In a statement released on the evening of Wednesday, April 16, 2025, Life TV announced the temporary suspension of its collaboration with Ivorian artist Himra.
The suspension stems from the artist’s failure to appear for a scheduled taping of the popular show Life Weekend on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 5 p.m. Despite the exceptional efforts made by the channel to accommodate the artist on a non-working day, Himra did not show up for the recording.
Following the incident, Life TV offered the artist a chance to appear on another program (WAM), with the condition of holding a meeting to reschedule Life Weekend and issue a symbolic apology to the production team. While the artist initially agreed, he reportedly arrived just 15 minutes before the end of the WAM episode and declined both the apology and the rescheduling.
“In light of these events, and to maintain a respectful working environment for all, the Programming Department has decided to suspend all collaboration with the artist,” the statement reads. Life TV clarified that this is not a boycott but rather a matter of upholding mutual respect—a core value of the channel.
“Our editorial line is never defined against an artist but always in service of our audience, our guests, and our teams,” the statement added. Life TV also addressed a separate misunderstanding involving artist Bamby, attributing it to internal miscommunication.
The channel further emphasized that Fabrice Sawegnon, Chairman and CEO of Life TV, is fully focused on the network’s strategic direction and institutional governance, and does not intervene in operational decisions regarding programming or guest management.