Cape Town Television (CTV) makes shocking revelations to the broadcasting regulator about how all of South Africa's community TV stations are dependent on money from the pay-TV giant, MultiChoice, for their survival.

Cape Town TV (CTV) is shocking South Africa's TV industry in a submission to the broadcasting regulator, with eye-popping revelations about the degree to which community TV stations have all become dependent for their live blood on feeding off of MultiChoice for its financial survival, including channel carriage for ratings and infrastructure support.

And they're desperate for more.

Community TV channels in South Africa are battling a persistent existential crisis and they want the broadcasting regulator to create and introduce fixed formal rules to ensure that MultiChoice will support and give money to the community TV stations.

The Cape Town community TV channel, in its written submission to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) detailed the extend to which community TV stations, supposed to serve and be sustained by their respective city and regional viewers, have in a sense become dotted little MultiChoice TV outposts across the country - community channels that are not supposed to be commercialised, but getting money from a pay-TV business.

Community TV stations are now heavily dependent on the Naspers pay-TV giant for literally millions in financial support and infrastructure upgrades - and they gladly take it just to survive.

It does however raise serious questions about the degree to which community television stations in South Africa are really independent, and able to function independently, when their financial positions and operational existence is so largely tied to MultiChoice pumping millions of rand into these stations - as well as dictating terms in some stifling contract stipulations that their audiences are blissfully unaware of.

Icasa on Monday started a week-long session of oral hearings in Johannesburg as part of a yet another new inquiry by the regulator about subscription television broadcasting services, or in layman's terms "pay-TV" in South Africa.

Icasa wants to try and find out how to possibly better regulate South Africa's pay-TV industry where Naspers' MultiChoice, although not enjoying a monopoly, dominates the market with its DStv satellite pay-TV service with brands like SuperSport and M-Net that have the cash and willingness to scoop up premium international entertainment and local and international sports rights, often with exclusive licensing and broadcasting window contracts.

Icasa already received written presentations from the SABC, South African Rugby, South African Cricket, e.tv, the Premier Soccer League (PSL), Econet Media's Kwese TV, Vodacom, MTV, Liquid Telecom, the Association of Community TV in South Africa (ACT-SA), Cape Town TV (CTV), Deukom, Cell C, Telkom, as well as a joint submission by the Support Public Broadcasting (SOS Coalition) and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA).

Several of these current and wannabe broadcasting sphere players as well as organisations are also be making oral presentations throughout this week.

CTV written submission - deliberately or unintentionally - rips the veil off of the extremely precarious position that community TV in South Africa finds itself in.

The submission paints a picture of just how horrifically bad and tenuous the existence of community TV channels are and who are to a large (and unhealthy) degree dependent on not just money from MultiChoice, but also infrastructure help and to lift ratings and increase audience reach through channel carriage.


Community TV in SA no longer able to survive without DStv

CTV that began broadcasting in September 2008 and has been carried on DStv since 2012, says in its submission that "all of the licensed community TV channels in South Africa are carried on MultiChoice's DStv platform and rely on this carriage to sustain their audience numbers".

"Carriage on national pay-TV platforms is essential to the survival of the community TV channels in the current broadcasting environment and consequently there must be a 'must carry, must pay' obligation on MultiChoice to carry community channels."

The irony is this: While community TV stations are supposed to broadcast to their communities in cities and provinces, because of their channels' carriage on MultiChoice, the majority audience share of community TV stations is on DStv.

It means that people watch community TV channels not through terrestrial TV means but as a channel through and on DStv.

"Unfortunately DStv has been allowed to become so dominant in South Africa today, that it is simply not possible for free-to-air broadcasters to survive on free-to-air distribution alone," says CTV.


Community TV channels being on DStv 'essential to their survival'
In shocking viewership figures, CTV's submission includes ratings data from January 2017, showing just how many DStv subscribers are watching community TV channels not on a free-to-air basis, but on DStv.


