BREAKING. TopTV in South Africa lagging behind in replacing the defunct Hi Nolly TV channel as Zuku TV gives the rest of Africa a replacement.

While the pay TV service Zuku TV in Kenia, Uganda and Tanzania just replaced the defunct Hi Nolly TV channel with a new Nollywood channel, the pay TV provider TopTV in South Africa (who lost the Hi Nolly channel at the same time during November last year) has given subscribers no future indication about when - or what - it will be replaced with.

With the self-destruction of HiTV in Nigeria under a massive debt burden in November and with the shocking termination of its self-compiled channels such as Hi Nolly which it provided to other pay TV services such as On Digital Media's (ODM) TopTV, pay TV providers across the African continent were suddenly left with unexpected gaps on the channel line-ups after the implosion.

Immediately South Africa's TopTV apologized and promised a replacement channel.

Last month, In January, I again asked TopTV what about the promises regarding replacement channels and how far plans are. There was still no definite answer.

Now its February and again another month later. South African TopTV subscribers are still paying the same price but receiving less channels than when and what they've signed up for (One Music from HiTV disappeared as well; Current TV beamed from Britain and also seen on TopTV is set to close down on 11 March).

Now Zuku TV, run by the Wananchi Group in East Africa has replaced Hi Nolly with the African Movie Channel (AMC). TopTV asked again late on Monday regarding possible replacement plans for Hi Nolly didn't have a definite answer. The African Movie Channel started in May last year and shows Nollywood, general African and East African flavoured movies.

Hannelie Bekker, the managing director of Wananchi programming, says ''The unfortunate demise of Hi Nolly created a gap in our line-up that our consumers were quick to respond to.''


Some context: Hannelie Bekker is a brilliant South African television executive and was the former programming manager for SABC3 before a stint at Telkom Media (where that company that wanted to start a pay TV service in South Africa never got off the ground). She cleverly and quickly found a dependable and quality replacement for Hi Nolly, while TopTV is still lagging, despite promises.

Also: Being able to quickly replace a TV channel with a like-for-like value offering within a pay TV operation speaks to the skill, knowledge, speed, professional contacts and acting on urgency from primarily programming executives. I don't have the answer, but think what it means on a broader level and what it says of a company, if it takes longer than 90 days to replace a lower-tiered service or channel.
What will happen when a top-tiered channel flames out? What does it say about general programming priorities, impetus for local programming and the drive (or lack thereof) to build an overall enticing channels offering and bouquet proposition to subscribers?

BREAKING. TopTV on its 2 missing channels: We're doing 'everything humanly possible' to get Hi Nolly and One Music back on-air.

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TopTV says the South African pay TV operator is ''doing everything humanly possible'' to get its two missing channels - Hi Nolly (TopTV 120) and One Music (TopTV 506) back on-air.

The broadcast of the channel abruptly stopped when the provider of both the channels, HiTV in Nigeria had their building stormed, the offices sealed and the whole pay TV operation shut down. HiTV allegedly owes billions in outstanding debt to Guaranty Trust Bank.

''At the moment we are receiving enquiries regarding Hi Nolly and One Music on the TopTV platform,'' says TopTV. ''We were only recently informed that the channel operator for Hi Nolly and One Music, Hi Media, has been placed under liquidation, which has resulted in the temporary discontinuation of the channels.''

TopTV which is showing the image above on both channels, says the pay TV operator ''regrets the impact that this has had on our subscribers but it is a situation which is out of our control''.

''The communication we have received is that HiMedia is challenging the liquidation order and the case will be heard on Friday.''

TopTV says that the pay TV platform is in co-operation with other African operators that also broadcast these channels and that TopTV is ''doing everything humanly possible to assist our supplier in Nigeria to revive the channels and get them back on-air''.

''Our content department is in the process of finding replacement channels and we will able date our subscribers accordingly.''

ALSO READ: From Nolly to nothing: TopTV abruptly loses 2 channels, Hi Nolly and One Music as Nigerian operator's offices are sealed.

BREAKING. From Nolly to nothing: TopTV abruptly loses two channels as Hi Nolly and One Music disappear from pay TV operator's bouquet.

You're reading it here first.

TopTV giveth and TopTV taketh away: Without any warning, any explanation, and not telling the press, two TopTV channels, Hi Nolly (TopTV 120) and One Music (TopTV 506) have both abruptly disappeared - with TopTV only displaying an on-screen message on both channels saying ''this channel has been suspended''.

TopTV subscribers are completely in the dark about what happened to the channels, with TopTV only telling subscribers on both the Hi Nolly and One Music channels that ''a replacement is being obtained''. ''We apologise for any inconveniece caused''.

With South Africa's Consumer Protection Act in full force, TopTV subscribers will be able to demand a refund under section 61 of the act because the service promised is not being delivered. One Music used to play ''the best of African and international hits'' while Hi Nolly showed Nigerian and African movies and entertainment shows.

Neither Hi Nolly or One Music will likely be back on-air soon. Both channels originate from Lagos in Nigeria, run by Entertainment Highway's satellite TV service, HiTV, which came to an abrupt operations end.

HiTV's offices was locked and sealed by Nigerian police allegedly due to billions in unpaid debt this week. Guaranty Trust Bank in Nigeria is demanding payment from HiTV on a loan fascility. HiTV staff are locked out and all HiTV servers - responsible for the channels on it such as Hi Holly and One Music - are shut down.

Responding Wednesday morning to a media enquiry made by TV with Thinus regarding the missing channels, TopTV says ''we have been informed that the channel operator, Hi Media was placed under liquidation order''.

TopTV says this resulted in a ''discontinuance of Hi Media's broadcasting operations and as a result Top TV's service with regard to these two channels will be temporarily discontinued. We have also been told that Hi Media is challenging the liquidation order and the case will be heard in Lagos on Friday. If the court rules in HiMedia's favour there could be a resumption in the broadcasting services.''

TopTV says ''such events are uncertainties and TopTV needs to develop a more definite solution to this situation. Consequently we are seeking replacement channels - however this is a process that will take at least 60 days due to regulatory process that need to be followed.''