In the biggest scheduling shake-up since the channel launched in Africa four years ago, Telemundo (DStv 118) is changing the South American telenovela channel's programming strategy and will be pushing the debut of new weekday prime time episodes out of early prime time and to 21:00.
The channel from NBCUniversal International Networks that used to broadcast new soap bubbles and glistening bodies at 18:00 on weekdays is moving the debut of new episodes three hours later to 21:00 from Monday 16 October once Iron Rose ends.
From Monday 16 October, Telemundo will broadcast repeats in the early prime time 18:00 timeslot.
The Telemundo schedule adjustment kicks off with the new telenovela Price of Fame, and will continue thereafter with all new telenovelas that will start in later timeslots, as existing series conclude and make way for new ones.
Telemundo's adjustment to later prime time debut timeslot for new episodes comes as FOX Networks Group Africa (FNG Africa) is gearing up to add Turkish telenovelas to its FOX Life (DStv 126 / StarSat 133) channel line-up from later this month once dubbing into English is completed.
FOX Life will start with the Turkish telenovela Heartbeat, scheduled in the 18:25 timeslot where Telemundo will in future be showing repeats from now on.
In response to a media enquiry about the prime time timeslot change, Telemundo tells TVwithThinus that "we continuously evaluate our scheduling strategies to maximise appeal to viewers across the continent."
"From mid-October, new telenovelas will premiere in prime time later in the evening and will be repeated in the afternoon the following day, starting with Price of Fame premiering on 16 October at 21:00".
Price of Fame (original Spanish title: Guerra de ídolos) is Telemundo's first "musical telenovela", following the Latin American Solars family living in Houston, Texas, although it's filmed in Mexico.
Like Glee, Nashville and Empire, musical acts and singing numbers are sprinkled throughout episodes that started production in December 2016, as Mateo Solar (Alberto Guerra) falls in love with the pop singer Manara Maramoros (María León).
Unfortunately Manara is the sister of Amado (Juan Pablo Medina), a gun trafficker who is also a people smuggler.
The stormy relationship between Mateo and Manara goes against many interests, triggering ambitions and a war up and down the stages ranging from Los Angeles to Mexico City and exposing the dark side of the music industry.