Going dark on DStv: Disney's FOX Life and Disney XD the next TV channels leaving MultiChoice's pay-TV service at the end of September 2020.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Disney-run TV channels FOX Life (DStv 126 / StarSat 133) after 4 years and Disney XD (DStv 304) after 9 years are both ending on MultiChoice's DStv at the end of September when DStv subscribers will lose another two TV channels on the pay-TV service.

FOX Life will also exit the StarTimes pay-TV service operating under the StarSat brand in South Africa. StarSat told TVwithThinus that "due to FOX's channel strategy change, FOX will soon cease production of FOX Life" and that "FOX Life will be taken offline on 30 September 2020".

The channels' termination is most likely because of Disney's ongoing global corporate brand realignment efforts after acquiring 21st Century Fox, as well as Disney's big new emphasis to prioritise and shift its focus to its own video streaming endeavours.

With less than a month to go before DStv subscribers lose access to FOX Life and Disney XD MultiChoice has not issued any statement to its customers yet. MultiChoice hasn't responded with any statement or provided answers to questions posed by TVwithThinus about FOX Life and Disney XD by the time of publishing this report.

However, in a note to DStv subscribers who also asked about it, MultiChoice - without giving specifics - said that "as of 30 September Disney XD and FOX Life will stop airing on the DStv platform. The change is as a result of an ongoing review of channels by content providers and platform partners".


UPDATE Monday 7 September 2020 12:22: MultiChoice in a statement to TVwithThinus says that the "MultiChoice Group confirms that as of 30 September 2020 at 23:59 Disney XD (channel 304) and Fox Life (channel 126) will stop airing on the DStv platform".

"The change is as a result of ongoing review of channels by content providers and platform partners."

"Favourite Disney XD content will migrate to the Disney Channel (channel 303). Retained programming will include live-action, animation and key franchise series, movies and stunts." Current shows like Phineas and Ferb, DuckTales, Big City Greens, Supa Strikas, Disney 11, Lab Rats, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Gravity Falls and Big Hero 6 will continue, as well as a host of new series which will be announced in the coming months."

MultiChoice says that it "and its content providers and partners continue to review their channels and viewer consumption to ensure the freshest and best-available content from around the globe. This process sometimes results in the termination of channels, but it also ensures the best possible experience for its customers."

Publicity executives at The Walt Disney Company Africa respectively responsible for communication about the Disney XD and FOX Life channels and who were also asked, didn't respond to individual media enquiries about the termination of FOX Life and Disney XD at the time of publication of this report on Monday.


UPDATE Monday 7 September 2020, 12:00: "We can now now confirm that the Disney XD and Fox Life channels will close at midnight on Wednesday 30 September," The Walt Disney Company Africa told TVwithThinus on Monday afternoon in a statement.

"As the television landscape and viewer consumption evolves, we continue to develop and review our products and services - including with our platform partners - to ensure we are offering the best possible experience for consumers."

"Whilst Disney XD will no longer air, some of the channels most popular and iconic animated and live action series will be brought to Disney Channel, expanding the channel’s programming offer to viewers. 

"Whilst Fox Life will no longer air, we are excited to continue to entertain DStv viewers with world-class series and programming from Fox Channel. We are excited to continue to bring our viewers popular and iconic programming from our extensive media networks channels."

In late-August when TVwithThinus asked Disney Africa if Disney XD is shutting down and why content that was on Disney XD is being moved over and duplicated on The Disney Channel (DStv 303), Jared Stokes, senior communications manager at Disney Africa, said that "we are currently going through some schedule and programming changes as per our ongoing review of our channel offering".

He said that Disney will share more details in coming weeks.

Disney XD meanwhile has continued to move over and duplicate existing Disney XD specific shows on The Disney Channel, effectively rendering Disney XD redundant. Disney XD has also not shown any noteworthy new content.

The demise of Disney XD that launched in May 2011 on MultiChoice in South Africa with shows like Phineas & Ferb after the channel started in 2009 globally and that MultiChoice and Disney at its South African launch on DStv called "a phenomenal success", leaves The Disney Channel and Disney Junior (DStv 309) as its two remaining linear Disney TV channels for children available on DStv.

FOX Life started on DStv and StarSat in September 2016 with Fox Networks Group Africa and DStv that at the time promised hundreds of hours of "fresh new programming for the schedule, focused on localised storytelling, created specifically for African viewers". Very little of that came to pass.

In October 2017 FOX Africa did a "refresh" for FOX Life with a new on-air look and more promises of new and localised content.

The past few months FOX Life has been on virtual life-support with a schedule that suddenly became stacked with reruns and old content.

DStv and StarSat subscribers noticed, complained, and it led them to speculate that FOX Life is on its way out given the lack of attention and the stacking of rerun content on the channel.

In addition, very little to no new international of locally-produced series were made or appeared on FOX Life recently, despite FOX channel executives once promising an ongoing slate of exciting new South American and Turkish telenovelas.

The termination of FOX Life comes 19 months after Disney's billion dollars takeover of 21st Century Fox that included the Fox Networks Group.

