Broadcasting
DSO to Cover Every State- Lai Mohammed
Federal government has assured that no state will be left out of the Digital Switch Over (DSO) – the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.
Lai Mohammed
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture, who gave the assurance in Abuja at the unveiling of the timetable for the roll out of the DSO across the country, said that “Before we embark on the analogue switch off in any state, we will ensure that the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) signal has covered at least 70 per cent of the population in that state”.
Mohammed who is the chairman of the Ministerial Task Force overseeing the successful completion of the project said a time-table had been approved for the first phase of the rollout as well as the analogue switch off.
“The remaining 30 per cent will be covered by Direct-To-Home (DTH) satellite signal.
“Please note that once the analogue signal is switched off, no one on the system will receive television signals anymore,’’ he said.
He said because of the topography of some areas like the Federal Capital Territory, the DTT signal could not effectively cover such areas.
The minister said in such cases, they would deploy DTH satellite signals to areas not covered by DTT signals.
He said by complementing out DTT deployment with DTH satellite signals, they would ensure that no one would be left out of the DSO.
Speaking on the price of the decoder for the DSO known as Set Top Boxes, the minister said the government would ensure they were affordable.
“The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture will reach out to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to ensure reduction in the tariff on the raw materials for the manufacture of the Set Top Boxes in Nigeria.
“We will aim at zero per cent tariff for the Completely Knocked Down components and not more than five per cent tariff for the Semi-Knocked Down component, against the current tariff of five per cent for the Completely Knocked Down components and 10 per cent for the Semi-Knocked Down components.
“By doing so, we will ensure that the Set Top boxes are within the reach of average Nigerians,’’ he said.
Mohammed said government would also support the Channel Owners and Content Providers through the implementation of the Audience Measurement system.
He said the audience measurement system would guarantee a sustained stream of revenue from advertising for channel owners to invest in the development of compelling content.
“In this regard, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has been directed to implement key policies to guarantee the advertising income of media houses by creating a healthy environment for the media outfits to operate.
“Very soon, APCON and the National Broadcasting Commission will sign an MoU on zero advertising debts to ensure that revenue from advertisers goes to the media owners,’’ he said.
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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