MultiChoice's DStv Media Sales takes over ad sales for all of Paramount Africa's TV channels from October.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice's ad sales arm DStv Media Sales will take over ad sales for all of Paramount Africa's TV channels available in South Africa from October.

From 1 October 2024 DStv Media Sales will represent advertising sales for all Paramount TV channels and brands, including MTV, MTV Base, BET Africa, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and Nick Toons carried on DStv.

"Paramount and MultiChoice have a long-standing partnership and we believe that this decision will further extend and deepen our strategic relationship," says Craig Paterson, senior vice president and general manager of Paramount Africa.

"This evolution of our ad sales operating model in Africa allows us to maximize revenue, align with key markets worldwide, and reduce costs."

Fahmeeda Cassim-Surtee, DStv Media Sales CEO, says "The partnership with Paramount provides a wonderful growth opportunity for the DStv Media Sales business and expands our offering to advertisers for the continent".

Lucasta Stephen, executive head of the South African sales division at DStv Media Sales, says "DStv Media Sales will now be able to offer advertisers and sponsors an expanded portfolio of channels, content, and audiences. The addition of these awesome Paramount channels provide increased scale and reach to the DStv Media Sales offering which we are super excited to bring to market".

"We will be reaching out to our valued advertisers to ensure a seamless transition."

MultiChoice's DStv Media Sales now sells AMC Networks International's CBS Justice and CBS Reality channels.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice's DStv Media Sales has now also taken over selling of advertising inventory on AMC Networks International's CBS Justice and CBS Reality channels.

DStv Media Sales says that it's now "the new commercial home" of CBS Justice and CBS Reality with  CBS Justice (DStv Channel 170) already available for commercial opportunities and CBS Reality becoming available from 1 August 2023.

MultiChoice makes CBS Justice available to DStv Premium and DStv Compact Plus subscribers, while CBS Reality extends down to the DStv Access package.

"We are excited to showcase the international factual content line-up coming to CBS Reality, availing opportunities for advertisers to connect with engaged audiences," says Piwe Motshegoa, head of sales, general entertainment at DStv Media Sales, in a press release.

"The channel brings compelling real-life documentaries and series all day, every day. Audiences can look forward to new exclusives such as Close Calls on Camera in August as well as the timeless classic favourite, Judge Judy, an ever-green environment for advertisers."

According to DStv Media Sales, CBS Justice "continues to deliver riveting expert-led true crime programmes to DStv audiences".

"The channel has invested in fresh, thrilling content coming to screens in August and September such as The Fatal Attraction Murder, and Killers: Caught on Camera. In the latter part of the year, Bloodline Detectives returns for a fourth season of crimes solved by the expertise of genealogists and the latest forensic technology."

"Advertisers will be able to explore various media opportunities and bundle packaging on AMC networks channels and beyond, giving brands optimum mileage for spend."

MultiChoice ups Shamiel Salie as head of client sales at DStv Media Sales.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice has promoted the highly-experienced Shamiel Salie as head of client sales at DStv Media Sales, MultiChoice's ad sales division, where he will now be managing the various client sales teams across Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.

The well-liked and widely respected Shamiel Salie who has been at DStv Media Sales for the past 11 years, has been the regional sales manager for DStv Media Sales coastal business.

Over the past decade at DStv Media Sales, having worked across media in the decade before that, Shamiel Salie has built up a wealth of experience within the country's advertising industry, together with a power-punch contact list of the who's who across South Africa's advertising and media industry.

"We wish Shamiel Salie all the very best in his new position, and are excited about the enormous value Shamiel will bring to you, our media partner, as well as to DStv Media Sales," DStv Media Sales says in a press release.

Shamiel Salie recently completed his ADMP at Henley Business School and holds an MMP from Stellenbosch University Business school, as well as a media management and digital strategy diploma from AAA and Red & Yellow respectively. 

DStv Media Sales says he has been involved in the successful roll-out of many major projects for DStv Media Sales, and has been instrumental in gaining digital traction for the business, as well as developing and implementing strategies to meet organisational and client objectives.

MultiChoice's DStv Media Sales chooses Tata Elxsi as an integrated platform for DStv's digital advertising sales workflows.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice's ad sales division, DStv Media Sales, has chosen the design and technology services provider Tata Elxsi to consult and collaboratively deliver an integrated platform for DStv's linear and digital ad sales workflows.

Tata Elxsi in a press release says that the technology platform put in place by DStv Media Sales and Tati Rlxsi, supports the advertising sales process - from media insights and analytics, bespoke campaign design and budget allocation, to campaign management, optimisation, and post-campaign expenditure analysis.

The consulting team at Tata Elxsi helped develop a custom programmatic trading portal to enable its specialists, brand managers and media planners to develop and deploy omni-channel advertising campaigns.

Tata Elxsi says that the programme was planned and implemented in multiple stages to enable integration with both linear and digital platforms.

Tata Elxsi's platform implements AI-based technologies to assist price modelling, and provides insights and analytics to optimise campaign outcomes.

