Monday, February 28, 2011

TopTV not launching new TV channels; pay TV operator actively negotiating but needs some more time to sign new channels.


You're reading it here first.

TV with Thinus can exclusively reveal that pay TV operator On Digital Media (ODM) will not be announcing or launching new TV channels on its TopTV platform for the time being, although it's actively negotiating to sign new channels in the future.

TopTV that launched its commercial operations in May last year gave me a call to discuss the situation regarding TV channels after a perception was created a few months ago in an article (not mine) that the operator would be announcing or launching further channels on its bouquet by the end of February or the beginning of March. It created an expectation under TopTV subscribers that the company cannot fulfill just yet, but is trying hard to.

''We know that everyone has been anxiously awaiting new channels since the announcement by our CEO, Vino Govender,'' TopTV tells TV with Thinus exclusively. ''Unfortunately the finalizing and agreeing of contracts has taken longer than was hoped and we will not be in a position to launch these by the end of February (today) or by 1 March. However we would like to inform our subscribers that we are actively negotiating the finer details and will have new and exciting channels on the platform soon.''

''We would prefer not to give timelines, but we can assure you that when everything is signed and sealed, we will deliver the news.''


The next new TV channel now that South African viewers will see (I know what it is), will be one launched by DStv towards the end of March just before April.

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ALSO READ: Analysis - what TopTV's 200 000 subscribers really mean.