M-Net's Africa Magic adds slate of 6 new titles to DStv for 2024.

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net Africa has added a slate of 6 new series to its linear Africa Magic channels on MultiChoice's DStv for early 2024 including shows sets inside a superstore,

"The new shows will take viewers on an emotional rollercoaster as they get immersed in the lives of the characters, their relationships and their different journeys," says Busola Tejumola, MultiChoice Nigeria's executive head of content and West Africa channels, in a statement.

"We are excited to be premiering Hook, Line and Sinkah, Theory of Breakfast, Manfriend, Unscripted, Siblings Game Show, and Checkout across our Africa Magic channels at the start of a new year, cementing our position as Africa's most loved storytellers."

"We can't wait for our dedicated customers to see the new shows because they will be entertained by the stellar cast and excellent storytelling."

The Theory of Breakfast started on 1 January with new episodes on Mondays and Tuesdays on Africa Magic Showcase as a romantic drama with several interwoven love stories. The show follows two friends who have secretly been in love with each other. Unusual events preceding one of their weddings cause stowed-away love to bloom between them amidst a heart-wrenching series of heartbreaks. 

Checkout that also started on 1 January with new episodes on weekdays on Africa Magic Urban is a comedy drama series set inside a large superstore, Treatz. 

The store owner's divorced sister, Margaret, handles the day-to-day operations. Every episode brings humorous scenarios and conflict between the staff and customers where staff must handle everything from shoppers who don't have enough money at the counter to shoplifters who get caught stealing ridiculous things.

Hook, Line and Sinkah started on 3 January on Wednesdays on Africa Magic Showcase and follows three young half-brothers – Ugo, Sodiq and Kenny Jacobson. 

Despite their father's legendary philandering activities, he doesn't hold any of them in high regard. To help them become more "manly", he orders them to live together in one of his properties and work in his company.

Manfriend that started on 5 January on Fridays on Africa Magic Showcase is a chaotic family drama set in the heart of a bustling city where the King family navigates a whirlwind of emotions, secrets, and aspirations amidst planning their mother's grand 50th birthday bash. 

Doosuur King, the dependable middle daughter, takes the lead in organising the event. She employs her sisters' help, but they are too absorbed in their conflicts to contribute to the party arrangements. 

Unscripted takes on the form of a popular reality TV show's reunion and started on 3 January on Africa Magic Showcase, with viewers who have to choose sides since only one person can be the ultimate reality star. The show stars Bobby Ekpe, Wumi Tuase, Obehi Aburime, Ajayi Akorede (aka The Korexx), Debby Felix, Eby Eno, Nonso Bassey, Austine Onuoha, Martha Ehinome, Shalewa Ashafa, and others.

The Siblings Challenge show on Africa Magic Family since 6 January has new episodes on Saturdays and Sundays.

New M-Net wedding reality special of the Nigerian stars, Banky W and Adesua Etomi, will be broadcast on Africa Magic channels on DStv on 6 January.

M-Net is following up Minnie Dlamini's TV nuptials with another TV wedding spectacular: the lavish Cape Town wedding in November of the Nigerian rapper, Oluwabankole Wellington - known as Banky W - and the Nigerian actress Adesua Etomi will be broadcast this Saturday across the continent on MultiChoice's DStv's satellite pay-TV platform.

After Nigerian artists have been flocking to South Africa and especially Cape Town the past two years as the place on the continent to film their music videos in sun-drenched mansions along the Cape Peninsula, the Nigerian government is reportedly planning to ban Nigerian singers from filming further music videos here.

While Nigerians are dissuaded by their government from making music videos and films in Cape Town, nobody can tell a bride where she can and can't have and film her wedding, and on Saturday viewers can watch the over-the-top Cape Town wedding reality show, The Wellingtons on M-Net's Africa Magic channels on DStv.



The celebrity-wedding documentary The Wellingtons will be broadcast on Saturday, 6 January on Africa Magic Showcase (DStv 151) and Africa Magic Urban (DStv 153) at 21:30 showcasing the couple's Cape Town "destination wedding" along with the crush of friends and family wedding guests who jetted to the southern tip of Africa for the big occasion.

