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.

What's more hollow that the badly done plastic floorboards on Africa's Next Top Model on AfricaMagic Entertainment?

What comes across as more hollow than those badly done plastic floorboards during the judging phase of Africa's Next Top Model on AfricaMagic Entertainment (DStv 150)?

All the TV commercials for beauty products in between of course. All with white female models.

At least there was Thandie Newton for Olay. She's not white, just light skinned.

Not a beauty product of course, but the school in the TV commercial where the girls dance around in their school uniforms with sanitary pads from Always is apparently a school for just black girls. In that TV ad for a female hygiene product there is interestingly enough not a white girl to be seen.

It's probably too late to fix this already recorded mess with the I-need-voice-lessons and always slouching Oluchi, but in the second episode of Africa's Next Top Model on Sunday evening on AfricaMagic Entertainment the judges' desk and judging room were revealed for the first time.

Models enter and stand on steps and then have to "step forward".

It's pure cringe-watching television when wannabe models in high heels step off the steps and then ghagh-ghagh-ghagh walk over extremely hollow plastic flooring, echoeing loudly.

The amateur hollow sound left in the show is just one more new aspect to add to the list of bad production values of this reality show which seems to have been hastily filmed in Cape Town.

Did M-Net watch this before episodes are played out on AfricaMagic Entertainment? Is there nobody who notices and send an episode back for more work?

What is the role of producers, executive producers and those who fix things in post from LuLu Productions and Never Machine Productions when television like this makes it through all the quality controls and is dished up to ordinary viewers?

Then there's the unintended irony of the TV commercials in-between of course, where the casual viewer doesn't really realise over the drawn-out course of an hour, what you're really being shown, and seeing.

Is Africa's Next Top Model starting on AfricaMagic Entertainment on Sunday the next, totally trash television travesty?

When Africa's Next Top Model starts tonight at 19:00 on AfricaMagic Entertainment (DStv 151) it will do so with barely a whimper of the usual publicity avalanche which accompanies the reality shows pay-TV broadcaster M-Net is involved in.

That in itself is extremely telling to longtime TV critics who are raising their eyebrows over Africa's Next Top Model and who discussed this past week before the first episode is supposed to start on Sunday, what seems to be a major lack of any focused and concerted publicity effort to give TV critics information about the show.

It usually means a TV production is lowbrow television trash.

The past week, and the preceding month in fact, M-Net did nothing to bring the new reality show and it starting date under South African TV critics' and writers' attention.

Even when asked about it at the beginning of the past week when this TV critic co-incidentally happened to notice an on-air promo, M-Net and AfricaMagic couldn't supply high resolution publicity images.

There were no previews or screenings or screener disks sent to critics and TV writers who cover television, episode synopsis and episodic images are not available, the broadcaster on Tuesday said it had zero profiles available about the 12 contestants in response to media enquiries, there's no photos of the judges, and M-Net and the AfricaMagic division failed to even responded about who the judges are.

It begs the question: Is the amateur and bad pre-publicity from M-Net and AfricaMagic Entertainment the silence before the storm? Is it the ominous indicator that Africa's Next Top Model is the next totally trash television travesty?

Why is so little - in fact, barely anything - being said by M-Net (or by South African Tourism for that matter) about what is supposedly this big continental competition with South African Tourism as sponsor and Nigerian model Oluchi Orlani as the presenter?

Even the short clips included in an on-air promo of the so-called models in the model house in Cape Town, running around, screaming and shouting at each other in what looks like badly filmed shaky camerawork doesn't bode well for this production.

Is the conflict and the fractured relationship between contestants what Africa's Next Top Model is about and will be little more than just a low budget wannabe model version of Big Brother Africa?

Is the trash side what the focus is on instead of finding a model (because fighting is what is given importance in the promo and predominantly shown)? Is Africa's Next Top Model about showing the finding of a model or to reveal how trashy African girls are behaving (towards each other)?

It was initially announced that New York's Lulu Productions will work with South Africa's Never Machine Productions and Gavin Wratten on this show. It's not clear whether it was indeed the case; neither M-Net nor AfricaMagic issued the usual basic pre-show press release before the programme starts this Sunday evening.

Some of the judges (there might be more, who knows) of Africa's Next Top Model are apparently Oluchi Onweagba, South African photographer Josie Borain who is based in Cape Town, and Remi Adetiba from New York who is unknown here.

It's disappointing that once again money went into making a show, but that the effort, expertise and know-how appears to apparently be sorely lacking when it comes to following through on correctly publicising something like Africa's Next Top Model. Maybe its more meant for the Nigerian TV market or the show is more a marketing exercise for whatever than actually about quality TV content. Who knows.

Dylan King, aka Blayze, joining Star Gist on AfricaMagic Entertainment as the roving South African entertainment correspondent.

The South African hip-hop artist and producer Dylan King (26) also known as "Blayze" is joining the daily entertainment news show Star Gist on AfricaMagic Entertainment (DStv 150) as the roving South African entertainment correspondent to cover local events.

"I'm honoured to be considered for this amazing opportunity," says Blayze in a press statement. "I'm excited to be part of Star Gist and the AfricaMagic Entertainment family. I look forward to showcasing the great events South Africa puts on at all times."

"We're excited about our fresh new addition to the Star Gist cast," says Biola Alabi, M-Net Africa's managing director. "Blayze already has a following as a South African hip-hop artist, and his vibrant energy will complement the team that brings entertainment, local events and the latest industry news to Africa," she says.

Blayze will report twice a month for Star Gist from South Africa for the show which is seen daily at 19:30 and will be covering South Africa's celebrity news and entertainment events alongside Vimbai Mutinhiri from Zimbabwe and South Africa's Lawrence Maleka.

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."