Broadcasting

It is not All about Sanctions and Fines, Engage Stakeholders, FG to NBC

Published

2 years ago

October 19, 2023

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Federal government has charged the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to change the erroneous narrative that NBC was synonymous with sanctions and fines.

Mohammed Idris, minister of Information and National Orientation, stated as NBC, said it issued over 3,000 warnings to broadcast stations in 2022, sanctioned 125.

Idris, at a recent working visit to the commission, urged the NBC to engage stakeholders in its operations to check violations of the Broadcasting Code saying “I don’t believe that NBC is all about sanctions. Each time NBC is on the news is about a station committing one infraction or the other.

“But I think beyond that, we need to look from within. We need a lot of public enlightenment. On this, I think public communication in this regard is a bit low.

You need to up it so that people will understand further what the role of NBC is. This is because members of the public see NBC only when there is sanction.

I think it is better for the NBC to step up its public engagement for the public to understand that the commission is not all about sanctions but also about its capacity to help the industry grow and broadcasters to reach their potential.

I know that you are doing well, but you need to do much more in that regard. It is only when you do that, Nigerians will see you, not from that punitive side, but as partners in progress,” Mr Idris said.

He said the current moves to change the Act establishing the NBC at the National Assembly were commendable.

”When the commission was established, certain things were not taken into consideration, thus the need to change the Act,” the minister said.

Balarabe llelah, director-general of NBC, had said the commission has a total of 28 State Offices and 10 Zonal Offices with 419 staff members.

The commission, he said, is monitoring over 777 stations and “out of the number, 609 are radio stations and 168 are television stations.

During our monitoring activities, a total of 3,312 warnings were issued in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th quarters of 2022 and 2023. In 2022 a total of 125 stations were penalized.

In 2023, a total of 1,238 warnings were given, while during the same year, 62 stations were penalised.

“On Digital Switch Over, the Commission determines to work on simultaneous delivery of Nigeria to the life-changing experience of digital broadcasting using SIMULCRYPT.

“Against this background, NBC has facilitated the signing of agreement between ITS and NTA-Star Nigeria to actualizing this in the earliest possible time,” he said.

The NBC boss said the debt profile of broadcasters is over three billion naira.

According to him, that is why in May 2022, the commission published in the National Dailies, the list of licensees who were indebted to the commission.

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Broadcasting

NIPR Postpones Maiden PRICE Awards to January 25, 2026

Published

16 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Ugo Onwuaso

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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.

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Broadcasting

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

Published

16 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Ugo Onwuaso

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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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Broadcasting

It is Official, DStv Confirms Termination of 16 Major Channels

Published

2 days ago

December 5, 2025

Ebere Melum-Nwogbo

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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.

It is Official, DStv Confirms Termination of 16 Major Channels

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

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