At MultiChoice's 2020 DStv Showcase media event in August the pay-TV operator's executives made no announcement to the media that Disney XD and FOX Life will be ending a month later on DStv.

Interestingly, it is shaping up to be a record year over the past year for TV channels going dark on DStv, with the past year that has seen the loss of channels ranging from A+E Networks UK's Crime+Investigation channel to SundanceTV, ITV Choice, SABC Encore and Fashion One to BBC First on DStv, as well as a reduction to fewer M-Net Movies channels.


The likely reasons
Two different reasons are likely driving the shuttering of the FOX Life and Disney XD channels.

Firstly, Disney wants to phase out and get rid of  the "Fox" name everywhere it is used. Disney has been busy and slowly ramping up its strategic global makeover of the legacy-acquired "Fox" brands that have become part of the bigger Disney brand. 

Last month Disney Television Studios rebranded its acquired 20th Century Fox as 20th Television, and Fox 21 TV Studios that is becoming Touchstone Television.

Before that the FOX Sports channels were rebranded as Disney's ESPN channels, effectively returning ESPN to Africa not because ESPN really wanted to return to Africa but because of a corporate takeover change. ESPN dumped Africa and got out of the continent 6 years ago in July 2013.

Regarding the full-on Supa Strikas kick to the curb of Disney XD, it has become very clear that Disney is basically done with putting the amount of energy and focus behind its legacy linear international Disney pay-TV channels as it had done for decades.

Shifting its own importance away from its Disney TV channels, Disney has dramatically realigned its focus the past year towards video streaming and particularly its own Disney+ subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) endeavours like Disney+.

Disney however hasn't yet made any announcement about when it will make Disney+ available in South Africa or Africa.

Over the past few months Disney has abruptly ended carriage agreements of its linear Disney pay-TV channels in big and comparable markets like the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand all because of video streaming.

It's very likely that the decision to end Disney XD in the South African and African markets are as a result of this bigger corporate sea change around Disney's TV channels.

New series, Game Changers, on FOX Life, to profile Africa's game changing artists ranging from Kid Fonque and Moonchild to Thando Hopa and Mpho Makua.

The previously announced new African profile series from FOX Networks Group Africa, Game Changers will kick off on FOX Life ( DStv (DStv 126 / StarSat 133 / Cell C black 202) on Wednesday 16 May at 19:10.

Game Changers tracks the journey to stardom of some of the most influential artists on the African continent and will profile these women -and some men - through personal personal interviews, reality footage and interviews with experts and the public.

Episodes include profiles on artists ranging from Kid Fonque and Moonchild to Thando Hopa and Mpho Makua, with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews.

FOX Life has released the running order for the first 3 episodes of Game Changers.

Episode1 
Hailing from P.E the songstress Moonchild Sanelly unpacks her journey in the music industry both locally and abroad, she speaks about her sexuality and the importance of owning it. We see how she managed create a sound for herself, which helped her mark her place in the music industry.

Episode 2
Born and raised in Soweto, Mpho Makau co-owner of Styla Gang Orginal Designs also known as S.G.O.D explains his journey as a designer who creates urban clothing which has spread across Africa. We uncover how he went from hustling in the dusty streets of Soweto to working with some of the biggest musicians and brands in Africa.

Episode 3
DJ, producer, label owner, promoter and recently radio presenter, Kid Fonque has become a vital part of South African electronic music and club culture over the last 20 years. He is an over-achiever in every one of his roles.

REVIEW. FOX Life's first local Fox banner production, Spirit, is oddly about death - as yet another weird psychic show lets loose a 'I see dead people' person claiming to 'connect' with the dead.

Who knows what FOX Networks Group Africa (FNG Africa) was thinking when it decided that the first locally produced show for its FOX Life (DStv 126 / StarSat 133 / Cell C black 202) channel under its in-house production banner should be about death featuring a so-called psychic. Who knows?

What this TV critic does know from seeing it, is that it looks bad, disjointed, schmaltzed up and fake, uninspiring, and completely beneath what FOX Life is and should be doing.

Instead of doing something different and new programming wise, FOX Life decided to go with the cheap shot TV charlatan genre by adding Spirit - as if viewers haven't had enough of TV gypsies doing tarot card readings for gullible, big-eyed subjects.

After South African viewers have seen SABC3's Crossing Over with John Edwards, kykNET's (DStv 144) Marietta Theunissen and her Die Ander Kant, then even her daughter, Julia Theunissen getting in on the act with her Tussen Twee Wêrelde on VIA (DStv 147), E! Entertainment's (DStv 124) Hollywood Medium with Tyler Henry, TLC's (DStv 135) Long Island Medium with Theresa Caputo and Belinda Silbert who did Making Contact on SABC3 and then an e.tv version that flopped, you have to wonder why FOX Africa decided to do more of this vapid, indistinguishable and empty-calorie, polony television that has no replay value and doesn't add anything to viewers lives.

FOX invited only some press for a type of set visit and reached out to only certain media for interviews, deliberately ignoring others for whatever reason.

There's was no media preview, nor any advance screener episode made available as with other shows - also weird given that it's FOX Life's first local series (channels usually tout their "first of" shows).