Banky Wellington and Adesua Etomi met on the set of the Nollywood film, The Wedding Party, with their black-and-white wedding in November that instantly became 2017's most talked about Nigerian celebrity wedding even though it took place in Cape Town.

M-Net has so far had great and continued ratings success in the wedding TV genre and has now rolled out specific wedding themed programming for its entire set of M-Net packaged channels on DStv.

On M-Net (DStv 101) The Wedding Bashers has kept viewers glued during 2017 with a collection of diverse South African weddings, with the same happening with the hugely popular Our Perfect Wedding on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161); while the Afrikaans M-Net channel kykNET (DStv 144) has Ons Sprokiesbruilof.

Meanwhile Minnie Dlamini's 3-part wedding reality series, Minnie Dlamini: Becoming Mrs Jones broadcast on on M-Net's VUZU AMP (DStv 103) in October 2017 also drew sizeable audiences to that channel.

Entries open for the AfricaMagic Viewers Choice Awards 2016 with South African film and TV makers who can enter too - even though they're not told about it.

Neither MultiChoice nor M-Net's AfricaMagic has bothered to alert South Africa's TV industry or the press that entries have opened for the 4th AfricaMagic Viewers Choice Awards 2016 for which South Africans and South African films, film and TV makers, actors and crew can enter too.

South Africans can enter the 4th edition of the AfricaMagic Viewers Choice Awards 2016 for any work in film and television in the various categories of the awards show, that was broadcast or publicly exhibited between 1 October 2014 and 30 September 2015.

"We are pleased to announce the call to entry for the 2016 edition of the AfricaMagic Viewers' Choice Awards," says M-Net in a statement.

"At AfricaMagic and MultiChoice we have continued to show our support to the film and television industry across Africa even as we continue to provide world class entertainment for Africa by Africans."

"The African film and television industry continues to show tremendous growth in the kind of content we see and the quality of existing and upcoming talent," says M-Net.

MultiChoice says: "We are very excited to once again bring the AMVCAs to our viewers across the continent and indeed the world. The 2016 edition will make it four years of celebrating Africa's finest talent in the film and television industry and we at MultiChoice are glad to be a part of that celebration."

It feels as if MultiChoice and AfricaMagic don't care whether South Africans are actually aware of, or enter the AfricaMagic Choice Awards - but South Africans are definitely allowed to enter, and some have also won in some categories in the past few years.

People can enter by logging on to www.africamagic.tv and must click on the AMVCA2016 banner that will take you to a submission page. Prepare a 2 to 3 minute long showreel for the online submission.

Fill in the submission form and upload the clip. A unique reference number will be allocated to each completed online submission. Quoting your unique reference number, send a USB of the submitted project to one of the following:

SOUTH AFRICA
Attention: Head of Production
Magic Centre
137 Bram Fischer Drive
Randburg
2194

EAST AFRICA
Attention: Head of Production
2nd Floor, MNET Offices
Local Productions Studio
Jamhuri Grounds off Ngong Road
Nairobi, Kenya

WEST AFRICA
Attention: Head of Production
MSS Local Productions
Plot 1652 Olosa Str,
Victoria Island, Nigeria

Just 7 months after changing its name, M-Net's AfricaMagic Urban Movies channel on DStv is again changing to AfricaMagic Urban on 16 March.

AfricaMagic Urban Movies (DStv 153) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform is once again changing its name after just 7 months, this time to simply AfricaMagic Urban from 16 March.

AfricaMagic Movies 1 changed to AfricaMagic Urban Movies in August 2014 and will now be changing to simply AfricaMagic Urban. It will also no longer be a exclusive movie channel but will also carry series, sitcoms, magazine shows and reality fare.

Another M-Net channel on DStv, M-Net Series Zone (DStv 115), will also be changing soon to simply M-Net City.

The ongoing M-Net TV channel name changes on DStv is raising questions about why the pay-TV broadcaster seems to be making rash decisions and implementations which is then changed a few months later, instead of taking more time doing proper market research and pre-implementation before constantly rebranding TV channels with new names.

According to Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, M-Net West regional director, the name change of AfricaMagic Urban Movies to AfricaMagic Urban, "is part of AfricaMagic's ongoing development strategy".