January 2017
Channel                         BayTV       Cape Town TV   Soweto TV    Tshwane TV    1KZN TV
National (all platforms)  2 836 029      2 723 684             6 587 924         2 902 519          3 832 200
DStv                                    2 696 806       2 188 519             4 168 855         2 520 315          3 489 094
Free-to-air                              139 223         535 165              2 419 069            382 204             343 106
Percentage DStv                 95.5%              80.35%               63.28%             86.83%          91.05%


It clearly shows that all community TV stations in South Africa gained the majority of their viewership from their presence on MultiChoice's DStv. Some channels have over 90% of their audience solely on, and coming from, DStv.

"It is important to note that in this context, the presence of community channels on the national platform provided by DStv is essential to their survival," says CTV in its submission.


MultiChoice's infrastructure help

CTV says "MultiChoice has been spending large amounts of money on building infrastructure for the community channels, although this spend has been uneven and some channels have benefited more than others".

CTV reveals in its submission that MultiChoice's spending spree on community TV channels kicked off in 2014 when Naspers' pay-TV operator gave R5 million for the construction of a Final Control Centre for Bay TV in Port Elizabeth when that channel was still licensed as a free-to-air community channel.

"Bay TV subsequently lost its terrestrial broadcast licence and is now carried only on DStv," says CTV.

"MultiChoice has also invested heavily in Zallywood's Tshwane TV and 1KZN TV; we do not know the extent of its involvement with Soweto TV."

"MultiChoice has also donated equipment and is funding the development of studio and broadcasting infrastructure at Cape Town TV; and MultiChoice pays for the fibre link which carries Cape Town TV's broadcast signal to Johannesburg for ingest and broadcast on the DStv platform."

MultiChoice has also given its Diski Challenge soccer matches to community broadcasters unders its corporate social investment (CSI) banner with community TV channels that are allowed to broadcast these matches if they want, at their own discretion.


MultiChoice's carriage contract for CTV has limiting stipulations

CTV reveals in its submission to Icasa that from 2012 to 2017 the contract between MultiChoice and Cape Town TV carried a clause which prevented CTV from being carried on any other pay-TV platform, like for instance StarSat as a community TV station.

CTV says it "was forced to accede to this provision because it would not be viable for it to lose its DStv audience while the other pay-TV providers occupied such a miniscule segment of the market".

Cape Town TV says that it is in the process of negotiating a new contract with MultiChoice, with MultiChoice that has "offered terms" such as "deletion of the exclusivity clause which prevented carriage of Cape Town TV on other pay-TV platforms".

This two-sided sword however, comes with another downside.

CTV says MultiChoice would then as (b) prohibit CTV from "from advertising that it is carried on other pay-TV or any digital, online platform, should it be so carried, on the DStv platform; (c) that MultiChoice will pay Cape Town TV an annual fee of R1 million for its carriage on the DStv platform; and (d) MultiChoice will also pay for the fibre link that carries the Cape Town TV signal from Cape Town to Johannesburg".

CTV told Icasa that "Cape Town TV believes that point (b) will have negative consequences for its ability to trade in the online space and is consequently arguing that this clause be altered to allow for cross-channel advertising."


CTV: MultiChoice must pay community TV - and it should be enforced

CTV says that "in addition to the above negotiations around contractual arrangements between MultiChoice and Cape Town TV, MultiChoice has indicated that it intends to standardise its contributions to community television channels".

"We assume that this means that MultiChoice will spend equal amounts on all of the community channels that it carries."

"The above-mentioned interactions indicate that MultiChoice is both carrying SA's community channels on its DStv platform and paying and/or supporting them through financial and other contributions."

"We believe this is overall a positive feature of the broadcast environment; however this support is purely at the discretion of MultiChoice and we believe that regulatory enforcement of this situation by ICASA will secure the sustainability of the community channels going forward."

CTV says "with regard to monetary contributions from MultiChoice to the community channels, we believe this should be independently regulated by Icasa and not left to the discretion of MultiChoice".

"Icasa should arrive at a formula for calculating the amount which DStv pays to community channels in exchange for their carriage on the platform, their concomitant appeal to audiences on this platform and their promotion of the DStv platform on the community channels, together with MultiChoice's CSI obligations."


Concerns over possible pay-community TV

CTV tells Icasa that it is worried over the Association of Community TV South Africa (ACT-SA) that  supports the possible introduction of pay-community TV stations in South Africa and that such a thing would "commercialise" the community TV sector even more.