"DStv Media Sales has always been deliberate about driving change within the advertising marketplace. This latest innovation is a way to help us transform," says Fahmeeda Cassim Surtee, DStv Media Sales CEO at the MultiChoice Group.

"As Africa’s most loved storyteller, we are excited about the long-term prospects of the business and the opportunities advertisers can experience from our ad media platform."

"Tata Elxsi been a key partner in helping us transform how we engage with advertisers and brands to maximise campaign outcomes and reach their target audiences, all through a transparent and easy digitally enabled platform and process."

Rani Bisal, head of business optimisation at DStv Media Sales at the MultiChoice Group, says "DStv Media Sales' focus has been on digitalisation as the essential means to ensure our business operates efficiently, saves cost, and consistently delivers superior customer experience".

"As a strategic transformation and innovation partner, Tata Elxsi continues to conceptualise and implement solutions such as Shoppable TV, Advanced AI Based pricing modelling, and more, to ensure we are constantly innovating and making DStv the advertising platform of choice in the region."

KP Sreekumar, vice president for media and communication at Tata Elxsi, says "We are delighted to collaborate with DStv Media Sales in their digital transformation journey of ad platforms, enriching lives and keeping audiences entertained anytime and anywhere through our engineering creativity",

"We are proud to be a part of this journey and look forward to a long term collaborative partnership."

MultiChoice's DStv Media Sales to take over the ad sales booking of all 8 of Discovery Inc.'s TV channels from September 2021.

by Thinus Ferreira

DStv Media Sales, the sales arm of MultiChoice, is taking over the commercial ad repping of all of the Discovery Inc. TV channels on DStv from September 2021.

DStv Media Sales has already been representing Discovery Inc.'s three channels of HGTV, Food Network and the Travel Channel, and is now adding the Discovery Channel (DStv 121), TLC (DStv 172), ID Investigation Discovery (DStv 171), Discovery Family (DStv 136) and Real Time (DStv 155).

From September DStv Media Sales will now be repping all 8 of the current Discovery Inc. TV channels and will handle all ad sales bookings across Discovery's network of channels.

"We are excited about the opportunity this presents for our business," says Fahmeeda Cassim Surtee, DStv Media Sales CEO.

"The addition of more channels offers us bigger audiences and the ability to aggregate more commercial opportunities for the market, this in line with our strategy of simplifying the media buy for the market."

Piwe Motshegoa, DStv Media Sales head of sales general entertainment, says "We are looking forward to creating tactical opportunities for clients wanting to be a part of all the great content across the Discovery portfolio of channels.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 30 July 2020.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:


■ The SABC is once again/still busy with expansions and deviations of contracts.
The Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) criticises the South African public broadcaster for its ongoing lack of proper planning in supply chain and contract management.
- South Africa's parliament says the abuse with contracts are central to the SABC's financial woes.

■ TV boss in India arrested over fraud after pretending to be a government official handing out houses.

■ The irony of Netflix that produced Indian Matchmaking that didn't involve Netflix India.


■ Fahmeeda Cassim Surtee, DStv Media Sales CEO, was a child of the 80s, one of her favourite shows was MacGyver with Richard Dean Anderson and because it was appointment viewing she planned her life around every episode.


■ America's 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be a virtual event on 20 September because of Covid-19.
M-Net (DStv 101) will basically be broadcasting a glam, star-studded Zoom-event since nobody will actually attend in person at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.
- Producers looking to "create a moment that is more relaxed, more entertaining, more enjoyable".

■ BBC journalist Fiona Lamdin uses uncensored "N"-word in TV news report.

■ Stripper TV drama P-Valley coming to Showmax shocks viewers with graphic phone sex scene complete with full-frontal nudity.

■ Greek TV channel ANT1 dumps Turkish series in protest over the conversion of Hagia Sophia from museum to mosque.

■ A brief history of Australian television: From black-and-white to video streaming.
- Still in Australia: Fixing TV content rules is one step to help the troubled industry.

■ Judge Dredd TV series written but on hold because of Covid-19 pandemic.

■ The most pirated TV series during the Covid-19 pandemic includes The Mandalorian of Disney+, The 100, Game of Thrones and a sponge.

■ After worldwide protests against police brutality, what does the future of cop TV shows look like?

■ Is the future of video streaming services a more curated experience?

■ Tom Fussell appointed as temporary BBC Studios CEO from September 2020.

■ Tamar Braxton's new reality TV show postponed after overdose.

■ The toxic Ellen DeGeneres controversy explained.
- Her celebrity friends are deserting her.

■ The profound oddness of watching televised Major League Baseball (MLB) on ESPN during Covid-19.

■ We're about to run out of new TV shows and new movies - and I can't wait.
The upcoming content drought caused by Covid-19 might be the best thing to happen to entertainment in ages.

■ The United Kingdom's Boris Johnson now wants to do White House-style TV briefings.

