TOLDJA! Discovery Networks' Discovery World channel on DStv abruptly yanked off, replaced by DStv Family on another channel number.

A day after TVwithThinus reported that Discovery Networks' Discovery World (DStv 187) channel looks like a gonner on DStv, the channel is indeed abruptly going to go dark and being taken away within days at the end of March, replaced with Discovery Family on another DStv channel number.

Neither MultiChoice nor Discovery Networks International (DNI) bothered to give DStv subscribers and Discovery World viewers any reasons or explanation in a statement as to why the Discovery World channel is being removed, 6 years after it was added in February 2010.

Asked why Discovery World is being removed, DNI tells TVwithThinus that "at Discovery Networks we are constantly looking at market trends and viewer preferences, with the goal of best catering to the needs of our audiences. In Africa we have identified a high demand for family edutainment programming and are therefore adding Discovery Family to our DStv portfolio".

Instead of however growing the Discovery channel offering on MultiChoice, the Discovery World channel is being replaced by Discovery Family on a new channel number of 136 from 31 March.

Discovery's TLC Entertainment is also being moved from channel 172 to channel 135 on DStv to sit alongside the DStv Family channel.

DStv Family is a meshing of content already largely available on the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, making it strange that Discovery didn't rather add the premium HD channel Velocity aimed at male viewers, or Discovery Life - channels that's more different from the already existing content offering from Discovery.

The sudden channel swop leaves Discovery with still 6 channels in South Africa: Discovery Channel (DStv 121), TLC Entertainment, Animal Planet (DStv 183) Discovery Science (StarSat 320), ID Xtra (DStv 171 / StarSat 223) and now Discovery Family replacing Discovery World.

Earlier this year MultiChoice told the media that the satellite pay-TV platform will still add new TV channels, but not at the same roll-out pace as before, and has moved to now rather focus on working with channel and content providers to strengthen their existing content and channel offerings already available on the DStv service like Discovery, BBC Worldwide, M-Net and others.

Discovery World as a channel was noticeably missing from Discovery Networks CEEMEA's upfront for 2016 in November last year.

When TVwithThinus specifically then asked whether Discovery World is being cancelled and removed from DStv in 2015, Discovery refused to give a straight answer and said "we wanted to concentrate the story on less channels this year to increase the impact on the audience".

It's now clear that Discovery World's termination on DStv was indeed already then in the works.

Earlier this week Discovery Networks CEEMEA was asked again directly whether Discovery World is being removed, and again Discovery Networks International wasn't willing to be truthful in its response.

MultiChoice, asked on Tuesday whether Discovery World is being dumped on DStv, said it will make the necessary announcements if any changes are made to channels.

Asked on Thursday why Discovery World is being taken away from DStv subscribers, MultiChoice didn't immediately respond to a media enquiry.

In a statement however announcing the Discovery World with Discovery Family channel replacement, Aletta Alberts, MultiChoice South Africa's head of content says "Discovery Family and TLC will provide the perfect complement that'll strengthen our DStv entertainment selection".

"Discovery Family is designed for family viewing, bringing great programming that entertains and educates."

Discovery Family will be available to DStv Premium, DStv Extra, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers in South Africa - the same as the discontinued Discovery World.

Discovery World finally a gonner on DStv? As expected since November 2015, the Discovery World channel is very likely going to end soon.

The Discovery World (DStv 187) channel on DStv is basically a dead man walking with the channel that will likely be cut and terminated on MultiChoice's satellite pay-TV platform sometime in April.

The deafening silence is growing that the Discovery World channel from Discovery Networks International (DNI) will be gone from DStv sooner rather than later - possibly morphing or relaunching as another Discovery channel, or simply reducing Discovery's number of channels available in South Africa.

Discovery World was conspicuously absent at the Discovery Networks CEEMEA Upfront 2016 that took place in November 2015 and where Discovery shows and talks about what it will be doing and showing across all of its channels for the next year.

It was instantly noticeable that Discovery World didn't feature on any branding material, banners or posters, Discovery World wasn't mentioned even once, and the channel logo was banished from any and all step-and-repeat banners.

I immediately asked Discovery Networks International about Discovery World's absence and specifically also asked if the Discovery World channel is begin terminated in 2016.

Discovery Networks CEEMEA was evasive not giving a clear answer and I was told it "wanted to concentrate the  isn't giving a definite answer and says it "wanted to concentrate the story on less channels this year to increase the impact on the audience, and we were very pleased with the results".

Since March, Discovery Networks CEEMEA isn't even mentioning Discovery World anymore, only talking about its "5 local channels" Discovery Channel (DStv 121), TLC Entertainment (DStv 172), Animal Planet (DStv 183), Discovery Science (StarSat 320) and ID Xtra (DStv 171 / StarSat 223).

Now there is no more monthly highlights or schedule for Discovery World like for the other channels and none is being shared with the press.

The channel, a more high-brow and cerebral version of the Discovery Channel just turned 6 years old since it started on DStv in February 2010. Like BBC Worldwide's BBC Earth channel it targeted and catered to a more upmarket audience interested in a more serious side of natural history programming, with a slightly toned down "entertainment" element.

