Broadcasting
Etisalat-Sponsored Nigerian Idol 4 Kicks-off with Auditions in 5 Cities

All is set for the nation-wide search for the brightest music talents to grace the stage of one of the biggest reality music competitions, the Nigerian Idol.
The fourth season of the Etisalat–sponsored Nigerian Idol show will hold auditions in the cities of Lagos, Port-Harcourt, Benin, Calabar and for the first time Makurdi from January 25th till February 23rd 2014.
The audition train will move from the ancient city of Benin at the Excalibur Hotel on January 25th to Port-Harcourt at the Presidential Hotel on February 1.
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.
Speaking on the start of the auditions, Enitan Denloye, Etisalat’s director of Brands and Communications, said the company was excited to be a part of the show for the fourth time running.
According to him, Etisalat has identified the competition as a platform that recognizes and celebrates music talent among the youth.
“The Nigerian youth community is dynamic. However, music still remains a huge part of their culture. At Etisalat, the youth segment is one of our major markets, and that is why we are continuing our sponsorship of the Nigerian Idol competition to connect with them in a way they can easily relate with,” he said.
On the choice of Makurdi as an audition location this season, Head, Events and Sponsorships, Etisalat Nigeria, Modupe Thani said it was necessary to spread the reach to other parts of the country. According to her, there is an abundance of talent in the country and Etisalat through the competition, is giving them a chance to voice their dreams.
Meanwhile, Rotimi Pedro, chairman of Optima Media Group, organizers of the show restated the organisation’s commitment to ensure that the standards from the past three seasons in terms of content, production and interactivity are surpassed with Season four.
Nigerian Idol, a franchise of the internationally acclaimed Idol music series, is a nation-wide hunt for talented singers to compete and be discovered as Nigeria’s biggest music star.
The show has produced Yeka Onka, Mercy Chinwo and Moses “Teddy bear” Adigwe as winners in the first, second and third Seasons respectively.
Following auditions, the show will air on select terrestrial and cable television stations with the winner announced at a grand gala on the 1st of June.
The winner of the show will get N7.5 million, a brand new SUV car, a Galaxy Tab, a Blackberry, and iPod.
The first runner up gets N1.5 million, a Galaxy Tab, Blackberry and iPod while the 2nd runner up will receive N1million, a Galaxy Tab, a Blackberry and an iPod.
In addition, each of the finalists from 4th to 10th place will receive N100, 000, a Galaxy Tab, a Blackberry and an iPod.
Broadcasting
EFCC Arik Case: Witness Testifies on Receiver Manager Nominee’s Role in NG Eagle Shareholding


EFCC Arik
Broadcasting
NIPR Postpones Maiden PRICE Awards to January 25, 2026

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.
Broadcasting
Netflix Seals $82.7bn Deal to Acquire Warner Bros., HBO Max

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.
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