MultiChoice is dumping the [ED] educational and documentary channel from its DStv and GOtv satellite pay-TV platforms in South Africa and across Africa after three years, following a lackluster performance from the Urban Brew Studios produced and packaged channel.
DStv will shut [ED] (DStv 190) down at midnight at the end of this month at midnight on Wednesday 30 November - just shy of three years on the air since it launched on 10 December 2013.
The shuttering of the [ED] channel follows MultiChoice's removal of channels from DStv like AMC, BET2, CBS Action, CBS Drama and True Movies over the past year and terminating the M-Net Movies Comedy, M-Net Movies Family and M-Net Movies Romance channels all as part of ongoing content consolidation plans.
[ED], the first channel owned by Kagiso Media's Urban Brew, at launch in 2013 touted that it would be a locally packaged educational channel specialising in "high-end" international and local documentaries and educational TV content.
After a year on air, in December 2014, [ED] announced a revamp in its offering with a raft of locally-produced series and new faces to anchor its local content offering, but it didn't help lift viewership.
[ED] struggled to gain traction and viewership despite being made available beyond South Africa on MultiChoice's GOtv platform across Africa and is now being axed after MultiChoice decided not to renew the contract.
Since [ED] is not available on eMedia Investment's OpenView HD platform from Platco Digital or StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat, the termination of the channel on DStv means its shutting down completely.
It means the end of locally produced programming like the well-received Ayanda's Fashion House, and shows like the technology programme EDGE, The Criselda Dudumashe Show and #myopinion, while [ED] since 2015 also started covering and bringing viewers a unique first-hand look at South African film festivals and TV markets ranging from DISCOP in Johannesburg to the Durban International Film Festival.
"Thanks to our loyal [ED] valued viewers and advertisers for their continued support over the years," says Roberto Carletti, [ED] station manager. "Through our content, our viewers have remained curious and been inspired".
