Broadcasting
NCC Appoints Essay Competition Winners as Copyright Ambassadors
AS part of efforts to encourage creativity, strengthen IP and deepen Copyright knowledge in higher institutions, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has appointed winners of the 2023 World IP Day Essay Competition, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as Copyright Ambassadors.
Twenty (20) winners emerged from this year’s Essay Competition which was on the topic “Women and IP: Accelerating Innovation and Creativity in Nigeria” held to commemorate this year’s World IP Day.
Addressing the newly appointed Copyright Ambassadors, the Director-General NCC, Dr. John O. Asein commended WIPO Nigeria Office (WNO) for the initiative and congratulated the winners, noting that the issues raised will continue to encourage more women to participate in the IP space.
He explained that as Copyright Ambassadors, the winners were expected to help the Commission in the formulation and implementation of policies that would engender better use and administration of the copyright system in and outside their Universities.
The DG, NCC who was represented by Mr. Mike Akpan, the Director, Regulation and Compliance, outlined the responsibilities of a Copyright Ambassador to include: assisting in the dissemination of copyright knowledge; initiating relevant programmes and activities to promote respect for copyright and other forms of IP.
According to him, other responsibilities include serving as liaisons between their institutions and the Commission on matters of copyright; providing feedback for the Commission on various aspects of intellectual property; assisting in policy formulation and implementation; and carrying out other assignments that the Commission may from time to time require.
Leader of the delegation and Director WNO, Mr. Oluwatobiloba Moody, gave assurances of the commitment of WNO to advance IP capacity in the country. He indicated that the office would award the winners internship and scholarship opportunities within and outside the country.
While appreciating the DG, NCC for hosting the finalists, he assured the NCC that the WNO would continue to work with the Commission and other IP-related agencies to strengthen IP and Copyright knowledge in Nigeria.
The event was attended by the overall winner of the Competition, Mr. Farinmade Adedoyin of the Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife; first runner-up, Mr. Balogun Olanrewaju; second runner up, Miss Mariam Akinola; other finalists, Management staff of the Commission.
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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