StarSat axes Afrikaans channels MYtv and OnseTV after 13 years, says it failed to penetrate Afrikaans pay-TV market with enough scale.

by Thinus Ferreira

StarTimes Media has decided to axe its set of Afrikaans TV channels on its StarSat satellite pay-TV service after 13 years, with MYtv - previously branded as ASTV - and OnseTV which has been running for the past five years, both getting terminated at the end of the month and with the Christian channel InPasTV already off air.

StarSat told TVwithThinus in response to a media query that its "Afrikaans-speaking subscriber base is minuscule - less than 2% - the vast majority of our customers (95% or more) use indigenous African language, primarily Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Pedi, Shangaan) as preferred medium of communication".

StarSat says MYtv and OnseTV were on a fixed-term basis contract, expiring at the end of September

"From a strategic perspective in order for StarSat to develop competitive edge in an increasingly crowded media and entertainment space, we are compelled to re-position the business as preferred destination for TV entertainment options in South Africa in indigenous languages not adequately catered for by mainstream competitors."

"Local content production for linear TV is costly and this cost is rising each year. In order to manage cost in a hyper-competitive, unregulated pay-TV environment, we have had to steadily shift our procurement focus away from 3rd party content provision, to a more internally focused content production capability."

"In this regard, we focus are developing strategic capability in areas of; content adaption, dubbing, sub-titling supported by innovative low-cost commissioning of unique programme formats that appeal to the vast majority of indigenous African language StarSat viewers."

StarSat says "In recent time, we have witnessed the launch of several new Afrikaans channels by linear operators and new streaming initiatives. The Afrikaans market has become a highly contested one, supported by cost-intensive investment by the more 'resourced' media players in South Africa".

"Starsat has attempted to pre-emptively challenge such competitor actions with launch of MyTV and OnseTV, and despite best effort our challenge to penetrate the Afrikaans market at scale has not proven very successful."

"We have thus opted to re-align our focus to niche African language groups as first priority. This does not preclude the future possibility of re-entry into Afrikaans community, but for now we have to prioritize deployment of scarce resources to cater for the culturally specific entertainment need of majority of our customer base." 

MYtv, run from Rustenburg, launched as ASTV 13 years ago and was heralded as a competitor for M-Net's set of kykNET channels on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform. ASTV was added to StarSat, then known as TopTV, in October 2009. 

Due to TopTV and StarSat's much smaller subscriber base and limited programming schedule comprising mostly advertiser-funded shows, ASTV and MYtv never gained the cultural prominence or audience scale that kykNET achieved.

The OnseTV channel was added to StarSat in September 2017, aimed at South Africa's Afrikaans-speaking coloured audience, with ASTV which was also available for a few years on eMedia's Openview free-to-air satellite TV service before that contract was terminated.

MYtv says it got no reason for the upcoming termination of its TV channels on StarSat from StarTimes Media SA.

"We say goodbye to StarSat with a heavy heart, but we are thankful for the 13 years we've had to broadcast there," says Jaco Ferreira, managing director. "We'll forever be thankful for the time we had to spend with the StarSat team."

OnseTV launching as first TV channel for South Africa's coloured community on StarSat, comes from creators of ASTV.

OnseTV will launch as a brand-new TV channel on Friday as the first Afrikaans TV channel catering specifically to South Africa's coloured community.

OnseTV is set to launch on Friday 29 September on the StarSat satellite pay-TV service of the Chinese StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media, on channel 462.

OnseTV will compete with Afrikaans TV channels on MultiChoice's DStv platform like the M-Net packaged kykNET (DStv 144) and kykNET & Kie (DStv 145) carrying programming like the soap Suidooster and dramas like Sara se Geheim, as well as channel's like Media24's VIA (DStv 147) and the SABC's SABC2.

OnseTV comes from, and will be run, by the husband-and-wife team of Jaco and Hilda Ferreira who started the Afrikaans TV channel ASTV.

ASTV was quietly rebranded to MYtv in March this year. MYtv is now just available on StarSat after it was dumped from Platco Digital's OpenView HD platform in mid-October last year but is now spawning a sister-channel.

While OnseTV will be predominantly broadcasting in Afrikaans from Friday, the channel will also include English - what OnseTV calls "marginal language deviation from the staple language of Afrikaans".

