#SONA2020: South African TV coverage of the State of the Nation 2020 Address today.

by Thinus Ferreira

Several TV channels will be doing live coverage and analyses today of the State of the Nation Address 2020 of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.

The State of the Nation Address is divided into three different parts - the ceremony where the Civil Guard of Honour welcomes the president and his guests as they walk along the red carpet at parliament; then the state ceremonial which includes a 21-gun salute and the South African Air Force flypast, and lastly the official address from the president.


SABC News
The SABC will broadcast the State of the Nation Address 2020 (#SONA2020) live on TV, radio, its online SABC News channel on YouTube and on its website on Thursday, 13 February.

The SABC will do preview coverage and analyses on various programmes on SABC News (DStv 404) leading up to the address. These shows will cover the Civil Guard of Honour, red carpet arrivals coverage and the 21 Gun Salute.

The SABC says that SABC News reporters and anchors will be on location at parliament and in the Auckland Park studio in Johannesburg to cover the event.

SABC News roving reporters will also be spread across South Africa bring citizens' expectations and reactions in various communities in the run-up to the speech and afterwards.

The SABC will have leading political and economic analysts in studio and on-location helping the audience to make sense of the president's speech.

The red carpet arrivals will be live streamed from 16:00 on the SABC News channel on YouTube until the end of the proceedings as members of the judiciary, cabinet ministers and members of parliament (MPs), including the speakers of the various provincial legislatures, premiers and diplomats arrive at the Company Gardens entrance in Government Avenue to the Old Assembly.

The president's address will be broadcast live at 19:00 on SABC News (DStv 404) and on SABC2.

Following the president's address, a post-analysis of the speech will be broadcast live with experts and reaction from various political parties.


SABC2
On SABC2 coverage of the State of the Nation Address 2020 speech will start at 18:00 and continue until 21:00, preempting the channel's normal schedule. On Thursday there won't be an edition of the Afrikaans TV news on SABC2. It will be followed by the day's episode of Muvhango at 21:00.


eNCA (DStv 403)
eNCA didn't respond to media enquiries about its SONA coverage and presentation plans but the channel will be doing rolling live coverage of the State of the Nation Address 2020 kicking off from 16:00.

The State of the Nation Address Build-Up starts at 16:00 for three hours after which the channel plans to show the State of the Nation Address 2020 from 19:00 live until 21:00.

In past years eNCA had a pop-up studio in Cape Town's parliamentary precinct and will likely have one again this year.


Newzroom Africa (DStv 405)
Newzroom Afrika says the channel has planned special broadcast coverage of today's event with a senior team of anchors and reporters in both Cape Town and its studio in Linden, Johannesburg.

"Our full day of coverage means live crossings from early in the morning until late into the evening with much analysis and reaction."

"Our seasoned anchor, Cathy Mohlahlana together with our politics editor, Sbu Ngalwa will be hosting our special broadcast from Cape Town - while Stephen Grootes makes his Newzroom Afrika debut from our Linden studios."

Newzroom Afrika says its reporters Ziyanda Ngcobo, Athi Mtongana and Nasiphi Same will be covering the SONA2020 red carpet, the parliamentary precinct and surrounds while Pelane Phakgadi and Malungelo Booi will do the wrap-up coverage, getting reaction and analyses.

CNBC Africa (DStv 410)
CNBC Africa says the channel will broadcast the State of the Nation Address 2020 live from 19:00 until 20:00.


Business Day TV (DStv 412)
Business Day TV will broadcast the State of the Nation Address 2020 live and do post-analysis coverage afterwards until 21:00.


Parliamentary Channel (DStv 408)
Build-up: SONA 2020 coverage kicks off on the channel at 15:00, with a live broadcast of the State of the Nation Address 2020 speech from 19:00 until 21:30.

From 21:30 there is a half-hour Wrap-up: SONA 2020 carrying reaction from various politicians, after which a repeat of the speech is broadcast at 22:00 tonight.

The same coverage will be streamed on parliament's YouTube channel.

The Lebashe Investment Group buys Tiso Blackstar including TV channels like the Home Channel, Ignition and Business Day TV for R1.05 billion.

The Lebashe Investment Group has acquired the media, broadcasting and content group, Tiso Blackstar Holdings for R1.05 billion.