"It's concerning that ACT-SA called for the licensing of subscription community television services which would be 'provided through satellite, cable or any other technology'. We believe that this aspect of the ACT-SA submission is aimed not only at further commercialising the sector, but that it refers to the initiation of commercial local channels on DStv which compete directly in this same space with the free-to-air community channels."

"This is occurring through the channel authorisation procedure whereby Icasa is called upon to authorise new channels on the pay-TV platforms."

"A case in point is that of Gau-TV, a channel owned by the Zallywood company that runs Tshwane TV, and which competes directly with Soweto TV," says CTV.

CTV says "ICASA must pay more attention to its channel authorisation process with a view to minimizing unfair competition between local channels on DStv".


ALSO READ: e.tv warns South Africa's broadcasting regulator, Icasa, that the free-to-air broadcasting sector in the country is under threat and needs urgent protection as a new inquiry into SA's pay-TV market kicks off.

A MIND-BOGGLING CLUSTER. How South African viewers got to see the Joshua/Klitschko boxing match - and the losers and winners of this intricate sports rights bout unpacked.

It was a title fight, it was international sport, it was knock-out, must-see TV - and in South Africa viewers saw it on a channel starting with a capital "S".

No, not SuperSport but two small community TV stations called SowetoTV and 1KZN.

A very interesting part of the story of the incredible and utterly electrifying Saturday night boxing match between Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko at England's national stadium was how South Africans thankfully got to see it while DStv subscribers across the rest of Africa didn't.

Cue the increasingly getting crazier sports broadcasting rights battles.

With SuperSport not having the rights to the boxing match of the year so far, DStv subscribers across Africa vented their shock and anger at MultiChoice and SuperSport on Saturday night after not being able to see the Joshua Klitschko match up.

The same almost happened to South African viewers and DStv subscribers - were it not for an utterly insane South African television first that has never happened before and which still seems so complicated and completely impossible, that it's hard to believe it really happened this way.

Follow the sheer incredulous insanity:

It turns out that two small South African (1) community TV channels somehow managed to acquire the broadcasting rights to the Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko fight from a (2) pay-TV provider competing against MultiChoice and SuperSport.

As if this wasn't eye-popping enough, this content then ended up showing on, and viewers seeing it, not on one but (3) two other competing pay-TV providers since the community channels have national carriage agreements with both.

In short:

Kagiso Media that runs community TV channels like SowetoTV and 1KZN somehow acquired the Joshua/Klitschko fight from Kwesé Sports. That then ended up being seen by viewers on DStv - but not on SuperSport - and also on StarSat, since StarSat also carries 1KZN.

Talk about the most epic cluster get-together "huh?" you've probably ever seen when it comes to sports rights in South Africa.

Of course neither Kagiso Media, SowetoTV, 1KZN, MultiChoice or StarSat issued any press release beforehand or any programming advisory to the media about the fight, that it will be shown, or where viewers and their pay-TV subscribers would be able to see it and what time.

A lot of quite random things conspired to make the Joshua/Klitschko fight broadcast in South Africa worthy of an academic dissertation when it comes to the broadcasting industry and sports rights.

Kwesé and MultiChoice are competing rivals as are Kwesé Sports and SuperSport. Under normal circumstances the Joshua/Klitschko bout that wasn't on SuperSport, shouldn't even have been seen on DStv at all.

Did Kwesé even know or do due diligence and its homework to know that the small community TV stations run by Kagiso Media it sold the boxing match rights to, is also carried on both DStv and on StarSat?

In South Africa, Econet Media and its Kwesé Sports turns out to be the biggest loser in the biggest heavyweight fight in British history, with SuperSport as the smaller loser.

But, besides Anthony Joshua as the biggest winner, there's several other big winners:

The first biggest winner is the South African viewer, getting to see a great boxing match they really in a sense shouldn't have seen, technically.

On another differentiator, when it comes to pay-TV viewers, lower-tiered subscribers on both DStv and StarSat also got access to premium upper-tier content that they won't normally have access to - another win for viewers..

The second really big winner is SowetoTV and 1KZN. SowetoTV especially got glowing praise from viewers.

