Broadcasting
Amnesty International Criticises NBC for Warning Arise TV on Alleged Codes Violation
Amnesty International has condemned the National Broadcasting Commission’s (NBC) final warning to Arise Television station on alleged violation of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code, urging the Nigerian authorities to stop its “unrelenting quest to silence media organisations.”
The International non-governmental organisation headquartered in the United Kingdom criticised NBC for its warning in a statement on Saturday, October 7, shared on its X handle.
It said censoring the media for doing their work sends the wrong message that the Nigerian authorities must prepare to be held accountable.
“Amnesty International condemns the ‘final warning’ issued to @ARISEtv by the FG through National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Targeting Arise TV simply for doing their work sends the wrong message that; Nigerian authorities are not prepared to be held accountable,” Amnesty International stated.
It urged the Nigerian authorities to stop the “unrelenting quest to silence media organisations which are crucial to ensuring independent and diverse media space in the country and fulfilling people’s right to information.
“Using regulations as a way to silence independent journalism is completely unacceptable. The media in Nigeria should be free to exercise their right to freedom of expression as protected by international law,” it added.
Reactions also trailed NBC’s final warning to Arise Television, an indigenous broadcasting station.
On his X handle, Peter Obi, Grassroots Mobilization, tweeted, “They have commenced their attack on media houses, just as we revealed few days ago.”
Arise TV co-host of the ‘Morning Show,’ Rufai Useni, also on his X handle, tweeted “, The National broadcaster aired an acceptance speech by a Gubernatorial candidate even when the election wasn’t concluded, and INEC had to step in and save the elections in Adamawa, till today no penalty by the media regulators in Nigeria.”
In another tweet, he said, “The same media regulator that fined three TV stations for showing real footage of ENDSARS that was verified true.”
Multiple media platforms reported that Balarabe Shehu llelah, director-general of NBC, gave the warning in a letter to the Chief Executive Officer of Arise Global Limited.
llelah said the Commission is issuing Arise TV the final warning for flagging derogatory and incendiary remarks on the station’s programmes.
He also accused Arise TV of defaulting on its responsibility while airing its Newsday programme, which featured the Spokesperson of the Labour Party, Kenneth Okonkwo, who, it said, used derogatory remarks on air.
The ICIR reported that the warning comes eight months after the Commission fined Arise TV N2 million for breaching Nigeria’s broadcasting codes.
llelah said Arise TV must install a delay mechanism to avoid unwanted content.
The letter is titled, ‘Preponderance of derogatory and incendiary remarks: final warning,’ the Punch reported.
It read, “The NBC has observed with concern preponderance of incendiary remarks allowed on Arise news. This letter seeks to underscore the tremendous responsibility put on the broadcaster to manage the array of guests that may feature on the station from time to time.
“The Commission listed the station’s morning show programme on October 5 anchored by Reuben Abati, Rufai Oseni and Ayo Maio-Ese, which featured Oladokun Hassan and Dele Farotimi as guests.
“The programme contained unguarded incendiary remarks by Dele Farotimi against the Legislature and the Executive, the Judiciary and Mr. President.”
Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has announced the postponement of its maiden annual Public Relations, Reputation, Ideas, Concepts and Excellence (PRICE) Awards and Prizes to January 25, 2026.
NIPR
The event, earlier scheduled for December 7, 2025, was deferred to accommodate stakeholders whose observance of Christmas festivities had commenced earlier than expected.
Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. Israel Opayemi, urged stakeholders to note the new date and prepare to participate in the ceremony.
He said the awards would motivate professionals, practitioners and scholars, while enhancing Nigeria’s global competitiveness in the public relations ecosystem and strengthening brand equity for all stakeholders.
Opayemi reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to delivering a best-in-class award administration and ceremony, describing the PRICE Awards as a credible and enduring platform to identify, celebrate and elevate outstanding individuals, campaigns and organisations shaping the public relations landscape across sectors.
The development of the PRICE Awards peaked in September 2025 when the NIPR President and Chairman, Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, inaugurated a 12-man committee to organise the maiden edition. The inauguration followed the Council’s adoption of the report of a technical team tasked with establishing the awards.
Netflix has announced a landmark agreement to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max in a transaction valued at $82.7 billion, a move analysts say will reshape the global entertainment industry.
Netflix
The deal, which includes Warner Bros.’ film and television studios, HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Games, was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. Under the terms, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shareholders will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in Netflix shares for each WBD share.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos described the acquisition as “a defining moment” for the streaming giant, noting that the company intends to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations while expanding its production capacity.
“By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies with Netflix’s culture-defining titles, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling,” Sarandos said.
The transaction is expected to close within 12 to 18 months, following the planned spin-off of WBD’s TV networks division, Discovery Global, in 2026. Netflix projects annual cost savings of $2–3 billion by the third year after completion and expects the deal to be accretive to earnings per share by year two.
Industry groups, including the Directors Guild of America and Cinema United, have raised concerns about the impact on movie theaters, while regulators are expected to scrutinize the deal over antitrust issues. Netflix has pledged to continue supporting theatrical releases, with Warner Bros.’ cinema commitments running through 2029.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav hailed the agreement, saying it “combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love.”
Observers note that the acquisition comes 15 years after former Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes dismissed Netflix as “the Albanian army,” underscoring the dramatic shift in the entertainment landscape.
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
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