Broadcasting
Hairdresser Among Finalists for Face of Africa 2008
24-year-old psychologist, Totwana ‘Tito’ Tema became the first finalist selected for M-Net’s new season of Face of Africa at a casting held at the Gaborone International Convention Centre in Botswana recently. Just a week later, 19-year-old hairdresser, Albertina Shigwedha and 24-year-old student pilot, Maria Hiwilepo became the second and third finalists selected for the event at a casting at the Protea Hotel Furstenhof in Windhoek, Namibia.
Standing over 1.71m each, the trio were handpicked from many aspiring hopefuls by Face of Africa casting scouts, the dynamic Kaone Kario (Face of Africa 2005) and model industry veteran, Andiswa Manxiwa, during a daylong casting sessions in both cities.
Speaking about the selection process, the scouts said, "From the moment it began, we’ve been proud to be part of the new season of M-Net’s Face of Africa. That pride is multiplied every time we’re at a casting and we meet talented, committed and confident young African women of our generation who are bold and brave enough to chase their dreams!"
Kario and Manxiwa headed out of Botswana and Namibia immediately after the casting sessions, en-route to Malawi which is their latest stop in a cross-continental expedition that will see them head to 13 different countries over the next six weeks as they search for Africa’s newest catwalk sensation!
Meanwhile for Tito, Albertina and Maria, the next step in their Face of Africa journey is a trip to the scenic island of Zanzibar in October to participate in a special Model ‘Boot-Camp’ at which the Top 10 finalists will be selected for the M-Net Face of Africa 2008 Finale, to be held in Sun City
, South Africa on Saturday November 29. DStv audiences in over 40 countries will see the Finale live on M-Net.
With their selection, the three models are in a race for the star prize, which is a whopping $50,000 in cash from M-Net and a three-year modeling contract with O Model Africa.
According to information from Segun Fayose of the Corporate Communications and Public Affairs department of MultiChoice Nigeria, former Face of Africa superstar, Oluchi Onweagba helms O Model Africa. The modeling contract prize from O-Model Africa is one of several prizes on offer from the agency.
Other prizes include a year’s accommodation in Johannesburg and Cape Town where O Model Africa operates, a life-coaching course and financial advice as well as photographic test sessions, the creation of modeling Z-cards and the development of a modeling portfolio.
Castings have been held in Dar es Salaam – Tanzania (September 9); Nairobi – Kenya (September 13); Addis – Ethiopia (September 16); Lagos – Nigeria (September 20) at the Leadway, Protea Hotel, Maryland; Accra – Ghana (September 23); Maputo – Mozambique (September 27).
Others to follow include Lusaka – Zambia (October 1); Johannesburg – South Africa (October 4) and Luanda – Angola (October 11).
Broadcasting
NIPR Postpones Maiden PRICE Awards to January 25, 2026

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.
Broadcasting
Netflix Seals $82.7bn Deal to Acquire Warner Bros., HBO Max

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.
Broadcasting
It is Official, DStv Confirms Termination of 16 Major Channels

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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