I again asked Discovery Networks International through its South African publicity agency to please help with Discovery World information as a channel and if the channel is being discontinued. So far no answer.

When I get an answer back from DNI, if there is a specific answer as to whether Discovery World is being terminated, I will report it.

UPDATE Wednesday 23 March 12:34 - I just heard back from Discovery Networks International's reps:

"We have issued all the highlights for our May schedules that are currently available and will follow up with news about Discovery World shortly."


What is business practice though, is that when you wind down a brand and prepare to remove it from a market, one of the tell-tale signs are that you stop spending marketing and publicity effort, budget and capital in the form of attention, time and energy on it.

TVwithThinus asked MultiChoice about Discovery World's future as well, including specifically, if Discovery World is being removed and ending on DStv. Again, no direct answer.

It signals that MultiChoice isn't willing, or in a position at the moment, to clear up the growing doubt about Discovery World's ongoing future as a TV channel.

Asked if Discovery World is being removed and ending on DStv and how MultiChoice feels about the performance of the channel the past few years on DStv and if MultiChoice has been happy with the channel, MultiChoice responds:

"Performance of channels on DStv is subject to confidentiality and can therefore not be disclosed. Should we make any changes to channels on DStv, we will make the necessary announcements."

With (1) nothing that Discovery Networks International wants to highlight anymore on Discovery World after March and not being able to supply a schedule or highlights even when asked, coupled with its (2) total absence from the Discovery Upfront for 2016, and with (3) MultiChoice's avoidance of wanting to give a clear answer about the channel's ongoing future, it's becoming even more obvious what's going to very likely be happening soon with Discovery World as a channel.

Egypt season on Discovery World in July starts Saturday when egyptologist Zahi Hawass tracks Ramesses and searches for Queen Nefertiti.

Discovery World (DStv 187) has an Egypt season in July starting this coming Saturday, 6 July with the famous egyptologist Dr Zahi Hawass first tracking the Ramesses dinasty and then going in search of the mummy of the famous Queen Nefertiti in an episode of Curiosity.

Saturday in Ramesses at 15:40 on Discovery World, Zahi Hawass gives a fascinating profile of the Ramesses dynasty, including Ramesses the Great, the pharaoh who ruled Egypt for 67 years and claimed to have single-handedly won the battle of Kadesh.

So great was his ego that he built the great temple of Abu Simbel with four huge statues of himself. Ramesses is a detective story from the ancient world, told by Zahi Hawass through monuments and temples.

Curiosity's "Nefertiti - Mummy Queen Mystery" on Saturday 13 July at 15:40 has Dr Zahi Hawass going on a search for ancient Egypt's most mysterious woman, trying to finally answer the question of her disappearance from history.

The team of experts, led by Dr Zahi Hawass aim to find the mummy of Queen Nefertiti and solve the secrets of her life.

She rose to great power in ancient Egypt to rule the most powerful empire on Earth, and may have been King Tut's mother. Yet all that is known about her is that at the height of her power she seemed to disappear completely. The episode will try to finally answer the question of her disappearance from history.

Discovery World getting ready to drive through Africa, race across America and the Arctic and explore the Nile with Joanna Lumley.

Discovery World (DStv 250) has an outstanding set of shows for the rest of the year, ranging from an exclusive trip through Africa with Ziggy Marley (Bob Marley's eldest son), an exotic exploration of the Nile river with Joanna Lumley, races across America with James Cracknell who also braves the Arctic, as well as a must-see TV special recreating D-Day in August.

Marley Africa Road Trip on Discovery World from August sees Ziggy Marley on a historic and exclusive motorcycle trip he undertook last year through the African continent. The award-winning producer and director David Alexanian who've filmed Ewan McGregor's unforgettable motorcycle trips around the world, is the cinematographer of this terrific-looking travelogue series.

It will also be ''war stories season'' in August on Discovery World and The Kennedy Detail that also starts in August on the channel has the eight bodyguards on the day of the assassination of American president John F. Kennedy revisit the scene to reveal the inside story behind the murder and what they think happened.

Surviving D-Day also starts in August on Discovery World and will present a soldiers' eye-view of the battle for Omaha Beach and beyond. The superb Surviving D-Day looks at the heroism and the odds that played a role in whether soldiers survived or were killed. This great special series blends compelling reconstruction and rare archive footage with interviews of the men who were there. Graphics and 3D rendered environments portray the life-and-death realities that includes a forensic breakdown of the battle's many factors that spelled survival or death for soldiers.

''Exploring the limits season'' is what Discovery World brands October 2011 as, with Race Across America with James Cracknell starting in this month. Cameras follow the double gold-medal winning Olympian James Cracknell as he plans to tace across the entire breadth of North America from Los Angeles to New York - running, cycling, rowing and swimming across the country in 16 days. Drama happens however when he gets hit by a truck while cycling through Arizona and sustains a life-threatening head injury and ends up in a coma in hospital...