OnseTV says the channel will portray the interests and cultural aspirations of South Africa's coloured community and is specifically targeting the TV content gap present in South Africa's broadcasting environment when it comes to this population demographic.

"Working with a wide range of people in the industry and indeed our community, it has long been clear to us that there is no focused TV channel that caters for entertainment and the educational needs of our largest South African, Afrikaans speaking community, our coloured Afrikaans community," says OnseTV.

"The socio-cultural depth of this demographic is varied and extensive and worthy of celebration and embrace," with OnseTV that says the channel's plans to "capture the spirit and drive and reflect it on the small screen" of this community.

OnseTV says "all groups within the coloured community [will] now have a voice. Something that they never had before. OnseTV is a home for the coloured community to fully live out their culture and language, thus bridging cultural gaps."

"Onse TV is a channel by the people, for the people that opens up a whole new world of opportunities, job creation and involvement with the channel for people who have never had these opportunities before".

Debbie Wu, acting CEO of StarSat says OnseTV "will go a long way to celebrating the rich heritage of South African 'people of colour' through the vibrant medium of Afrikaans language".

"We are proud to be associated with OnseTV as it will add great entertainment value and diversity to an already stunning line-up of channels on StarSat's platform."

It's not yet known whether OnseTV will broadcast for 24 hours per day, 12, or 6, or what the repeat block structure of the line-up is.

Neither OnseTV nor StarSat has released any channel schedule, programming highlights and synopses, or content preview to the media ahead of the channel's planned launch in two days time; neither is it known whether there will be a media launch for the channel as is customary in the local TV industry.

The Facebook page of OnseTV does reveal some programming clues as to the channel's upcoming content.

Snoek & Patat will be a lifestyle food show and Dink Jy Jy Kan Sing? looks like a karaoke-type music show.

In the weekly show Kom Roer Met Tannie, Tannie Koeksister goes to the shop, buys ingredients for her guests she's visiting and then cooks for them while telling stories - with Fatima also dropping by for a visit.

Onse Boeke is a show about books and reading and interviewing writers, with OnseTV that will also be broadcasting the ATKV Rieldanskompetisie.

Op die Beat met Reemay is an exercise show that will start on 2 October and run on weekday mornings at 07:00. Music videos will be show in a daily slot branded as "Anibrand".

OpenView HD dumps under-performing channels ASTV, Spirit Word, Ekurhuleni TV and Wild TV Africa; will add a new channel in October.

OpenView HD (OVHD) is dumping 4 TV channels from its service that it says is under-performing - ASTV, Spirit Word, Wild TV Africa and Ekurhuleni TV - and says it will add a new TV channel in October.

Following the news that OpenView HD is done with ASTV - a channel it actually acquired a shareholding in in mid-2014 but failed to grow as a partner - the free-to-air satellite platform run by eMedia Investment's Platco Digital says it is also getting rid of the Spirit Word, Wild TV Africa and Ekurhuleni TV channels.

ASTV will go dark on OpenView HD on 14 October with Spirit Word, Wild TV Africa and Ekurhuleni TV getting cut from the end of September through to mid-October.

Wild TV Africa that was added to OpenView HD in August 2015 lasted just a year since OpenView HD said in July 2015 its "excited" about adding it.

ASTV that will continue to be seen on On Digital Media (ODM) and StarTimes Media SA's StarSat platform, willgo dark three years after it was picked up by OpenView HD in October 2013. The community TV station, Ekurhuleni TV was added to OpenView HD in January 2014.

OpenView HD says it will add a new TV channel in October.

"The decision to terminate the 4 channels' contracts came after careful consideration of their performance and the overall OpenView HD strategy going forward," says Ziyanda Mngomezulu, OpenView HD's channel and acquisitions executive.

Ziyanda Mngomezulu says OpenView HD's overall audience and business objectives mean that the available channels on OpenView HD require constant reassessment.

OpenView HD dumps its former Afrikaans channel ASTV; will go dark on 14 October for failure to meet 'content and performance criteria'.

OpenView HD has dumped ASTV, with the Afrikaans TV channel that didn't meet its content and performance criteria that will go dark on 14 October on the OpenView HD platform just three years after it was added in October 2013.

