The SABC cancels Isidingo The Need on SABC3 after 21 years, final episode to broadcast on 12 March 2020 as dismantling of the struggling channel's legacy schedule continues.

by Thinus Ferreira

The SABC no longer sees any need for Isidingo - The Need with the show that is the next legacy show on SABC3 getting the cancellation axe and will broadcast its final episode on 12 March 2020.

In response to a media enquiry on Friday morning the SABC told TVwithThinus that Isidingo is over with the 21-year old local soap, now produced by Pomegranate Media, that won't be renewed for a further season.

The SABC blames Isidingo's "poor audience ratings during the time slot, decline in revenue and poor return on investment" for the weekday soap's cancellation, although SABC3 as a whole remains deeply mired in financial trouble, ratings problems and almost insurmountable programming challenges as the South African public broadcaster's only commercial TV channel. 

Over the past three years the SABC has dismantled and cancelled basically the entire legacy programming schedule of SABC3, including the local telenovela High Rollers, the American daytime soaps Days of Our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful, 3Talk with Noeleen as well as its replacement Real Talk with Anele, as well as the longrunning Top Billing. 

SABC3 keeps saying the bulk cancellations are part of "the channels' future strategic direction" but fails to explain or answer media enquiries about what it means. 

On Friday the SABC confirmed that Isidingo will "be airing its final episode on Thursday, 12 March 2020."

Created by Gray Hofmeyr and making its debut in July 1998, the soap that was originally produced by Endemol Shine Africa was once a once cutting-edge local soap that included quick-filmed ripped-form-the-day's-headlines scenes and groundbreaking storylines ranging including HIV-positive and gay characters who inhabited the fictional Horizon Deep mining community. 

"In line with SABC3's future strategic direction, Isidingo has been one of the programmes that will not be recommissioned for the new fiscal from April 2020," says the SABC.

"The decision to decommission Isidingo was informed by a number of factors which includes poor audience ratings during the time slot, decline in revenue and poor return on investment."

"The organisation was faced with no option but to review the performance of all programmes on the channel that are not performing and to ensure that the channel’s content is competitive and commercially viable," says David Makubyane, the SABC's acting head of television.

"SABC3, through its strategic plans will continue to commission and intensify its investment in local productions and content which will allow creatives to come up with new, gripping and commercially viable content for the channel."

"The channel will through its content division welcome any proposals that respond to these plans and channel direction," says David Makubyane.

MultiChoice and Viacom renews channels carriage agreement.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice and Viacom have renewed its channel carriage agreement for its set of TV channels carried on Africa's largest pay-TV service.

The new contract extension means that the BET, Comedy Central, MTV, MTV Base, MTV Music 24, Nickelodeon, NickToons and Nick Jr. TV channels will remain on DStv in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Fathima Beckmann, Viacom Africa spokesperson, didn't respond to a media enquiry asking about the duration of the new contract period.

MultiChoice recently made news channel carriage news when brinkmanship in carriage renewal negotiations between MultiChoice and A+E Networks International led to MultiChoice announcing that it would end its partnership with A+E Networks and its 3 channels, followed by urgent renegotiations and a new deal that saved the History and Lifetime channels but with Crime+Investigation Network getting axed.

After the new A+E Networks deal, followed by the latest Viacom extension, BBC Studios is the next big contract up for renewal by March 2020 for the set of channels from BBC Studios Africa that are made available on DStv.

Talking about the Viacom carriage deal, Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment, says the Randburg-based pay-TV operator is "pleased to share this market announcement of Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa)".

Alex Okosi, executive vice president and managing director for VIMN Africa and BET International, in a statement about the new carriage agreement says "This continued partnership demonstrates the shared commitment between VIMN Africa and MultiChoice to invest in local and international content that resonates with our audiences across the continent".

"We truly value our collaboration with MultiChoice as it also enables us to consistently deliver great African productions".

TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. How quickly and easily things break: After MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic did the best awards show nominees announcement in South Africa in 2018 for the DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards it's back to trash and no communication for the third edition.

"It's fragile what we know. It's gone every time we forget. Then someone has to learn it all over again."  - Kim Stanley

A gap year in 2019 is all it took to dismantle what MultiChoice and M-Net started to build up with its new DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2020 which degenerated back to trash and an utter lack of any communication with the media.

After I noted in August 2018 how basically perfect the nominees announcement media event of Mzansi Magic's DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 was, entropy, coupled with an apparent can't-care or don't-know-better attitude saw MultiChoice and M-Net regress back to bad when it came time to revive its awards show.

Cue Thursday evening, 28 November, when MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic suddenly decided to have a terrible DStv Mzansi Viewers Choice Awards 2020 nominees announcement media event - one which it didn't even bother to tell a lot of press and media about.

One year of not taking place is all it took for MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic's DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards process, media liason  and interaction with the press to go from terrific back to trash.

Swept away without a trace in the non-year of the DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards in 2019 were Reneilwe Sema as boss of M-Net's general entertainment channels division, multiple Mzansi Magic publicists, and several MultiChoice PR people who all left.

Apparently no proper hand-over or reading up were done by anyone at MultiChoice or Mzansi Magic because the the past is the past and the past is cursed to forever be a foreign country.

It was bemusing and borderline irritating to suddenly get a press release on Thursday evening from MultiChoice suddenly announcing DStv Mzansi Viewers Choice Awards nominees for its awards show, something that MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic out of the blue said would take place on 14 March 2020.

After actually communicating and telling the press covering television in South Africa in 2018 that there would be a DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 nominees announcement event, and beyond that also inviting press from across South Africa to actually attend, neither Mzansi Magic and MultiChoice - now stacked with new people - could be bothered to give the media any kind of heads up that there'd be a nominees announcement and event on Thursday night for the return of the awards in 2020.

As TVwithThinus remarked in 2018, while the nominees announcement in 2017 of the inaugural DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards in 2017 created some frustration with the press, Mzansi Magic did a course-correction in 2018 and got it perfect the second time round.

Then ... bad to bad this week.

MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic regressed back to only announcing names to the isolated Johannesburg bubble of media and the champagne brigade hangers-on who often don't actually bother to report.

MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic dumbed back down on not bothering to even reach out to media beforehand to say that a nominee announcement for the DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2020 would be taking place.

By ignoring the media for its nominees announcement event - after getting it so perfectly right in 2018 - MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic broke and took away from the credibility and perceived importance of the awards show.