Not only did SowetoTV, displaying the KFS LIVE (Kwese Free Sports) content marker in the screen corner, lure stacks of viewers (which will translate into a huge ratings bump), but those viewers also had huge positive things to say about Soweto TV.

Besides getting many first-time viewers to sample the channel - of which undoubtedly some will return - the premium content and premium sports content also gave Soweto TV (and to a smaller extent 1KZN) more brand prominence and prestige.

This was true content marketing where the acquired content marketed itself, and by proxy Soweto TV, driving viewers and sports viewers to SowetoTV.

The third winner is MultiChoice. Although the very big boxing match wasn't on SuperSport, it was still on DStv and accessible through DStv.

Although on two lesser tuned-to DStv channels, DStv still had it and showed it - it was just an issue of viewers having to flip through mostly unknown channel numbers and uncharted channel territory to find it.

The fourth winner is On Digital Media (ODM) and StarTimes Media South Africa's StarSat.

StarSat coasting in the wake like a remora next to a shark, did utterly nothing to deserve it but since it has 1KZN on its channels line-up as part of a channel carriage deal, all StarSat subscribers that wanted to, also got the ability to see the Joshua/Klitschko fight.

StarSat however didn't lift as much as a finger to get the opportunity to show this premium TV sports event, but got to bask in the knock-on effect spoils.

South African terrestrial and pay-TV viewers should be glad that (a) SowetoTV and 1KZN managed to get the rights and (b) that these channels happened to be carried nationally on MultiChoice's DStv, and also on StarSat.

One last interesting observation: The sad SABC that's basically given up on securing sports rights for almost anything and StarSat both continue to complain bitterly that sports rights are tied up exclusively by MultiChoice and SuperSport and that they can't make any inroads.

Total bullshit. A small community TV station managed to do better, and to outdo both the bedlam South African public broadcaster and StarSat.

Crazy as it sounds, SowetoTV just proved in its knockout Joshua/Klitschko acquisition, that it is possible to get certain big, premium sports rights.

BREAKING. Community television in South Africa takes a giant leap forward, forms new Association of Community Television South Africa.

The growing community television sector in South Africa is taking a giant leap forward with the formation of a new association, the Association of Community Television South Africa, which will be known as ACTSA and will represent the interest of community television and community TV stations in South Africa.

All of the existing community television licensees in South Africa - Soweto TV, Cape Town TV (CTV), Bay TV, One KZN (1KZN), Tshwane TV, North West TV and Bara TV - have signed a joint memorandum of understanding to create the Association of Community Television South Africa which will act to protect and promote, support and canvass for the community television sector in the country.

ACTSA will lobby for the community television sector in South Africa - under threat from a litany of challenges ranging from high signal distribution fees, undue influence and take-over threats from big corporate conglomerates, a lack of skilled personnel and training issues, soaring programming costs and even massive upcoming frequency disruption and viewer confusion as South Africa transitions from an analogue to a digital broadcasting space where community stations have to vacate their analogue frequencies and hope that viewers will be able to find them again.

Then there is also the South African government's interference. The government has started talk about the possible "regionalisation" of community television in South Africa to "provincial level" - something community TV stations don't want or need.

The government also wants to change the law to give the department of communication sweeping powers to appoint the boards of community television stations in South Africa - something else community TV stations are opposed to.

ACTSA will try and help with programme syndication, content exchange, the maximising of possible commercial opportunities as well as training and capacity building between community TV stations in the country.

ACTSA has elected an interim steering committee led by Motse Mfuleni from Bay TV as the chairperson, Karen Thorne from CTV as the deputy chairperson and Colin MacKenzie from Tshwane TV as the general secretary.

"ACTSA will make an important contribution to building media diversity and development in South Africa," says Motse Mfuleni. "Now we as the community television sector have a body that provides support and guidance for community TV stations and we are able to address our issues with one voice representing all the stakeholders in the sector."

ACTSA says all community TV stations joining the association have agreed to "a range of common values". These include a people-centered rather than a profit-driven approach to broadcasting, editorial and fiduciary independence, freedom of speech and community participation.

ACTSA will formulate a charter to help guide the activities of South Africa's community television sector which will include issues such as the mandate of community television in the country, programming, revenue streams and distribution platforms, governance, ownership and control and licensing categories.