MultiChoice's DStv Media Sales takes over from Mediamark to sell ad space for WarnerMedia's Cartoon Network, Boomerang and TNT channels.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice's ad sales division DStv Media Sales will now be selling commercial airtime across some of WarnerMedia's TV channels on DStv directly with Mediamark that is no longer selling advertising space for WarnerMedia's Cartoon Network, Boomerang or TNT channels from 1 July.

WarnerMedia runs channels like Cartoon Network, Boomerang, CNN International and TNT on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform with DStv Media Sales that has now taken over from Mediamark to sell Cape Town TV (CTV) and WarnerMedia's Cartoon Network, Boomerang and TNT.

"The performance of our multiplex, and the variety of our audience profiles, will give advertisers valuable media exposure combining reach, diverse content opportunities, and strong brand association, enabling valuable advertising return-on-investment (ROI)," says Guillaume Coffin, vice president and head of commercial and business development at WarnerMedia France, Africa and Israel, in a statement.

Piwe Motshegoa, head of sales for general entertainment at DStv Media Sales says "We are extremely excited to welcome our two favourite kids' channels and the Hollywood blockbuster channel to our platform".

BBC Studios creating a separate BBC Lifestyle channel feed on MultiChoice's DStv for East and West Africa from September 2019 to better target sub-Saharan African viewers.

BBC Studios has announced that it plans to create advertising opportunities on its BBC Lifestyle channel specifically for clients across sub-Saharan Africa in countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia.

BBC Studios says that from 1 September 2019 advertisers in these countries will be able to reach modern female audiences through a separate BBC Lifestyle commercial feed that will broadcast across Sub-Saharan Africa, excluding the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

"This will enable advertisers to target client needs through a combination of traditional advertising spots and tailored creative solutions," says BBC Studios.

Sales for this BBC Lifestyle feed will be managed by MultiChoice's DStv Media Sales arm on behalf of BBC Studios. Advertisers targeting South African and SADC audiences will be able to reach those upmarket audiences on the current BBC Lifestyle feed.

BBC Lifestyle is available across Sub-Saharan Africa on MultiChoice's pay-TV service for DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus and DStv Compact subscribers. 

BBC Studios says competitive cookery and entertainment series on BBC Lifestyle such as Come Dine With Me and MasterChef, aspirational design shows George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces and Grand Designs, and dating show Dinner Dates have proved to have huge affinity with Kenyan and Nigerian audiences.

In the coming months, BBC Lifestyle will broadcast a number of viewer favourites such as the return of Come Dine With Me South Africa for a fifth season and a new 9th season of Dinner Dates.

These will be shown alongside the newly-commissioned First Dates South Africa and the second season of Bake Off: The Professionals.

Sarah-Jane Harling, advertising account director for Africa at BBC Studios, says "This is a significant step to offer brands the opportunity to align with BBC Lifestyle's premium global and local content and extensive reach across Sub-Saharan Africa".

"With its unique mix of entertaining programming, the channel now offers dedicated ad breaks for South Africa and Africa, and remains a very attractive environment for advertisers operating on the continent."

"It enables BBC Lifestyle to assist brands wanting to specifically reach aspirational households in South Africa as well as consumers in Sub Saharan Africa, separately."

With whispers of a 2 May launch date and already missing its 'early-2019' launch target, the new TV news channel Newzroom Afrika and MultiChoice are failing to keep their promise of keeping the media informed.

While there's unconfirmed insider buzz that the new Newzroom Afrika TV news channel will now launch on 2 May on DStv - already missing its "in early-2019" launch date it announced in September 2018 with no communication since - rumblings and negative perceptions inside South Africa's media sector are growing about how both Newzroom Afrika and MultiChoice have failed, and are failing, to keep their promise of keeping the media informed about this channel's developments and roll-out.

With whispers of a 2 May launch date and missing its "early-2019" launch target, the new TV news channel Newzroom Afrika and MultiChoice are failing to keep their promise of keeping the media informed about its progress.

According to insiders, Newzroom Afrika - that has already had to postpone initial plans to launch in "early-2019" as was originally announced to the press in September 2018, and that has failed to provide any updates or information to the media - is apparently looking at a launch date of 2 May 2019, unless that has also been postponed.

Even a 2 May launch date of the new TV news channel from Thabile Ngwato's Rapid Innovation and Thokozani Nkosi's Eclipse TV will mean a broken promise from Newzroom Afrika and MultiChoice that have done no market and media perception management since late-2018 for the channel.

A second-quarter launch date for Newzroom Afrika on DStv channel number 405 no longer qualifies as "early-2019".

Newzroom Afrika is set to replace the Gupta's canned ANN7 that morphed into Mzwanele Manyi's Afro Worldview before MultiChoice finally dumped it in August 2018.

TVwithThinus asked MultiChoice in the past week about the rumoured 2 May launch date for Newzroom Afrika with a MultiChoice spokesperson that said the satellite pay-TV service isn't in a position to confirm any dates.

According to MultiChoice insiders, Newzroom Afrika is however launching on 2 May.