How difficult is it to type up an email, or pick up the phone? Apparently very when it comes to the DStv Mzansi Viewers Choice Awards nominees announcement event, which appeared to be something too difficult to do for the array of PR and publicity personnel at MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic.

On Thursday night TVwithThinus did what MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic should have done and can easily do - reached out to multiple journalists and writers across South Africa to ask: Did you know about this? Did anyone communicate or bother to tell you about this?

The responses were 100% and uniformly a resounding no.

"Not covering it," said one, while other comments ranged from "who cares?" to "wasn't the awards cancelled?"

It's inconceivable that MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic would revive an awards show after it was dead for a year and then not bother at all to put in the most borderline basic external media communication effort to talk to the press that a nominees annnouncement event would be happening.

With Reneilwe Sema as Mzansi Magic channel head, as well as Nondumiso Mabece, Ryan van Heerden, Marietjie Groenewald, Kenneth Nxumalo, Bongi Potelwa-Metsing and a flurry of several other MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic public relation specialists all gone and replaced in just the period between the last time the DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 took place, it's easy to say that it was inevitable that with the destruction of institutional memory the new nominees announcement event would degenerate back to being a mess.

It could have been different. It could have stayed great. The communication with the media could have continued on the way it was previously with this specific awards show: Standard. Normal. Perfect.

In August 2018 I wrote that "The DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2018 nominees announcement event was inspiring - not for the announcements per se, but for showing that yes, South Africa can do things like a nominees announcement right and proper."

Did Pilly Kubheka, the new head of publicity for M-Net's local entertainment channels and her new team, or Joe Heshu, MultiChoice's new group executive for corporate affairs and his new team look back at what exactly - and how - MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic communicated and what was done when the last DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards nominees announcement event was held?

Both teams have a joint interest, presumably, in it since the event has their brands attached to it.

Why did the communication implode again? Why is the media frustrated again?

Why wasn't it possible to say: "Hey, we're announcing DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards 2020 nominees, it will take place on this day, date and time, we're going to issue a press release then and then, is there anything you might need like a logo or interviews that can be set up, this is what is going to happen."

In its press release, Simon Camerer, MultiChoice South Africa's chief customer officer, said that "We are thrilled to break the news of an even bigger and better 3rd edition".

Sadly, as far as the media are concerned, the 3rd DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards for 2020 is off to an embarrassingly and amateurish-looking, back-to-worse start.


ALSO READ: DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards back for a third edition of the awards show in 2020, announces nominees.

After Leigh-Anne Williams leaves her daily Expresso post Cardova says the presenter will be back as the production company is 'keen to pursue new and existing shows and roles with her in 2020'.

by Thinus Ferreira

After Leigh-Anne Williams quietly left her early morning perch as one of SABC3's Expresso presenters some week ago, the Cape Town based production company behind the show says that she will be back in December although it's not clear whether it would again be in a daily role or in what capacity.

On Tuesday TVwithThinus reported that Leigh-Anne Williams quietly exited SABC3's weekday morning show with her name that was removed from the end-credits roll of Expresso.

Prior to Tuesday's reporting, multiple media enquiries were made over weeks with neither SABC3 nor Cardova Productions that responded to questions around Leigh-Anne Williams' exit and sudden absence from the show.

Leigh-Anne Williams' unexplained exit at the beginning of November came after Ewan Strydom left in April for Bravo! on kykNET (DStv 144), followed by Zoë Brown, who was not an original presenter, who left Expresso in July after 4 years without an on-air farewell or explanation.

Expresso added Jamie-Lee Domburg from Plumstead and Kuhle Adams as the show's two new presenters after they won the Presenter Search on 3: The Expresso Edition at the end of October and which made use of Leigh-Anne Williams as the presenter of that prime time reality search programme.

Expresso, which made its debut in October 2010 and was produced from The Equinox Building in Sea Point, Cape Town as SABC3's breakfast show, moved to a new studio complex in Westlake in June.

It's much further away that the picturesque highrise the show had been done from for almost nine years before the move. According to insiders both Zoë Brown and Leigh-Anne Williams had issues with the move with the longer daily travel distance that was problematic and contributed to their decisions to leave.

On Friday morning producer Patience Stevens from Cardova Productions in a statement through SABC3 said that although Leigh-Anne Williams stepped away from her daily Expresso presenting work that Cardova will continue to work with her in the future and in 2020 in existing and new shows.

"Leigh-Anne has been a very important part of the Expresso journey for the past eight years and is a valued member of the Cardova family," said Patience Stevens.

"While Leigh-Anne has been taking a step back from her daily presenting role on Expresso to pursue other career opportunities, this does not mean the end of our relationship with her. Leigh Anne will be back on Expresso in December, and we are keen to pursue new and existing shows and roles with her in 2020."

"While we have missed Leigh-Anne's positive energy every morning for the past couple of weeks, Cardova’s mission statement is to identify, nurture and grow new talent."

"We have recently welcomed two fresh new faces to Expresso, namely the winners of the Presenter Search on 3: Expresso Edition, Kuhle Adams and Jamie-Lee Domburg, who have been adding their own unique dynamic and personality to the show."

"Expresso is a brand which always evolving. We have grown new talent like Leigh-Anne Williams and Zoë Brown over the years and we hope to continue doing so for years to come."

DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards back for a third edition of the awards show in 2020, announces nominees.

by Thinus Ferreira

After an absence of a year MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic are bringing back their DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards in 2020 for a third edition that will take place on Saturday 14 March and announced nominees on Thursday night.

M-Net in South Africa started the DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards in August 2017 and held it for a second time in November 2018, to promote and recognise South Africa's entertainment industry but didn't have the glitzy award show in 2019.

The 3rd DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards (DMVCA) will be a live broadcast on Saturday 4 March 2020 from the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg, looking to honour biggest achievers across 11 entertainment categories.

Mzansi Magic announced the nominees on Thursday night with Prince Kaybee leading the most nominated list with three nominations for Favourite Song of the Year, Favourite DJ and Favourite Music Artist or Group.

That's followed with two nominations each for Kabza De Small for Favourite DJ and Favourite Rising Star, Sjava for  Favourite Song of the Year and Favourite Music Artist or Group; and Sho Madjozi for Favourite Music Artist or Group and Favourite Personality.

