Broadcasting
Etisalat Flags-Off Nigerian Idol 4 Auditions in Benin
The much anticipated Nigerian Idol season 4 held its first round of auditions on Saturday, January 25th in Benin City, the Edo state capital.
The competition which is sponsored by most innovative telecommunications company, Etisalat, recorded a large pool of talented youths who came out to take their shot at musical stardom.
Auditions began at the Excalibur Hotel, G.R.A Benin, after the state’s environmental sanitation exercise. Nigerian Idol hopefuls gathered from different locations in the state and its environs for a chance to secure a spot in the next round of the competition.
Each with their different interpretation of music, stage names and regalia were in high spirits as they waited in line for their turn to impress the selectors.
One of such contestants, Oghenero Ayavoro a.k.a Voysless from Warri in Delta said it was his first time auditioning for the competition and was grateful for the opportunity to showcase his talent.
He was positive of the result of his audition because according to him, he got good comments from the selectors.
Another contestant, Melody Gabriel said she aspired to have a successful singing career. For her, the Nigerian Idol competition was all she needed to take her music career to the next level.
Speaking at the Benin auditions, Elvis Daniel, head, Youth Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, said he was impressed with the number and quality of people who turned up for the audition. “We are excited to be here in Benin in our search for the voice of tomorrow. Already, the crowd here today shows that the brand is aligning with the youth segment which is one of our core targets and we are very pleased with that,” he said.
The last three seasons of Nigerian Idol have seen strong contenders emerge from Benin with Moses Obi-Adigwe, a Benin-based student at the time, emerging winner of last season.
He was present at the auditions to give his moral support and offer some words of encouragement to the Nigerian Idol hopefuls.
The audition train moves to Port-Harcourt on the 1st of February at the Presidential Hotel where the search continues for Nigeria’s exceptional talents. Monty Suites will be the location in Calabar on February 8th, while Makurdi will play host on February 15th at Smileview Hotel Extension.
The final stage of the auditions will hold in Lagos at Dream Studios, Omole on the 22nd and 23rd of February.
The show will air on select cable and terrestrial television stations starting February 1st, 2014.
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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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