Coldest Race on Earth with James Cracknell also starts in October on Discovery World. Months after Race Across America with James Cracknell the adventurer takes to his bike again this time to test the limits of human survival across the frozen wilderness of the Yukon Arctic Ultra. In the middle of winter he faces blizzards, moving ice and bitter winds.

In November Discovery World has the brand-new four part documentary series starting, Joanna Lumley's Nile. The British actress travels from the mouth to the source of the world's longest river in an epic journey exploring the rich cultural heritage, peoples and fascinating architecture along the river. Joanna Lumley's Nile explores the ancient history and the peoples from the luxury of Egypt and the searing heat of the Sudan to the lush landscapes of Ethiopia and the jungles of Rwanda.

INTERVIEW: ''We see Africa overall as a growing region.'' - Discovery Networks on launching Discovery World and Discovery HD Showcase channels.

You're reading it here first.

Discovery Networks is expanding on its available channels in March. Discovery in Southern Africa grew with the recent addition of South Africa's second high definition (HD) TV channel Discovery HD Showcase (DStv 172) in December. The Discovery channel is also moving to DStv 121 to make space for the brand-new channel, Discovery World, starting on DStv 250 from March.

I spoke to Caleb Weinstein, senior vice president and general manager of Discovery Networks for emerging markets such as Southern Africa.
He explains the rationale behind Discovery's current channel expansion here, how the channels are different, whether further growth lies in the future and how Discovery sees its future prospects in the region.
You will want to find out what he says about Discovery's high definition television offering, The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN), how this TV region compares to others and the benefit of Discovery's new channel numbers.

Click on READ MORE below for my comprehensive talk with Caleb Weinstein and what Discovery Networks is doing in Southern Africa.

BREAKING. Discovery World's channel focus and TV shows.

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Ealier today MultiChoice and Discovery - just after their announcement that South African viewers will get to see the new Discovery World chnnel (DStv 250) from 1 March - were not willing or able to answer or help with even the most basic questions surrounding the new channel.

I wanted to know how Discovery World will be different from the already existing Discovery channel that will move to DStv channel 121 from 1 March, and what the kind of programs will be. Super basic information. MultiChoice and Discovery were not willing or even eager to help. So I got it myself.

Discovery World specialises in TV shows about deep-seated investigations of the ancient world, natural history, people and places, modern history and key historical and modern-day events, exploration, the history of technology, and warcraft as well as weaponry. Now was that so difficult to tell me?

Specific TV shows on Discovery World that viewers will be able to see from March will include Prehistoric Disaster, Zero Hour, When Weather Changed History, We Built This City, Weaponology, Weapon Masters and Ranging Planet.

DStv info secretive about Discovery World in South Africa.

MultiChoice and DStv is unable and/or unwilling to provide more information regarding the new Discovery World channel.

After MultiChoice made the announcement earlier today, I wanted to know what Discovery World as a channel will be about (how it will be different that the Discovery Channel now moving to channel position 121) and what the kind of programs would be that would be on Discovery World.

I wanted to find out whether Discovery Communications is planning more Discovery channels since South Africa just saw the addition of Discovery HD (DStv 171) and now Discovery World from March.

The company that issued the press release and said ''if you require further details please do not hesistate to contact'' is basically not willing to answer even the most basic questions that arises from it.

CONFIRMED! DStv launches new Discovery World channel in March.

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Finally, the first confirmation of the news I broke RIGHT HERE first on 1 February that DStv will be adding a new channel, Discovery World.

Discovery World replaces the Discovery Channel on channel 250, while Discovery Channel is bumped down to 121 next to BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) and will now be found in the general entertainment section of DStv's channel groupings.

MultiChoice just made the official announcement that Discovery World will join DStv as a new channel from 1 March, exactly as I broke the news at the beginning of the month.

''The addition of Discovery World to the Discovery portfolio gives viewers with a keen interest in the world they live in greater access to detailed and factual-rich content through immersive documentaries and series,'' says MultiChoice. ''Discovery World is being launched in 61 African countries, including South Africa, significantly expanding Discovery’s African audience and making Discovery World a leading factual TV brand in the region.''

BREAKING. Discovery now seen as an entertainment (no longer documentary) channel.

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After I broke the news RIGHT HERE first on 1 February that the Discovery Channel is moving to channel 121 from March, MultiChoice and DStv is finally admitting that they now see Discovery as an entertainment channel.

(Of course it's also to make space for the new Discovery channel, Discovery World starting in March, which I broke the news of RIGHT HERE on 1February and will take the Discovery Channel's old channel number of DStv 250).

Aletta Alberts, MultiChoice's head of content says the relocation ''of Discovery Channel to the entertainment genre, forms part of our ongoing enhancements of the DStv service.'' She does add that ''Discovery Channel will continue to provide viewers with factual entertainment.''

UPDATE Thursday 12:25 - ''The move into [the] general entertainment section . . . is testament to the true power of Discovery Channel’s programming ability to entertain global audiences and transcend viewing genres,'' says Caleb Weinstein, senior vice president and general manager of emerging markets for Discovery's Africa and Middle East region.