"We are immensely proud of the growth of our industry and we are fully committed to celebrating our local stars, and we congratulate all of this year’s nominees. We look forward to putting on a great show," says Shirley Adonisi, Mzansi Magic acting channel director.

Viewers can vote on www.mzansimagic.tv/dstvmvca. The nominees for the 2020 DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards are:

1. FAVOURITE SONG OF THE YEAR

A. De Mthuda & Njelic – Shesha

B. Prince Kaybee ft Indlovukazi, Supta & Afro Brotherz – Gugulethu

C. Sjava - Umama

D. Nasty C ft Rowlene – SMA (Vol. 1)

E. Kaygee DaKing & Bizizi ft Killer Kau – Kokota

2. FAVOURITE TV PRESENTER

A. Motshidisi Mohono

B. Nomsa Buthelezi

C. Moshe Ndiki

D. Thomas Mlambo

E. Jub Jub

3. FAVOURITE COMEDIAN

A. Mpho Popps

B. Celeste Ntuli

C. Khanyisa Bunu

D. Skhumba Hlophe

E. Siyanda Maphumulo

4. FAVOURITE RISING STAR

A. Kabza De Small

B. Wiseman Mncube

C. Simthandile ‘SimTiger’ Tshabalala

D. Thato Moeng

E. Larona Moagi

5. FAVOURITE RADIO PERSONALITY

A. DJ Fresh

B. Kgomotso Matsunyane

C. Siphiwo ‘Spitch’ Nzawumbi

D. Seipati ‘Twasa’ Seoke

E. Khathide ‘Tshatha’ Ngobe

6. FAVOURITE ACTOR

A. Molefi Monaisa

B. Bheki Sibiya

C. Presley Chweneyagae

D. Warren Masemola

E. Masoja Msiza

7. FAVOURITE ACTRESS

A. Dawn Thandeka King

B. Zola Nombona

C. Florence Masebe

D. Sindi Dlathu

E. Tsholofelo Matshaba

8. FAVOURITE MUSIC ARTIST/GROUP

A. Prince Kaybee

B. Sjava

C. Sho Madjozi

D. King Monada

E. Dr Tumi

9. FAVOURITE DJ

A. DJ Maphorisa

B. DJ Speedsta

C. Prince Kaybee

D. DJ Sumbody

E. Kabza De Small

10. FAVOURITE SPORTS PERSONALITY

A. Thembi Kgatlana

B. Percy Tau

C. Siya Kolisi

D. Bongiwe Msomi

E. Refiloe Jane

11. FAVOURITE PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR

A. Bonang Matheba

B. Somizi Mhlongo

C. Anele Mdoda

D. Nomzamo Mbatha

E. Sho Madjozi

A black Friday as Cell C shuts down its loss-making Cell C black video streaming service after just 2 years.

by Thinus Ferreira

It's a black Friday on Black Friday in South Africa for the struggling Cell C which is shutting down its loss-making Cell C black video streaming service two years after it launched in November 2017.

The mobile operator poured over R1 billion into the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service that is the next victim in the vicious streaming wars where it tried to compete in the small but growing market against rivals ranging from Netflix South Africa and Amazon Prime Video to MultiChoice's Showmax and DStv Now, PCCW Media's VIU, DEOD, Vodacom Video Play, Acorn TV and others.

Now Cell C black that failed to generate revenue, will shut down on 31 December 2019, joining a list of previous streamers who shuttered ranging from VIDI and the Altech Node to OnTapTV, Kwesé Play and Kwesé TV, and others.

In an SMS to Cell C black subscribers, the company says it's giving customers a Showmax voucher that will give them access to Showmax for free for 3 months and that the service will shutter on 31 December 2019.

"To fill your entertainment gap, we're giving you 3 months' free Showmax on us," says Cell C black in the SMS. 

Cell C launched Cell C black, accessed through its own set-top box (STB) called the blackBOX, as well as through web browsers in November 2017 but in late-August 2019 abruptly shut down the streaming of all of its linear TV channels, leaving only on-demand programming.

The 40 linear TV channels on Cell C black ranged from FOX and National Geographic, to TNT, Trace and Al Jazeera.

At the time Cell C black told its customers and subscribers that it was "experiencing difficulties which are affecting our live TV channels" that the IT-division is trying to solve - a notice still being displayed on the service's website.

"Our decision to reconfigure our product and services is part of putting the business on the right track," Douglas Craigie Stevenson, Cell C CEO, said in a supplied statement three months ago about the radical reduction in the services offered by and investment in Cell C black.

Candice Jones, Cell C spokesperson, told TVwithThinus on Thursday night in response to a media enquiry that Cell C black is shutting down, saying that "Following a review of the company’s product portfolio and decision to redirect expenditure to revenue generating initiatives, Cell C can confirm that it will decommission its streaming content service, black on 31 December 2019."

"Content remains part of Cell C’s broader strategy, however, we have had to carefully look at how we approach this to ensure we provide a sustainable service that customers want while at the same time offer a service that makes commercial sense to the business."

"The company suspended all linear live TV channels on the platform in September. Cell C will not be accepting any new registrations on the black service, and will be refunding customers for outright movie purchases. Existing customers will be able to use the service until 31 December 2019."

"Cell C is in the process of notifying existing customers on black of its decision to end this service."

Cell C poured R523.9 million into Cell C black during its 2017 financial year and another R523.9 million in content acquisition to buy licensing rights to TV shows, films and the streaming rights to TV channels.

In August 2018 Cell C in a statement said that 2.5 million people had "browsed" through the content on the Cell C black catalogue and sampled some of the offering with 60 000 transactions that had been completed and 260 000 customers who had made use of the free trial option.

In January 2019 Cell C black dramatically cut down its free trial period from 30 days to just 7.

In late-September Cell C in its financial report said that it's cutting back spending on Cell C black by at least R120 million and that it is "reviewing the channel options for the black video streaming service – which will ensure a saving of R120 million annually with additional savings expected as Cell C continues to right-size this business unit".

Douglas Craigie Stevenson said that its investment in the creation of Cell C black was a big mistake, noting that "Cell C black was not the right play for Cell C. We didn't have the resources to compete in that environment."

Whoarr! Netflix commissions Vikings: Valhalla as a Vikings sequel series set 100 years later.

by Thinus Ferreira

Netflix has commissioned MGM Television to create and produce Vikings: Valhalla as a sequel drama series that will be set 100 years after the original Vikings series.

