MultiChoice South Africa CEO Mark Rayner resigns after almost 14 years with the pay-TV operator.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice South Africa CEO Mark Rayner has resigned after almost 14 years with the pay-TV operator.

"It is with great regret that today we announced the departure of Mark Rayner from MultiChoice, effective 30 November 2020," says MultiChoice in a statement.

"Having been part of the MultiChoice family for the past 14 years leading in various parts of the group, Mark Rayner has now decided to further his journey outside the group. Over the years Mark has been a key part of driving growth, championing product innovation and pushing customer focus," says MultiChoice.

"We wish him well in the future. An announcement on Mark’s successor will be made in the near future."

MultiChoice didn't announce any temporary acting MultiChoice SA CEO.

Mark Rayner joined MultiChoice in March 2007 as DStv Mobile chief financial officer (CFO) after which he became CEO of DStv Mobile, progressed to chief operating officer (COO) of MultiChoice South Africa and became MultiChoice South Africa CEO in May 2016.

The exit of the highly-respected Mark Rayner, a chartered accountant who joined the Randburg-based pay-TV operator, comes just under 2 months since the abrupt resignation of Niclas Ekdahl in mid-June as MultiChoiceConnected Video CEO.

MultiChoice to launch DStv Rewards as its new star-based loyalty programme in South Africa, promises DStv subscribers 'amazing rewards' for staying on the couch and watching TV.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice will soon launch a new star-based DStv Rewards loyalty programme in South Africa that will essentially reward loyal DStv subscribers for watching more TV and giving them more rewards the longer they stay stationary on the couch before their TV sets.

MultiChoice made the announcement that it's launching DStv Rewards in South Africa as its new loyalty scheme on Wednesday afternoon during its 2020 DStv Showcase media presentation, saying that a loyalty rewards programme is the one thing that DStv subscribers have been badgering the pay-TV operator over for the longest time.

MultiChoice didn't give an exact launch date for when DStv Rewards would start but said it would be "very, very soon" and that subscribers will be able to opt in sometime during September 2020.

MultiChoice Africa launched DStv Thanks as a loyalty programme at the start of 2017 in the rest of Africa, excluding South Africa, for subscribers who remained connected for at least 3 months.

While MultiChoice has not yet revealed the levels, structure or programme gaming participation dynamics for its DStv Rewards loyalty programme in South Africa, the level that a subscriber is pegged at and the type of rewards that they will qualify for will be determined by the DStv package a subscriber is on, for how long the person has been a subscriber (tenure), as well as product usage.

DStv Rewards will allocate "stars" to each DStv subscriber based on the DStv bouquet they're on, the number of years they've been with DStv, and the usage of products. 

Use of additional products and services, upgrades in DStv package, and even changes to payment method will earn DStv subscribers more of these "stars" that will push up their reward level and the available rewards.

The Randburg-based pay-TV operator is introducing DStv Rewards as a customer retension programme trying to combat churn and DStv bouquet downgrades.

DStv Premium subscribers - MultiChoice's top-tiered and most valuable subscribers - as a percentage of the overall DStv subscriber base continues to decline since subscribers don't feel that the expensive price provides enough value and value-added content and offerings.

MultiChoice wants to change this or at least stem the rate of DStv Premium erosion. On the other hand MultiChoice also wants to incentivise lower-tiered DStv subscribers to consider "levelling up" to more expensive packages in order to accumulate DStv Rewards and bigger rewards even faster.

DStv subscribers will earn rewards through its loyalty programme but it's not clear yet whether it will work on a points accumulation level-up scale, tokens or digital vouchers although it will very likely be an approach that is a combination of all of these. DStv subscribers will also get entry into virtual competitions.


'The only cardio involved happens on your TV'
DStv Rewards will have no additional membership fee but DStv subscribers will have to opt in to become a member.