Through it, FOX Africa created the distinct impression that it doesn't believe in its own show and possible know itself that it is dishing up a type of TV trash it's not really proud of.

With no background or any background knowledge of the show or Cindy Kruger at all, this review is solely based on having watched the linear broadcast of the first episode as it was shown on FOX Life this week.

It's fine if you've never heard about Cindy Kruger. This one has a notepad and starts scribbling furiously as apparently your dead flock to her - sort of like Coco.

She then "radiates" on levels, and makes a "connection" as she throws statements out there so that those doing a "reading" can find something in their lives to try and relate it to.

Cindy doesn't look Irish, yet Spirit's opening sequence that doesn't fit with how the rest of the show looks, wants to hype up airy Irish mystic qualities and plays like an Enya "Orinoco Flows" music video or an animated Celtic Woman CD cover.

Then we see aerial shots of Cindy walking a Celtic garden maze before all the rest of the setting is suddenly a type of rustic Rustenburg rural charm. It's a big visual disconnect.

The FOX Original Productions then shamelessly manipulates viewers with editing, cuts and music, with Spirit borrowing a lot from the soap/telenovela visual playbook to hype up non-existent drama and characterisation, to try and make the viewer feel things and feel a certain way. Take away the music or turn off the sound and see how the vapid show becomes even more lifeless.

Most hilariously and fakely, Spirit includes drum beats - going "baff, baff, baff" during pregnant pauses to hype up the drama - along with lovely dramatic mood music added after filming to help enhance the spectacle when Cindy does her "radiating" and the dead come to her.

The absence of anything really happening in Spirit, makes it all look even more silly, with the "baff, baff, baff" inserted exactly like when Brooke turns around in The Bold and the Beautiful, but before she tells Ridge that she's leaving him.

After "readings", someone with a steadicam that's deliberately still shaking to visually try and re-enforce how "shook" subjects are after Cindy "radiated" on her levels to make "soul connections", do close-ups.

This is clearly to try and capture the bewilderment of people who can't believe how Cindy knew about tombstones and dead people and to convey a type of temporary "emotionally claustrophobic" feeling to the viewer.

They say don't speak ill of the dead but strangely none of the dead who surround Cindy speak ill of the living. They give Cindy messages but she still has to ask people stuff to see what sticks.

Cindy's home (if it is her home) looks unnaturally spotlessly clean. Perhaps the dead come at night and clean.

Cindy's "radiating" and "readings" obviously takes longer and more time during actual filming but are edited down for punch. Viewers are not given a sense in Spirit of, or shown, what Cindy actually gets/got wrong or that subjects can't relate to (unless of course she's a perfect dead communicator).

Spirit feels and looks like it could and should rather be a regional late afternoon drive-time radio segment with callers phoning in, or would fit better on some community TV channel like GauTV, to whittle away an empty half hour or hour.

It's sad to see FOX Africa selling out with something simple like Spirit for FOX Life when it could invest in actual worthwhile programming that teaches and entertains and is unique to Africa and its female and developmental challenges - instead of cheapening its offering with psychic silliness as if its little more than a traveling TV circus.

Even a plain talk show for FOX Life would have been better than dishing up cheap psychic TV tricks ... baff, baff, baff.

FOX Life adds more locally produced, female-focused programming for 2018, including Game Changers, Chick Chat Live, Dentaa Africa and Today's Leading Women.

FOX Networks Africa (FNG Africa) has added more locally-produced,female-focused programming for the FOX Life (DStv 126 / StarSat 133 / Cell C black 202) channel in Africa for later in 2018.

"We are gearing up for a busy 2018 in terms of local content production," says Levern Engel, director for content production for FNG Africa.

Game Changers will start on 16 May at 19:00. 

The series tracks the journey to stardom of some of the most influential artists on the African continent. Game Changers will profile these women through personal personal interviews, reality footage and interviews with experts and the public.

Chick Chat Live will start on 28 Mat at 19:10, followed by Dentaa Africa at 19:55.

Chick Chat Live, presented by the Nigerian talk show host Cornelia O’Dwyer, will explore female topics of interest to modern day African women.

Dentaa Africa, is described by FOX Life as "an uplifting, motivational docu-talkshow filmed across the continent with Ghana’s mompreneur, actress and TV presenter Dentaa Amoateng". She talks to well-known Ghanaian and pan-African guests over home-cooked meals. 

Today’s Leading Women will start on FOX Life on 9 July at 19:55 with presenter Buchi Lenoir, a business woman from Lagos, Nigeria. 

The series will lift the lid on female empowerment, showcasing the secrets of success of some of Africa's most creative and industrious female entrepreneurs. People profiled will include Munira Shonibare, Ifeoma Fafunwa and Joke Silva.

New Turkish telenovela, You Are Mine, starting on FOX Life on 1 February at 6:25pm.

A new Turkish telenovela, You Are Mine, dubbed into English, is starting on FOX Life FOX Life (DStv 126 / StarSat 133 / Cell C black 202) on Thursday 1 February at 18:25 for 35 hour long episodes.

You Are Mine (Sen Benimsin), produced by Pastel Film in 2015, will run from Mondays to Fridays and in Mexico had the funny title in Spanish of "Nest of Vipers".

