Broadcasting
Lai Mohammed Says Reviewed NBC Code in Nigeria’s Best Interest
Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and culture, has insisted that the recent amendment to the sixth edition of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), as part of ongoing reforms in the sector, was in the best interest of the country.
Lai Mohammed
Mohammed, who stated this at the NBC’s 28th anniversary and sixth annual lecture in Abuja, said that the government’s expectation was that the ongoing reforms, including the amendment of the code, would revolutionise the nation’s broadcasting industry.
The amendment, which has attracted controversies, prohibited exclusivity of sporting rights and raised the fine for hate speech to N5m.
It caused a disagreement between Armstrong Idachaba, the commission’s acting director-general; and Ikra Bilbis, chairman of the commission’s board, who is supporting further review to accommodate concerns raised by stakeholders.
But Mohammed explained that the Federal Executive Council, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, supported the amendments after a review of the 2019 general elections.
He said Buhari decided to approve the recommendations in order to reposition the NBC.
The minister explained, “The approval necessitated some amendments in the Code and the Act (of NBC).
“The amendments are mostly in the areas of political broadcasting, local content, coverage of emergencies, advertising and anti-competitive behaviour.
“There are obviously lots of positive and desirable outcomes from the new Broadcasting Code; the provisions on exclusivity and monopoly.
“This antitrust provision will boost local content and local industry due to laws prohibiting exclusive use of rights by broadcasters whose intent is to create monopolies.”
Mohammed also said the implementation of the new code would encourage open access to premium content.
The minister said the provision was not new in Nigeria, saying broadcasting exclusivity was disallowed at a certain time in the history of the nation’s broadcasting.
He recalled Multichoice sub-licensing EPL matches to other local operators in Nigeria while HiTV engaged local operators on sub-licensing the EPL when they got the rights.
“Sublicensing and rights sharing create opportunities for local operators to also gain traction and revenue for their services,” he said.
The minister said the law prohibiting backlog of advertising debts would promote sustainability while the law on registration of web broadcasting would regulate negative foreign broadcasts that could affect the country negatively.
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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