MultiChoice calls DStv Rewards "the most entertainming rewards programme in South Africa" and plans to offer special DStv subscribers upgrades, DStv subscription fee discounts, "free" DStv BoxOffice movie digital tokens, Uber Eats digital discount vouchers, birthday rewards, service vouchers, Showmax discounts and additional DStv channel access.

Also planned are "money-can't-buy" exclusive experiences like access to TV star meet-and-greets, live events like a seat at award shows, sporting events and other events usually reserved for VIPs and media.

MultiChoice will also offer what is calls "personalised challenges" that will have its own set of "amazing rewards".

MultiChoice says that at launch DStv Rewards will be "offering qualifying customers access to more of their favourite content with BoxOffice credits, complimentary package upgrades on their DStv Anniversaries and customer birthdays".

DStv Rewards membership is free for every DStv subscriber on every DStv package and will work through the DStv app and the DStv website. In a jab to gym, health and other active sports loyalty programmes MultiChoice says "the only cardio involved happens on your TV".

MultiChoice says that DStv subscribers will be able to opt in to DStv Rewards once it launches through the DStv app or the DStv website. 

DStv subscribers will be able to see their DStv Rewards on the DStv app and MultiChoice will also communicate with subscribers through email, SMS and in-app notifications.

Once a DStv subscriber pause or cancels their DStv subscription DStv Rewards and access to new ones will also be paused until the customer resumes their subscription. MultiChoice says that some rewards may be lost and that a subscriber's reward level may also be impacted.

"We value our customers and our goal is to make DStv as accessible to as many customers as possible at great value – but more than that, we want to be in-tune with what really resonates in South Africa, togetherness (Ubuntu) and enjoying all the best action on DStv together, from sports to reality shows," says Mark Rayner, MultiChoice South Africa CEO, in a statement.

"DStv Rewards really allow us to tap into the true nature of our customers, and we just couldn’t wait to bring it to them."

MultiChoice and M-Net reducing and restructuring its M-Net Movies channels offering on DStv, makes fliekNET permanent and adding KIX as a martial arts film channel.

by Thinus Ferreira

MutiChoice and M-Net are further scaling back and reorganising the satellite pay-TV service's M-Net Movies packaged film channels, with the existing 6 M-Net Movies channels which are reduced and cut down to 4 channels on DStv from September.

According to insiders the change is partly prompted by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic and the reduction in film output from Hollywood.

MultiChoice and M-Net revamped its carousel of linear M-Net Movies channels on DStv in October 2012 when its linear film channel offering consisted out of 9 movie channels grouped according to genre.

Since then MultiChoice and M-Net restructured, consolidated and scaled back its M-Net Movies channels group to 6 channels by July 2020: M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104), M-Net Movies Smile (DStv 105), M-Net Movies Action+ (DStv 106), M-Net Movies Action (DStv 110), M-Net Movies All Stars (DStv 111) and M-Net Movies Zone (DStv 139).

Now these channels will be reduced to 4 film channels from September and renamed M-Net Movies 1, M-Net Movies 2, M-Net Movies 3 and M-Net Movies 4.

It's not yet clear when exactly the M-Net (DStv 101) movie slot on Sunday nights at 20:00 will change or will run out of new premiere films to show on a weekly basis - but it will be anytime soon.

Four months after the abrupt end and global disruption of the film production and distribution pipeline because of Covid-19, the premium pay-TV window (that follows after theatrical release, airline, SVOD and DVD release) is now also out of stock.

M-Net was asked about this in a media enquiry and didn't respond with answers.

Meanwhile, in M-Net's latest reorganisation of the M-Net Movies channels, M-Net Movies 1 will be on DStv channel 104. Content from the kid-friendly Animania festivals on M-Net Movies Smile, as well as blockbuster romcoms and gripping dramas will now be on this channel.

M-Net Movies 2 will be on DStv channel 106 - basically the two Action channel combined. It will show "an adrenaline rush with recent heart-pumping, explosive action films. The schedule will be packed with all kinds of adventures and thrills and spills at maximum velocity".

