Broadcasting
Court Okays AIT/NBC Settlement over Licence Suspension
Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo on Wednesday adopted as its judgment, the terms of settlement reached between the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Daar Communications Plc over their dispute that led to the recent suspension of the national broadcast licences of the media company’s African Independent Television and Raypower 100.5 FM.
Justice Ekwo delivered the “consent judgment” after Daar Communications’ lawyer adopted the terms of settlement dated June 20, 2019, and filed before the court on June 25.
Daar Communications which is the plaintiff was represented by Idongesit Udofia of the law firm of Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN).
Lawyer, who represented NBC (the first respondent), Chief Bright Igbako, and counsel for the Attorney-General of Federation (the third respondent) O.A Oloruntogbe, did not oppose the terms of settlement.
The second defendant, the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, was not represented by any lawyer.
Justice Ekwo subsequently adopted all the seven terms in the agreement consented to without any alteration as the court’s judgment.
He ordered among others, that Daar Communications should furnish the NBC “with a concrete and realistic proposal” and ensure the prompt payment of the outstanding licence renewal fee.
The judge also ordered the company to ensure balance in its news coverage, especially political commentary on its stations across the country.
And the court having entered judgment per terms of the settlement adopted, it is hereby ordered as follows:
“That the plaintiff (DAAR Communications Plc) shall furnish the 1st defendant (National Broadcasting Commission) with a concrete and realistic proposal and ensure the prompt payment of the outstanding licence renewal fee for its National Network Broadcast licence (Radio/T.V).
“That the plaintiff shall take necessary internal steps to ensure balance in its news coverage, especially political commentary on the Plaintiffs stations across the country.
“That the plaintiff shall take full editorial responsibility for the use of content sourced from social media and all/any other outlets.
“That the plaintiff shall ensure that all programmes transmitted on its TV/Radio stations across the country comply with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, the National Broadcasting Commission Act, Cap. NH, Laws of the Federation, 2004 and the Nigeria Broadcasting Code as may be in force or/and as amended from time to time.
“That the 1st defendant shall withdraw forthwith, the suspension of the National Network Broadcast licence (Radio/TV) of the plaintiff.
“That the Terms of Settlement tiled and adopted is hereby entered as judgement of this court in this suit. That each of the parties shall bear its own costs of this action.”
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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