Vikings, that was shown on History internationally and on M-Net and Showmax in South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa and that will conclude with its 6th season in 2020 after it starts in December, is getting a spin-off.

The new series will dramatise the adventures of the most famous Vikings who ever lived: Leif Erikson, Freydis, Harald Harada and the Norman King William the Conqueror who is also a Viking descendant.

Vikings series creator Michael Hirst is also behind Vikings: Valhalla as executive producer, with the spin-off series that will begin 100 years after the original series concludes as a new chapter of the Vikings legend, following the men and women blazing new paths as they fight for survival in an ever-changing and evolving Europe.

"I am beyond excited that we are announcing the continuation of our Vikings saga," says Michael Hirst in a statement. "I know that the millions of our fans across the globe will be thrilled by the belief being shown in our show by MGM and Netflix."

"Jeb Stuart, a truly wonderful writer, will bring new storylines and a powerful visceral vision to stories about some of the most famous Vikings known to history."

Steve Stark, MGM Television's president of television production and development, says "We are thrilled to be partnering with Michael, Jeb and Netflix on the next chapter in the incredible Vikings universe".

"Vikings: Valhalla has been a labour of love for everyone involved and as we look ahead to the continuation of this great saga, we are excited to know that fans the world over will have the opportunity to continue with the series on its new home at Netflix."

Channing Dungey, vice-president of original series at Netflix, says "Vikings: Valhalla promises to be everything that fans love about the franchise: heart-pounding, unstoppable action rooted in rich characters and dramatic storytelling that shines the light on family, loyalty and power. We are thrilled to bring the next iteration of the Vikings saga to life".

MultiChoice Nigeria starts 5 new DStv and GOtv packages for the Nigerian market, revamping the GOtv Max offering.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice Nigeria is starting 5 new DStv and GOtv packages specifically for the Nigerian market and is revamping the GOtv Max package.

The new packages by MultiChoice Nigeria that remains under pressure in the West African country, is an attempt to try and combat churn, increase revenue and to provide more different price-options to potential customers who might have money to spend on pay-TV but didn't have an option at the price-point that they can afford.

The new packages with Nigerian-centric names include recently-added DStv channels for sub-Saharan Africa like the educational Da Vinci Learning channel, WarnerMedia's TNT channel for Africa, and Discovery Networks' Real Time.

From 1 December MultiChoice Nigeria will operate 3 new DStv packages: DStv Confam, DStv Yanga and DStv Padi.

DStv Confam has been designed as a "family package" with 120 channels and includes Viacom Africa's BET, Da Vinci Learning and TNT at a monthly cost of NGN 4500 (R183.24).

DStv Yanga has 94 channels including Viacom Africa's MTV Base, Discovery's Real Time, ROK2, EbonyLife and Africa Magic Epic for a monthly price of NGN 2500 (R101.80).

DStv Padi with 51 channels has a monthly cost of NGN 1800 (R73.30).

MultiChoice Nigeria is introducing 2 new GOtv packages: GOtv Jolli with 68 channels at a cost of NGN 2400 (R97.55) and GOtv Jinja with 47 channels at a cost of NGN 1600 (R65.03) monthly.

"The new packages are exclusively curated from Naija and for Nigerians, driven by great programing and affordable prices," says John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO.

"With improved package options available to our valued customers, they can choose a subscription plan that best fits their needs and budget. We remain committed to give millions of television viewers in Nigeria the opportunity to enjoy world-class entertainment."

Existing DStv Access, DStv Family, GOtv Plus and GOtv Value subscribers will get a free 2-week preview of the new packages from 1 December until 15 December 2019.

The Fight Sports channel finally launches on Openview on 26 November with silence and no response from e.tv on the technical issues that scuppered the channel's launch for 8 days.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Fight Sports channel that e.tv has added to its Openview satellite service has finally come back on and started to broadcast on Tuesday 26 November 2019 without any explanation from e.tv about why the channel failed to start on Monday 18 as it was supposed to according to e.tv's announcement, with e.tv that didn't respond with any answers to media enquiries made about it.

e.tv announced on 11 November that it would launch the Fight Sports channel on Openview in South Africa and across Southern Africa where its Openview decoders are being sold, as a so-called "premium fight content" channel that would include championship live events, original programming, reality content, documentaries and unspecified "classics".

Antonio Lee, eMedia Investments COO, said in a statement that "Fight Sports adds to our endeavour to bring a variety of sports to the South African public for free. As our platform continues to grow, we trust that the Fight Sport channel will add further entertainment value".

On 11 November in response to e.tv and Openview's press statement, Lerato Maleto, e.tv publicist, was asked what the programming and show titles on Fight Sports would be, and who the channel has been acquired from and runs it. There was no response.

The TV channel's website says that the channel broadcasts MMA, boxing, kickboxing and martial arts. Fight Sports is distributed by Wide Media which is based in Estonia.

On 18 November when Fight Sports was supposed to go live, the channel launched on Openview but abruptly went off after about three hours and remained unavailable.

TVwithThinus asked e.tv in an emailed media enquiry for the first time about what happened with the failure of the Fight Sports channel on Openview on Wednesday 20 November. Lerato Maleto didn't respond.

On 21 November TVwithThinus again asked Lerato Maleto, as well as Lynn Adams, e.tv's group general manager for marketing, about what happened with Fight Sports and for help, with no response.

Both Lerato Maleto and Lynn Adams were asked again on 25 November what happened with Fight Sports and for help with the media enquiries.

On the morning of 26 November Fight Sports flickered back on on Openview for the first time since 18 November when it was on for only a few hours.

TVwithThinus phoned e.tv and Lerato Maleto confirmed that she and Lynn Adams are responsible for handling media enquiries about the Fight Sports channel as it pertains to Openview. e.tv was again asked to help with an explanation as to why Fight Sports didn't launch and what the technical problems were.

As of the publishing of this article on 28 November 2019 there has still been no answer from e.tv or any response to the multiple media enquiries that were made about the Fight Sports channel.

MultiChoice pushes the launch of its new ‘Dishless DStv’ OTT service the first quarter of 2020.

MultiChoice will no longer launch its stand-alone streaming version of its DStv pay-TV service before the end of 2019 as promised but has now pushed the evolving plan out to March 2020 as it irons out technical issues and beta-test its so-called "dishless DStv".