Edjer (Gökhan Keser) is the youngest son of the wealthy Yenilmez family in Bursa who doesn't care about money and goes to Istanbul.

Of course the handsome man meets the beautiful girl Nağme (Rüveyda Öksüz) who is a concert pianist because of an accident. They want to get married but their families don't approve - so they elope.

Edjer takes Nağme back to his family’s impressive mansion but this is not a happy home. His family does everything they can to split them up. 

Love prevails, at least for a while - until life-changing secrets and major revelations are about to put their relationship to the ultimate test.

FOX Life adds Spirit as new show from March with so-called psychic Cindy Kruger doing 'readings' with celebrities and viewers.

FOX Life (DStv 126 / StarSat 133 / Cell C black 202) is adding Spirit from March, a new locally South African produced show with the so-called psychic, Cindy Kruger.

FOX Life is following the lead of local South African channels like kykNET, VIA, SABC3 and e.tv, as well as E! Entertainment who've produced shows about so-called psychic mediums for its female demographic where they give viewers "readings".

Spirit will start production this month and will feature Cindy Kruger doing so-called psychic "readings" with celebrities across Africa as well as viewers offering them "clarity on certain life events" and giving "insights into their concerns and worries, find closure and perhaps even connect with lost loved ones" - meaning people who are dead.

People booked to appear on Spirit include Anita Erskine, Rozanne McKenzie, Denrele, Pappy Kojo, Navy Kenzo, Kim Jayde and iFANI.

Kwesé TV adds FOX, FOX Life, National Geographic and Nat Geo WILD in new 4 channel carriage deal with FOX Networks Group.

The satellite pay-TV platform Kwesé TV, in a new carriage deal with FOX Networks Group, has added 4 TV channels to its pay-TV platform: FOX (141), FOX Life, National Geographic (435) and Nat Geo WILD (436).

Neither Kwesé TV, run by Econet Media, not FOX Networks Group Africa (FNG Africa) issued any statement to the press, but told Kwesé TV subscribers on social media that "now you can catch great shows like Empire and Atlanta or watch your favourite channels like FOX Life and National Geographic right here on Kwesé TV!"

The 4 channels are available on Kwesé TV since 20 December.

Kwesé TV's satellite pay-TV service is currently available in Ghana, Zambia, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Botswana, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda with Econet Media that plans to roll out Kwesé TV across the continent.

In South Africa a very truncated Kwesé TV service is available as the Kwesé Play streaming service offered through the Kwesé Play Roku set-top box (STB).

The STB and Kwesé Play is however severely limited in what it offers since Kwesé TV's pay-TV channels available through its traditional satellite pay-TV service elsewhere in Africa are all blocked on the device for South Africa.

The 4 channels on Kwesé TV are also part of a bigger FOX channels portfolio that was added to the new South African subscription video-on-demand service, Cell C black, in November.

e.tv follows FOX Networks Group Africa and also stocks up on Turkish telenovelas like Fatmagul and Matter of Respect.

e.tv is following the lead of FOX Networks Group Africa and is also stocking up on Turkish telenovelas, having acquired shows like Fatmagul and Matter of Respect.

FOX Networks Group Africa has been first in acquiring and programming Turkish telenovelas for the South African and African audiences, with FOX Life (DStv 126 / StarSat 133) that has started airing Heartbeat that will be followed by others.

The e.tv Turkish telenovelas deal comes after it signed a distribution deal with Kanal D International, the sales arm of the Turkish TV channel Kanal D.

There's been no announcement or statement from e.tv regarding the deal, or a stating date, or the channel allocation for the Turkish telenovelas.

Telemundo moves new soap slots to late night from mid-October; starting with Price of Fame that will debut at 9pm from 16 October.

In the biggest scheduling shake-up since the channel launched in Africa four years ago, Telemundo (DStv 118) is changing the South American telenovela channel's programming strategy and will be pushing the debut of new weekday prime time episodes out of early prime time and to 21:00.

The channel from NBCUniversal International Networks that used to broadcast new soap bubbles and glistening bodies at 18:00 on weekdays is moving the debut of new episodes three hours later to 21:00 from Monday 16 October once Iron Rose ends.

From Monday 16 October, Telemundo will broadcast repeats in the early prime time 18:00 timeslot.

The Telemundo schedule adjustment kicks off with the new telenovela Price of Fame, and will continue thereafter with all new telenovelas that will start in later timeslots, as existing series conclude and make way for new ones.

Telemundo's adjustment to later prime time debut timeslot for new episodes comes as FOX Networks Group Africa (FNG Africa) is gearing up to add Turkish telenovelas to its FOX Life (DStv 126 / StarSat 133) channel line-up from later this month once dubbing into English is completed.

FOX Life will start with the Turkish telenovela Heartbeat, scheduled in the 18:25 timeslot where Telemundo will in future be showing repeats from now on.

In response to a media enquiry about the prime time timeslot change, Telemundo tells TVwithThinus that "we continuously evaluate our scheduling strategies to maximise appeal to viewers across the continent."