AfricaMagic Urban willalso broadcast shows like the Angolan telenovela Windeck and the Nigerian TV series Gidi Up.

"The rest of the AfricaMagic TV channels remain as they are," says Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu.

MultiChoice to be adding the new M-Net supplied channel, Jango Magic, in Portuguese, to DStv in November.

You're reading it here first. 

Jango Magic will be added as a brand-new Portuguese infused TV channel to MultiChoice's DStv in November.

M-Net East Africa regional director Michael Ndetei revealed Jango Magic to advertisers, TV critics and journalists on Wednesday evening at the M-Net Showcase event at Urban Tree in Johannesburg organised by M-Net and DStv Media Sales.

Jango Music will be on DStv in the rest of Africa, excluding South Africa, in countries like Angola and Mozambique.

Meanwhile AfricaMagic, M-Net's other TV channel's brand will debut a brand-new Nigerian telenovela, Hotel Majestic, in 2015.

[Editor: I saw the logo when it was unveiled, but didn't take a photo.]

Ninth season of Big Brother Africa starting on 7 September on DStv entitled Big Brother Hotshots; contestants will have to 'outshine' to win.

The upcoming 9th season of Big Brother Africa, produced by M-Net for MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform across the continent, will be entitled Big Brother Africa Hotshots.

Big Brother Africa Hotshots will start on Sunday 7 September at 20:00, with two dedicated TV channels on DStv - channels 197 and 198, and summary programmes will also be broadcast on M-Net's AfricaMagic channels.

The 9th season of the show which remains a driver for the uptake of DStv subscriptions across Africa, will run for 91 days.

Endemol South Africa which again produces the show had to dump the selected contestants from Ghana - not over Ebola fears but because of South Africa's restrictive new visa regulations - and is replacing them with people from Ghana already living in South Africa.

The winner of Big Brother Africa Hotshots will get $300 000.

"We work hard to make each season of Big Brother Africa bigger than the last - and we've really upped the ante this year," says Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu, M-Net Africa's regional director for West Africa.

The housemate contestants will start the new season of the voyeur format reality show in two glamorous houses and will have to "outshine" each other according to the producers.

"They'll party like A-listers, rub shoulders with celebrity guests and face formidable challenges," says M-Net.

IK Osakioduwa is back as the presenter of the 9th season - the 6th time that he is hosting.

BREAKING. M-Net and MultiChoice abruptly make confusing changes to AfricaMagic TV channels on DStv without any prior warning.

M-Net and MultiChoice abruptly implemented confusing changes to the set of AfricaMagic TV channels on the DStv satellite pay-TV platform, with the Randburg-based pay-TV broadcaster not communicating a word of it prior to the changes to viewers, the press or TV critics.

Meanwhile a confusing and incorrect on-air AfricaMagic promo from M-Net is running, that has channel numbers that touts the new changes - but with an incorrect DStv channel number in the promo that doesn't correspond, in reality, with what the wrong promo says.

The muddled AfricaMagic changes heralds the start of a major M-Net channels restructuring which is likely to also come soon for the set of M-Net Series channels  as well as Vuzu on DStv, all of them also supplied by M-Net to MultiChoice.

Interestingly MultiChoice's DStv electronic programme guide (EPG) and on-screen i-plate has the old names and has not been updated; neither has M-Net and DStv's AfricaMagic website been updated and upgraded with the new brand names and looks.

It creates an amateur-looking switcheroo, confusing DStv subscribers, and a disjointed experience as M-Net plays on-air promos on DStv touting the new channel names and with the channels on DStv having new channel logos - but no new EPG's and an old website.

AfricaMagic Entertainment (DStv 150) has suddenly changed to AfricaMagic Showcase on DStv.

Meanwhile an M-Net on-air promo for AfricaMagic says this channel is on channel 151. Confusingly, channel 151 doesn't exist as a live channel on MultiChoice South Africa's DStv channel line-up.

M-Net didn't bother to communicate the name change and logo change or why it happened to the South African press covering television.