The sale includes its stable of TV channels under its Blackstar TV division like The Home Channel (DStv 176), Ignition (DStv 189) and Business Day TV (DStv 412) that are available on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service, as well as its TV production division, Ochre, making TV content for various channels.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals but should become commercially effective by 30 November 2019.

Besides its TV channel assets, Tiso Blackstar with a presence in South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya owns newspapers like The Sunday Times, Business Day and Financial Mail.

Tshepo Mahloele, Lebashe Investment chairperson, says in a statement "We believe that Lebashe provides a compelling growth opportunity for the media, broadcasting and content businesses in the Tiso Blackstar stable".

"Our combination of specialist Pan-African expertise, technological and financial acumen, make us the ideal partner to take this business to the next level."

"As long-term investors, we are quite excited about this transaction which complements our current portfolio and growth trajectory. We anticipate that our newly acquired media assets will play a critical role in our ambition to create a significant investment company on the continent."

"Whilst the media industry, in general, is undergoing disruption, we believe that the assets we are acquiring are generating sustainable revenues to withstand the change in the medium term."

"Moreover, we are acquiring leading brands supported by a good team. It is our plan to support the editorial team with an advisory council made up of eminent local and international persons. Our long-term approach to investing will also enable us to focus on the growth of quality journalism which should add to the positive experience of our customers and the country in general," said Tshepo Mahloele.

"We look forward to working with the management team to take the business to the next level in this highly competitive media landscape. We are cognisant of the fact that we are acquiring mature, but quality media assets with a rich heritage built on the back of quality journalism supported by discerning and loyal readers."

"We plan to maintain and enhance the distinctive value proposition offered by these various platforms to the readers and advertisers, as we explore new growth areas for the business including creating a Pan-African wide media platform using technology as an enabler."

 Andrew Bonamour, Tiso Blackstar CEO, says "This is a perfect opportunity for a new owner to take it to greater heights".

Your 2019 South African elections TV news guide - what coverage you can watch where.

As South African TV news ramps up coverage of the 2019 general elections from Wednesday and the expected election results on Thursday and Friday, here is what broadcasters and news channels are planning to do and offer viewers:

SABC News / SABC2 (DStv 404)

The SABC didn't respond to media enquiries with specific questions about its upcoming televised election coverage but on Tuesday issued a general press release saying that the elections will be covered on its SABC News channel.

In addition, SABC2's regular schedule is being replaced with SABC2 that will become a simulcast channel of the SABC news feed for terrestrial viewers on Wednesday between 05:00 and 17:30, and again between 19:00 and 20:55, and from 22:00 to 05:00 on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday SABC2 will keep Morning Live that will be election coverage focused, as well as 7de Laan (18:00), Afrikaans news (18:30), Setswana/Sesotho news (18:45), Live Lotto Draw (20:55), Muvhango (21:00) and Giyani: Land of Blood (21:30).

For its election coverage the SABC will use both its Auckland Park studio, as well as a set in its designated broadcast corner at the Independent Electoral Commission's (IEC) Results Operation Centre in Pretoria. 

The SABC didn't respond as to what shows will be done from there, and which from its regular studio, or which main anchors will be based where, but on-air anchors will include Sakina Kamwendo, Leanne Manas, Tsepiso Makwetla, Stephen Grootes, Desiree Chauke, Peter Ndoro and Francis Herd.

SABC News will have camera crews and reporters at all of the IEC result centres countrywide to provide updates.

On Thursday SABC2 will again switch to the SABC News channel feed between 05:00 and 09:30,12:00 and 15:00,19:00 to 21:00, and 22:00 to midnight.

The SABC was asked about possible special programming, new technology or what it might do new or differently in terms of election coverage on SABC News for this election coverage but the broadcaster didn't respond.

SABC1 and SABC3

SABC1 will broadcast SABC News election coverage from Wednesday 8 May to Friday 10 May between 21:00 and 21:30 but didn't specify what it will show, or who the presenters will be.

