Broadcasting
Four Nigerians, Others Make Finals of CNN/Multichoice Award
Four Nigerian journalists have emerged among other Africans in the final list of the prestigious CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2008 Competition.
They include Lucas Ajanaku, Tell Magazine, Deji Badmus, Channels Television, Emmanuel Mayah, Sun Newspaper, and Godwin Nnanna, BusinessDay.
Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene, chairperson of the independent judging panel, said the competition, now in its 13th year, received a record number of 1912 entries from 44 countries across Africa, including French and Portuguese speaking countries.
The winners of the competition will be announced at a gala awards ceremony schedule to hold in The State Banquet Hall, Osu, Accra , Ghana on Saturday 19th July.
The hosts for the evening will be CNN correspondent Zain Verjee, joined on stage by popular Nigerian TV personality and talk show host, Soni Irabor.
According to Ishiekwene ‘I have followed the CNN MultiChoice Awards for the past four years and watched them grow steadily to become the gold standard of excellence in journalism awards on the African continent, especially for young professionals who want to make a difference. Increasingly, the entries are speaking to the continent’s needs, and the echoes are far-reaching’.
The competition is held in partnership with MultiChoice, and in collaboration with The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. The prestigious sponsors include: Celtel; Coca-Cola Africa; Ecobank; Ghana Tourist Board; Holiday Inn Accra; IPP Media, Tanzania; MIH Print Africa; Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD); Safebond Africa Ltd; Global Media Alliance and Camerapix.
Tony Maddox, executive vice president and managing director of CNN International said that there is a healthy increase in entries each year for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards from a diverse array of countries across the continent. "The quality and excellence of the work submitted continues to rise year on year, ensuring that the 2008 competition maintains its place as the most prestigious Pan African Awards for journalists," he said.
Eben Greyling, Chief executive officer, MultiChoice Africa said the awards have become the standard for excellence for pan-African media. "Our investment underlines MultiChoice Africa’s active commitment to the development of an effective and valuable media in the continent. We are proud to be associated with the oldest and most diverse journalism awards on the continent," he added.
The CNN African Journalist of the Year Award was founded in 1995 by Edward Boateng, formerly African Regional Director for Turner Broadcasting System Inc., CNN’s parent company and the late Mohamed Amin, to recognise and encourage excellence in journalism throughout Africa.
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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