Gideon Khobane is taking over as M-Net channel director, replacing Victor Eckard who is now head of content for DStv digital media.
Gideon Khobane was previously the marketing manager for M-Net set of AfricaMagic TV channels on DStv and since July 2014 he was M-Net's research and business intelligence director.
He worked for 6 years with M-Net AfricaMagic channels division in neighbouring African countries since he joined M-Net in 2008.
Gideon Khobane now assumes the position of looking after the M-Net (DStv 101), M-Net Edge (DStv 102) and M-Net City (DStv 115) TV channels that M-Net supplies to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform for South Africa and the rest of the African continent.
"Gideon Khobane replaces Victor Eckard who successfully launched M-Net Edge, Express from the US, and has been instrumental in the success of Catch Up and Catch Up Plus, and has now been asked to head up the content division at DStv Digital Media," says Yolisa Phahle, M-Net CEO for South Africa, in a press statement.
M-Net also still makes mention of the M-Net Series channels, although no M-Net channels with that brand name exists anymore.
"M-Net and the M-Net Series channels will continue to drive growth for the company and I can think of no more suitably qualified individual than Gideon Khobane to take these channels forward," says Yolisa Phahle in the statement announcing Gideon Khobane's appointment.
"Gideon Khobane has played a critical role in the increasing success of the Africa Magic brand and more recently has driven M-Net's strategy in South Africa."
M-Net says Gideon Khobane's new role as M-Net channel director will include management, overall content acquisition, scheduling and content marketing, "while ensuring that the two M-Net premium brands, M-Net and M-Net Edge, remain the most loved and talked about channels on DStv Premium; with a view to the newly-launched M-Net City becoming one of the most-watched channels on the DStv Compact package".
"My research and content marketing background gives me a deep awareness of what sort of content has worked with M-Net audiences in the past, and how the team and I can convert those insights into higher viewership results," says Gideon Khobane in the statement.
Gideon Khobane says the goal is to turn these M-Net channels in his portfolio "into the most talked about channels in Africa".
Gideon Khobane will be looking at the introduction of further new local formats for M-Net as well as adding new adaptations of popular international productions to the M-Net roster.
"Our aim is to always remain the top entertainment choice for our audience, and our offerings need to be innovative," says Gideon Khobane.