"From mid-October, new telenovelas will premiere in prime time later in the evening and will be repeated in the afternoon the following day, starting with Price of Fame premiering on 16 October at 21:00".

Price of Fame (original Spanish title: Guerra de ídolos) is Telemundo's first "musical telenovela", following the Latin American Solars family living in Houston, Texas, although it's filmed in Mexico.

Like Glee, Nashville and Empire, musical acts and singing numbers are sprinkled throughout episodes that started production in December 2016, as Mateo Solar (Alberto Guerra) falls in love with the pop singer Manara Maramoros (María León).

Unfortunately Manara is the sister of Amado (Juan Pablo Medina), a gun trafficker who is also a people smuggler.

The stormy relationship between Mateo and Manara goes against many interests, triggering ambitions and a war up and down the stages ranging from Los Angeles to Mexico City and exposing the dark side of the music industry.

FOX Life does a logo refresh as the channel pivots to its new programme schedule.

FOX Life (DStv 126 / StarSat 133) has undergone a logo change refresh as the channel from FOX Networks Africa (FNG) pivots to its new programme schedule and better delineated programming offering from sister channel FOX.

FOX Life will soon add Turkish telenovelas to the channel's line-up as well.

"The new programme schedule will make it easier for fans to enjoy their favourite shows through streamlining of genre, predictable repeat patterns and every girl's favourite – weekend catch ups," says Tracey Gilchrist, director of programming for Fox Networks Group Africa.

FOX Life now has an updated logo, with refreshed on-air imaging.

"Refining FOX Life has also meant that FOX Africa's schedule has been bolstered with even more premium scripted dramas."

The next seasons of Star and Atlanta will premiere on FOX early in 2018.

"It is time for FOX Life to move forward. We have listened to the audience, and plan to keep super serving you with the best content in a viewing environment that is current and fresh."

"At the same time, we are still committed to bringing you the best first on FOX Africa, and looking forward to moving forward stronger with both of these hugely popular channels."

FOX Upfront 2017: Programming, schedules of FOX and FOX Life channels restructured: 'We're working towards schedule stability, predictability and stacking'.

FOX Africa has restructured the line-ups, programming and scheduling of its FOX and FOX Life channels in South Africa and across Africa to make it easier for viewers to understand the differentiation between the two TV channels and to increase viewership through more predictable and easier-to-understand schedules and timeslots.

FOX Networks Group Africa has reworked the schedules and placement of some programming - a process that's ongoing - to better delineate the premium content channel FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 133) and the recently relaunched FOX Life (DStv 126 / StarSat 133), a channel that is geared towards female viewers.

A lot of pay-TV viewers and advertisers have been struggling to figure out the difference in tonality and the separate channel propositions of FOX and FOX Life.

FOX Africa has been working to make it more clearer so that viewers know where to tune to to find what kind of programming.

On Wednesday in Johannesburg at FOX Networks Group Africa's FOX Upfront 2017, Tracey Gilchrist, director of content, scheduling and acquisitions at FNG Africa, said "we're working towards schedule stability, predictability and stacking".

Tracey Gilchrist said that a lot of work the past few months has gone into creating "complete predictability across the entire schedule" for the FOX channel.

In regards to the FOX channel, Tracey Gilchrist said "FOX will be the home of scripted, international, hot content".

In regards to the FOX Life channel that will turn one year old in mid-September since its replaced FOX Crime on DStv and StarSat, Tracey Gilchrist said "FOX Life - like all one year olds - they have to develop and they have to adapt to their surroundings".

"What have we've done the last couple of months? We've listened. We've done research. And in response to all of this, we've streamlined our schedules."

"We have implemented consistent scheduling practices, our repeats are easy to find now on the schedule, and we have very specific target markets and content."

"FOX Life is about women, we are about successful women, we are about women on the start to their road to success, we are pan-African, we are direct, and we are inclusive."

'FOX Life is focusing on local content, we are focusing on content from all around the African continent, we're focused on non-scripted content; we also look at telenovelas."

"It's not to say that there won't be scripted content on FOX Life but it will be localised and will be local scripted content," said Tracey Gilchrist.

FOX Upfront 2017: 'Less flesh' Turkish telenovelas coming to FOX Life soon as FOX Africa adds Turkish delights for SA and African viewers.

Smoking-hot, beautiful people. Heart-wrenching romance. Love and loss for the ages. But not so much lust and also a little bit more cloth over the collarbone.

Get ready for Turkish telenovelas that will soon be sweeping up South African and African viewers in passionate stories on FOX Life (DStv 126 / StarSat 133).

On Wednesday in Johannesburg at FOX Networks Group Africa's FOX Upfront 2017, Tracey Gilchrist, director of content, scheduling and acquisitions at FNG Africa, revealed that FNG Africa has acquired and is scheduling Turkish telenovelas - a genre that's recently been taking the entire TV world by storm.

Tracey Gilchrist said the exclusively acquired Turkish telenovelas that are currently being translated and dubbed into English, will run on weekdays at 18:25 on FOX Life - FNG Africa's recently started female-skewed channel that has just turned one year old.