SABC3 will broadcast SABC News election coverage from Wednesday 8 May to Friday 10 May between 17:30 and 18:00. SABC3 says the Democracy Gauge programme is being changed to Election Special 2019.

eNCA (DStv 403)

The eNCA TV news channel from eMedia Investments carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service responded to a media enquiry and says that with its 2019 election slogan "the moment of truth" the channel will be "showcasing the moment of truth coming to viewers live as it happens when the South African public cast their votes".

eNCA will have reporters and camera crews stationed across South Africa's polling stations and IEC result centres. eNCA also has a set at the IEC Results Operation Centre in Pretoria.

eNCA's provided a run-down of its coverage plans for Wednesday, anchors and from where it will take place:

06:00 – 10:00 Dan Moyana and Yveka Rangappa (Results Operation Centre)

10:00 – 14:00 Xoli Mngambi and Marcelle Gordon (Results Operation Centre)

11:00 – 12:00 Jeremy Maggs (eNCA Hyde Park studio)

12:00 – 18:00 Michelle Craig and Shahan Ramkissoon (Results Operation Centre)

15:00 – 16:00 Jeremy Maggs (eNCA Hyde Park studio)

18:00 – 22:00 Vuyo Mvoko, Jane Dutton, Faith Mangope

22:00 – 02:00 Anlie Hattingh and Thembekile Mrototo

Open News

The local TV news channel from eMedia Investments carried on its Openview free-to-air satellite TV service was asked for its election coverage plans, special programming and scheduling and what it will be offering viewers but didn't respond with programming information.

Newzroom Afrika (DStv 405)

The Newzroom Afrika TV news channel from Thabile Ngwato and Thokozani Nkosi carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service was asked for its election coverage plans, special programming and scheduling and what it will be offering viewers didn't respond with information. 

Newzroom Afrika has a set at the IEC Results Operation Centre in Pretoria and will do some broadcast anchoring from there.

Newzroom Afrika team of political reporters include Malungelo Booi, Karyn Maughan and Thulasizwe Simelane who all joined from eNCA, Ziyanda Ngcobo who joined from Radio 702, and Mweli Masilela, Yolisa Njamela and Mbali Sibanyoni who joined from SABC News. 

They will join anchor Cathy Mohlahlana providing election news coverage and analysis.

Business Day TV (DStv 412)

The business news channel from the Tiso Blackstar Group carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service responded to a media enquiry and says its 2019 elections coverage will be mainly focused on doing post-election analysis on Thursday 9 May and Friday 10 May.

The channel will cover reaction to the results as they start to come in from Thursday and Business Day TV will speak to politicians and political analysts.

The channel plans to do crossings to the IEC Results Operation Centre in Pretoria to keep viewers updated and will continue doing its daily companies and market news analysis.

CNBC Africa (DStv 410 / Cell C black 512)

CNBC Africa responded to a media enquiry and says it will be covering the 2019 elections and will offer viewers a different view with a focus on the South African economy and how the elections impact business and future growth.

CNBC Africa's election coverage will run as follows:

8 May: 8:00 - 19:30

9 May: 8:00 - 19:30

10 May: 8:00 - 19:30

11 May: Standing by for final election results as and when it's announced.

Chris Bishop, CNBC Africa head of programming, and the seasoned financial journalist Godfrey Mutizwa will be anchoring the desk throughout the day, crossing to the IEC Results Centre as well as multiple locations around South Africa to get a feel from the business community as to how the election results will impact the economy.

CNBC Africa’s Karabo Letlhatlha and Fifi Peters will be field reporters, bringing viewers the latest from the elections and how this will affect the financial markets, business and the currency.

CNBC Africa also booked an extensive line-up of guests over the next few days from captains of industry to economists, financial institutions, academic and research houses along with political analysts. CNBC Africa says it will also be keeping tabs on the social media realm as the elections roll-on.

In-studio topics on CNBC Africa will include subjects ranging from Jobs - 25-Years On, The state of corruption and service delivery, The CEO vote, and South Africa's youth to Climate change and Women and the economy.

Carte Blanche, M-Net (DStv 101) on Sunday, 12 May, 19:00
Elections 2019
Battered and bruised, the campaign trail took its toll on political parties that traversed the country trying to move the needle during this year’s national elections. By Tuesday the electorate still seemed confused and millions of votes were up for grabs. 

By Thursday, the die was cast. But in the final tally, will South Africans’ votes result in more than coalitions and compromises? Carte Blanche on M-Net will analyse the country’s sixth democratic elections.