According to insiders, DStv Media Sales, MultiChoice's advertising selling arm, has also entered into a commercial partnership with Newzroom Afrika from 24 April, although this has also not been announced and made public or shared with the media.

"We'll be sharing further details about the channel in the coming weeks," said Thabile Ngwato in the MultiChoice press release that was issued on 28 August 2018.

That was 8 months ago.

Since then Newzroom Afrika hasn't shared any further details and failed to keep the media that is and would be covering it, in the loop.

In March 2019 Newzroom Afrika started a recruitment process looking for reporters, producers, editors and people to fill various other positions.

There's been no guidance or media advisories from MultiChoice or Newzroom Afrika to the press in order for the media to prepare in advance for Newzroom Afrika's launch, or to plan editorial coverage and to slot in possible coverage into their news diaries.

Multiple media insiders, journalists and editors responsible for covering Newzroom Afrika - and who have been sharing their personal thoughts in off-the-record conversations the past few weeks - are saying that Newzroom Afrika and MultiChoice have already started damaging the Newzroom Afrika brand perception and credibility.

They say that by staying silent by choice, Newzroom Afrika, by not being more transparent and forthcoming about what it's doing and busy with in the lead-up to its on-air launch, plays more into "secrecy" than "news provider" which is what it presumably wants its image to be.

The media didn't get further guidance since August 2018 on Newzroom Afrika's moving launch date goalposts and have been kept in the dark about what exactly has been happening and what progress has been made the past 8 months.

With no word about whether there would be another official press briefing, or an official media launch event for the press, some have pointed to the shambolic and disorganised launch of ANN7 that never knew, nor engaged with the media it should have, and launched with an extremely damaging reputation and media perception that it never recovered from.

The media was negative about ANN7 - something that is caused itself through inaction - and never recovered from its damaged reputation.

ANN7 as the Newzroom Afrika predecessor never bothered to reach out to the media covering it with publicity beforehand to establish proper media relations.

It's launch event was a huge and embarrassing mess both in terms of the function as well as on-air where its blooper-fest led to a cringe-worthy meltdown on ANN7's launch night that went viral, with the behind-the-scenes drama that the former editor Rajesh Sundaram describes in embarrassing detail in his book, Indentured.

"One of the worst things they can possibly do is that the first next communication we get since the announcement that Newzroom Afrika won the bid is just suddenly some press release that Newzroom Afrika is going to start tomorrow or today," said a veteran media worker insider last week.

"That is probably exactly what is going to happen," said another.

"ANN7 just launched and had no clue about proper media engagement and got no help from MultiChoice. Their danger now is that Newzroom Afrika could follow the same road," said the first insider.

"You wonder what MultiChoice learnt, if anything, from the launch of ANN7. Now it's all new people everywhere and it looks like it's just going to be the same all over again," said a third person working in media.

"The media will only suddenly get information about the programming and on-air talent on the day they launch and then be asked 'do you want to do interviews?' which is far too late. And even that if we're lucky."

Chris Hitchings out as CEO of DStv Media Sales, ditches MultiChoice for senior position at outdoor advertising company, JCDeCaux.

MultiChoice's sales boss is ditching the satellite pay-TV service with Chris Hitchings that has resigned to join an advertising agency.

Chris Hitchings was the CEO of DStv Media Sales, MultiChoice's ad sales division, but has resigned to join JCDeCaux as a senior executive.

Chris Hitchings exiting MultiChoice and DStv Media Sales comes just three months after Naspers in mid-November 2017 said Chris Hitchings "will remain" as DStv Media Sales CEO following the latest top executives shake-up at the pay-TV provider.

Fahmeeda Cassim Surtee was upped as CEO of DStv Media Sales South Africa, while Chris Hitchings kept his title as overall CEO of DStv Media Sales, according to Naspers.

Now Chris Hitchings has jumped ship to JCDeCaux, an advertising company that specialises in outdoor advertising platforms.

No word yet from MultiChoice or DStv Media Sales as to who the new DStv Media Sales CEO will be, or about Chris Hitchings' departure.

From October the episodes of several of your TV shows are finally going to start to become longer again as NBCUniversal cuts down on time for ads in America.

O hallelu, O hallelu, the TV angels did proclaim: From October the episodes of several of your TV shows are finally going to start getting a bit longer again instead of constantly shrinking in duration, after NBCUniversal announced its finally cutting down on the TV commercial clutter to try and keep linear TV viewers from fleeing.

Although NBCUniversal is doing this for the free-to-air and pay-TV channels that it runs and programmes, and for the TV shows it owns and shows on its channels in America, the effect of longer duration episodes and shows with less TV commercials will be the same for South African viewers when those will be shown here.

NBCUniversal announced that from its new fall season in America, meaning the 4th quarter of this year, it will be reducing "ad loads" by 20% during prime time and decrease the overall time given to ads during prime time by 10%.

What it means in ordinary language is that viewers will see less TV commercials during hour long and half hour shows, and more of the actual show. There will be 20% less ads per ad break, and 10% less ads during prime time shows.

