and CBS Justice will cease operations on Dec. 31, 2025.
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