It Had To Be You, Former EVA Soap Starring Ariadne Díaz and Andrés Palacios Set To Debut On TLNovelas Across Africa In November

A few years ago, AMC Networks International made the decision to discontinue distribution of the EVA channel for consumers across the African market. It was Telemundo's first ever competitor in the region to offer English dubbed telenovelas from Latin America and Colombia. 

It Had To Be You (Tenías Que Ser Tú) served as one of the remaining shows on the network with TLNovelas set to add it to their lineup from November 10. Ariadne Díaz and Andrés Palacios arrive on TLNovelas screens with a story for the whole family. 

This time, Ariadne Diaz will play Marisa, a hardworking, beautiful, and intelligent woman who arrives in a new city accompanied by her daughter Nicole, to leave the past behind and embark on a new journey.

Along the way, she meets Miguel (Andrés Palacios), a man who immediately wins her heart and with whom she will experience unforgettable adventures. In him, young Nicole will see the father who has been absent throughout her childhood.

Based on the Chilean telenovela Ámbar, the telenovela will feature an extraordinary cast including Arturo Peniche, Chantal Andere, Grettell Valdez, Rosana Nájera, Agustín Arana, Sachi Tamashiro, and more. It premiered on Las Estrellas on 12 March 2018 and concluded on 8 July 2018.

It Had To Be You will be replacing Your Love Is My Fortune from November 10 in the same timeslot.

MultiChoice Ghana Had Agreed To Reduce DStv Prices

The Minister of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has said that Multichoice Ghana has finally agreed to reduce DStv subscription fees.

He says the company has written to the Ministry for further discussions on the reduction plan.

“Multichoice has finally agreed to reduce their prices; now they want us to discuss the level of reduction,” the Minister said during a press conference in Accra on Friday, September 5.

“They realised that Ghanaians fully backed the ministry, the NPP has endorsed it, the NDC has endorsed, Ghanaians are simply saying we won’t pay these exorbitant fees again,” he said when asked a question about the timing of MultiChoice’s decision to reduce the prices which comes just 48 hours to the deadline the government gave to them to comply with the order to reduce the prices.

Prior to the press conference, Sam George had issued a September 6 deadline to suspend the license of MultiChoice Ghana should they fail to reduce subscription prices.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Digital Africa Summit in Accra, Sam George stressed that the government is committed to ensuring Ghanaian consumers get fair prices.

“As of now, they have until September 6. If there is no resolution, we will shut down the operations of MultiChoice. No company or corporation is more powerful than the collective interest of the Ghanaian people,” he said.

Already, the ministry has imposed a daily fine of GHC10,000 on MultiChoice for failing to submit critical pricing data. As of Wednesday, September 3 the company owes about GHC150,000 in accumulated penalties.

“On August 7, the NCA, acting on my behalf, issued a 30-day notice to suspend the licence of Multichoice Ghana Limited because they failed to cut their price by 30%. Some 15 days ago, I met with them and imposed a GHC10,000 daily fine on them. So, now they owe us about GHC150,000, which the NCA will collect.

Samuel Nartey George had earlier requested Multichoice Ghana to reduce its DStv subscription fees by 30% owing to the appreciation of the Cedi against the dollar and other trading currencies.

However, in response to the Minister’s request, DStv refused to reduce the subscription prices, explaining that for over 8 years the Cedi has depreciated, hence the request to reduce prices by 30% is not feasible.

Sam George further ordered NCA to suspend the license of Multichoice Ghana by Thursday, August 7, 2025 if the company fails to reduce its pricing packages.

However, in a statement released on Sunday, August 3, Multichoice and DStv while responding, responded to the Minister said it is “not tenable” to reduce DStv subscription fees in the manner proposed by the Minister.

While expressing concern over the Minister’s remarks, MultiChoice noted that it has continually engaged in open and good-faith discussions with the Minister and the National Communications Authority (NCA) to address pricing concerns.

“It is regrettable that the Honourable Minister has taken this stance, notwithstanding our ongoing endeavours to engage candidly on this important matter,” the company said.

MultiChoice also revealed it has already submitted a proposal to the Minister and the NCA outlining an alternative path forward.

The NCA then granted a 30-day ultimatum for MultiChoice to make a decision. The matter has not yet been resolved. The latest development is that Sam George intends to shutdown the operations of MultiChoice by September 6 if no resolution is reached.