ASTV will remain available on StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat satellite pay-TV platform.

ASTV's culling from Platco Digital's OpenView HD is however a big set-back and an embarrassment - especially since it was actually acquired by Sabido Investments (now eMedia Investments) in mid-2014 with big fanfare and the news launched with a media event.

While the former CEO of e.tv, Marcel Golding saw potential in ASTV, ASTV says the channel's contract was ended with eMedia early in 2015.

The contract was ended just a few months after Mark Rosin and Antonio Lee took over following the ugly and acrimonious corporate ousting of Marcel Golding and his wife, Bronwyn Keene-Young as COO.

ASTV's channel head, Jaco Ferreira, in a statement, says despite "talks of a new Afrikaans TV channel with which ASTV would have merged, nothing came of it after months of meetings".

"Due to unsuccessful negotiations, ASTV was sold back to the original shareholders during November 2015. ASTV was however still given the opportunity to continue broadcasting on the OVHD platform".

ASTV was told on 2 August that the channel is getting dumped from OpenView HD.

ASTV says that after a meeting on 10 August with OpenView HD's group channel and acquisitions executive, Ziyanda Mngomezulu, ASTV still tried in vain to persuade OpenView HD to keep ASTV on the platform, but according to ASTV, OpenView HD kept to its decision to kick the channel off.

"ASTV has always had a great relationship with OpenView HD, Platco Digital and e.tv. It was especially the case during the time when Marcel Golding was still involved," says ASTV in its statement.

"Unfortunately OpenView HD no longer sees a place for ASTV on their decoder," says ASTV, adding that "during the time of carriage on OpenView HD, ASTV advertised the company [OpenView] and lured thousands of customers to the platform".

"These days there is however an obstacle from OpenView HD's side in terms of the availability of decoder stock in stores," says ASTV.

"Currently disheartened customers must return home empty handed since there's not enough stock available. It's therefore with big regret that we have to end our broadcast on OpenView HD from 14 October because of the aforementioned reasons," says ASTV.

ASTV says it will remain available on OpenView HD competitor StarSat, and that a big benefit is that "there's exists no costs to broadcast on StarSat".

"StarSat is also willing to make the necessary investments in ASTV that will ensure more better quality entertainment".

In response to a media enquiry, Ziyanda Mngomezulu of OpenView HD confirms to TVwithThinus that "ASTV will be coming off OpenView HD. The channel did not meet our content and performance criteria. OpenView is continually looking at refreshing its channel offering".

ASTV says it will remain on TopTV as a TV channel; doesn't want to say if - or how much - money the Afrikaans channel is owed by TopTV.

ASTV (TopTV 177) says it will remain on On Digital Media's (ODM) struggling South African satellite pay-TV platform.

ASTV, the Afrikaans TV channel, saying it will remain as a content provider, comes amidst a growing number of content distributors who've pulled their TV channels from TopTV due to mounting debt and outstanding payment.

After Manchester United Television (MUTV) pulled its channel in November due to large outstanding payments from TopTV, followed by Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) which followed suit in December and pulled Silver, Showtime and Star!, TopTV scrambled last week to sort out the "miscommunication" when Discovery Networks CEEMEA pulled its three TV channels - Discovery Science, ID: Investigation Discovery and TLC - from the flailing pay-TV service.

Disney has also threatened to pull its content from TopTV and it's not yet clear what Fox International's position is on TopTV. TopTV runs FOX, FX and Fox Retro from Fox International Channels (FIC) on TopTV.

TopTV owes Fox International a massive R43,8 million which amounts to 3% overall of TopTV's debt to creditors. Warner Bros. is owed R25,4 million or 1,7% of the total, Paramount is owed R13,1 million and Manchester United Television is owed R9,5 million, Turner Broadcasting is owed R6,4 million and The Walt Disney Company R7,2 million.

"ASTV remains on the TopTV platform," says Jaco Ferreira, ASTV managing director. Asked whether TopTV also owes ASTV money in outstanding payments, and if so, how much, ASTV says that it is "confidential".

TopTV has been placed in public business rescue at the end of October 2012 with a business rescue practitioner which was appointed.

Asked how ASTV feels about TopTV, ASTV says "our feelings towards ASTV remains unchanged".