With ongoing broadband growth the "internet" version of DStv is part of MultiChoice's ongoing plans to retain and capture pay-TV subscribers in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa who are able to and want to watch premium pay-TV content this way and without a physical installation.

MultiChoice is also trying to combat churn and to compete with the proliferation of global OTT players like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, VIU and others who have entered the South African and African market and are starting to steal DStv subscribers away with more frictionless online offerings.

Currently "DStv dishless" is still a work in progress as MultiChoice has been testing the DStv decoder-less service internally.

The Randburg-based company has been learning and gaining valuable data and user feedback from updates and technical problems with its DStv Now service. DStv Now is currently available to ordinary DStv subscribers as an added-on bundled service.

Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice CEO, in mid-May 2018 said that MultiChoice will launch an over-the-top (OTT) version of DStv as a video streaming mirror-service to its existing direct-to-home (DTH) offering that requires the installation of a satellite dish, cabling to a building, as well as a physical set-top box (STB).

Niclas Ekdahl, the CEO of MultiChoice's Connected Video division, at last week's 2019 MultiChoice Content Showcase upfront for the media in Sandton revealed that the launch has been pushed out by a few months and will now no longer happen before the end of this year but has been pushed to the end of the first quarter of 2020.

MultiChoice experienced technical problems in 2019 with the online streaming of popular programming like HBO's Game of Thrones on M-Net and the 2019 Rugby World Cup on SuperSport through DStv Now which raised technical capacity questions about whether it would be possible to launch a "Dishless DStv" version without ongoing technical issues that would negatively impact the user experience.

Niclas Ekdahl hasn't yet revealed the commercial name that MultiChoice might possible use for "Dishless DStv" - for instance DStv Plus, DStv+ or DStv-i - nor pricing, or the way in which this new service will differ from the DTH version of DStv.

Niclas Ekdahl however showed journalists how much the interface and capabilities of DStv Now have already changed over the past few years to develop and make it its own distinct service, with its own look and feel.

DStv Now recently introducing "profiles" and no longer looks like the "satellite DStv" version and which is how it looked like when MultiChoice started this service.

Leigh-Anne Williams quietly gone as presenter from Expresso on SABC3 after 9 years.

Leigh-Anne Williams has quietly gone from Expresso on SABC3 after 9 years as the next longrunning presenter who exited after she had to audition and announce her replacements on-air in a TV presenter search at the end of October.

Neither SABC3 nor Cardova Productions, that produces Expresso, responded with answers to media enquiries made the past few weeks about Leigh-Anne Williams' exit and Williams didn't reply to email.

The exit of Leigh-Anne Williams without any on-air farewell and who's name has quietly been removed from the end-credits roll of Expresso leaves Katlego Maboe as the last remaining original Expresso presenter on the 9-year old show after Ewan Strydom left in April for Bravo! on kykNET (DStv 144).

Zoë Brown, who was not an original presenter, left Expresso in July after 4 years without an on-air farewell or explanation.

Expresso added Jamie-Lee Domburg from Plumstead and Kuhle Adams as the show's two new presenters after they won the Presenter Search on 3: The Expresso Edition at the end of October and which made use of Leigh-Anne Williams as the presenter of that prime time reality search programme.

Expresso, which made its debut in October 2010 and was produced from The Equinox Building in Sea Point, Cape Town as SABC3's breakfast show, moved to a new studio complex in Westlake in June.

It's much further away that the picturesque highrise the show had been done from for almost nine years before the move. According to insiders both Zoë Brown and Leigh-Anne Williams had issues with the move with the longer daily travel distance that was problematic and contributed to their decisions to leave.

SABC3 and Expresso have ignored questions from viewers asking about Leigh-Anne Williams' absence and exit.

Where is @LeighAnne_Will 🤔 why dont I see her on @expressoshow anymore☹..... pic.twitter.com/m6nvrMAm4i

— The Real Puff Daddy (@PuffDad42136460) November 21, 2019

@expressoshow Good morning team, where in the name of sanity is @LeighAnne_Will. The transition is not working for me.

— Comrade007 (@Comrade0072) November 11, 2019

Where are you @LeighAnne_Will i miss you on @expressoshow...

— danian timm (@ddt_golf25) November 7, 2019

@expressoshow bring back @LeighAnne_Will and @zbzoebrown please ☺️

— Makes (@Makes_Who_Else) November 7, 2019

Generations The Legacy on SABC1 renewed for 2 further seasons while the SABC ponders whether SABC3's Isidingo is still needed.

The South African public broadcaster has renewed its one SABC1 prime time weekday soap Generations - The Legacy for two more seasons while the broadcaster remains silent over the fate of the long-running Isidingo on SABC3 facing possible cancellation.

Generations - The Legacy on SABC1 on Monday night continued uninterrupted despite an announcement three days earlier that it would go into reruns as part of  a "summer break" of old themed rerun episodes that was set to start on Monday - a plan which was abruptly scuppered.

Generations - The Legacy is SABC1 and South African television's second-most watched TV show and pulled 9.23 million viewers (25.7 AR / 65.4 share) during October.

The SABC dragged its heels in signing a new contract for a 6th season of Generations - The Legacy with Morula Pictures, owned by Mfundi Vundla, but finally did so on Monday 25 November.

Although the SABC on Friday announced that Generations - The Legacy would go into repeats on SABC1 from Monday and not revealing that it was because no further contract existed, a period of schedule padding with reruns didn't start on Monday at 20:00.

Instead a new first-run episode of Generations - The Legacy was broadcast on SABC1 after the SABC concluded a new 2-year contract with Morula Pictures.

At 20:05 the SABC in a statement said that "the SABC and Morula Pictures are pleased to announce that Generations - The Legacy has been recommissioned for two new seasons".

The SABC said that "Generations - The Legacy will continue uninterrupted and audiences will be spoilt with fresh episodes throughout December and the rest of 2020."

Neither Phillip Mabitsela, SABC1 publicist, nor Morula Pictures responded to media enquiries made since Friday.

Meanwhile questions continue to swirl whether the struggling prime time soap Isidingo - The Need on SABC3 is getting renewed of axed.

Neither the SABC nor Pomegranate Media have responded to media enquries seeking clarity over the future of Isidingo that is facing possible cancellation.

The longrunning local soap that has shed popular characters and viewers drew a paltry 957 500 viewers in October on SABC3 which remains the public broadcaster's biggest headache and struggling to make money as the SABC's only commercial TV channel.