Discovery Global, WBD’s Planned Network Spinoff Entity Already In Talks To Sell Its 20% Stake In Studio Sibling

Gunnar Wiedenfels, CFO of Warner Bros. Discovery and designated CEO of the company’s planned network spinoff entity, says buyers are already interested in its 20% stake in its soon-to-be sibling.

The company has held talks about selling part or all of its position in the parent of Warner Bros., HBO and streaming service HBO Max, the exec confirmed Tuesday at a conference hosted by BofA Securities.

Jessica Reif Ehrlich, the veteran BofA media analyst who moderated the session, asked Wiedenfels if the company could pursue a sale of the stake prior to the expected close of the spinoff transaction in mid-2026.

“We could,” he replied. “But it’s a trade-off because we want to get full value for it. It’s a huge building block in this whole transaction, to get an equity injection at the right valuation” in order to reduce debt coming out of the split. Debt resulting from the $43 billion merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery has been a drag on the company’s stock price since that combination took effect in April 2022.

Achieving optimal value from a buyer is “definitely going to be a priority,” Wiedenfels added, noting that the company has a year to execute a sale without taking a tax hit. “We have had some interest and some discussions earlier than that. And technically, we would be able to monetize part of it, all of it, whatever, before we even close the transaction. There’s nothing specific here yet, but definitely something that I’m going to be a lot more focused on over the next few months.”

Current WBD CEO David Zaslav will lead Studios & Streaming as CEO, while Wiedenfels takes the helm of Discovery Global Networks. The WBD spinoff plan was revealed in June, a few months after Comcast’s decision to create Versant, which will become a separate home for NBCUniversal cable networks apart from Bravo in the next few months. Disney and Hearst are also shopping A+E Global Media, parent of A&E, History and Lifetime, in yet another sign of media owners adjusting to dramatic shrinkage of the pay-TV bundle. While linear networks still generate considerable cash flow, they are in secular decline as viewers and advertisers continue to migrate to streaming.

Wiedenfels said the company has been busy preparing for the split and expects to meet its projected timeline. “We’ve chopped a lot of wood but have a lot still on the agenda,” he said. The exec teased planned streaming services tied to Turner Sports and CNN and also talked up Discovery+, which launched in 2020 and will be part of the portfolio of Discovery Global Networks.

Reminder!!! Four-Part Docuseries, Ruby & Jodi: A Cult Of Sin And Influence, Premieres On ID Africa, DStv Channel 171, on Sunday, 7 & 14 September At 21:00 CAT During ID’s Documentary Event

Investigation Discovery Africa will premiere the four-part docuseries RUBY & JODI: A CULT OF SIN AND INFLUENCE, offering unprecedented insight into the motivations and disturbing relationship between former mommy vlogger Ruby Franke and rogue therapist Jodi Hildebrandt. Delving into Hildebrandt and Franke’s relationship from both women’s respective rise to power and extensive influence within the Mormon community to their eventual arrests in 2023, the docuseries charts the magnetic connection between the two and how the melding of Franke’s strict family values with Hildebrandt’s controversial beliefs created a microcosm of control, manipulation, and brutality that led to the devastating emotional and physical abuse of the Franke children. RUBY & JODI: A CULT OF SIN AND INFLUENCE will premiere over two nights on Sunday, 7 September and Sunday, 14 September from 21:00 – 23:00 CAT on ID Africa, DStv channel 171.  

“With RUBY & JODI: A CULT OF SIN AND INFLUENCE, ID continues to do what we do best—go beyond the headlines to expose the deeper truths behind cultural flashpoints,” said Jason Sarlanis, President of Investigation Discovery. “The disturbing alliance between Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt has captivated and horrified the public, and this docuseries peels back the layers of that relationship through exclusive interviews with family members, former clients, and experts to explore the broader implications of family vlogging and the devastating impact of family abuse.” 

 

Over the course of four parts, RUBY & JODI: A CULT OF SIN AND INFLUENCE offers extensive insight into Jodi Hildebrandt’s rise to power within the Mormon community through her popular ConneXions program – and how that program led her to Franke and laid the foundation for the twisted bond they shared. Featuring extensive interviews with former clients, the docuseries underscores the extent of Hildebrandt’s cult-like and manipulative tactics that devastated the lives of the individuals who entrusted her with their struggles in hopes of helping themselves and their marriages. Offering additional and exclusive insight from Hildebrandt’s niece, Jessi Hildebrandt, the docuseries underscores Hildebrandt’s manipulative and dangerous tendencies and how, when combined with Franke’s strict family values, they created an environment rife with manipulation, control, and abuse. Combined with extensive archival and police footage, as well as commentary from local journalists who covered the case and influential Mormon and ex-Mormon voices, RUBY & JODI: A CULT OF SIN AND INFLUENCE chronicles Hildebrandt and Franke’s doomed partnership and the dangerous, disturbing results of unchecked influence to reveal the physical and psychological impact of their abusive actions.  