Asked if there is anything else ASTV wants to comment on regarding TopTV, ASTV says there is nothing else that ASTV wants to mention about TopTV.

Programming note: TopTV's Afrikaans channel ASTV forging ahead with early favourite shows like Vaskap and Paparazzi.

The Afrikaans TV channel ASTV (TopTV 177) is growing with local productions mostly of the stand-or-sit-and-talk variety, but slowly evolving and upping the production values on minute production budgets similar to when kykNET (DStv 111) started more than a decade ago.

ASTV already has some favourites and the channel tells me viewers are reposnding and like the fishing show Vaskap on Thursdays at 19:30. Loutjie Louwies and Schalk van Breda, well-known Springbok fishermen share their big fishing tales and tips, shares advice on hooking the big one, visits various fishing waters across the country and talks to fishermen.

ASTV also started the medical advice show earlier this year, Dokter My on Wednesdays at 19:30 with presenter Jacques Botes together with patients and medical practitioners in the studio. The talk show Ons Gesels Met on Thursdays at 20:30, and the entertainment magazine show Paparazzi on Fridays at 21:00 are also early popularity leaders and growing in viewer fans.

TOLDJA! Afrikaans TV channel ASTV launches on TopTV as one of the new channels in October.

You're reading it here first.

I broke the news RIGHT HERE at the beginning of September that ASTV will be added to TopTV in October and now On Digital Media (ODM) just confirmed that the Afrikaans Satelliettelevisie (ASTV) channel will indeed be added to the bouquet from October.

Earlier today I also had word first about a brand-new Indian bouquet that TopTV plans to introduce in November and is currently working on. But back to ASTV joining TopTV. ASTV that operates from out of Rustenburg started with a haphazard launch/delayed launch towards the end of last year and the beginning of this year with limited viewership. With the ASTV and TopTV deal, TopTV gets an Afrikaans TV channel to ''compete'' with MultiChoice that has kykNET on DStv and ASTV gets a much wider footprint and audience.

ASTV will be available on TopTV's Variety bouquet of R99 per month says Ian Woodrow, TopTV's general manager for content. ASTV broadcast a mix of actuality, outdoor, lifestyle, youth and teen content as well as Afrikaans music videos. ASTV says viewers can look forward to shows such as Vaskap, Eksieperfeksie, Kos is oppie tafel, Ons Gesels Met. . ., Klankbaan, Joernaal and Diere Maniere.

''Afrikaans is in my blood and from my side I want to promote our language and culture,'' says Jaco Ferreira, managing director of ASTV, who says he's excited about the opportunity to have ASTV broadcast on TopTV from October. ''We're very excited to become a part of the TopTV family. It's a big moment and we know that viewers will enjoy the new shows a lot.''

BREAKING. TopTV to add the Afrikaans TV channel ASTV from 1 October 2010 as one of its new TV channels.

You're reading it here first.

I can exclusively break the news right here that ASTV will become the Afrikaans TV channel, and will be one of the new TV channels that TopTV will be adding to its bouquet in October.

ASTV, or Afrikaanse Satelliettelevisie, an Afrikaans TV channel that started test broadcasts towards the middle of last year and started its haphazard broadcast plagued by problems from its headquarters in Rustenburg at the beginning of the year, will be added to On Digital Media's (ODM) from 1 October 2010.

ASTV - which up until now has struggled with a limited reach because of a lack of a big broadcast platform - will give TopTV its own, much needed, Afrikaans TV channel to compete with DStv's kykNET.  TopTV also don't have to do the initial channel start-up investment, although ASTV is currently far from a stable, full service TV channel that will have to strongly beef up its content, offering and schedule when it gets added to TopTV in October. In turn ASTV immediately widens its footprint, exposure, availability, get access to much needed TV expertise to help the channel with its infrastructure and programming challenges, and ASTV is also ensured of a more steady income to help sustain the fledgling satellite TV broadcaster that has a strong community driven focus. 

Besides ASTV, TopTV is set to add several additional new TV channels from October.

BREAKING. ASTV's website back online after hacker attack.

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The website of the new start-up free Afrikaans satellite channel ASTV is back on after the TV channel's website was hacked by ''Elemento'', a story I was first to report HERE yesterday. Their website at http://www.astv.co.za/ is now back online.