Community TV station 1KZN to now remain on TopTV 'indefinitely'; therefore available on both DStv and TopTV.

You're reading it here first. 

An interesting development is that the KwaZulu-Natal based community TV station, 1KZN, will now remain on the struggling TopTV pay-TV provider's channel line-up "indefinitely", meaning that 1KZN is available on both TopTV as well as DStv.

MultiChoice added 1KZN from 13 November to its own DStv channel line-up.

1KZN then told me that the communtity TV station will no longer be available on TopTV from the end of November.

1KZN now tells me that 1KZN "will remain op TopTV on channel 187 indefinitely and will therefore be seen on both DStv channel 261 and TopTV".

The community TV station which started broadcasting last year from the Richards Bay area didn't respond to a follow-up media enquiry as to why 1KZN originally would have left TopTV and now remains available.

1KZN's dual availability makes it one of a limited number of TV channels seen in South Africa on both TopTV and DStv and included on both platforms, such as BBC World News (strikingly available on channel 400 on both services), Al Jazeera, FashionTV and TLC besides the must-carry public channels of the SABC and then e.tv.

BREAKING. TopTV loses another TV channel as 1KZN leaves TopTV at the end of November and will be jumping exclusively to DStv.

You're reading it here first. 

Sources have told me and I can exclusively spill, that TopTV is losing yet another TV channel, this time 1KZN (TopTV 187) which will no longer be available on On Digital Media's (ODM) TopTV from the end of November.

1KZN, the community TV station near Richards Bay which started broadcasting in July last year for the KwaZulu/Natal community and which TopTV quietly added to their bouquet in September last year, will no longer be seen on TopTV.

A year later than business relationship has fizzed out and is over with Urban Brew Studios which helped to get 1KZN from TopTV to DStv.

As DStv is adding 1KZN from 13 November as a community TV channel, it does not mean that 1KZN would simply have been available on both DStv and TopTV. 1KZN is jumping exclusively to DStv, according to my sources.

1KZN will henceforth be available on MultiChoice's DStv Premium, DStv Compact and DStv Lite bouquets on channel 261.

"This is indeed a milestone to be celebrated," says Themba Fakazi, the executive chairman of the 1KZNTV board, who makes no mention in a press statement that 1KZN is leaving TopTV.

"The inclusion on DStv also offers an exciting opportunity to reflect the diversity and inclusivity of the people of KwaZulu/Natal."

Edwin Mncwango, executive director says that "being on DStv gives 1KZN the unique opportunity to grow as a station and to provide the young and local talent in KwaZulu/Natal the national exposure they deserve."

"Except for better reception for local viewers, the inclusion of 1KZN on DStv allows people in other parts of the country with roots in KwaZulu/Natal to stay in touch with what's happening in their home province."

1KZN says that the community TV station's programming will remain aimed at and be created by the community of KwaZulu/Natal and will continue to remain relevant and local in focus. 1KZN will also continue to broadcast free-to-air in the Richards Bay area and the surrounding communities in the districts of iLembe, Uthungulu, Zululand and uMkhanyakude.

BREAKING. MultiChoice adds kykNET Musiek, Mzansi Music, Blackbelt TV as new channels and adding the community TV stations BayTV, 1KZN and Dumisa.

Exactly as I said would happen on 13 November, MultiChoice is adding the new channel kykNET Musiek (DStv 146) to DStv. DStv is also adding Mzansi Music (DStv 321), Blackbelt TV (DStv 129) as a martial arts channel and the community television stations BayTV (DStv 260), 1KZN (DStv 261) and Dumisa (DStv 340).

These will all be channels for DStv Premium and DStv Compact subscribers and will become available on 13 November at 10:00. In Addition Nat Geo Wild (DStv 182) will now also be made available on the DSTv Compact bouquet.

"We are excited with these new additions," says Collins Khumalo, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa in a statement. "We believe they will add more value to our packages and give our customers more variety in entertainment."

"The addition of the three community television stations and the two additional music channels aims to provide our customers with a rich diversity of local content and forms part of our ongoing support of the development of the local television industry."

BayTV in Port Elizabeth the latest bright beacon in the suddenly vibrant, fast-growing community television sector in South Africa.

