Broadcasting
PMAN Alleges Secret Repeal, Reenactment of Copyright Act
Performing Musicians’ Employers Association of Nigeria (PMAN) has kicked against the speed and secrecy shrouding the repeal and re-enactment of the Copyright Act 2004.
Pretty Okafor, president, PMAN in a said that the process to repeal the Act and re-enact a new one without consulting notable groups and associations in the creative industry had confounded all expectations.
“Recently, the media was agog with the news that the Bill to repeal and re-enact the Copyright Act 2004/2021 has passed second reading on the floor of the Senate. On hearing the news, PMAN contacted notable groups and associations in the creative industry, particularly the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN) and Directors’ Guild of Nigeria (DGN), all of which denied any knowledge of the Bill and its contents. We then became very apprehensive that some sinister motives are at play to halt and reverse the progress already made in the field of copyright administration and enforcement.
“PMAN immediately wrote a formal letter to the Senate President, joint Chairmen of Senate Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters and Trade and Investments, Senate Majority Leader, Senate Minority Leader, Senate Chief Whip among others to express our concern over a Bill that touches upon the livelihood and constitutional rights of Nigerian without their knowledge or input. PMAN’s simple request was that it should be availed of a copy of the Bill to at least know what it contains, and if necessary, make input.
“PMAN did not stop there; we wrote a letter to the sponsor of the Bill, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru, expressing the same concern and requesting the distinguished Senator to recall the Bill for stakeholders’ consideration. We received a very nice and swift reply from Senator Abiru who advised us to access the Bill from a link, which he gave as www.nass.gv.ng. From our attempts, we discovered that the link does not exist and we used our initiative to access the National Assembly website and found that the said Bill was not among the posted Bills pending consideration before the National Assembly (both the Senate and the House of Representatives). We then rightly assumed that we were deliberately sent on a wild goose chase by the distinguished Senator and came to the incontrovertible conclusion that certain forces are pushing the Bill secretly while trying to present the image that the process is open,” he explained.
Okafor said that PMAN has rejected the process in its entirety based on the fact that the sponsor of the Bill, Senator Abiru, is not an author, painter, artist or a musician.
“As far as we know, we are not able to trace any interest to him that could be classified as copyright-related that would make him so interested in pushing a Bill that would affect the lives and constitutional rights of millions of Nigerian stakeholders without their knowledge and input.
We have contacted our allies in other organisations and associations and they expressed the same worries. Some have actually written to the Senate leadership expressing their concerns. Our concern is more fuelled by a recent Public Hearing held on 16th and 17th June, 2021 by the House of Representatives’ Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values on the ‘Bill to Repeal the National Film and Video Censor’s Board Act and Enact the National Film and Video Censorship, Classification and Exhibition Regulatory Commission Bill 2019’ in its place. Up till now, stakeholders in the industry are not aware of the Bill and its contents.
“PMAN is stating for the umpteenth time and for the records that the works of our intellect, which consist of literary works, musical works, artistic works, cinematograph films, sound recordings and performances are our private property. They are our constitutional and fundamental human rights. Any attempt to tamper with them with a view to appropriate them for anybody or authority, be it private or public, shall be resisted.”
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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