At the beginning of March TVwithThinus reported that MultiChoice is dumping Glow TV at the end of March.
Glow TV that was started and run by Kagiso Media and that launched in October 2013, has been taken over and is now owned by the Nismedia Group that took it over in July 2016, with Urban Brew Studios helping with managing some aspects of the channel.
MultiChoice says it's contract with Glow TV is coming to an end. It's not clear why MultiChoice didn't want to renew the Glow TV contract.
Glow TV has been South Africa's first attempt at a free-to-air digital TV channel dedicated to Indian and Eastern inspired programming. The channel has been sourcing content from India, the United Kingdom, America and Brazil.
Meanwhile Glow TV viewers are outraged about MultiChoice's plan to dump Glow TV at the end of the month.
"I have always seen great potential in GlowTV and the need for Eastern-inspired content in Southern Africa," says Nazeer Noormohamed, the head of the Nismedia Group.
"Our entry from print into the television sector, gave Nismedia a new and exciting national and international footprint."
"DStv has claimed that they will not be renewing the contract with Glow TV at the end of March 2018. Following this, Glow TV launched an urgent application against MultiChoice in the Johannesburg High Court. The court outcome outlined that the dispute needs to be referred for arbitration, as per the terms of the Glow TV/DStv contract," says Nazeer Noormohamed.
"While MultiChoice attempted to obtain an order that the arbitration should be finalised by end-March, this was not the order of the court. Until the final outcome of the legal process is pronounced, we have been advised by our attorneys that MultiChoice is compelled to keep Glow TV on their platform," says Nazeer Noormohamed.
"We have received an influx of support from our loyal viewers regarding this matter, for which we are most thankful. We will continue to bring our viewers the best content that has them riveted to their seats".
Meanwhile MultiChoice remains adamant that Glow TV will get dumped at the end of the month.
In response to a media enquiry asking about MultiChoice's contract termination dispute with the Nismedia Group over Glow TV, MultiChoice told TVwithThinus that "Glow TV’s contract will come to an end in March and they will stop airing on DStv at the end of March 2018".
