Community TV channel GauTV increasing its broadcasting hours from 12 to 24 hours per day from 1 March; adds new talk show with Candy Tsamandebele.

The community TV channel GauTV (DSt 265) will increase its broadcasting hours from 12 to 24 hours from 1 March.

In addition, GauTV, that is carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform in South Africa, is adding a new talk show, Artist Rundown, that will start during the first week of March, with presenter Candy Tsamandebele.

Artist Rundown on GauTV will focus on celebrities' journeys and their personal life challenges.

"Before I was the artist, people knew me as Candy, I was a sweet girl growing up in a village performing with a traditional group formed by different villagers of various age groups."

"That was life for me so, with this show, I will be focusing more on these kinds of stories. Viewers should expect to learn new things they didn't know about their favourite stars and definitely to be entertained," says Candy Tsamandebele.

New Gauteng TV channel, GauTV, produced by Zallywood Productions added to MultiChoice's DStv; will launch on 19 October.

A new Gauteng TV channel called GauTV will launch on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform on 19 October on channel 265 and will initially broadcast for 12 hours per day from 06:00 to 18:00.

GauTV as a new channel is specifically for MultiChoice and will broadcast exclusively on DStv. GauTV, produced by Zallywood Productions, will be available to DStv Premium, DStv Extra, DStv Compact, DStv Family and DStv Access subscribers.

The new channel which will cover the greater Gauteng province, will join the existing community TV station Soweto TV (DStv 251) which is growing in popularity and which has even surpassed SABC3 on certain viewership rating metrics in the past few years.

GauTV will help to fill the void after the community TV station Alex TV, stylised as lx tv, covering Alexandra and which was also available on Platco Digital's OpenView HD platform, was abruptly yanked off the air by the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa (Icasa) earlier this year after its broadcasting licence expired.

GauTV's 12 hour schedule will include news, sport, soaps, movies, drama series, factual and documentary programming, lifestyle and religion programming as well as kids viewing.

GauTV describes its programming as "a mixture of local programming from different municipalities with a modern high-powered aim at entertaining, educating and informing".

GauTV promises to show viewers the "lavish Sandton lifestyles" to the Bekkersdal township and will broadcast in various languages, including English, Afrikaans, Setswana, Pedi, Venda, Tsonga and Zulu.

"We look forward to delivering a quality TV channel filled with great entertainment for DStv customers," says dr. Victor Phume, Zallywood Productions founder. "We hope to showcase fresh new talent alongside established household names. We look forward to telling the unique stories of the people of Gauteng."

Some of GauTV's launch programming will include Picture Perfect (pictured) a lifestyle show about beauty tips and facial makeovers, Assertiveness as a youth talk show and Showbizz 411 as a weekly entertainment news programme.