by Thinus Ferreira
The BBC in the United Kingdom and eMedia Investments in South Africa were both left with egg on the face on the BBC's 100th anniversary today when their touted UKTV channel failed to launch on Tuesday on eMedia's Openview satellite TV platform as a free-to-air channel, without any prior warning to media or viewers that UKTV would no longer start.
Neither BBC Studios nor eMedia informed viewers before Tuesday morning that the promised UKTV channel launch in South Africa was scuppered, with viewers only getting told on Tuesday that the UKTV roll-out was no longer happening after they asked where the promised new TV channel was.
A physical launch event for UKTV set for this week in Johannesburg was also quietly scrapped and BBC Studios Africa and eMedia are not giving any reasons why it announced that UKTV would be coming to South Africa and failed to start on 18 October - as part of the BBC's 100th anniversary - as promised.
In late-September BBC Studios and eMedia announced that the Openview free-to-air satellite service in South Africa would be adding BBC UKTV from 18 October as Openview and BBC Studio's first free-to-view channel in South Africa.
Arran Tindall, senior vice president, for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) key market region at BBC Studios said that the launch of UKTV in South Africa as a free-to-air TV channel would mean a wider audience reach for the BBC's content, while Pierre Cloete, BBC Studios Africa commercial director, said that he was excited for even more families in South Africa to get access to BBC Studios' "bold, British shows".
Marlon Davids, group executive for programming at eMedia said that Openview was adding UKTV because it's in line with the operator's strategy to add content that appeals to a broad audience.
Openview used to carry BBC World News but Openview dumped that very well-liked TV news channel after a while. BBC Studios Africa already has a well-established set of TV channels on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa, including BBC World News, BBC Brit, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Earth and CBeebies.
BBC Kids has been added for MTN customers in South Africa recently. In Australia and New Zealand the version of BBC UKTV is a pay-TV channel.
BBC Studios promised that BBC programming that DStv subscribers have been paying before to watch, would now be seen free-to-air on South Africa, ranging from The Great British Bake Off and Rachel Khoo’s Kitchen Notebook to Mary Berry Cooks and motoring shows such as Million Dollar Car Hunters and Top Gear, and series like Casualty, Doctors and My Family.
Elisa Peacham, BBC spokesperson, told TVwithThinus on Tuesday in response to a media query that "We are
disappointed that the launch has not proceeded as planned, we are not in a
position to comment further at this time".
She didn't respond to specific questions asking why the BBC and Openview failed to communicate that UKTV would no longer be starting today in South Africa anymore, why UKTV didn't launch, or when it might.
Bennum van Jaarsveld, eMedia spokesperson told TVwithThinus on Tuesday in response to questions in a media query that "We confirm that we planned to launch the BBC UKTV channel
on Openview on 18 October".
"We are disappointed to announce that the much-anticipated launch had to be postponed. We are working on finalising details
for the channel. As a broadcaster we are continually striving to bring our
viewers the best in local and international content, and are looking forward to
the addition of the British entertainment channel."
