by Thinus Ferreira
TVwithThinus can reveal that the TV programmer Tracy-Ann van Rooyen has exited MultiChoice and M-Net and is jumping to The Walt Disney Company Africa where she is taking up the role of senior programmer and scheduler for the Mouse House's television networks in South Africa and across the African continent. from July.
As a respected and influential TV programming topper Tracy-Ann van Rooyen has been the head of acquisitions and scheduling for M-Net and related M-Net channels like VUZU and M-Net City across DStv for 4 years, before which she was the head of programming for M-Net's local entertainment channels since August 2013.
Before that Tracy-Ann van Rooyen worked at EndemolShine for 5 years as an assistant producer and then producer since November 2007, before which she was also a promo producer at Clearwater since 2003, and a producer and director at FremantleMedia since April 2005.
At M-Net, the highly-informed and jovial executive always struck a convivial tone with the media during upfronts and content presentations, often entertaining, informing, educating and regaling TV critics and the press covering television with witty comments and remarks about shows and sharing witty anecdotes and behind-the-scenes insider takes about American series.
At Disney, Tracy-Ann van Rooyen will report directly in to Christine Service, senior vice president and general manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa.
In her new role, Tracy-Ann van Rooyen will oversee and contribute to the scheduling and programming - especially locally-produced content - for The Walt Disney Company Africa's collection of pay-TV channels available in South Africa and across Africa, namely The Disney Channel, Disney Junior, ESPN, FOX, National Geographic and Nat Geo WILD.
With Disney's video streaming service, Disney+, that Disney has not yet decided to launch in South Africa or sub-Saharan Africa, Tracy-Ann van Rooyen will undoubtedly be tasked with shaping some of the longterm strategic direction in terms of how and which of the channels within the Disney networks fold to keep strong and vitalised as linear pay-TV channels within the Africa market, as Disney prepares to shutter over 100 of its channels internationally just this year.
Tracy-Ann van Rooyen will be taking up her new Disney television executive role from July 2021 with no word yet from M-Net as to who is replacing her role there or stepping in within an acting capacity in the scheduling and acquisition position.
"We can confirm that Tracy-Ann
van Rooyen has been appointed as senior manager, programming and scheduling at
The Walt Disney Company Africa," a Disney Africa spokesperson told TVwithThinus on Monday in response to a media enquiry.
