Tiso Blackstar Group takes full ownership of the Times Media Group; acquires 22.9% stake in Kagiso Tiso Holdings.

Tiso Blackstar Group SE, renamed from Blackstar Group SE from today, has taken over the Times Media Group (TMG) with full ownership of the South African media, publication and TV company.

The full ownership now gives Tiso Blackstar, listen on London's AIM and Johannesburg's Altx market full control over the Times Media Group which includes newspapers like The Sunday Times of South Africa, Sowetan, The Times, Financial Mail and Business Day and some radio stations.

The Times Media Group's (previously Avusa) TV assets include TV channels like Business Day TV (DStv 412) and The Home Channel (DStv 176) on MultiChoice's DStv, production company Ochre Media, various TV stations elsewhere in Africa like Ghana and Kenya, as well  as the video-on-demand (VOD) service VIDI which launched in late 2014.

Tiso Blackstar also acquired a 22.9% equity stake in Kagiso Tiso Holdings (KTH), one of South Africa's large black-controlled investment companies.

KTH holds Kagiso Media, which has several radio stations and the Glow TV channel (DStv 167 / OVHD 108) available on DStv and Platco Digital's OpenView HD.

Andrew Bonamour is the CEO of Tiso Blackstar Group.

"Tiso Blackstar brings together many of sub-Saharan Africa's most exciting media businesses into one group," says Andrew Bonamour.

"The digital and mobile opportunities in these markets are only just beginning, and we have the talented people, relationships and experience to make the most of them.

Is another new local TV channel coming to DStv soon? Times Media Group CEO says the company is planning to start a new TV station.

Bloomberg Businessweek is reporting today that apparently another new local TV channel is coming to MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV platform soon.

According to the Bloomberg Businessweek article which appeared on Wednesday the new TV channel which is being developed by South Africa's Times Media Group (TMG), the South African publishing company, will "launch soon".

Andrew Bonamour, Times Media Group CEO told Bloomberg Businessweek in an interview that the group will "start a new television station".

"We see our TV side as our growth side, so we're going to be investing and developing new channels because they are profitable," Andrew Bonamour is quoted as saying.

The Home Channel, Ignition, Saffron TV, The Learning Channel and the newly rebranded Business Day TV as TV channels, as well as Ochre Moving Pictures producing Saffron TV and shows such as e.tv's Scandal! are all TV-related entities which fall under the Times Media Group umbrella.