The SABC has done away with and cancelled most of SABC3's high-cost, longrunning signature programming over the past three years including Days of Our Lives, The Bold and the Beautiful, High Rollers, 3Talk and its replacement Real Talk, as well as Top Billing.

Netwerk24 orders Op en Af as a second Afrikaans streaming soap; 65 webisode comedy series produced by Jester Productions and VIA will start in February 2020.

Media24's Afrikaans TV channel VIA is producing a second online video streaming soap, Op en af (Up and down), for the Netwerk24 portal that will play out in daily episodes from 3 February 2020.

The comedy of 65 episodes written by Leon Kruger and produced by Jester Productions of Diaan Lawrenson and Jody Abrahams, follows after Die Testament drama that marked Netwerk24's entry into Afrikaans online TV series. 

"The soap is about ordinary people who are a little bit eccentric and holds up a mirror," says Diaan Lawrenson. All the couples live in the same apartment building and are seemingly friends - although viewers later see that their interactions are loaded with jealousy and competition, and sugar-coated with some gossip."

The Op en af cast include Charlton George as André Mouton and Quanita Adams as his wife Bev who have been married the longest although Bev is hiding a secret life, while Neels van Jaarsveld's character Frans du Plessis dabbles as a stock broker and Nadia Valvekens' (Leande du Plessis) character is an online vlogger.

Marlo Minnaar and Nicole Fortuin play the recently-married Charlie and Ilse Daniels who are trying but struggling to get pregnant. Diaan Lawrenson also appears on-screen as Christelle, Bev's best friend.

Netwerk24 will roll out episodes of Op en af as 5-minute webisodes with a new episode on weekdays at 8:00 between 3 February and the end of April 2020.

"The reaction to our first soap, Die Testament, surpassed our expectations," says Henriëtte Loubser, Netwerk24 editor. "It's clear that such instant viewing enjoyment in Afrikaans is a format that resonates with Netwerk24's audience."

"While Die Testament had a dramatic approach our second soap is humoristic and provides a whole new experience."

Similar to Die Testament episodes of Op en Af will remain available on Netwerk24 indefinitely with subscribers who can watch a new episode daily or the omnibus over weekends. Eventually the entire series of 65 episodes will be available to binge watch.

Izelle Venter, VIA channel boss says "When we watched the first episodes and the actors felt completely like your friends on a Friday night we became really excited. We believe that Netwerk24 viewers will be just as excited over our new soap from the producers-duo Diaan Lawrenson and Jody Abrahams".

Unable to conclude a new Generations The Legacy contract after demanding production length cuts SABC abruptly puts SABC1's Morula Pictures soap into reruns for 2019 festive period.

Generations - The Legacy is abruptly gone from SABC1 from tonight in prime time and replaced with old reruns of the decades-old Generations after the South African public broadcaster failed to sign a new contract for a 6th season with Morula Pictures.

Generations - The Legacy is SABC1 and South African television's second-most watched TV show and pulled 9.23 million viewers (25.7 AR / 65.4 share) during October.

This makes the show "too big to fail" as one of the few remaining successful on-air properties for the struggling South African public broadcaster and means that the SABC and Morula, owned by producer Mfundi Vundla, will very likely conclude a new contract although the two sides are still currently at odds because of some changed terms that the SABC is allegedly demanding.

In a statement SABC1 says "starting from Monday 25 November the soapie will go down memory lane by screening selected iconic episodes of Mzansi's most-loved soapie, Generations, in celebration of its indomitable records, reminiscing on talent who went on to become households names and storytelling spanning 28 years".

SABC1 calls the Generations library episode reruns - for which no time period is specified - a "summer break", saying that "favourite villains, heroes and matriarchs from the past will be brought back to turn this year's festive break into a nostalgic, unforgettable television experience".

According to highly-placed SABC insiders, negotiations stalled and couldn't be concluded in time for a new, signed contract due to the SABC allegedly demanding some changes, including a reduction in the half-hour episode lengths.

The SABC wants this in order to give the broadcaster's commercial enterprises division that handles ad sales for Generations, more 30-second ad spots inventory to sell during the lucrative 20:00 weekday timeslot on SABC1.

The SABC currently charges around R200 000 per 30-second TV advert during Generations and with the cash-strapped broadcaster looking at increasing revenue where it can, wants to add more commercials in order to squeeze out more income from successful shows on its channels' schedules.

Morula Pictures as a production company will however make less money if the actually delivered story minutes per half-hour episode is reduced and which adds up to multiple hours less Generations - The Legacy on-screen over the course of a year.

Phillip Mabitsela, SABC1 publicist, didn't respond to a media enquiry on Friday. Morula Pictures was asked for comment which will be added if received.

SABC2 cancels Giyani as its first isiXitsonga drama series, replacing it with Lithapo starting in early-2020 as a new Sesotho drama series while thousands of viewers sign petition to keep Giyani on air.

SABC2 has cancelled Giyani as the public broadcaster's first-ever isiXitsonga telenovela after just 8 months despite strong ratings, with no explanation why.

Giyani - Land of Blood was produced by Tshedza Pictures, also responsible for M-Net's The River on 1Magic (DStv 103) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, is over after SABC2 and the producers initially promised a drama series that would "brings to life the ageless themes of love rivalries, forbidden passion, stolen land, and corruption".

Giyani which catered to a Venda and Tsonga audience but had many more watching thanks to subtitling, was set in Limpopo and starred Ndivhuwo Mutsila, Candy Tsa Mandebele and Yvonne Chaka Chaka in her first dramatic role.

Giyani that is ending on 26 November, will be replaced by a new Sesotho series set in Qwaqwa, Lithapo, that will start in early-2020 on SABC2 starring Standiwe Kgoroge, Clementine Mosimane, Seputla Sebogodi and Joyce Skefu.

Giyani pulled 1.974 million viewers during October, making it SABC2's third most watched show just behind Muvhango and 7de Laan, and overall the 39th most watched show on all of South African television for the month.

Dear @GiyaniSABC2 viewers:#GiyaniLandOfBlood is coming to an end on 26 November 2019. As with any telenovela, it was due to end after some time.
SABC2 has lined up another interesting telenovela titled Lithapo - starting January 2020. pic.twitter.com/qhh7cd71XV

— SABC_2 (@SABC_2) November 18, 2019

Furious viewers have started an online petition, simiar to the one DStv subscribers created after MultiChoice announced that it's dropping A+E Networks' History, Lifetime and Crime+Investigation Network channels, after which MultiChoice made a U-turn and kept History and Lifetime.