Reminder!!! Top Guns: The Next Generation Premieres On 17 September 2025 On National Geographic

It’s the ultimate test of precision, pressure and perseverance. In National Geographic’s new six-part series TOP GUNS: THE NEXT GENERATION, cameras follow a class of Navy and Marine Corps student pilots as they enter the final and most unforgiving phase of elite strike fighter training. It’s six months of high-stakes aerial training, brutal physical demands, and emotional reckoning, where only the top performers earn the chance to fly the most coveted aircrafts. TOP GUNS: THE NEXT GENERATION will premiere on Wednesdays at 20:30, from 17 September 2025 on National Geographic (DStv 181, StarTimes 220) across Africa.

 

The series goes beyond the cockpit, following ambitious young Navy and Marine students both in the air and off-base, capturing candid moments with family and friends and revealing the personal stakes, sacrifices and motivations that brought them here. Filmed with unprecedented access, it immerses audiences in a world of intense pressure and soaring expectations, where dreams of earning wings of gold collide with the harsh reality of the grueling training. From bombing drills to close-range dogfights and nail-biting carrier approaches, each episode captures the intense demands of a program that challenges their abilities, endurance and resolve at every turn.

 

While the emotional stakes fuel the story, it’s in the skies where the drama hits full throttle. Outfitted with in-cockpit cameras, the series delivers a breathtaking front-row experience to capture moments of precision, panic and hard-fought triumph as they happen. Filmed by some of the creative talent behind the blockbuster film “Top Gun: Maverick,” the aerial sequences are cinematic and pulse-pounding, pushing the limits of what these student aviators—and their aircraft—can do.

 

Episodes include the following:

 

“STRIKE”

One student’s dreams of becoming a fighter pilot are put in jeopardy as the class starts advanced phase training with a set of breathtaking bombing tests. Diving at speeds they’ve never faced before, students struggle with the dynamic moves and start to make high-risk mistakes. Instructors deliver tough assessments in the debriefs to keep the students safe.

 

 “CATCHING THE WIRE”

Landing on an aircraft carrier demands precision flying and is a skill vital for all U.S. Navy fighter pilots. As the students tackle the longest and most technical section of the Advanced Phase, they know it’s a test they must pass to keep their dreams alive. The pressure mounts on some struggling students, and the commanding officer issues a timely warning to one.

 

“ATTACK ATTACK!”

As the students reach the midpoint of their training, they start the iconic dogfighting phase. Against them are seasoned instructors with hundreds of hours of real-world experience. To pass, they must outmaneuver the enemy to take a “kill shot.” One student has the added pressure of flying with his Top Gun-trained commodore, while another struggles to control his aggressive instincts.

 

 “FIGHT’S ON!”

As they enter the second and most challenging phase of dog fighting, everything is on the line for our students. Defensive dogfighting involves dynamic maneuvers to evade battle-hardened instructors. The physical strain proves too much for one student, while another has a crisis of confidence when past failures come back to haunt him.

 

“HEAD-TO-HEAD”

The students face their final test in an iconic head-to-head dogfight against an instructor. To pass, they must bring all the skills they’ve learned during their Advanced Phase training. With graduation just days away, students start to worry about their final grades and whether they will get the posting they—and in many cases, their families—want.

 

“LAST CHANCE”

It’s graduation week. For the remaining students, it means they have one last chance to prove they deserve their prestigious fighter pilot wings. Standing in their way is a tense head-to-head dogfight against an instructor. Past failures come back to haunt one student, and another’s whole fighter pilot future comes down to a single flight with their commanding officer.

 

TOP GUNS: THE NEXT GENERATION is produced by Rex, a Zinc Media Group Label, for National Geographic. For Rex, the executive producer is Tanya Shaw, the series director is Lana Salah, and the showrunners are Karen Edwards and Chris Parkin. For National Geographic, the executive producer is Simon Raikes, Bengt Anderson is senior vice president of Unscripted Content, and Tom McDonald is the executive vice president of Global Factual and Unscripted Content.