AfricaMagic Movies (DStv 152) is suddenly AfricaMagic Epic Movies; still on channel 152 but with no update to MultiChoice's electronic programme guide (EPG) which still carries the old name of AfricaMagic Movies.

Yet, the new logo and channel ident are used on channel 152. Again no word from M-Net what is happening here.

What used to be AfricaMagic Movies 1 (DStv 153) is all of a sudden suddenly AfricaMagic Urban Movies.

There's zero clarity from M-Netwhat the urban movies are and how the urban movies channel is distinguishing itself from the other channels.

AfricaMagic (DStv 154) is suddenly now called AfricaMagic Family.

AfricaMagic World (DStv 155) remains unchanged.

There's been zero guidance from M-Net on why the M-Net AfricaMagic changes happened, how the various AfricaMagic channel's channel propositions and featured content changed, or why, or how drastically, what each channel now represents, and press release or statements from M-Net's AfricaMagic channel executives or directors.

AfricaMagic on DStv dumps soaps Generations and Isidingo for African audiences; South African soaps not popular enough in rest of Africa.

AfricaMagic on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform has dumped the SABC soaps Generations and Isidingo two years after pay-TV broadcaster M-Net acquired these soaps to show it in the rest of Africa.

AfricaMagic confirms that Isidingo and Generations have both been removed from the schedule.

AfricaMagic didn't tell TV with Thinus why Isidingo and Generations were dumped, or until when the contract for the two soaps ran, but says that "in line with its commitment to meet the changing needs of its diverse audiences, AfricaMagic conducts viewer research timeously, and based on these findings, reviews its channel schedules accordingly".

Although South African TV soaps like Generations, e.tv's Rhythm City and Scandal! are hugely popular on the black market in neighbouring countries through pirated TV signals and bootleg DVD copies, AfricaMagic suggests that Generations and Isidingo was not popular enough with viewers to keep broadcasting it on television outside of South Africa.

AfricaMagic says the channel "reserves the right to amend its channel line-up as needed" but "apologizes for any inconveniece these changes may cause to loyal fans of the latter two series".

DATELINE LAGOS: M-Net and AfricaMagic: 'We do everything with our viewers in mind, knowing the expectation they have of us, says Biola Alabi.

With 8 dedicated and differentiated AfricaMagic TV channels from M-Net already running on MultiChoice's DStv's satellite pay-TV platform running across Africa and more AfricaMagic channels expected to be launched in the future, M-Net and AfricaMagic's management and TV executives are not losing sight of the viewer.

"We do everything with our viewers in mind. Delivering a superior TV experience to every single viewer at home is our goal," says Biola Alabi, M-Net Africa's managing director for special projects. 

Biola Alabi spoke to the press in Lagos, Nigeria on the day of the 2nd AfricaMagic Viewers Choice Awards for which she is primarily responsible, as well as for ongoing shows such as Big Brother Africa. 

When we ask you to pay your TV subscription every month we do that knowing the expectation that you have of us - which is that we have to deliver a superior TV viewing experience. We do everything we can to make sure that happens," Biola Alabi told TV with Thinus.

"Our reality shows in Africa are a bit different from the Western type of reality shows. I think Africans are always going to be different in the way we see and do reality and our reality shows are different. So, they're not Kim Kardashian. But we have our own cache".

And the secret of AfricaMagic's success? Biola Alabi says its the people and the strength of the relationships M-Net, AfricaMagic and MultiChoice have inside the pay-TV operator, as well as with content makers.

"What we try to do is find the most amazing people to work with us. We have amazing partners, amazing vendors and amazing leadership within the organisation who actually leads this entire team, who believes in what we're doing and really are the biggest fans of AfricaMagic," she says.

"When you have that - people in leadership positions who are also fans - then its not a hard sell. We've had the amazing fortune to work with really the best and most amazing people across the continent in television and in film," says Biola Alabi.

DATELINE LAGOS: M-Net in Africa would like to see more quality African films; people understanding TV & film rights, says Biola Alabi.

There's still a knowledge gap when it comes to African filmmakers and African television producers who don't fully and correctly understand how film and television rights and the distribution chain works.

That makes it difficult for them - as well as distributors and broadcasters - to unlock and maximise the true and fullest value of their produced content across the various platforms and distribution windows that exist.