BayTV, the first community television station in Port Elizabeth which launched in October last year, is quickly becoming yet another successful community TV venture and another new community TV station that just started with the help of a management contract from Urban Brew Studios.

BayTV, broadcasting to the wider Nelson Mandela Bay metropole and surrounding areas in the Eastern Cape province from its production studio inside the old Nedbank building in Port Elizabeth's Chapel Street can be seen by terrestrial viewers as far Uitenhage, Bethelsdorp, Despatch, Ibhayi, KwaNobuhle, Motherwell and the wider Port Elizabeth.

The broadcasting launch of BayTV in October follows the successful launch of SowetoTV (DStv 150) now broadcasting to Soweto and as far as Pretoria, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging and Sasolburg, as well as the launch last year of 1KZN (TopTV 187) based in Richards Bay and broadcasting to the wider Uthungulu and iLembe districts in the KwaZulu-Natal province.

Both SowetoTV and 1KZN - which gets management assistance from Urban Brew Studios (with its shareholder Kagiso Media) in the form of management contracts - have carriage agreements with South African pay TV operators, giving these community TV channels national reach and making viewership possible to South Africans living outside of the actual terrestrial broadcasting area of these new channels.

Thanks to Urban Brew Studios' help and professional production underpinnings, both SowetoTV and 1KZN have remarkably high production values. SowetoTV's daily news bulletin is incredibly impressive for what a daily community television news broadcast can and is supposed to be. All these things are clearly heralding a sea change coming to South Africa's suddenly fast-expanding, and now vibrant, community television sector.

CTV, Cape Town's community TV station which is somewhat trundling along (and which doesn't have a larger management contract with a major South African production company like Urban Brew Studios) in the way that BayTV and the other have - also don't have similar carriage agreements with pay TV operators in place (yet). However the growth in community television stations in South Africa - especially aided by the management oversight roll-out model aggressively followed by Urban Brew Studios, seems to be working well. Independent South African community TV stations, helped by a production company like Urban Brew lending expertise and assistance, is clearing yielding dividends in creating strong, and brand-new localised terrestrial television options for viewers.

In just three months since the channel launched, BayTV has become a media magnet for young producers, presenters and media graduates around the Eastern Cape. Besides giving viewers a new TV option, the station, just like its successful counterparts elsewhere in South Africa, is allowing a new entry point to the country's TV industry and production sector - much-needed opportunities which otherwise would not have, and until now simply haven't, existed.

BayTV, with station manager Bronwyn Jacobs, has a range of shows. Like it's community television counterparts, BayTV is clearly focused on not trying to compete with the SABC, e.tv and other big national broadcasters, but bringing viewers niche content, tailor-made for their regional audience. And that's where all these community TV upstarts are suddenly finding great success - and winning new viewers. BayTV's content is a mix of local content, educational youth programming, news, and a smattering of international programming and music.

BayTV's schedule is an 8 hour programming block, with two repeat cycles to create 24 hours of programming. BayTV's premiere block starts at 16:00 daily, running until midnight and the channel broadcast in English, Xhosa and Afrikaans.

Local content consists of programme such as Big1Up (a daily youth show dedicated to a specific theme like''Girl Talk'' or ''Boy Talk'')and the Today Show (its current affairs show covering business, investments and the sport, lifestyle and events stories happening in and around Port Elizabeth). Then there is WeRLoud, a show aimed at 18 to 40 year olds covering ''everything that matters'' and even sporting BayTV's own music chart.

BayTV, joining the likes of CTV, SowetoTV and 1KZN, is a welcome and clearly strong addition to a suddenly growing group of community TV broadcasters in South Africa who are fast making their mark - and viewership inroads - that's been long neglected within South Africa's TV industry.

BREAKING. 1KZN community TV station on being added to TopTV: 'The whole of South Africa will now be able to enjoy our programming.'

You're reading it here first.

After silence from 1KZN and TopTV since the addition of the 1KZN community television station to TopTV's platform this past weekend, 1KZN has responded to media enquiries with a press release.

''KwaZulu-Natal community television station 1KZN was added to the satellite broadcaster TopTV's offering on 2 September 2011,'' says Edwin Mncwango, 1KZN station manager. ''As a community station we want to provide the content and insights to unite the people of KwaZulu-Natal. Now we are able to do so, as people from across the country with roots in KwaZulu-Natal can stay in touch and in tune with what's going on back home.''