BREAKING. ASTV's website hacked by ''Elemento''.

You're reading it here first.

ASTV's website has been hacked by a cyber hacker who calls himself  ''Elemento''. It couldn't come at a worse possible time for the nacent TV channel who planned on starting broadcasting on 2 November, had to push it back to 4 January next year, and will now probably also miss that date.

Elemento hacked ASTV's website at http://www.astv.co.za/ and just left the message:

''Deface Não É Crime !!!!''

on a white background, with a email address.

BREAKING. ASTV off the air as it ''go to black''.

You're reading it here first.

The Afrikaans satellite channel ASTV (still busy with test broadcasts after it initially promised to start broadcasting a few months ago - and postponed its launch to 4 January 2010 the day before it was supposed to start ) - will MOST PROBABLY HAVE TO DELAY IT AGAIN!

ASTV says the channel had to ''go to black'', ''which means we can't broadcast until Telkom completes the laying of the cables''.

ASTV says ''after much asking nicely, pleading and even threats Telkom FINALLY decided to make us a priority. They are busy with laying the fibre optic cables. That's the good news. The bad news is . . . we have no idea how long it will tke.''

ASTV says the Afrikaans channel will ''hopefully be back on air within a week or two. We can't put a date on it, but will keep everyone advised. Therefore we will broadcast ons of these days directly from Rustenburg.''

That means that ASTV will most likely not be ready to broadcast from it's restated launch date of 4 January, 2010.

BREAKING. ASTV that has to start TODAY, postponed official broadcast starting date.

You're reading it here first. The new Afrikaans satellite TV channel, Afrikaanse Satelliettelevisie (ASTV) that was supposed to start TODAY with its official broadcast as a new digital TV channel is NOW DELAYING AND POSTPONING THEIR LAUNCH DATE!

I just spoke with them and they have decided to push back their official starting day with 2 more months to 4 January.

The current test transmission that is running, will continue.

ASTV cited technical problems and being overwhelmed with reaction from the public and that they need more time.

I just received word from ASTV:

''After this explosion the board as well as every personnel member of ASTV started running around to get to all the viewers, prospective advertisers and sponsors. We're even receiving emails from Australia, America and New Zealdn where people want to watch ASTV via internet streaming.''

''From ASTV's advertisers asked for more time to get ads ready and production companies also wanted more time to get the shows ready that they're busy with.

''Telkom also couldn't provide the service as per the agreed contract. This service - to enable the broadcast directly from Rustenburg - will receive ''high priority'' according to Telkom. ASTV has no control over this.''

''We hereby give advertisers and production companies, Telkom as well as others another two months to get their broadcast material to us, so that we can provide the best viewing experience and quality to viewers.''

BREAKING. New local Afrikaans TV channel starting. ASTV on the air from 2 November.

Today I'm the very first to break the news of a brand new Afrikaans TV channel starting in November. Afrikaanse Satelliettelevisie (ASTV whose website is already up and running) will be free as a national TV channel across South Africa and plans to have its official broadcast launch on Monday 2 November.

Although the channel's free, viewers will still need a DStv decoder to receive the signal, since ASTV will be broadcasting digitally and not in the analogue way the SABC does. Viewers will also have to retune their decoders to rescan for the new additional channel that has already started with test broadcasts.

ASTV already has an impressive program line-up (the schedule is still under wraps), with several programmes ranging from talk shows, to lifestyle programmes, education shows.

It's exactly a decade ago that kykNET started as an Afrikaans TV channel on DStv, and I spoke to Jaco Ferreira (disclaimer: no family relations), one of the directors of ASTV about the new venture. Jaco has been working in the local TV production industry for the past 14 years as director and producer and decided that the time is right to start something like ASTV.

''ASTV is for anybody looking for programming in Afrikaans and who wants to be entertained. Afrikaans has largely fallen by the wayside on the SABC and kykNET does exist, but people are looking for a bit more than that. I saw the gap and ASTV will try and fill that gap.''

''ASTV is a full-on national TV channel for all Afrikaans speaking people and will concentrate on entertainment,'' says Jaco. ''We're not a tabloid or sensationalistic channel. There will be reality shows, but it will all be positive. We want to present something to the whole family, just good entertainment everyone in the family can enjoy, and where you can find a bit escapism.''