M-Net in Africa says the pan-African pay-TV broadcaster is helping to educate African filmmakers and African TV producers across the content about how the distribution system works, and would also like to see more quality films being produced and distributed to various different audiences across the continent and further.

TV with Thinus asked Biola Alabi, the M-Net Africa's managing director for special projects what the pay-TV broadcaster would like filmmakers and TV producers on the continent to know and what M-Net would like to see more of.

M-Net supplies a growing number of AfricaMagic TV channels to MultiChoice's DStv platform all across Africa and holds the AfricaMagic Viewers Choice Awards, the 2nd awards ceremony which took place this past weekend to recognise and reward filmmakers and TV producers across the continent.

"One of the things we would like to see come out of Africa is more quality films," Biola Alabi told TV with Thinus. "We will continue to look for great stories. Also, I think its important for filmmakers to continue to tell the African story. Make sure its modern, make sure its connecting with multiple audiences".

"Another thing we'd like to see is people really understanding television rights. So we want people to really work with us to understand how the distribution model work and understanding the rights, and really protecting their work - but at the same time also protecting everyone's legal rights across the distribution chain".

"That is where we still continually see big challenges. Its really people understanding the different rights that different people have across the distribution chain and not selling the same rights to multiple people at the same time. Those are challenges we continue to see".

"We've done different workshops - writers' workshops, lighting workshop and an audio workshop this year. These are areas where we continually see challenges in. These are areas we still need to work on as African filmmakers and African television producers".

"We educate filmmakers and TV producers on the different windows on which they can exploit their content. There is no real deliberate effort to shut anyone out. Everyone has a window where their content can be exploited. There is a pay-TV window where we get out distribution rights and we distribute the content. And there is a free-to-air window in which producers go and can exploit it on that platform".

"We work with tons of independent producers. What we've done is - and has gone out of our way to do - is to develop really great relationships with producers and make sure that there is a reciprocal relationship in which it is a win-win for everyone, which is why the content is on our platform".

"Good television programming appeals to everyone. So our job is to get the best programmes out there," says Biola Alabi.

"That is our number one goal. The second goal is for us, with GOtv launching across the African continent as MultiChoice's digital terrestrial television (DTT) offering, we're going to continue to make more niche content, as well as more general entertainment content for everyone and the widest possible audiences".

"We're very excited about the GOtv opportunity. With GOtv people are going to get much more indigenous language content. Remember, no matter who I am, I still want great content".

"You might say our content is made for rich people but that's not true. Whoever you are, and whatever you're watching, you want it to be the best content for you, and it is our job to do that," says Biola Alabi.

DATELINE LAGOS: Lupita Nyong'o winning an Oscar is an amazing statement to every little girl that your dream can always come true, says Biola Alabi.

The Kenyan and African actress Lupita Nyong'o who just won the Oscar for the Best Supporting Actress at the 86th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, serves as an inspiration to every girl in Africa that your dream can come true. 

So says Biola Alabi, the managing director for M-Net in Africa for special projects.

Biola Alabi spoke to Africa's press today with the 2nd AfricaMagic Viewers Choice Awards set to take place on Saturday evening in Lagos, Nigeria, where Africa hand out awards to actresses, actors and those working behind-the-scenes in the continent's TV and film industry.

The AfricaMagic Viewers Choice Awards has been established to recognise excellence in the film and TV industry across the entire Africa and the award ceremony will again be broadcast live on multiple AfricaMagic TV channels on MultiChoice's DStv platform across the African continent.

"Lupita Nyong'o winning an Oscar is an amazing statement out to the whole world about Africa. But its an amazing statement to everyone who has a dream and to every little girl that your dream can always come true," says Biola Alabi.

"For everyone who has a dream - your dream means something. For me this brings such joy and pride to us. And it bring such joy and pride that Lupita Nyong'o's first work was actually on the African continent. It wasn't abroad, it was Africa. It was in Kenya where she did her first work".