Producer: Ntokozo Miya

Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli

2019 BUDGET SPEECH WATCH. Pre-analysis, live coverage and post-analysis broadcast plans on Wednesday of the SABC on SABC News and SABC2, eNCA, CNBC Africa, Open News and YouTube.

Several TV channels will be doing live coverage and analyses on 20 February when Tito Mboweni, South Africa's minister of finance, delivers his 2019 budget speech at 14:00 on Wednesday afternoon.

Here is TVwithThinus's round-up of what the coverage on South African television on Wednesday will entail:

SABC
The SABC tells me in response to a media enquiry that SABC News (DStv 404) and SABC2 will start with preview interviews and live crossings on Wednesday morning on Morning Live from the parliamentary precinct in Cape Town.

This will include economists, labour, politicians and various other experts. The SABC plans to do live crossings from the various regions on budget expectations from citizens on the ground, and also commissioned preview packages focusing on tax, Eskom, education, safety and security, and health.

Budget speech preview-related coverage will also be carried on the SABC News channel programmes, The Agenda and On Point.

Live coverage of Tito Mboweni's 2019 budget speech will start on SABC News and SABC2 at 13:50 as the minister of finance walks into parliament to deliver his address.

The speech will be carried live on these SABC channels. Subsequent to the speech, the broadcast will consist of analysis with various experts, as well as live crossings to the steps of parliament for reaction from political parties and civil society.


eNCA (DStv 403)
eNCA tells me in response to a media enquiry that it will provide full coverage and detailed analysis of Tito Mboweni's budget speech, live on the news channel from 14:00 on Wednesday.

The eNCA business anchor Devan Murugan will report live from the parliamentary precinct, leading the analysis and gauging the reactions from politicians and experts.


CNBC Africa (DStv 410 / Cell C black 512)
CNBC Africa tells me in response to a media enquiry that Godfrey Mutizwa and Karabo Letlhatlha will be anchoring the main desk from Sandton on Wednesday, crossing to Fifi Peters in Cape Town throughout the day for 2019 Budget speech coverage.

The business news channel will also carry the 2019 Budget speech live. CNBC Africa says it will naturally adapt to any changes or breaking news on Wednesday.

CNBC Africa's current run-of-day on Wednesday will be as follows:

13:00 - 14:00 Pre-Budget Panel with chief economists, banking heads and financial institutions

14:00 - 16:30 Live broadcast of the 2019 Budget speech & post-analysis with top economists, CFO’s and fund managers 

16:30 - 17:15 CEO and labour panel

17:15 - 17:35 Youth panel

17:35 - 18:05 Eskom panel

18:05 - 18:30 Tax and savings panel   

18:30 - 19:00 Highlights special (26 minutes)


Business Day TV (DStv 412)
Business Day TV tells me the business news channel will go live at 13:30 with a pre-budget speech panel anchored by Alishia Seckam.

From there Business Day TV will cross live to parliament for the speech and then come back for a brief analysis. Thereafter and into the rest of the evening, the channel will look at the various themes that come from Tito Mboweni's speech.

This will consist of various panels from tax, business, personal finance and politics, as well as taking a look at markets' reaction and some of the other news of the day.

Anchors for the day are Alicia Seckam, Leigh Roberts, Natassia Arendse and Giulietta Talevi.

Panellists appearing on Business Day for the day are Lumkile Mondi (senior lecturer: Wits School of Economics & Business Science), Zweli Mabhoza, founder/director: Priority Tax), Maarten Ackerman (chief economist: Citadel), Marcus Botha (BDO), Muneer Hassan (senior lecturer, taxation: University of Johannesburg), David Warneke (National Tax Committee Chair: SAICA), Vukani Mde (political analyst: Lefthook), Daniel Silke (political Analyst), Ralph Mathekga (political analyst), Andre de Ruyter (CEO: Nampak), Bernard Swanepoel (executive director: Small Business Institute), Nick Nick Kunze (Sanlam Private Wealth), Bernard Berson (Bidcorp), Razia Khan (Standard Chartered), Hanneke Farrand (director of private clients at ENS Attorneys), Lizl Budhram: Head of Advice at Old Mutual Personal Finance), Kevin Lings (chief economist: Stanlib), David Shapiro (Sasfin Securities), Nick Crail (Ashburton Investments).

YouTube

Parliament's YouTube channel will broadcast the 2019 Budget speech live.