Because there will be less ads per hour and less ad time per hour, the actual episode duration of some shows will increase.

This reduction in the number of adverts, as well as the total time per hour or half hour given to TV commercials, will apply to all 50 of NBCUniversal's prime time original shows across NBCUniversal's portfolio that includes channels like E!, NBC, and shows like This is Us seen on M-Net (DStv 101) and Keeping up with the Kardashians seen on E! (DStv 124).

Because episodes of This is Us on NBC will in response to less adds become longer than the 42 minutes due to less commercial time per episode, This is Us on M-Net will be longer as well.

What it means is that M-Net by default will be forced to show less ads during This is Us since less time will be available if the show is still to fit into a hour, in the way that episodes of HBO shows like Game of Thrones, Westworld and Big Little Lies have had longer than broadcast TV runtimes.

The same will now hold true for large number more TV shows like the Kardashians on E!, and for every other TV channel in South Africa that will be showing any of NBCUniversal's programming.

Because of the American change, it will likely mean changes for DStv Media Sales that's responsible for the ad sales and for managing the available inventory and commercial time that's available during episodes of shows and played out across several DStv channels and the M-Net packaged channels on the pay-TV platform.

MSNBC (StarSat 263), the news channel available on On Digital Media and StarTimes Media SA's StarSat for example and owned by NBCUniversal, is programmed and broadcast straight from America. Yet even here viewers in America as well as in South Africa will automatically see less ads than before.

"We know that the live, linear viewing experience needs to change," says Linda Yaccarino, chairman of advertising sales and client partnerships for NBCUniversal.

Part of reducing the ads is the addition of several new types of ads that NBCUniversal will be introducing in America to ad buyers soon.

The "scripted commercial launch" for instance will see an in-show moment transitioning into a commercial. For example a character on the drama series Suits could walk into a coffee shop and grab a drink, that would lead into a commercial for that drink.

DStv Media Sales now offering 25% bonus airtime to qualifying small agencies as part of price fixing fine settlement.

DStv Media Sales is now offering 25% bonus airtime on MultiChoice's DStv TV channels for every R1 airtime bought by qualifying small agencies.

The offering comes as part of the settlement DStv Media Sales, the advertising sales arm of MultiChoice, reached with the Competition Commission over DStv Media Sales R180 million fine for price fixing over practices that DStv Media Sales isn't engaged in anymore.

MultiChoice will also pay R8 million to the Economic Development Fund (EDF) over three years, to help develop black-owned small media or advertising agencies requiring assistance with start-up capital and help black students requiring bursaries to study media or advertising.

The 25% bonus airtime offer will run for 3 years from 27 July 2017, on a first-come, first-served basis.

In order to qualify, DStv Media Sales says agencies must have a turnover in billings of less than R50 million per year that must be confirmed by either independent external auditors or independent accounting practitioners, and be majority black owned as defined in the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53 of 2003 and the relevant BBBEE Codes.

Ag agencies must provide adequate proof of its BBBEE status before the bonus airtime will be granted.

Ad agencies who qualify and who want to book airtime can contact Leanne Katemba at DStv Media Sales at 011 329 5537 and leanne.katemba@dstvmedia.com

Competition Tribunal fines MultiChoice's advertising sales division, DStv Media Sales, a hefty R180 million for price fixing.

South Africa's Competition Tribunal has fined MultiChoice's advertising sales division, DStv Media Sales, a massive R180 million for price fixing and fixing trading conditions that's against South Africa's Competition Act.

The Competition Tribunal fined MultiChoice's DStv Media Sales R22,3 million. MultiChoice will also have to pay the  Economic Development Fund R8 million over 3 years. In addition DStv Media Sales willhave to pay 25% in bonus airtime for ever R1 of airtime bought by qualifying smaller ad agencies.

"This aims to help smaller agencies participate in the market. The bonus airtime will be provided for a period of three years and is subject to a total annual airtime cap of R50m," says the Competition Tribunal in a statement.

The hefty fine concludes an investigation from November 2011 that found that, through the Media Credit Co-Ordinators (MCC), various media companies agreed to offer similar discounts and payment terms to advertising agencies that place advertisements with MCC members.

MCC accredited agencies were offered a 16,5% discount for payments made within 45 days of the statement date, while non-members were offered 15%.

This practice restricted competition the Competition Commission found, among the competing companies as they did not independently determine an element of a price in the form of discount or trading terms.

"This amounts to price fixing and the fixing of trading conditions in contravention of the Competition Act".

MultiChoice says DStv Media Sales engaged in a longstanding practice that was used in South Africa's advertising industry.

"The Competition Commission has now concluded its investigation and found that this practice does indeed contravene the Competition Act. DStv Media Sales cooperated with the Competition Commission in its investigation and has accepted responsibility for being party to this industry practice."

DStv Media Sales,Media24 and Caxton change their rate cards; eliminate agency commission in line with Competition Commission investigation.

DStv Media Sales, Media24 and Caxton are changing their rate cards, eliminating agency commission and changing the discount structure following an investigation by the Competition Commission.