By Wednesday morning the the petition has topped13 500 signatures and keeps growing.

"This is the only time where Xitsonga drama has been visualised," says the petition, pleading for signatures "to convince the SABC to extend" Giyani.

SABC2 was asked why Giyani was cancelled and the response will be added here if received.


UPDATE Wednesday 20 November 2019  13:20:

SABC2 in a statement in response to the media enquiry as to why Giyani has been cancelled, says that "Due to the nature of telenovela – they have an  ending. They come to an end after a long run.  The same happened with Keeping Score which was followed by Giyani – Land Blood. SABC2 is in production with another brand new telenovela called Lithapo coming to your screens in January 2020, another telenovela to look forward to".

kykNET adds new seasons of two Afrikaans series and a new series to its January 2020 schedule, rolling out Die Byl, Sara se Geheim and Projek Dina.

kykNET that is celebrating its 20th anniversary today will be broadcasting three drama series from January 2020: The second season of Die Byl, the third season of Sara se Geheim, as well as a new missing persons crime drama, Projek Dina.

The second season of Die Byl which was produced in association with MultiChoice’s video streaming service Showmax and that was already made available on it, will start on kykNET (DStv 144) on Sunday, 5 January at 20:00. 

Projek Dina will start on Tuesday 14 January, followed by the third season of Sara se Geheim from Thursday 16 January at 20:00. Each season of the three series will have 13 episodes and be on air until early April 2020.

Die Byl continues the story and investigations of Colonel Piet van der Bijl (Waldemar Schultz), a detective who specialises in catching serial killers. 

Ellie Bonthuys (Barbara Marié Immelman) has bid her days as a sensationalist journalist farewell, and is now a spokesperson for the South African police, while the team’s offices, the interrogation room and the laboratory has undergone a revamp.

Dr Fritz Barnard (Eric Nobbs) has a new assistant, Dr. Shani van Rooi (Trudy van Rooy), and Captain Lena Evans (Lika Berning) has gotten married and is now the mother of a young boy. 

Carien van der Bijl (Rolanda Marais), Byl’s ex-wife, also makes an unexpected appearance. In the second season of Die Byl, once more there is a series of cases, one in every episode, which has to be solved, but this time there are also a few narrative through-lines to keep viewers hooked. 

Byl gets emotionally and physically confronted, with increasing frequency, when his team becomes the target of a series of inexplicable and disturbing events.

Other well-known faces who will feature in the second season of Die Byl include Wilhelm van der Walt, Jody Abrahams, Marlo Minnaar, Jana Kruger, Geon Nel, Marius Weyers, Stiaan Smith, Cintaine Schutte, De Klerk Oelofse, Illse Roos and Denise Newman.

More secrets with Sara
A rebroadcast of the second season of Sara se Geheim will start on kykNET&kie (DStv 145) on Sunday 15 December at 20:00 with the third season, set in Athlone and Durbanville in Cape Town once again returning to the life of Sara Abrahams (June van Merch) who has been keeping a secret for decades in order to save the life of her eldest son (Johan, or rather Johnny).

At  the end of the second season Maggie accidentally shot her son Kelvin (Conway October), and not long before that, Maggie and her sister Lizzie (Qanita Adams) discovered that their mother Sara had been keeping a secret from them for years: Their brother, Johnny (Dawid Minnaar), is alive. 

The third season will continue where the second left off. 

Maggie’s ex, Ricky (Brendon Daniels), has appeared and told her eldest son, Aiden (Marlo Minnar), that he is his real father. 

In the new season Johnny keeps nagging with Sara to let him see his birth certificate, but Sara knows that it is precisely that birth certificate, which holds an even bigger secret. 

Ebert (André Weideman) is in mourning over the death of his wife and feels guilty that he assisted her in committing suicide – to such a degree that he starts losing touch with reality. 

Aiden and Inge (Lize-Marié Richardson) still have feelings for each other, despite the misgivings of their families. But will Aiden be able to focus on a relationship, when his family is on the brink of falling apart.

 The third season will branch out to include Tant Marie’s (Margot Luyt) farm in Stellenbosch, as well as to the Elgin valley for pastor Benjamin (Keeno-Lee Hector) and Lizzie’s honeymoon. 

But will Lizzie be able to enjoy her honeymoon when she finds out that her nephew has been shot? And will Sara survive the news that her daughter shot her grandson? Now she is faced with a massive dilemma – should she protect her child by helping her to hide or should she hand her over to the police?

Other actors making an appearance include Ivan Zimmerman, Roeline Daneel, Stian Bam and Monique Rockman.


Missing persons 
Projek Dina, produced by Penguin Films, revolves around the work of a missing persons crime investigative unit in Cape Town. 

The rapid response task force tries to curb the rapidly growing number of missing persons in South Africa, which is fast becoming a nearly impossible task. 

Viewers will see how three detectives, specially selected by Brigadier Patricia Dlomo, work days and sleepless nights to solve cases. 

Team leader, Captain Deon Visagie (Tim Theron), is a strategist and sleuth by nature. He obsesses over the smallest detail, but his capacity for reading people falls miserably short. He has particular trouble with sergeant Lux Dladla’s (Chumani Pan) approach to detective work, which relies strongly on intuition and the ability to build and utilise a large network of contacts. 

 The task force enlists the help of ’n non-official informant, the talented and efficient hacker, Charlene “Charlie” Botha (Kay Smith). However, even Charlie soon realises that these cases place her in more danger than she ever could have expected.

Deputy Officer Ronel Oosthuizen (Chanelle de Jager) is the one that keeps the team together. She is an honest, hard-working, family-oriented person, but certainly not one to be trifled with. She doesn’t abide trivialities and often gets stuck in the middle when Deon en Lux butt heads, but knows exactly how to handle them. 

She is also the one that dubs the task team “Projek Dina”. 

Other actors in the series are Lee-Ann van Rooi, Jana Kruger, Wilhelm van der Walt, Nadia Valvekens, Pierre van Pletzen, Jane de Wet, Zenobia Kloppers, Crystal-Donna Roberts, Christia Visser, Mila Guy, Neels van Jaarsveld, Paul du Toit, Trix Viviers, Elsabé Daneel, Illse Roos and André Roothman. 