"So I'm hoping that she comes back and does more. For me this is a really amazing signal to everyone who has a dream, and to every single child on the African continent that your dream can come true"

Also, we're reaffirming to every parent on this continent that there is a real future in the industry and also in creating and telling stories, and I think that is really the biggest statements that we see in Lupita Nyong'o accepting her award," says Biola Alabi.

For its 10th anniversary, the AfricaMagic Birthday Celebration Channel starts on MultiChoice's DStv on channel 198 for December.

The AfricaMagic Birthday Celebration Channel (DStv 198) went live today on MultiChoice's DStv to mark the 10th year of existence of the AfricaMagic brand.

The AfricaMagic Birthday Celebration Channel which started today, 1 December, will run for the month of December until 31 December 2013 and is accessible to DStv Premium, DStv Compact, DStv Plus and DStv Family subscribers.

The M-Net run channel will show omnibus episodes of the African soap Tinsel with 7 daily episodes on weekdays from 12:30 to 17:30.

Viewers can also tune in for 4 episodes every weekday of the drama Jacob's Cross between 20:10 and 22:36, as well as 4 episodes on weekdays of Kona between 10:55 and 12:30. Three episodes of Changes is shown on weekdays between 17:30 and 18:55.

The AfricaMagic Birthday Celebration Channel will also show episodes of The Patricia Show on weekdays (08:00, Doctor's Quarters (08:45), Alo Iya Agba (09:15), Edge of Paradise (09:40), Living It (10:05), Isedale (10:30), and The Johnsons (19:45).

The channel will also show 53 Extra, Mashiriki Mix, Catwalk Kenya, Jara, Comedy Club: Live in Kampala, Jim Iyke, StarGist, highlights from the reality show Big Brother Africa and Face of Africa.

REVIEW. Africa's Next Top Model on AfricaMagic a dim 're-enactment' of Tyra Banks' show, as models get ready to pose among Africa's poor.

The aerial shots of Cape Town are truly beautifully done.

Sadly, that's all that beautiful about Africa's Next Top Model on AfricaMagic.

The reality show executive produced by Gavin Wratten, Oluchi Ongweagba-Orlandi and Bola Atta based on Tyra Bank's America Next Top Model comes across as a dim "re-enactment" and runs like a cookie-cutter, cardboard cut-out of Idols in terms of cuts and edits, scenes, even reality narrative.

Instead of fresh, new and interesting viewers get a showcase of more of the by now stale and histrionic antics of contestants falling on the floor, teary close-ups and temperamental television melodrama aided by shaky handycam-in-your-your face moments.

Sprinkle in a bit of self-entitled production values like posing among the poor (and goats) in Cape Town, and you've got one more crass made-for-television competition for the continent.

No screeners, previews or episode synopsis were made available to TV critics by M-Net or the AfricaMagic division so pre-watching wasn't possible - but watching the first episode on television on Sunday evening, it's evident that something is clearly wrong with Africa's Next Top Model's lighting of the show.

Shadows, darkness and grey tones prevail - ironic given that the show is supposedly a "model finder" show and supposed to showcase the search for purported standards of beauty. How to see that if you can't properly see?

Add the shakey handycam work and the show isn't doing itself any favours in the professional production department. When a model breaks down in tears, juts out a hand to the camera, says "stop it" but the camera mercilessly keeps rolling (and of course with the footage left in), Africa's Next Top Model show you exactly what kind of show it is (and is going to be).

The slightly off production values in almost every scene gives Africa's Next Top Model the feel of a rushed job - as if the producers struggled to get it done and are going for the best the can do, although it's not actually the best that would have been possible.

Compared to something like last year's The Top Billing Presenter Search, also based in Cape Town, also with contestants living together and doing challenges as they are eliminated, Africa's Next Top Model looks half-baked.

Interestingly all the girls are paper thin with colour hair, with weaves and affected speech ("These b*tches have got to go!") on full display.

The show's name is Africa's Next Top Model yet none of the 12 contestants seem really representative of how the majority of women on the African continent really looks. Out of South Africa's three contestants, two are white and blond - once again, not representative of Africa or South Africa.)

Oluchi Ongweagba-Orlandi in her shy behaviour and mannerisms with a tendency to turn inward on herself is the anointed main presenter, host and one of the judges. Yet she doesn't come across as empowered, bold and eloquent enough for (this kind of ) TV work.