Open News (Openview 120)

Open News tells me that the channel's viewers will get the opportunity to have their say from 17:00 on Wednesday afternoon when Open News starts its daily coverage of the day's top stories.

Anchors Naledi Moleo and Koketso Sachane will provide an incisive overview of the speech and weigh in on the key talking points. 

Social media anchor Ayanda Dlamini will gauge the reaction on social media, and viewers will have the opportunity to share their thoughts and reactions with the Open News team via Whatsapp.

Times Media spinning out its Business Day TV channel to create SME Zone as a new weekend TV channel extension on DStv broadcasting to entrepreneurs.

Times Media is spinning out its Business Day TV (DStv 412) channel on MultiChoice's DStv to create SME Zone as a new weekend TV channel extension from this Saturday, 17 September.

Similar to what Times Media did with the IgnitionTV channel, SME Zone will start off running over weekends with dedicated content aimed at small business owners and entrepreneurs.

SME Zone is being created as a "self-help manual for small business and those looking to start their own enterprises" and follows the success of programmes on Business Day TV like The Big Small Business Show, now in its fourth year

SME Zone will feature step-by-step guides on how to identify, start and grow a successful business; educational modules such as The Small Business MBA; real-life mentoring sessions with experts; and tips and inspiration from some of SA's top entrepreneurs.

"Nine out of 10 small businesses fail within the first 3 years," says Semeyi Zake, creator and executive producer of the SME Zone.

"We aim to give entrepreneurs a fighting chance, through clear templates and business models that will greatly increase their chances of success."

Shows in the SME Zone line-up include Jumpstart (self-help jobs you can start with R500 or less); Biz Guide 101 (a blueprint for running 25 popular businesses); Pimp my Bizz (revamping a faltering enterprise); Pitch & Polish (a nationwide search for the best ideas); and SME Funding.

"We realized there's a hunger for business knowledge beyond the markets and corporate deals. As a channel, we are passionate about small business, realizing that this is where we can make an impact in addressing the country’s skills gap and play our role in creating employment and growing this economy," says Semeyi Zake.

Vernon Matzopoulos, head of broadcast at Times Media, says "TV is an incredibly powerful medium of instruction. Thanks to DStv's generosity in making the airtime available, we can now reach into 5.5 million homes – and hopefully inspire a small business revolution."

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.

Vidi from Times Media to launch in September in South Africa as a brand-new video-on-demand (VOD) service to compete with DStv.

Vidi from the Times Media Group (TMG) will be launched in September in South Africa as a brand-new video-on-demand (VOD) service that will compete with MultiChoice's DStv BoxOffice to provide TV shows and films to South African consumers as a commercial service.

Similar to MultiChoice's DStv BoxOffice which currently charges R27, Vidi will also make use of the window between cinema showings and movies being distributed for DVD rentals.

The Afrikaans movie, Die Windpomp, will for instance be released on Vidi and DStv BoxOffice on 12 September.

Times Media Group owns TV channels like BusinessDay TV (and newspapers like Business Day, The Sunday Times and The Sowetan) and Nu Metro Cinemas.

Vidi's pricing plan and details for the on-demand video service will be revealed by Times Media on 10 September in Johannesburg. Vidi is of course Latin for "I saw".

Vidi will be an online service only, similar to DStv BoxOffice Online. Customers who will be paying per rental, will have to stream the rented video content to their computer or tablet.

Alishia Seckam has dumped CNBC Africa; now a presenter on Business Day TV ... and in a sense 'back' where she started with SummitTV.

You're reading it here first. 

Who knew? Neither CNBC Africa (DStv 410) nor Business Day TV(DStv 412) said anything, but senior anchor Alishia Seckam has dumped CNBC Africa and moved (back) to rival business TV channel Business Day TV (BDTV) where's she's been on the past month.

Alishia Seckam was with CNBC Africa since the African business channel launched in 2007 where she presented programmes such as Open Exchange and Power Lunch.

It means that Alishia Seckam's move to Business Day TV leaves Bronwyn Nielsen as the lone, last CNBC Africa presenter still there who've been at the channel since CNBC Africa launched in 2007 and the only really remaining "name brand" for CNBC Africa.

