Broadcasting
NBC Completes Digital Mapping of Nigeria
Malam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), said that the commission had completed work on digital mapping of the entire country.
Kawu made the disclosure at the 12th Afro-centric Biennial Conference and Exhibition of African Broadcasters organised by NBC, in Abuja.
The theme of the three-day conference is “the Dynamics of Broadcasting in the Digital Era.”
He also said that NBC would map out the population centres that could facilitate access to most television homes.
He said that it would be easier to work out a very realistic rate card pricing, to be charged broadcasters by the signal distributors.
He said that the commission had brought the digital television experience to 25.4 million people in about 3.7 million television homes in Plateau, Kwara, Kaduna, Enugu, Osun states and FCT.
According to him, NBC now know better how to bring all the components of the digital switch-over together to achieve the remarkable broadcasting experience for total experience of all Nigerians.
“I will like to inform this august gathering, that our work with the Nigerian process of migration from analogue to digital broadcasting is about to get major shot in the arm.
“We have finally completed work on a complete digital mapping of the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“This is a major part of any transition process because with that, the signal distributors can more confidently roll our transmission facilities, with a sure knowledge of the topography and points of location of transmission systems,” he said.
Similarly, the director-general said that NBC had concluded an elaborate roll out timetable and a consequent timeline for Analogue Switch Off (ASO) for the entire country.
According to him, the corollary to that is that authorized Set Top Boxes manufacturers can then work to produce enough boxes for our 32.5 television homes.
Kawu, therefore, assured that NBC and its DSO partners would soon present national timetable to the Nigerian people.
“Related to what we are doing with the timetable is a pilot project we are working on to launch very soon with pilot PUSH VOD (Video-on-Demand) platforms in Abuja and Kaduna.
“This is part of effort to enhance and enrich the viewing experiences associated with digital broadcasting.
“It would be a platform for Nollywood and Kannywood to pull the rug from the feet of pirates,” he said.
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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