FNG Africa didn't provide a specific starting date for the telenovelas, but TVwithThinus understands that it will kick off within a month as a more modest counter to the more provocative, more skin-baring South American telenovelas seen on channels like Telemundo Africa and EVA on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

To kick off, FNG Africa will show the "less flesh" Turkish telenovelas like Heartbeat and Lodestar (originally known in Turkey as Rüzgarın Kalbi and Coban Yildizi respectively).

According to sources, Heartbeat will be FOX Life's first Turkish TV delight if the dubbing is completed in time, with Heartbeat that is scheduled for a start on weekdays on FOX Life from Monday 2 October at 18:25.

Universal Cinergia Dubbing started work on dubbing both telenovelas into English, both made for FOX Turkey, just weeks ago.

FNG Africa didn't announce or explain why it decided to add Turkish telenovelas for South African and African viewers, but according to insiders FNG has market research indicating that there's viewers who like to watch telenovelas but ones that are slightly "safer" with less glaring, glistening skin that the often ribald Brazilian and Mexican are known for.

From Greece to Pakistan, from Chile to Afghanistan and even Ethiopia, the world is catching on to the well-produced and mesmerising "Turkish super soaps" that's starting to beat South America on their own TV genre turf and driving record ratings in almost every country they're being aired.

Interestingly, although owned and funded by men, several of the Turkish soap productions actually have women as scriptwriters.

In September last year, the the BBC reported on the world's growing fascination with Turkey telenovelas.

One South American viewer told the BBC that "the Turkish productions are very high quality and don't have the Hollywood cliches and stereotypes. When I started to watch these dramas, I realised how tired I was with all the violence and sex of American TV."

In Heartbeat the handsome Rüzgar is in love with Meltem but she dies just before their wedding day and her heart is donated to a sick girl.

Zeynep, discovers her fiancé is cheating on her and heads to a small town. Rüzgar and Zeynep fall in love - not knowing that Seynap is the recipient of his first love's heart.

In Lodestar, an ongoing telenovela, Zühre, the most beautiful girl in Kapadokya is being forced to marry a man she doesn't love.

On her wedding night she runs away, but is spotted by the man's son, Zekkar, a nightclub boss from Istanbul. He doesn't realise she's supposed to be his "stepmother" and falls.

Meanwhile Zühre is being protected by Seyit, a handsome stonemason who also falls in love with her.

FOX Networks Group Africa will kick off with shorter Turkish telenovelas on FOX Life to first test the African waters with drama series that doesn't have the long and stretched out episode order runs of South American telenovelas.

African Legacy Project starting on FOX Life; 10-episode series profiling entrepreneurs in 4 African countries including two of the sharks from Shark Tank SA.

A new locally produced show, African Legacy Project, is starting on FOX Life (DStv 126 / StarSat 133) profiling some of Africa's entrepreneurs and will give insight in to how two of the "sharks" on M-Net's Shark Tank SA, Gil Oved and Romeo Kumalo, amassed their fortunes.

African Legacy Project is the second locally produced show for FOX Networks Group Africa's FOX Life channel seen on MultiChoice's DStv and StarTimes South Africa's StarSat and will profile 10 different African entrepreneurs from 4 African countries over the course of 10 episodes, starting on Wednesday 26 July at 19:55.

On Tuesday evening FOX in Johannesburg had a launch event for African Legacy Project attended by people like Gil Oved who will be profiled in one of the episodes.

Unfortunately FOX Africa couldn't bother to tell the media covering television about it and that it would be happening, or invite them to the show's launch event.

No transcripts were made available to the press of the people who spoke and since TVwithThinus wasn't there nor knew about it, it's not possible to report about what was said, or more about the show.

African Legacy Project will profile business leaders from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire who all started from so-called "humble beginnings", with episodes covering the deliberate steps they took to achieving their success.

Ivory Coast's Swaady Martin known as "Africa's queen of luxury"; Zimbabwe's Joseph Hundah who is the CEO of Econet Media;  South Africa's dr. Judy Dlamini who is chairperson of the Mbekani Group; Nigeria's Oke Maduewesi who runs the Zaron cosmetic empire; South Africa's Gil Oved who is CEO of The Creative Counsel; South Africa's Renchia Droganis who is the CEO of Africology; the duo Yasmin and Afua of Shehives; South Africa's Romeo Kumalo who is the CEO of Washariki Holdings; South Africa's Candice Thurston who is the founder of the Candi and Co. hair salon, and the Nigerian philantropist Hakeem Bello-Osagie are all profiled.

In the 10 episodes the entrepreneurs will share their worst failures and challenges and tell viewers how they've achieved success with their business ventures.

TOLDJA! Another FOX channel is suddenly chopped and changed as FOX Crime flips to FOX Life at short notice; changes on DStv with no word about StarSat.

The horribly bad communication from FOX Networks Group, MultiChoice, and On Digital Media (ODM) and StarTimes Media South Africa, continues with ongoing confusion, lack of clarifty and non-answers about the FOX Crime channel that is suddenly going to change to FOX Life, with FX that's getting dumped in the process as well.

As TV with Thinus already reported previously and again earlier this month, FOX Crime is get culled and replaced by FOX Life.

