by Thinus Ferreira
MultiChoice is adding Qwest TV as a music channel while StarTimes is adding Kartoon Channel! as a kids channel, as the first two pay-TV channel additions for 2023 to DStv and StarSat.
Quincy Jones' Qwest TV will launch on 20 January on MultiChoice on DStv channel 330, with the channel which will be available to all DStv subscribers in South Africa and 43 other African countries.
Qwest TV which started in 2017, shows concerts from legendary artists as well as upcoming stars from across the world, as well as music documentaries and interviews with artists. The channel says it plans to bring "genre-agnostic musical content to the African continent".
Reza Ackbaraly, Qwest TV CEO, says "We are elated to be part of the MultiChoice family and to launch Qwest TV to the
African market. We are expanding our mission to offer high-end music to
everyone."
Georginah Machiridza, MultiChoice head of general entertainment channels, says that "whilst our audiences are driven by an appetite for
homegrown content, we also complement it with the best in international
content. To this end, we work with a selection of partners to ensure a
comprehensive one-stop shop for our customers. Our partnership with Qwest TV is
one we are thrilled about, and we cannot wait for our DStv customers to
experience it".
Meanwhile, China's StarTimes pay-TV operator in Africa is adding the Kartoon Channel! from Genius Brands to the channel line-up of StarSat in South Africa and 46 other African countries from the end of January.
Kartoon Channel! will be available to StarTimes and StarSat subscribers on the basic tier, with kids shows like Genius Brands Originals like Stan Lee's Superhero Kindergarten, Rainbow Rangers, Thomas Edison's Secret Lab and Llama Llama.
Over weekends Kartoon Channel! will broadcast family-friendly films like Stan Lee's Mighty 7, Ella Bella Bingo, Toys & Pets and Boonie Bears.
