On Digital Media (ODM) quietly added the fashion-centric Fashion One TV channel, a TV channel broadcast from Hong Hong, as a new replacement TV channel on Friday to its TopTV bouquet on channel 179.
Fashion One is the replacement for the entertainment news and gossip channel Star which was one of the three TV channels which Turner Broadcasting System International yanked from TopTV's platform at the end of December without any public explanation.
TopTV already has the fashion television channel FTV on channel 179, which is also available on MultiChoice's DStv platform on channel 178.
Not before it was added to the line-up of channels on Friday nor days after Fashion One has now been added, has TopTV issued any press release about Fashion One or made any public statement to the press.
TopTV alerted subscribers through an on-screen message that TopTV "would like to inform you that Fashion One has been added on channel 179".
TopTV has been working for a month and a half to add the Asian TV channel from Bigfoot Entertainment, awaiting regulatory approval from the regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), as well as approval from the South African Reserve Bank.
TV with Thinus first asked TopTV in January about Fashion One and was told that the South African pay-TV operator still needs clearance from Icasa as well as the Reserve Bank and to "please hold" on any news about Fashion One (which I did) with the promise that there would be information issued.
Fashion One is very similar to FTV, and doesn't contain the general entertainment news and gossip of precedessor Star.
Fashion One's programming contains a litany of segments focusing on fashion weeks, fashion documentaries, fashion travelogues, catwalk, ramp, set and design coverage as well as coverage of models.
Fashion One is a very new channel which was only launched in April last year.