Former Hawks investigator, Marcell van der Watt, as well as Nicky Rheeder and Bianca van Aswegen from Missing Children SA, acted as consultants for the series. 

Projek Dina is inspired by true stories and was developed from the combined knowledge of Van der Watt, Rheeder and Van Aswegen.

MultiChoice boss calls for massive stimulus package for South Africa's film and TV industry as part of 'a national agenda' needed to elevate the local content production biz.

The general entertainment boss of Africa's biggest pay-TV service is calling for a massive stimulus package to be made available for South Africa's TV and film industry to help support local production companies in increasing their output of local films and series and for "a national agenda" to focus on what the local industry wants to achieve.

Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment, was one of the headliner keynote speakers at the 3-day AfricaCom conference taking place in Cape Town, and said that the next African superhero needs to come from an African production studio, and that South Africa needs to tell the story of its 2019 Rugby World Cup victory before foreign actors do it.

In her speech, Yolisa Phahle stressed the urgency and importance of a massive South African stimulus package to support and expand local film and television production in the country.

"I've seen first-hand how economic success is often correlated with a national focus on arts, culture - and in the case of Hollywood and Bollywood - a thriving film and television industry."

"I’ve also seen how in recent times countries like Mexico, Turkey and Scandinavia have made their mark on the international stage with film and television that has found global audiences and brought great economic success."

"As a South African who lives and breathes the African dream, I know that we can also deliver incredible economic benefits because African storytelling can also find a home in the hearts and minds of global audiences," said Yolisa Phahle, using the new M-Net, HBO and German co-production Trackers as an example of what South Africa's film and television industry can produce.

"Trackers, an African story, is written by a South African writer. It features a South African cast, with local production crew and just this series created jobs for more than 1000 people and at the same time attracted millions of rands of foreign investment spent in SA."

"Now imagine 100 productions of this nature across Africa and the power of job creation becomes real. It’s a fantastic example of how we can leverage our collective capabilities – technical, digital and creative - for great success and in so doing, take African stories to the world."

"It’s living proof of what can be done if we leverage the best local talent, the latest film-making techniques and technology, and the abundant great African stories that have been written."

"I know we can do it - and so do the thousands of creatives who work in the industry - but what we need to make this a reality is a national agenda."

"Lebo M who created the music for the Lion King has spoken many times about the economic value lost to Africa as this movie was made by Disney rather than an African studio.  We’ve all seen the power of Black Panther and again, this is an African superhero."

"Let’s make sure that the next African superhero is created by an African studio and that the taxes and revenues flow back to Africa."

"As South Africa revels in the glory of a 2019 Rugby World Cup rugby victory, it’s worth asking: who’s going to tell the Springboks story? Who’s going to bring Siya Kolisi’s phenomenal life journey to the screen?"

"We’d better hope that it’s South Africans and that we don’t have an African American actor twanging his way through the scrum, or Matt Damon playing the role of Faf du Plessis… No disrespect to Invictus or Morgan Freeman or Matt Damon, but surely, it’s time South Africans brought more of their own stories to the world stage and screen?"

"This can only happen if we see consistent and growing involvement in the South African creative arts by government and the private sector in particular," said Yolisa Phahle.

"The biggest and most influential economies in the world all have strong film and television industries. They are a huge part of their national identity and their content travels the world. Film, in my experience, often has more impact on the national psyche than many politicians. Great stories contribute to democracy, to social cohesion, and to personal development."

"A massive stimulus package for the South African film industry would undoubtedly speed up transformation, build our economy, and strengthen the national consciousness at the same time."

MultiChoice adds the CBS Justice and CuriosityStream channels; returns euronews to Southern Africa.

MultiChoice is adding two further TV channels to DStv including CBS Justice and CuriosityStream and is returning the TV news euronews.

As a crime channel CBS Justice (DStv 170) will replace A+E Networks UK's Crime+Investigation Network and joins the existing channels set supplied by AMC Networks International UK (AMCNI) and CBS Studios International.

CuriosityStream (DStv 185), launched by John Hendricks who was the founder of the Discovery Channel, is a factual entertainment channel.

euronews (DStv 414) which used to be on DStv and was re-added in sub-Saharan Africa outside of Southern Africa after it was removed a few years ago, is being returned for DStv subscribers in South Africa and Southern Africa.

The three channels will become available from 21 November.

"We're thrilled to finally announce the launch of these channels that will expand the line-up of new programming for our DStv customers to enjoy," says Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice CEO of general entertainment.

"CuriosityStream will give our viewers informative entertainment that the family can enjoy together and it’s with great pride that we are able to launch CBS Justice, a new true crime channel which is part of the CBS AMC Networks EMEA portfolio of channels."

"We’re also delighted to expand our viewers' choice of news and actuality programming with euronews."

CuriosityStream has factual programming including original and exclusive films and series, with titles ranging from Deep Time History, The History of Food, Age of Big Cats and Breakthrough .

"CuriosityStream is thrilled to premiere on DStv, collaborating with MultiChoice as our inaugural bundled distribution partner in Africa," says Clint Stinchcomb, president and CEO of CuriosityStream. "Viewers are hungry for high-quality, engaging and entertaining factual shows and CuriosityStream is proud to offer our channel to this important media market."

CBS Justice will feature a curated selection of original and acquired programming. CBS Justice will become available with original productions like The Real Prime Suspect, Donal MacIntyre’s Murder Files, Secrets of a Psychopath, Evidence of Evil; and acquisitions Cold Justice, Fame Kills and Stalker!.

Crime experts include Jackie Malton (The Real Prime Suspect), the real-life inspiration behind Helen Mirren’s character in the award-winning UK drama Prime Suspect, and undercover investigative journalist and professor of criminology, Donal MacIntyre (Donal MacIntyre’s Murder Files).

"This new launch highlights the growing demand for true crime content in the region, and we are thrilled to offer MultiChoice’s DStv customers exclusive access to authentic documentaries and series for the first time on CBS Justice," says Louise Cottrell, senior vice president, affiliate partnerships for AMCNI UK.

"CBS Justice joins a lineup of our other popular brands that continue to deliver value and high-quality entertainment. We are looking forward to strengthening our partnership with MultiChoice in the years ahead."

euronews will become available to DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers in Southern Africa.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with DStv to reach even more households on the African continent," says Carolyn Gibson, chief revenue officer at euronews.