CNBC Africa has been gutted the past few years as experienced on-air talent as well as executives working behind the scenes left the channel which launched with well-known TV names such as Peter Ndoro, Lerato Mbele, Nikiwe Bikitsha and Eleni Giokos who've all gone to greener pastures.

Alishia Seckam has now "returned" of sorts.

Alishia Seckam worked at SummitTV (just like Bronwyn Nielsen) before she went to CNBC Africa - then still as Alishia Naidoo). SummitTV was of course the "predecessor" of the local South African business channel which has now morphed into Business Day TV.

The Business Day TV breakfast launch broadcast on DStv is mostly white men sitting in white chairs on a white stage.

Pravin Gordham, the minister of finance, seated second from the left, is holding up his hand looking out into the breakfast tabled audience - is he maybe looking to find black men or black women? Why, any women for that matter would do.

The staged panel for the television launch breakfast briefing of Business Day TV (DStv 412) - the rebranded Summit TV on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service now with stripped daily content blocks from Bloomberg Television - oddly only featured men, no women. And mostly white men. Even Bloomberg Television's moderator this morning was a white man - Guy Johnson.

During the broadcast of the event which took place on Wednesday morning, Business Day TV also inexplicably placed a red "R" for repeat in the screen corner. But it wasn't a rebroadcast. It was a live event.

In television image is (almost) everything. It's strange why Business Day TV with the brands of Bloomberg and DStv seen on the white backdrop, didn't have a more representative panel in terms of Africa or South Africa's economically empowered demographics on the white stage and in the white chairs, especially since Business Day TV purports to cover South African and African financial and economic news.

As a media outlet you want to look a bit like what you cover, especially in something like a relaunch or launch event broadcast. You want to reflect your audience and subject matter, and African and South African  business isn't a predominantly white business executive affair.

Or maybe it is exactly reflective of part of the problematic challenge still facing South Africa - that what is shown, ironically, on the Business Day TV white stage is what the upper echelons of South African business in this country, almost 20 years since 1994, still largely is.

BREAKING. Business Day TV replaces Summit TV on MultiChoice's DStv; Bloomberg Television content blocks added to the schedule.

The business television channel Summit TV (DStv 412) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform relaunched as Business Day TV this morning at 08:00 as was reported earlier in the year would happen, with  Bloomberg Television (DStv 411) which will end as a separate TV channel on DStv in South Africa at the end of June and programming from that channel which will now be folded into Business Day Television in the form of programming blocks on the realigned and rebranded TV channel.

Business Day TV is operated by the media group DBFM which also publishes the Business Day newspaper and is also responsible for The Home Channel (DStv 182) and Ignition (DStv 265) through the Africa Business Channel division.

The rebranded Business Day TV and Bloomberg Television content collaboration is the biggest change for Summit TV since the channel launched on MultiChoice in 2000. Summit TV is available to 6 million viewers in 9 countries.

Bloomberg Television will remain available as its own TV channel in the rest of Africa outside South Africa and can be watched online and that channel's most important programming blocks will be kept on television in daily stripped broadcasting strands on Business Day TV.

The newly conceived business channel - an amalgam of the resources of Bloomberg Television, Summit TV and BDFM - kicked off with a televised business breakfast briefing with Pravin Gordhan, the minister of finance.

The breakfast briefing broadcast on Business Day TV moderated by Guy Johnson of Bloomberg Television - with no women included in the staged presentation and the only real black seen that of the men's business suits - in presentation was interestingly similar in style to the now-controversial breakfast briefings held by The New Age newspaper in conjunction with the SABC. (That newspaper group is starting its own 24-hour television news operation, Africa News Network 7 (ANN7), as a new channel on DStv later in the year.)

"We are truly excited about Business Day TV becoming an extended platform for the strong, independent editorial content we already produce in Business Day," says Peter Bruce, the publisher and editor-in-chief of BDFM in a statement announcing the TV channel's rebrand and Bloomberg Television content fold-in.

"With a daily selection of original Bloomberg Television programming, interviews and reports on the newly branded Business Day TV channel, viewers will now benefit from our extensive coverage of the global markets and economies in addition to leading domestic insight from the BDFM group," says Malcolm Fried, the managing editor for Bloomberg Television in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the same statement.