The very sad part is this: the shockingly bad communication from FOX Networks Group in Africa to properly and fully explain what is going on and why.

Then there's also the "collusion" by FOX Networks Group in Africa, MultiChoice and ODM and StarTimes Media SA to not explain, and explain clearly and far in advance enough to paying subscribers to their services, what exactly is happening - and how their customers will be impacted.

It's very bad.

As it stands now, new boss Gary Alfonso, general manager for FOX Networks Group Africa, has been terrible in not being fully forthcoming and properly explaining to FOX Crime and FX viewers what is happening here.

FOX Crime is getting yanked from MultiChoice's DStv on 28 September. That news isn't coming from MultiChoice itself but from the FOX News Group.

FOX Crime is getting pulled with less than a month's notice to DStv subscribers on channel 126.

There is absolutely no word about what is happening with FOX Crime for StarSat subscribers - but its basically a given that StarSat is losing FOX Crime too.

Not only that, but FX is also going to dark on StarSat - that is also not being told to StarSat subscribers and no mention of a date yet. Presumably FX will also go "poof" in half a month's time but FOX Networks Group isn't saying (yet).

Furthermore there's no explanation why exactly this is happening - because why should subscribers or the media deserve any actual real explanation as to why FOX Crime is suddenly being canned.

It's a take-it-or-leave-it situation that according to FOX Networks Group in Africa, MultiChoice and ODM and StarTimes Media SA apparently doesn't need a lot of explanation or transparency given the bad communication on this.

Imagine hearing two weeks before the time that your bank is changing and shutting down your cheque account, and will reopen it as a new product with a new look a few days later - without even telling you the details about it.

That is what FOX Networks Group, MultiChoice and StarSat are badly (non-) communicating to people who are actually paying for FOX Crime as a TV channel. In essence it's a "crime".

FOX Crime was added by MultiChoice to DStv from July 2013 and was added by StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media ()DM) to StarSat from November 2013 - it basically lasted for only three years.


Here is what is now known:

FOX Crime is shutting down on MultiChoice's DStv on 28 September on MultiChoice's DStv.

FOX Life will start in its place on 3 October, as I've reported previously, on channel 126. FOX Life will be available to DStv Premium, DStv Extra, DStv Compact, DStv Family and DStv Access subscribers.

So far there's been zero comment from MultiChoice about this change to DStv. Will FOX Life be in high definition (HD)? We don't know.

So far, and after having been asked repeatedly, there's been no comment from StarSat about the loss of FOX Crime - who also hasn't said a word about the coming demise and shut down of FX.

So far there is no official answer as to what is happening to FOX Crime on StarSat or the exact date FOX Crime on channel 132 and FX is being yanked away from StarSat subscribers.

What is happening to shows that people have been watching on FOX Crime? You'd think subscribers of the channel would be told that. I had to ask first, to get somewhat more information.

TV with Thinus in response to a media enquiry is told:
"All shows currently on FOX Crime will end naturally on the channel. Rogue is the only show that has already moved to FOX and season 3 premiered on FOX. There will however be some repeats of the FOX Crime procedurals on FOX during daytime".

Why is FOX Crime dumped and replaced?
"We are launching FOX Life to better service local markets and show our ambition in Africa by creating a production hub locally that will tap into the latest trends and ensure the brands stay relevant locally".

Of course that explains very little, since the FOX channel as the premium channel brand already exists and can cope with presumably whatever new local content is produced by a local production hub.

Why is FX suddenly also being shut down and when?
No official answer yet. FOX Crime and FX are both being dumped and replaced with one channel, FOX Life.


SAngry sbscribers have already started saying they're angry and upset and can't understand why FOX Crime and FOX Life on DStv and StarSat can't both be given to them.

"Why replacing instead of adding?" asks John Johnson.

"No, you must add to FOX Crime. We will boycott you if you replace FOX Crime with FOX Life. Add [it] next to FOX Crime, we pleading. After all, we pay. We have a say. You can't take off FOX Crime," says Norman Lambert.

"FOX Crime I enjoyed," says Maruska Honiball. "Why take it away???"

"FOX Crime was good," says Myburgh Dewald.

And Kedibone Mametja sums up what a lot of people are thinking about the upcoming dumping of FOX Crime and replacement with FOX Life: "Why replace and not add?" 

FOX Crime on StarSat changing to FOX Life on 3 October; confusion over whether FOX Crime is continuing on DStv or also changing to FOX Life on that platform.

The change of the FOX Crime (StarSat 132 / DStv 126) channel that was supposed to happen from the beginning of September and that was supposed to switch to the FOX Life channel from September has been pushed back to 3 October - but the pay-TV operators and the FOX Networks Group Africa have been bad at explaining and communicating to their subscribers and the media what is happening.

While the FOX Networks Group in Africa, now managed by Gary Alfonso, hasn't bothered to tell the media anything, at least this is now known: FOX Crime will now be replaced by FOX Life on 3 October.

The channel swop will now happen on 3 October after it has been delayed and pushed back by a month.

FOX Crime will now be replaced by FOX Life on 3 October on On Digital Media's (ODM) and StarTimes Media SA's StarSat.