DStv Media Sales, the commercial airtime sales division selling TV commercials and sponsorships across M-Net's and MultiChoice's various DStv channels, has changed its rate card effective from 1 May 2016 regarding the settlment discount structure for media agencies booking ads on DStv channels.

DStv Media Sales says in a statement that its rate card was changed "to address any legal uncertainty regarding their compliance with the Competition Act. DStv has reduced its rates to reflect this amendment".

In DStv Media Sales' previous rate card worked according to the structure where media owners pay a 16.5% commission or early settlement discount to media agencies. DStv Media Sales says it "is a long established practice in many parts of the world and has been in existence for considerable time".

This practice is being investigated by the Competition Commission and DStv Media Sales says it's working with the Competition Commission regarding its investigation "and will continue to do so with a view to resolving this matter".

"As from 1 May 2016 and thereafter all rates will be published nett of any agency settlement discounts".

Media house Media24 in a statement says it is also changing the way it operates and will no longer follow "the industry-wide practice" that's been used for decades.

"The industry-wide practice of making available a 16.5% early settlement discount or commission to media agencies which book advertising with Media24 properties – including all newspapers, magazines and online platforms – has been in existence for decades."

"In order to avoid legal risk or regulatory exposure we have revised all our rate cards from 1 May 2016 and are in the process of communicating the changes to all media agencies. New rate cards will exclude any agency commissions or early settlement discounts."

Media house Caxton says it will  operate "on the basis of a 15.5% advertising agency fee for accredited advertising agencies, with a further 1.5% settlement discount, where payment is effected within 45 days".

Izelle Venter takes over as new channel head of VIA from March; Afrikaans female interest channel will start selling commercials through DStv Media Sales soon.

Izelle Venter is becoming the new channel head of VIA (DStv 147) from 1 March, taking over from Cheryl Uys-Allie whose one-year contract is ending and who is leaving the channel.

Izelle Venter has been the editor of Media24's editorial solutions team and launched the VIA channel primarily aimed at Afrikaans female viewers in November 2015.

VIA will start selling commercials from March through MultiChoice's advertising division, DStv Media Sales.

"We are delighted that Izelle Venter, whose many skills include an instinctive understanding of various audiences, has agreed to step up to the plate," says Esmaré Weideman, Media24 CEO.

"The knowledge I have gained of the diverse Afrikaans audiences is the main reason I am able to take on this wonderful challenge," says Izelle Venter.

"I'm looking forward to building the channel with the help of our experienced VIA team as well as our loyal producers".

Disney explains why its now targeting little kids on DStv as young as 4 with TV commercials, says MultiChoice is supportive of the change.

The Walt Disney Company in South Africa is explaining why the Mouse House is now going to be targeting small children as young as 4 watching Disney's TV channels on DStv with commercial advertising, and says MultiChoice is supportive of the change.

It comes after news that Disney will now do commercial advertising to children on its previously ad free channels Disney Channel (DStv 303) and Disney Junior (DStv 309) in conjunction with DStv Media Sales and Disney's Disneymedia+ which will be specifically targeting the audience of very small, pre-school children.

DStv Media Sales, MultiChoice and Disney are now ready to put commercial TV adverts in front of little eyes on channels which DStv subscribers have come to trust not to carry the crass commercial considerations found on other kids channels with a reputation less sterling than the Disney brand.

The two Disney channels - one aimed at young kids and teens and the other at toddlers and pre-school kids - will start running commercials from November.

"Disney XD has carried commercial advertising since its launch in South Africa in 2011 and now Disney Channel and Disney Junior will follow," Disney tells TV with Thinus.

"Disney Channels carry advertising in many other markets worldwide," says Disney.

Disney says the Disney Channel and Disney Junior will now also start to carry TV commercials because "DStv airs other children's channels that have carried commercial advertising for some time so the platform's audience is used to seeing advertising on children's TV".

Disney says DStv and MultiChoice "are supportive of this change".

How will DStv choose what advertising will be run? "The Walt Disney Company Africa decides which advertising runs on its channels and we have strict internal guidelines on the type of advertising we carry. In all instances, advertising must comply with relevant local and international legislation," says Disney.

Asked if there's advertising that DStv won't run, Disney says "advertising which is not appropriate for Disney's children and family audience will not appear on the channel".

"In addition, as part of Disney's commitment to support families' desires to lead healthier lifestyles, Disney will not accept advertising from brands which do not comply with its healthy living guidelines. This is a policy that is already in place for Disney XD".

TV with Thinus asked why DStv and Disney are now allowing advertising on Disney Junior to be shown to very small children.

"Disney takes its commitment to its viewers extremely seriously and we will be especially careful as we do not want to betray the trust that so many families have in us".

"All advertising appearing on Disney Channels including Disney Junior, will be vetted to ensure it is age and family-appropriate and conforms to both local guidelines and relevant international guidelines such as BCAP and CAPCODE, as well as our own internal guidelines".

