Kagiso Tiso Holdings' Kagiso Media invests undisclosed amount in Ghana's TV and radio in partnership with Sabido Investments.

Kagiso Tiso Holdings (KTH), through its media subsidiary Kagiso Media is investing in Ghana to grow a direct radio and TV presence in that African country similar to what Kagiso Media has in South Africa.

Kagiso Media is investing an undisclosed amount of money and has acquired 37% of Global Media Alliance Broadcasting Company (GMABC), a broadcasting company in Ghana.

GMABC runs four radio stations in Ghana (Happy FM, YFM Kumasi, YFM Accra and YFM Takoradi) as well as the free-to-air terrestrial television channel e.tv Ghana, which was launched in 2009 as the result of a partnership between GMA and Sabido Investments that owns e.tv in South Africa.

"We are looking forward to operating in Ghana and using this as a base to expand our reach into other West African territories. It also offers us an opportunity to use our  content production capability across more distribution platforms," says Mark Harris, CEO of Kagiso Media.

Kagiso Media's investment in Ghana will be followed by a similar investment in Kenya.

Glow TV on DStv and OpenView HD shaking up its channel line-up and giving viewers a choice of audio listening options from 3 August.

The Indian Glow TV channel (DStv 167 / OVHD 108) is shaking up its channel line-up and giving viewers the opportunity of choosing different audio language tracks from Monday.

On Monday, 3 August, the channel from Kagiso Media carried on MultiChoice's DStv and Platco Digital's OpenView HD satellite platforms in South Africa will run soaps back-to-back between 17:30 until 22:00 at night on weekdays.

Viewers will also be able to flick between listening to their soaps in either English or the original Hindi on both DStv and OpenView HD. Glow TV says the line-up changes and language toggle are viewer-driven changes.

Glow TV is also starting children's programming on weekday afternoons and introducing what it calls premium lifestyle content on Saturday mornings and "family viewing" on weekend evenings.

The soap Sadda Haq at 17:30 will now be followed by an hour of Bade Ache Lagte Hai and the new soap Young Love will start at 19:30 until 20:30. Parichay follows at 20:30 and Office at 21:30.

"In the feedback that we've received, across all demographics, our soaps are some of the most loved shows. It made sense for us to dedicate a chunk of the weekday evenings to this genre of entertainment," says Naz Khan, Glow TV channel head.

Glow TV is starting children's programming from Monday on weekdays at 16:00, with programming like Mighty Raju, Little Bheem and Cops and Robbers.

On Saturday mornings Glow TV will have food programmes Mummy Ka Magic at 08:00 and Health Mange More at 09:00. This is followed by the wedding makeover show Band Baaja Bride in which brides are given five star treatment in the build-up to their big day.

On Saturday evenings Glow TV will show How to be Indie at 19:00 with Citizen Khan at 19:30 and a movie at 20:00.

Sunday evenings will now be dedicated to reality programming, with the dance show India's Dancing Superstar at 19:00, followed by the magazine style talk show Up Close and Personal at 20:30 and MTV Roadies at 21:30.

Glow TV, a collaboration between Kagiso Media and Nolava Television, launched in October 2013 on OpenView HD and was added a year later in October 2014 to MultiChoice's platform as well following a distribution agreement.

Kagiso Media acquires 100% ownership of South African production company Urban Brew Studios.

Kagiso Media has acquired 100% ownership of Urban Brew Studios, one of South Africa's independent production houses.

Urban Brew Studios is one of the largest production studios in South Africa, which supplies content and channels for the broadcast and entertainment industry.

Urban Brew Studios currently runs four channels on DStv: 1 Gospel (DStv 331), Dumisa (DStv 340), ED (DStv 190), and the community TV channel 1KZN (DStv 261).

Urban Brew also has production capacity in Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria and Cameroon.

The production company produces a range of shows for the SABC like Friends Like These, YO.TV, Live Amp, RGB, and Khumbul'ekhaya; as well as for e.tv like the upcoming new telenovela Gold Diggers and the current Mahadi – Lobola; as well as the telenovela Zabalaza for M-Net's Mzanzi Magic (DStv 161) pay-TV channel.

"Urban Brew Studios is recognised for its creative capability and talent in developing content and channels for both local and international markets by using its knowledge of local African languages and culture to develop content suitable to these markets," says Mark Harris, the CEO of Kagiso Media.

Mark Harris says the acquisition of Urban Brew Studios is in line with its holding company's, Kagiso Tiso Holdings, strategies of majority ownership in strategic assets and expansion into Africa.