Africa's Next Top Model is another local adaptation of an international format. The makers behind it though seems to forget that viewers have seen the American original.

Whether you want viewers to, or not, they're inevitably going to compare your very dated 1970's looking Camps Bay house to what they've seen on the American version. They're going to want to see Oluchi not slouch and sit upright and poised like Tyra Banks. The list of no-no's goes on.

Watching Africa's Next Top Model's first episode produced by Nevermachine, pottle productions and Lulu Productions was a disappointment. It could improve, but with the plethora of choices of have-to-watch television out there, you can safely keep Africa's Next Top Model off of your list from the start.

BREAKING. Some more of M-Net's new AfricaMagic TV channels coming to South African viewers soon.

You're reading it here first. 

I've been told that some of the newly relaunched AfricaMagic TV channels from M-Net for the rest of Africa  is coming for South African viewers.

According to sources some of the new AfricaMagic channels will start for South African viewers in South Africa from October. The revamped AfricaMagic channels were launched on 10 April in the rest of Africa consisting of AfricaMagic World, AfricaMagic Movies, AfricaMagic Movies 1, AfricaMagic Entertainment. There was no announcement made at the time inside South Africa by M-Net or MultiChoice's DStv.

Now I'm told some of those channels - which have new logos and new line-ups, will be made available in South Africa as well.

I've asked M-Net about what I've heard. M-Net says: "M-Net will make an announcement about future channels when we are ready".

BREAKING. SABC sells soaps Generations and Isidingo to M-Net's AfricaMagic; will be seen legitimately in Southern Africa from Monday.

The SABC's weekday soaps Generations on SABC1 and Isidingo on SABC3 has been sold to M-Net for use on one of the pan-African pay TV broadcaster's AfricaMagic channels, with both soaps set to start on Monday 28 May.

The deal comes as Southern African countries outside of South Africa will soon be deprived of the "free" SABC1, SABC2, SABC3 and e.tv channels which viewers in Zimbabwe, Botswana and others have been watching illegally for years since the South African parastatal signal distributor Sentech failed to properly encode and protect the broadcasters' TV signals outside of South Africa.

Viewers in these countries are set to start losing these signals from the end of this month. The SABC TV channels and e.tv are often some of the most popular - yet illegally watched - TV channels in other African countries where very little choice in channels and very little new entertainment programming exist.

The "colonisation" of the rest of Africa with South Africa's popular culture as the sought-after TV export product, will now continue "legitimately" from this Monday, when viewers will be able to tune in on satellite for Generations which is set against the backdrop of South Africa's advertising industry, and Isidingo which is set against the backdrop of the fictitious Horizon Deep community and South Africa's TV,  hospitality and mining industry.

Generations and Isidingo will start on Monday on AfricaMagic Entertainment, channel 128 of DStv outside of South Africa, with recent episodes, after M-Net concluded a deal with the South African public broadcaster for the broadcasting rights to the soaps.

Generations will be shown on weekdays at 21:30 on AfricaMagic Entertainment with repeats the following day at 13:00, and a Generations omnibus on Saturdays. Isidingo will be shown on weekdays at 22:00 on AfricaMagic Entertainment with repeats the following dat at 16:00, and an Isidingo omnibus on Saturdays.

"The fact that we will be screening the latest episodes shortly after the SABC is a great benefit to our audiences," says Biola Alabi, M-Net Africa's managing editor.

"As in all soaps, rivalry, treachery and blackmail between siblings, friends and foes alike make Generations one of the most forceful dramas South Africa has ever produced," says Biola Alabi. And of Isidingo: "The structure of the mining community from the community from the miners to executive management reflects South African society as it is in the new millennium."

BREAKING. Trouble is brewing for M-Net and DStv's AfricaMagic channels as filmmakers refuse to sell Nollywood movies after 1 May.

Big trouble is brewing for M-Net's set of AfricaMagic channels which M-Net compiles for MultiChoice's DStv pay TV platform, with movie makers in Nigeria declaring war against the pay TV operators who they allege isprimarily responsible for the major drop in Nollywood DVD sales. 