In June this year MultiChoice and Disney were fined R5 000 by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) for showing a horror promo to young children without the proper age restriction.

The BCCSA in its judgment said that "the rights of parents and caregivers of smaller children have been violated" by Disney and MultiChoice and that parents and caregivers have the right to be informed about the nature of material to which their children are exposed to on television.

SHOCKER. MultiChoice's DStv and Disney now targeting very young children with TV commercials on Disney Junior and Disney Channel.

The big scary isn't the troll under the bridge: MultiChoice's DStv and The Walt Disney Company is ready to start targeting very young children specifically and little young viewers by adding TV commercials to Disney Junior (DStv 309) and Disney Channel (DStv 303) in a crass commercialisation of kids TV channels parents used to trust for not selling to kids.

It's not immediately clear why MultiChoice, DStv Media Sales and Disney are damaging the DStv and Disney brands - names which DStv subscribers and Disney-loving parents have come to trust to be better kids channels - by starting targeted commercials aimed at small children.

Disney Channel and Disney Junior had a safer reputation, making parents feel safe and good to allow their tots and teens to watch, knowing that their children are not specifically targeted by advertisers through crass commercials and sponsors.

Well, not any more.

From November Disney's Disneymedia+ will be shamelessly selling to kids as young as 4 watching television with the permission of MultiChoice's DStv when what the TV and ad industry calls "spot advertising" is added for the first time to Disney Channel and Disney Junior which has the youngest viewers.

The Disney Channel which is 8 years old on MultiChoice's DStv this month, reaches 287 000 kids between the ages of 4 and 14.

Now DStv, Disney and Disneymedia+ are swinging open the doors to commercial advertisers to target these very young viewers with commercial considerations while the little eyes are watching their kiddie shows in front of the telly.

Disney Junior which reaches 1.3 million little ones from the age of 4 and up and which launched in 2011, will now bombard some of the youngest viewers on television with commercials and advertising in a disgusting change from November.

It's not clear why the monthly subscription fee parents pay to have these Disney channels as part of their DStv package, and which was fine until now without commercials, seems to no longer be enough money and why Disney and DStv want to make even more money from commercials on these kids channels which didn't have it before.

Disney XD which has been boy focused with older somewhat older viewers and more action-oriented shows launched in 2011 and has been carrying advertising.

MultiChoice South Africa and Disney didn't immediately respond to media enquiries regarding why advertising needs to be introduced on kids channels which were fine without it, whether there is advertising that Disney won't run, and why Disney and DStv is doing and allowing advertising to very small children when it didn't do so before.

UPDATE: Disney is responding, and is explaining why Disney is set to start showing TV commercials on The Disney Channel and Disney Junior to young viewers on DStv.

CALLUS COMMERCIAL. Disgusting that a callus commercial is shown on M-Net Series Reality on DStv during a cooking competition show.

This is simply disgusting: During a family cooking show like My Kitchen Rules on M-Net Series Reality (DStv 114) on Tuesday evening on DStv, DStv Media Sales thought it works to slot in the commercial of Homemark's Igia Callus Free machine (its very easy to clean).

The Callus Free machine from Homemark shows you how it works hard to get rid of hard, nasty and filthy feet which Cinderella's ugly stepsisters probably wish they had (it removes dead skin and unsightly calluses).

Sadly viewers who tuned in to the 4th season of My Kitchen Rules - in which it's all about presentation, beautifully hosting people and competing with other teams making three course meals - were confronted with cracked, crusty and callused feet, soles and toes.

Does Homemark and DStv Media Sales think Igia Callus Free machine sales are going to benefit from airing a commercial like this for an inappropriate product during an inappropriate programme?

Why must viewers of My Kitchen Rules endure a callus advert when it would have been more appropriate and more beneficial for the product and the advertiser during something like The Doctors which airs on exactly the same channel of M-Net Series Reality, on exactly the same day?

When TV commercials are slotted, it can't simply be done ... callously ... like a robotic automaton. And this is what this feels like. (To make it even worse, I was eating and watching television, since the show is broadcast during summer dinner time.)

It feels like someone got Callus Free machine ads from Homemark and said: "Let's just scatter them. Irrespective of whether it's actually functional, effective and placed with intention and thought of who the viewer is and during what programme the commercial is actually being shown".

Later during the same show: The cordless VAClear which gets all of the blocking ear wax out of your inner ear with a graphic depiction of exactly how it extracts the ear wax. (Also from ... you guessed it ... Homemark.)

Actual thought, marketing strategy, intelligent customisation and communication between ad agency, ad buyer and broadcasting platform needs to all be a part of the mix of every ad campaign.

Unless of course your a company who has money, time and energy to waste by showing ads where it won't really be effective but actually more off putting due to the context. Who is not talking to whom?

Remember that your Igia Callus Free from Homemark - although it will take your appetite away and probably make you tune the channel away to watch something else - also has micro mineral smoothing rollers.