''The inclusion in the TopTV offering also allows 1KZN to showcase the wonders of the province and its culture to people who might not have the opportunity to visit the province. And of course the whole of South Africa will now be able to sample and enjoy our dynamic and relevant programming,'' says Edwin Mncwango.

''In July 1KZN was awarded a seven-year class licence by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa). For the fledgling station to be included on the TopTV satellite bouquet a few months later is a great honour and a huge opportunity.''

TOLDJA! TopTV quietly adds the 1KZN community TV channel to its bouquet over the weekend.

TopTV didn't want to tell the press or the South African TV industry that it's quietly added the months old community TV channel 1KZN which is now running on channel 187.

I wrote RIGHT HERE in early July that 1KZN started broadcasting in Richards Bay and that there's talks between TopTV and Urban Brew Studios to add 1KZN to TopTV's bouquet.

Now 1KZN has been quietly added this weekend, but TopTV is keeping silent and didn't do anything to announce the new 1KZN channel addition, or inform the press or the industry beforehand that the channel negotiation was successful and that it will be added to the platform.

1KZN is running on channel 187 but the signal is distorted at times. 1KZN broadcasts for 6 hours per day (repeated in 4 broadcast blocks over the course of a 24 hour day) in the Uthungulu and iLembe districts in the KwaZulu-Natal province.

TopTV not announcing the addition of the channel to the press must mean that TopTV executives didn't communicate the coming channel addition to the marketing and publicity team, or that the 1KZN channel addition is not considered worth mentioning, or that somebody is maybe not doing their work and failed to issue an advisory, alert or release. 

BREAKING. 1KZN launches in Richards Bay as South Africa's latest community TV station; looking to join TopTV as a new channel.

1KZN (previously known as Bay TV) is the latest South African community TV station that's on the air after 1KZN started broadcasting in Richards Bay after having received a seven year community TV broadcasting license from the regulator, the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa (Icasa).

Talks are underway between Urban Brew Studios, 1KZN and On Digital Media (ODM) for 1KZN to join TopTV as a brand new TV channel but this is awaiting further regulatory approval by Icasa which will take further time.

While SowetoTV (DStv 150) is doing very well and last month extended its broadcasting footprint in Gauteng (the station now has an annual turnover of R30 million) and is available on MultiChoice's DStv platform, Cape Town's CTV community TV station is trundling along and is not available on either DStv or TopTV.

1KZN that might join TopTV is now broadcasting free-to-air for 6 hours per day (repeated in 4 broadcast blocks over the course of a 24 hour day) since this past Friday in the Uthungulu and iLembe districts in the KwaZulu-Natal province. 1KZN is primarily run by 46 students with Edwin Mncwango as 1KZN station manager and Gideon Eksteen as executive producer.

Urban Brew Studios with its shareholder Kagiso Media that's heavily involved in supporting SowetoTV is also a backer behind 1KZN. (Urban Brew also produce and run the gospel TV channel, ONE Gospel on DStv 331, for MultiChoice.) It's clear that Urban Brew Studios is seeing community television in South Africa as a new niche market, and could possibly be looking at establishing a network of community television stations across South Africa that would make ''bulk buying'' of commercial TV airtime on community television stations an attractive new option to potential advertisers who would be able to speak to specific communities and demographics but still give advertisers national reach.

1KZN has a female talk show and a youth talk show, a gospel music show, the Ezabantwana kids show and Sibahle, a show that deals with woman's issues and covers topics such as health and beauty. 1KZN will have news - mainly local news and information relevant to the community - at 19:00 and 22:00, similar to what SowetoTV does.

''Being the only community television station in KwaZulu-Natal is a real privilege,'' says Edwin Mncwango as 1KZN station manager. ''1KZN will deliver the relevant TV programming the community deserves,'' he says. An internship programme will be started as well where people from the community as well as students from institutions like the University of Zululand will have the opportunity to get on-the-job training at 1KZN. ''The transfer of skills, resources and expertise will benefit community television in the broader South African landscape,'' says Themba Fakazi, 1KZN chairperson.