Broadcasting
FG Asks Reps for Powers to License, Regulate Internet broadcast, Online Media

Federal government has requested the House of Representatives to amend an Act that will bring the regulation of online news portals and content providers under the authority of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

Lai Mohammed
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture, on Wednesday, made the request at a hearing to amend the NBC Act led by the House Committee on Information, Ethics, and Values.
Mohammed argued that all digital media entities and news should be included in section two (c) of the bill that proposes to give NBC the powers to “receive, process and consider applications for the establishment, ownership of radio and television stations including…,” Premium Times reported.
If passed, the bill will make online broadcasters register with the NBC before operation as well as act according to the dictates of the regulatory body.
The minister’s submission comes after the government’s suspension of operations of Twitter in the country.
The government on June 4, 2021, ordered all social media companies and online broadcasters to get a government license before they can operate in Nigeria, following its ban on Twitter operations in the country.
The ban came a few days after Twitter deleted a divisive tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari calling for military action against suspected separatists wreaking havoc in the Southeast.
International community and local activists have condemned the ban, saying it stifles freedom of expression and shrinks the Nigerian civic space.
Opposing the Minister’s submission during the hearing, Akin Akingbulu, executive director of the Institute of Media and Societies, said the move by the government would further stifle the civic space.
“The inclusion of the following among categories of broadcasting services licences will be injurious to the civics space, freedom of expression and media freedom in Nigeria,” Akingbulu said.
He said the NBC Act fails to provide for the independence of the NBC, while arguing that the NBC would be turned into a political tool for repression since it is directly under the ministry of information.
“The power to give directives to the commission, vested in the minister of information in section six should be removed and replaced with powers which include policy formulation for the broadcasting sector, the negotiation of international agreements, notification of the policy direction of government and ensuring that the independence of the commission is protected at all times,” Akingbulu said.
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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