It rotates 30 times per second and works hard on those filthy feet. Probably harder than the people who were supposed to place this Igia Callus Free commercial in a better timeslot and TV show.

The sun finally sets on the 'land of the rising sun' logo of DStv Media Sales; no more Oracle left-over weird red dot to spot.

It wasn't pretty, and now it's gone - the "is-this-the-Japanese-flag" type logo of DStv Media Sales, which was introduced in May last year, and made people wonder whether they're missing out on some red dot sale somewhere.

DStv Media Sales is the commercial advertising arm which books TV commercials for MultiChoice's DStv channels and M-Net and has now simplified their logo in line with all the DStv branding which happened in October like the new DStv logo. The rest of the new logos and looks will slowly be phased in over the coming months.

The website for DStv Media Sales has not yet undergone the transformation of the redesigned logo.

The new simplified logo of DStv Media Sales - sans the "land of the rising sun" red dot (a sad little leftover of the original Oracle logo) and the swoosh made its first public appearance last month on the pop-up banners at the annual upfront for 2013 programming for Discovery Networks International which was held at Montecasino.

All the DStv brand logos for different products and divisions ranging from DStv Media Sales to for instance DStv On Demand and DStv BoxOffice now have a much more uniformly related look and feel, tying all the different sections of the pay-TV behemoth much more closer together.

BREAKING. DStv, M-Net and e.tv follows the SABC and also ban the Nando's 'Diversity' TV commercial with a message about xenophobia.

MultiChoice's DStv, M-Net, as well as e.tv have now all jumped on the bandwagon to ban the latest Nando's TV commercial which has a strong message to South Africans about xenophobia.

DStv, e.tv and M-Net which previously showed the new advert this weekend but which the SABC banned on Thursday, says they will no longer do so.

DStv said the advert "could be deemed offensive" and e.tv said that the commercial "trivialised" xenophobia.

"Whilst we understand that the commercial is a parody, we are not conviced that all our viewers will interpret it in the way intended," Chris Hitchings, CEO of DStv Media Sales tells me. DStv Media Sales is the commercial advertising arm which books TV commercials for MultiChoice's DStv channels and M-Net.

"We have a responsibility not to broadcast material that could be deemed offensive to our viewers and we have exercised our rights in this regard."

E.tv also stopped showing the Nando's ad from Tuesday in which basically all of South Africa's residents disappear, leaving a lone Khoisan who says he was in South Africa first. The ad which adds two new products to Nando's "diverse range" has a strong message against xenophobia and says the company celebrates diversity in all its forms.

"E.tv decided last night to suspend the airing of the Nando's xenophobia" advertisement," says Monde Twala, e.tv's head of channels. "e.tv respects creativity and the channel has previously flighted advertisements that have been rejected by other broadcasters."

"In evaluating the advertisement, e.tv came to the conclusion that it trivialised xenophobia which remains a sensitive and volatile issue in South Africa. e.tv reserves the right, at any time, to withdraw a commercial from the channel on grounds of taste or legality," he says.

I asked William Bird, the director of Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) on what he's making of this and his thoughts. "I really am quite surprised by the decision," says William Bird. "Obviously they are within their rights to say no, but the question is why?  It seems a rather unusual step to take, to avoid controversy, all the more so given that it has already gone viral on social media."

"Given the issues of xenophobia that we have, I think even if it is an advert that seems to raise a serious issue in its effort to sell us chicken we should err on the side of airing. If it is able to get people to talk about xenophobia even better," says William Bird.

"I find the suggestion that it withheld as it may offend some viewers simply ridiculous for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is clearly a spoof of xenophobic logic taken to extremes with people literally being "proofed" away. Sure it doesn't deal with the nuances of colonialism and land grabs and other questions of identity. But then it is an advert for chicken not a documentary on xenophobia and identity. Secondly to suggest it isn't being shown as it may offend, undermines the media's role - especially the public broadcaster to challenge their audiences."

"Thirdly however, and perhaps most obviously, there are far more adverts that actually do offend viewers that they allow to run - some so bad they offend your intellectual sensibilities, while others plainly reinforce racial and sexual stereotypes," says William Bird. "So the question remains as to why to avoid controversy? Is it perhaps a hangover of The Spear debate?  Either way, one thing which the broadcasters' decision to not broadcast the ad will do, will be to ensure even more people know about it and want to see it," he says.

Tashi Tagg, the noted South African TV critic and pop culture expert from TVSA.co.za tells me that the South African broadcasters' bru-ha-ha to yank Nando's off the air "gives Nando's an edge on the advertising scene".

"It's giving them loads of free advertising and buzz - everyone's talking about them. Their ad is doing well on the internet and they don't have to pay broadcasters to flight it. So its ultimately Nando's who is winning."

Tashi Tagg also says that it gives Nando's "loads of fodder for future campaigns. They can run with the copy: 'Nando's - so spicy ... the broadcasters are too chicken to air our ads," she says.

Below is the full Nando's diversity TV commercial on YouTube where it's gone viral and has amassed more than 220 000 views since Friday when the TV advert was posted.