By Peter Dibia
The Department of Broadcasting, University of Port Harcourt, has announced its maiden International Conference on Broadcasting and Digital Media (ICBDM 2026), scheduled to hold from December 2 to 5, 2026, with a call for papers inviting scholars, media professionals, researchers, regulators and postgraduate students from across the world to participate.
The conference, which will be hosted by the Department of Broadcasting, Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, University of Port Harcourt, will be held at the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies Auditorium, University of Port Harcourt, with provisions for virtual participation through Zoom.
Themed "Broadcasting in Emerging Technologies and the Digital Age: Convergence, Algorithms, and the Future of Public Service Media," the maiden international conference is designed to provide an international platform for critical discussions on the changing dynamics of broadcasting, particularly the growing influence of artificial intelligence, streaming services, digital platforms and emerging technologies on media production, distribution and consumption.
According to the conference organisers, the media landscape is undergoing unprecedented disruption, driven by the convergence of traditional broadcasting with artificial intelligence, streaming services and social media platforms. The conference will therefore examine how broadcasting is adapting to the post-broadcast, algorithmic era and the implications of these developments for the future of the media industry.
The conference will feature five major thematic tracks covering critical areas of broadcasting and digital media.
Track One, Artificial Intelligence and Broadcast Production, will examine generative AI in newsrooms and automated radio and television programming, deepfakes, verification and editorial integrity in broadcasting, algorithmic audience analytics and programme scheduling, as well as the revisiting of digital switchover in Nigeria.
Track Two, Streaming, Podcasting and Over-the-Top (OTT) Media, will explore streaming wars and the preservation of national culture, the disruption of traditional linear television in developing countries, cloud and AI-assisted broadcasting, podcasting and the democratisation of audio production.
Track Three, Media Law, Policy, Ethics and Regulation, will focus on regulating digital speech and global streaming networks, state-sponsored media, censorship and digital media independence, privacy and data ethics in audience metrics, misinformation, disinformation and the role of broadcast regulators.
Track Four, Decolonising the Screen and Airwaves, will examine representation and local content production, indigenous language broadcasting on digital platforms, North-South dynamic imbalances in global information flow, as well as indigenous language broadcasting and development in Nigeria.
Track Five, The Political Economy of Modern Broadcasting, will address funding models, advertising shifts and the sustainability of public service broadcasting, monetisation models in the Digital South, and reinventing public service broadcasting as an electoral trust anchor in the algorithmic era.
The organisers have indicated that submissions are welcome in the form of empirical research papers, theoretical essays, case studies and industry policy reviews relevant to the conference themes.
Interested contributors are expected to submit abstracts electronically through the conference registration portal.
Abstracts must not exceed 300 words and should be typed in Times New Roman, 12-point font, single-spaced, with three to five keywords. Authors are also required to indicate their preferred mode of presentation, either in-person or virtual.
Selected full papers are expected to conform to the APA 7th Edition referencing and formatting style, with a word count ranging from 5,000 to 7,000 words.
The organisers further disclosed that all peer-reviewed and accepted abstracts will be published in the ICBDM 2026 Book of Abstracts, while high-quality full papers presented at the conference will undergo expedited peer review for possible publication in the inaugural and subsequent editions of the newly established, peer-reviewed Journal of Broadcasting and Digital Media Studies (JBDMS).
It was also disclosed that, the abstract submission portal opened on August 20, 2026, while the deadline for abstract submission is October 16, 2026. Notification of abstract acceptance is scheduled for October 23, 2026, with early-bird registration closing on October 30, 2026.
The deadline for full paper submission is November 20, 2026, while the conference itself will hold from December 2 to 5, 2026.
For abstract submissions and registration, interested participants are directed to visit the conference portal: https://icbdmconference.com/register.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Princewill Chike, is the Chief Host, while Prof. Walter Ihejirika will serve as the Convener. The Dean of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Prof. Christie Omego, is the Host.
Other members of the conference leadership include Assoc. Prof. Titilayo Osuagwu as Co-Host and Acting Head of Department, Dr. Moses Asak as Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, and Dr. Funke Ikebude as Secretary.
Further enquiries can be directed to the conference contacts through the email addresses moses.asak@uniport.edu.ng and olufunke.ikebude@uniport.edu.ng, or by telephone on +2348038625780 and +2348037310287.
The conference is organised with the support of MultiChoice and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).
The maiden International Conference on Broadcasting and Digital Media is expected to provide an important opportunity for academics, industry practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders to exchange ideas, present research findings and develop practical solutions to the challenges and opportunities emerging from the rapid transformation of broadcasting in the digital age.
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