Broadcasting
NBC Says ITU’s Deadline on Digital Television is Sacrosanct
With 10 months left for the deadline set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for television stations in Africa to migrate from analogue broadcasting to digital terrestrial television (DTT), the regulatory body, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has said the June 2015 deadline is sacrosanct.
Addressing operators at the Breakfast Session jointly organized by Advertisers’ Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) and Media Independent Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MIRAN) in Lagos on recently, Mr. Emeka Mba, director general of NBC, said, after the ITU deadline, there would be no more international support for analogue spectrum as any operator still operating on the platform would be technically hedged out.
Dr Hamadoun Toure, ITU secretary general, had said that the June 2015 deadline was agreed on by all the 193 members of the organizations, which consists of governments as well as 70 private sector members.
His words: “We knew it was doable when we set the migration deadline in 2005. The benefits of the migration exercise to both consumers as well as broadcasters are also enormous.” According to him, the migration exercise will lead to freeing up of about one-third of frequencies which can then be used for the provision of other services”.
On the steps taken by the Federal Government so far to actualise the ITU vision, Mba disclosed that the government had finalized and harmonized discussions over the transmission network parameters with all ECOWAS member states.
He added that specifications for the Basic Set Top Box and Digital Television Receivers had been finalized with other countries in the sub-region.
Unlike now when there is no separation of functions in the Broadcast Industry, the DG disclosed that the reverse would be the case under the proposed era.
According to him, Broadcasters would be responsible for the content while a Signal Distributor or Carrier would be saddled with Transmission of the Signals to viewers.
Apart from the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the NBC Boss said the Federal Government would licence two other Signal Carriers for optimum benefit for viewers across the country.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has begun the process of licensing the second Signal Distributor.
Mr. Mba disclosed that the focus of the NBC is ensuring more broadcasting services are created such that the current gaps in the industry are effectively addressed.
His words: “Our focus at the NBC is promoting more broadcasting services to fill current gaps in content and services such as themed channels, special interest channels, educational and children’s channels, regional channels as well as new HD services.”
According to him, the regulatory body will encourage interoperability through the use of open standards as well as credible audience measurement and advertising.
However, he identified deep collaboration among the existing analogue broadcasters, advertisers, regulators, content producers and government as a necessary yardstick for the success of the ITU initiative.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Tolu Ogunkoya, president, MIPAN acknowledged that digitization of the industry would bring real transformation in the nation’s Broadcast industry in terms of content development, quality service and job creation.
According to him, the ITU initiative would definitely herald a new era when operators will be open to keen competition. His words: “For me, this is the start-off of the relationship. There is definitely going to be a transformation.”
Similarly, Mr. Kola Ayeni, president of ADVAN said he was aware of the prevailing scarcity of spectrums in the country; assuring that digitization would help to address the issue.
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
Paramount Africa is officially shutting down at the end of December 2025, drawing the curtain on more than two decades of operations in South Africa and Nigeria.
The company, which once reached over 100 million viewers across 52 African territories, confirmed it will close its doors as part of a massive global restructuring at its parent company, Paramount Global.
This is the same Paramount Africa behind channels like BET, MTV, MTV Base, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and more.
Its digital footprint has also been significant, with millions of monthly page views, social media engagements, and content partnerships across Africa.
But despite that scale, rising costs and a global strategic reset have caught up with the business.
Paramount’s retrenchment has been building for months.
Earlier this year, plans to launch a standalone Paramount+ app in South Africa were quietly shelved.
Then in August, the company said its content would remain available only via DStv and Showmax.
And last month, MultiChoice confirmed that BET Africa and MTV Base will disappear from DStv and GOtv on January 1, 2026, as Paramount Africa winds down entirely.
The shutdown is tied to aggressive cost-cutting after Paramount’s merger with Skydance. The company is targeting a 15% reduction in global staff and $3 billion in savings.
International divisions, including Africa, have taken the hardest hit as the business pivots away from linear TV and doubles down on a more streamlined streaming-first model.
At the same time, the global media landscape is being shaken by Warner Bros. Discovery’s chaotic auction. Netflix, Paramount, and Comcast have all submitted fresh bids for WBD, with some offers reportedly focusing on the studios-and-streaming division, home to HBO, HBO Max, DC, and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Analysts say the crown jewel bundle could go for as much as $70 billion, a deal that would reshape Hollywood and accelerate the decline of traditional TV.
DStv subscribers may lose access to 12 major Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) channels, including CNN International, Discovery Channel, TLC, and Cartoon Network, from Jan. 1, 2026, if MultiChoice and WBD fail to conclude a new distribution agreement.
DStv
MultiChoice, now owned by Canal+, issued a notice to customers on Monday, warning that its current carriage deal with WBD will expire on Dec. 31, 2025, and negotiations to renew the contract remain inconclusive.
“While discussions between the parties continue, no agreement has been reached at this stage. If this remains unchanged, several Warner Bros. Discovery channels may no longer be available on DStv from Jan. 1, 2026,” the company said.
The channels at risk include Discovery Channel, CNN International, TLC, Discovery Family, Real Time, TNT Africa, Food Network, HGTV, Investigation Discovery, Cartoon Network, Cartoonito, and Travel Channel.
The development comes amid subscriber losses for MultiChoice, which has shed 2.8 million active linear subscribers over the last two financial years.
This includes 1.2 million customers lost in 2025 alone, representing an 8 per cent decline across South Africa and the rest of Africa.
In Nigeria, MultiChoice has lost 1.4 million subscribers in the past two years, largely due to repeated subscription price increases, according to Nairametrics.
The broadcaster is also set to lose additional content in the coming months. Paramount Africa will discontinue BET Africa and MTV Base from Jan. 1, 2026, while CBS Reality and CBS Justice will cease operations on Dec. 31, 2025.
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