TOLDJA. MultiChoice renames its DStv Lite bouquet to DStv Access; adds two new TV channels, Mzansi Wethu and M-Net Movies Zone.

What I was told turns out to have been accurate: MultiChoice is announcing what I wrote about yesterday, that the DStv Lite bouquet is changing its name to DStv Access and that it will come with two new TV channels, Mzansi Wethu and M-Net Movies Zone on channel 139 which will start on 7 May as sources told me.

"From 7 May the DStv Lite package will be renamed DStv Access and two new channels will be added, which will enhance the overall value of this R99 package," says MultiChoice in a just-released statement.

"The two new channels, M-Net Movies Zone and Mzansi Wehtu will give DStv Access customers movies without ad breaks for the first time, as well as more South African local content.

M-Net also released a statement today confirming the news about the two new TV channels and providing more information on these channels after the pay-TV broadcaster, just like MultiChoice, wasn't willing to talk about it when I made specific media enquiries about it earlier this week.

"We are committed to bring great and relevant entertainment on our different packages to our customers," says Collins Khumalo, CEO of MultiChoice South Africa in the MultiChoice statement.

"For the first time, customers on our lower packages will  also be able to watch not only movies without ad breaks but also great local content that reflects South Africa today."

MultiChoice won't release any subscriber numbers for its new DStv Lite bouquet.

How many subscribers does MultiChoice have for its new DStv Lite bouquet it introduced on 30 April, a day before TopTV launched their service on 1 May?

Whereas On Digital Media (ODM) now has in excess of 90 000 TopTV decoders in the market, MultiChoice is not willing to disclose how many people have signed up for the new DStv Lite bouquet. TopTV's basic bouquet and DStv Lite compare very closely to one another. Given TopTV's aggressive sign-up numbers, wanting to make a comparison between TopTV's basic service and DStv Lite, stands to reason. Besides launching at the exact same time, keep in mind that TopTV's basic bouquet package cost R99 for 24 TV channels. DStv Lite also cost R99 for 25 TV channels.

Whereas TopTV is blowing the trumpet about how well its doing, which conceivable further fuels subscriber growth as potential subscribers see TopTV as viable business and pay TV option, potential subscribers to DStv Lite are not able to get a sense of whether DStv Lite is popular as a pay TV option. Often, when people make a decision about a potential purchase, the amount of already sold or subscribed customers to a particular product or service, factors heavily in their decision. ''If a lot of other people bought and got it, then I will be safe getting it too because it must be good or value for money,'' is what consumer psychology will tell you. Solid DStv Lite subscriber numbers since MultiChoice launched this bouquet, could indicate to potential subscribers that its a good buy.

I asked MultiChoice for the number of DStv Lite subscribers, but was told that MultiChoice doesn't disclose subscriber numbers for specific bouquets. ''We only disclose audited subscriber numbers as published in the Naspers financial results twice a year''.