The biggest constellation of star executives in South Africa's pay-industry in years came out together on Wednesday night - uniting for the joint press conference and press event of MultiChoice's DStv announcing its new IS-20 satellite capacity, new HD channels and channel number changes and M-Net announcing its new HD movie channels roll-out.
The media event held at a cinema venue off of Nelson Mandela Square where MultiChoice will also have a DStv Park for the public until 9 September, drew the most top-tier executives from MultiChoice as well as from M-Net - and together - for the first time in more than half a decade in South Africa.
The last time such a big number of MultiChoice executives, together with such a big number of M-Net executives jointly came together for a launch event was when MultiChoice rushed in July 2008 to launch high definition (HD) in South Africa with the unveiling of the first HD PVR in time for the Olympic Games.
Wednesday evening's announcement event was attended by a phalanx of MultiChoice and M-Net executives with star wattage. Collins Khumalo (CEO of MultiChoice South Africa) sat next to Aletta Alberts (general manager for content at MultiChoice South Africa) and Jackie Rakitla (MultiChoice's general manager for corporate affairs) patiently answering questions as the press corps did round robin rounds.
Also in attendance was Imtiaz Patel (the group CEO of MultiChoice South Africa) as well as Gerdus van Eeden, MultiChoice's chief technology officer. Several of MultiChoice's content bouquet managers and planners were at the event as well.
M-Net's CEO Patricia van Rooyen attended and addressed the invited press corps, but she was hardly alone. The M-Net representation at the event was a veritable who's who from the corridors of power at the Randburg pay-TV operator.
Jan du Plessis (director of channels at M-Net was spotted in the audience) as Pierre Cloete (the director for M-Net Movie channels) spoke about the new expansive genre movie channel offering which M-Net and DStv will be rolling out from 1 October.
The always affable Theo Erasmus (director of entertainment channels at M-Net) attended, as did Gideon Khobane (marketing manager for the AfricaMagic channels).
Chrystele Fremaux, the programming and on-air director for emerging markets for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region for NBC Universal Networks International and based in London also attended the event.
