MultiChoice Uganda on Monday launched Pearl Magic as a new TV channel on DStv Uganda and GOtv Uganda, packaged by M-Net, to broadcast local Uganda entertainment content and to help with the promotion and creation of local TV content in the African nation.
Pearl Magic follows Zambezi Magic that MultiChoice Africa launched in July 2015 for Southern African viewers, excluding South Africa.
Similar to Zambezi Magic, M-Net will buy and broadcast series and films from Uganda filmmakers and producers if it meets passable technical requirements. A lot of producers and filmmakers in Uganda however still have a huge struggle to produce anything near adequate content for TV broadcast.
MultiChoice Uganda will also have to be careful not to upset the Uganda government and censors in the country with MultiChoice Zambia that self-censored and caved under pressure from the Zambian government in November 2017 and yanked one of the local shows made specifically for the channel, Talk with Kwangu, off the air.
Programming on Pearl Magic will include localised shows like the music programmes Beyond the Beat, The Code and Jechilli; TV series like Mistakes Girls Do, 5@Home, Love Makanika, the reality show Jangu Tulye, as well as Indian telenovelas dubbed into Luganda like Doli Armaanko Ki.
"Pearl Magic will include everything that is Ugandan," says Albert Nga, MultiChoice Uganda marketing manager.
"It will showcase what we are made of and are able to produce. Bring the content and we shall schedule and load it. We had to start from somewhere and we shall continue to push Ugandan content".
Gerald Sserunjoji who heads up the Association of Producers in Uganda says "this is something we have waited for for several years. The industry applauds MultiChoice for such an opportunity they have extended to us."