The AfricaMagic channels from the M-Net stable and seen on various and and very soon expanding set of AfricaMagic channels from 16 April across MultiChoice's DStv pay TV platform across Africa specialize in ''Nollywood'' movies and programming, so-called ''bubblegum'' movies or cheaply made film productions under a Nigerian work model emphasizing quantity over quality.

Now the Film, Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (FVPMAN) called a press conference in Lagos, Nigeria to announce that from 1 May it will no longer sell any so-called Nollywood films to any of DStv's AfricaMagic TV channels.

The Vanguard reports that the FVPMAN and Nollywood movie producers are telling MultiChoice and pay TV operators about their decision, alleging that these operators have ''not only reduced the purchase of Nollywood movies but also have affected the entire business of movie making".

What it means is that the Nollywood production industry is concerned over the precipitous drop in over-the-counter sales of Nollywood DVDs. Although M-Net pays for the broadcasting rights, producers and the industry is concerned that that income doesn't make up for the decline in hard copy sales.

It seems as if Nollywood viewers no longer buy DVDs (or enough DVDs - the biggest single revenue stream on which the premise of the Nollywood economic model is based), and are rather waiting to watch it on television, such as the AfricaMagic channels.

BREAKING. The new AfricaMagic channels from M-Net to debut its new look and genre-specific content from 16 April.

Here is the brand-new AfricaMagic logo when the current AfricaMagic channels on DStv changes and expands from 16 April in the rest of Southern Africa to genre-specific channels - something M-Net is also planning for the M-Net channels within South Africa later this year (around September I'm told by sources).

The roll-out is very impoartant since the AfricaMagic change is the precursor and the template of how M-Net will be changing and expanding the set of M-Net named branded channels within South Africa.

AfricaMagic will become the flagship channel as a general family entertainment TV channel from 16 April. The M-Net channel as seen in Southern Africa will focus on international movies and series. 

Magic World will also be changing and become part of the AfricaMagic ''group'', being the rebranded AfricaMagic World channel.

 I'm waiting to hear, but it seem that this change will affect the Magic World channel (DStv 112) as seen in South Africa on DStv. I'm also waiting to hear how, if at all the current two AfricaMagic channels - AfricaMagic (DStv 114) and AfricaMagic Plus (DStv 115) - will change. Will DStv only change their logos, or not? Or are South African viewers perhaps losing both these channels, as well as Magic World? I'm waiting on an answer.

AfricaMagic Movies will be a new TV channel (not seen in South Africa), willrun for 24 hour a day, have a heavy focus on Nollywood movies and African movies with a strong traditional feel. 

Then there's AfricaMagic Movies 1 (yes, oddly enough not AfricaMagic Movies 1 and AfricaMagic Movies 2) which is also another new TV channel M-Net is doing for Africa. AfricaMagic Movies 1 will shown contemporary Africa movies with the latest stars.

AfricaMagic Entertainment is another brand-new channel as I've said before, which will now house allof the local productions, like the soaps,drama series, lifestyle and talk shows as well as comedy. Shows such as Big Brother Africa, Tinsel and Jacob's Cross will henceforth be seen on AfricaMagic Entertainment, and moves away from the M-Net channel.

The region specific English language AfricaMagic channels - AfricaMagic Hausa, AfricaMagic Swahili and AfricaMagic Yoruba - will continue to be shown in the different regions as it is now.

BREAKING. Big Brother Africa - all the housemates up for eviction

You're reading it here first. All 12 MALE HOUSEMATES in the Big Brother Africa: The Revolution house are up for eviction.

This season viewers will vote for who they WANT TO KEEP IN THE HOUSE.

You can vote at the official website at www.mnetafrica.com/bigbrother or send an SMS to the relevant cellphone numbers in your country with the housemate's name or through MXit.

Voting starts right after the nomination show on Monday nights. Voting will close every following Sunday morning at 06:00. The housemate who receives the LEAST amount of votes will be evicted in the Eviction Show on Sunday nights.

Besides the LIVE show on DStv 198 there's also Big Brother Africa: The Revolution programmes on AfricaMagic (DStv 114) at 22:00 on weekdays and 21:00 on weekends.