Business Day TV which replaces Summit TV promises beefed up financial news coverage with "international and financial news" in the form of Bloomberg Television, with live market coverage and analysis from Europe and the United States for 10 hours a day, in addition to coverage of local markets and news being done by Business Day and the staff of Business Day TV.

Summit TV which didn't run for the extended number of hours as CNBC Africa (DStv 410) did, will now become a more direct competitor in the form of Business Day TV.

"We are proud to be hosting this channel on DStv and believe it will complement and enhance our business news offering on our platform," says Collins Khumalo, the CEO of MultiChoice South Africa.


ALSO READ: The Business Day TV breakfast launch broadcast on DStv is mostly white men sitting in white chairs on a white stage.

BREAKING. DStv ending two stand-alone TV channels: Bloomberg Television folded into Business Day TV with blocks, mk to live on online.

You're reading it here first. 

MultiChoice is ending two TV channels on its bouquet, with the business channel Bloomberg Television (DStv 411) and the mk (DStv 324) music channel which are both being discontinued in their current form as separate TV channels on the DStv pay-TV platform in South Africa.

South Africans will still be able to see both Bloomberg Television content and mk content but not as stand-alone TV channels on DStv, with Bloomberg Television which will continue on television in the form of programming blocks on another business TV channel run by BDFM, and mk which will be streamed online as it relocates to primarily inhabit a cyber presence.

Bloomberg Television programming blocks of the most important market day coverage are being added on Summit TV exactly as TV with Thinus reported back in March, together with Summit TV changing its channel name to Business Day TV on channel 412 from today.

mk meanwhile will continue as an online channel at www.mktv.co.za where it will exist as a cyber platform streaming music videos and songs. mk will also live on as an audio channel on channel 886 on the DStv audio bouquet.

Various separate sources connected to Summit TV as well as sources connected to mk told TV with Thinus back in March about the changes and said the same thing: that Bloomberg Television and mk will no longer be separate TV channels on DStv from later in the year.

MultiChoice has apparently started a process of "reallocating capacity" on the DStv platform. There was no official confirmation though at the time from MultiChoice, which - when asked about mk ending as a separate stand-alone TV channel and Bloomberg Television ending as a stand-alone TV channel - said at the time that there is no news to share in this regard and that DStv doesn't share information on developments until the pay-TV operator is ready to make the necessary announcements.

Now the news about Bloomberg Television and mk are official and here is what is happening:

Besides South Africa, Bloomberg Television will remain available throughout the rest of Africa for 24 hours a day as the Bloomberg Television channel.

Bloomberg Television will continue until the end of June in South Africa on channel 411. Bloomberg Television content will continue to be available to viewers on Business Day Television from Wednesday 19 June to DStv Premium, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers for 10 hours per day.

Bloomberg Television content will be shown in programming blocks from 07:00 to 12:00, 16:00 to 18:00 and 23:00 to 03:00 (South African times) on Business Day TV.

ALSO READ: Business Day TV replaces Summit TV on MultiChoice's DStv; Bloomberg Television programming blocks added to the schedule.

Business decision makers and financiers who watch Bloomberg Television will still be able to access the European markets opening and closing, the United States market opening and closing, and other feature programming such as Bloomberg West and Charlie Rose's talk show within these programming blocks.

Clients of Bloomberg Professional service can also watch Bloomberg Television on their terminals, the channel is streamed online at bloomberg.com as well as clips which can also be watched there, and the channel can also be viewed free on the app for Apple iPad (Bloomberg TV+).

mk meanwhile will be discontinued as a TV channel on DStv from the end of July.

mk started in mid-2005 with big fanfare as mk89 as a music video channel aiming to serve the youth music market and supplied to DStv by the pay-TV broadcaster M-Net. The channel later dropped the "89" from its moniker after a DStv channel number shuffle.

After 8 years mk which served as a driver of the local production of especially Afrikaans rock music videos to be produced, will now be transformed into South Africa's first online music video streaming channel.

"The mk audience is an online generation and in due course these free-spirited, on-the-go world citizens will be able to enjoy mk wherever and whenever they have internet access," says M-Net.

M-Net says "this move will open up countless exciting possibilities for both the brand and the music featured on mk".

"It's mindblowing to think that internet users across the globe would be able to enjoy mk's content and that you only need a smart phone, tablet or PC with an internet connection to be exposed to the great South African bands and musos that rock mk."