What is unclear is whether FOX Crime will remain on MultiChoice's DStv from October and if the FOX Crime channel on DStv will also be changing to FOX Life from 3 October for that pay-TV operator.

No official channel logo for FOX Life has been issued and no monthly channel schedule for October has been provided to media yet - nor what the channel is about, programming highlights or an explanation as to what will happen to shows that viewers have been watching currently and might not have completed their run by the time FOX Crime gets cut.

TVwithThinus asked the FOX Networks Group Africa, ODM and StarSat, and MultiChoice yet again today (Friday) - after asking the channel provider and the pay-TV operators a month ago (when they were less than forthcoming) - what is happening.

When there's responses, this report will update with those responses.

So far, FOX representatives on Friday told me they're not in a position to give any details at the moment.

What is clear, is that the FOX Networks Group in Africa has and is really not managing the news and media publicity about the upcoming switch of the FOX Crime channel to FOX Life well at all.

Pay-TV subscribers in South Africa are paying real money for a service which they are not properly being informed about and that is changing in a month's time. With a month to go, they're not being told why it is happening and what those changes are.

In the absence of any information and explanations from the FOX Networks Group Africa and operators, viewers of FOX Crime are already negative about the looming removal of the channel and its replacement with FOX Life.

"Why replacing instead of adding?" asks John Johnson.

"No, you must add to FOX Crime. We will boycott you if you replace FOX Crime with FOX Life. Add [it] next to FOX Crime, we pleading. After all, we pay. We have a say. You can't take off FOX Crime," says Norman Lambert.

"FOX Crime I enjoyed," says Maruska Honiball. "Why take it away???"

"FOX Crime was good," says Myburgh Dewald, and Kedibone Mametja sums up what a lot of people are thinking about the upcoming dumping of FOX Crime and replacement with FOX Life: "Why replace and not add?"

FOX's FOX Crime channel on DStv and StarSat that was introduced in 2013, to change to the FOX Life channel from September - report.

After running for just 3 years for South African viewers, the FOX Crime channel from FOX Networks Group running on DStv and StarSat is set to be replaced with the FOX Life channel from September.

The FOX Crime (DStv 126 / StarSat 132) channel, showing crime and investigative programming, is set to make way for the drama and sitcom channel FOX Life, a "lighter" version of FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131) channel filled with mostly library titles and older series as a non-premium TV channel.

TVSA reports that FOX Crime will switch and be replaced from September.

FOX Crime was added by MultiChoice to DStv from July 2013 and was added by StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media ()DM) to StarSat from November 2013.

FOX Crime has been utterly mangled on the StarSat platform where it's frequently been a channel that got "stuck" over the past two years, with bad signal quality leading to "jumping" video, bad and gone audio and multiple FOX Crime channel blackouts without any explanations from StarSat.

TVwithThinus asked MultiChoice about the reported switch of FOX Crime to FOX Life.

MultiChoice said: "When we are in a position to talk about any changes to the DStv service, we'll make the necessary announcements starting with our partners in the media such as yourself".

TVwithThinus asked FOX Africa, involved with the running of the set of FOX channels like FOX Crime, why FOX Crime is going to change to FOX Life, what is going to happen to series that haven't concluded on FOX Crime by the time of the switch, what the FOX Life channel is about and for a FOX Life channel logo.

No FOX Life channel logo was supplied.

FOX Africa only responded after days and several enquiries (and a day after MultiChoice) with the exact same sentence as MultiChoice - and with an apparently missing word during a badly edited replace change.

"When we are in a position to talk about any changes  FOX , we'll make the necessary announcements starting with our partners in the media such as yourself".

FOX International Channels Africa comments on adding FOX Movies to StarSat; FOX Life possibly added as a new channel soon as well.

You're reading it here first. 

FOX International Channels Africa (FIC Africa) says the addition of the new TV channel, FOX Movies that will start on On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat satellite pay-TV platform in South African on Saturday 7 June helps to increase FOX International Channel's footprint and now makes its the most relevant supplier of TV channels to StarSat.

FIC will provide a lifestyle TV channel to StarSat as well, but is not saying what the channel is, or when the channel will be added.

It's however very likely that it will be FOX Life that will be added to StarSat, FIC's global mother lifestyle television brand that has scripted and non-scripted shows which are inspired by real-life, including drama series, comedies and reality shows.

With the addition of FOX Movies, FIC Africa will now oversee 7 TV channels on StarSat - FOX, FX, BabyTV, FUEL, FOX Crime and Nat Geo Gold.

"The FIC Africa strategic plan has been to ensure increased distribution of our key channel brands to all platforms thus strengthening our presence," says Alessandro Tucci, the senior vice president and general manager for FIC Africa.

"FIC will be the most relevant channels supplier of StarSat".

About the FOX Movies addition Alessandro Tucci says "the deal will increase FIC's footprint and support the global corporate strategy of channels remaining non-exclusive".

"This move is very encouraging for us as a distributor of powerhouse channel brands globally".

FOX Movies is already available in West Africa on Montage and will now be available in South Africa as well. The channel broadcast comedy, drama, action, science fiction, horror and thrillers.