M-Net Movies 3 will be on DStv channel 107 now. The channel will be "where all the movie heroes and heroines hang out, either saving the day in adventure classics, or inhabiting the imaginary worlds of sci-fi and fantasy. Sometimes, they even tickle the funny bones in star-studded comedies, or show off their acting chops in gripping dramas".

M-Net Movies 4 will be on DStv channel 108 and will showcase "the world’s biggest blockbusters, as well as their prequels and sequels, are lined up here. While movie franchise lovers can enjoy great movies for hours on end, friends and family can join all the action and fun too".

Mark Rayner, MultiChoice South Africa CEO, in a statement, says "It’s important for us to facilitate the best possible viewing experience for our DStv customers in our ever-evolving world of entertainment".

"While the proposition of the current six movie channels – M-Net Movies Premiere, M-Net Movies Action+, M-Net Movies Action, M-Net Movies Smile, M-Net Movies Zone and M-Net Movies All Stars – made perfect sense when they launched years ago, recent comments and requests from our movie-loving DStv audiences indicated that it was time for a reboot."

Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice CEO of general entertainment and connected video, says the pay-TV operator is trying to improve its film offering.

"In our quest to remain Africa’s most-loved storyteller, innovation and quality will always be key. Local movies will also play an increasingly important role, alongside screening handpicked Hollywood films first on all our platforms."

M-Net Premium subscribers will have access to all 4 channels while DStv Compact subscribers will get M-Net Movies 3 and M-Net Movies 4. DStv Family and DStv Access subscribers will only get the M-Net Movies 4 channel.

From September M-Net's Afrikaans language division will launch kykNET's pop-up fliekNET channel as a permanent movie channel on DStv channel 149.

fliekNET will showcase locally-produced blockbuster movies, classic favourites and a variety of Afrikaans film formats such feature films, short films, story films, made-for-TV movies and documentaries.

MultiChoice is also adding the KIX channel on an as-yet-undisclosed DStv channel number as a martial arts channel that will carry films from stars like Jet Li and Jackie Chan. The specific launch date that will be sometime in October has not yet been announced.

From time to time a M-Net Movies Pop-up channel will run on DStv channel number 111 for DStv Premium subscribers.

MultiChoice opening JOOX VIP music streaming to lower-tiered DStv subscribers for 3 months until 10 September 2020.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice is opening up the JOOX VIP music streaming service for free to all DStv subscribers for three months.

MultiChoice added JOOX VIP in October 2018 as a free value added service for all DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus and DStv Compact subscribers and will now open up JOOX VIP to the rest of the lower-tiered DStv packages until 10 September 2020.

JOOX, owned by Tencent, competes with services like Spotify, Apple and Google for listeners' ears.

MultiChoice's announcement of the widening of the JOOX VIP accessibility through its DStv platform comes a week after MultiChoice revealed that it will soon be adding and rolling out Netflix and Amazon Prime Video as video streamers to sit as over-the-top (OTT) services alongside its traditional pay-TV offering.

The JOOX VIP access includes local and international music selections as well as "Big LIVE" concerts.

Mark Rayner, MultiChoice South Africa CEO, says opening up JOOX VIP to further DStv subscribers "is just another way in which MultiChoice is working to ensure that our loyal and valued customers continue to enjoy the best entertainment during these difficult times, being in lockdown has given us the perfect opportunity to demonstrate our support as we continue to find innovative ways to entertain our customers".

Gerjo Hoffman, Tencent Africa’s chief sales and marketing officer, says "We're excited by the prospect of having more DStv subscribers using JOOX".

"The response we've had from the DStv community so far has been outstanding. We cater to a big range of music tastes and we're excited to see what a wider audience takes from JOOX, its karaoke mode, its LIVE appearances, as well as a few exciting new features we have in the pipeline."

MultiChoice abruptly shuts down and deletes its existing DStv press portal for the media during Covid-19 coronavirus crisis without warning.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice on Thursday 2 April 2020 abruptly shut down and deleted its DStv press portal where it has been hosted without bothering to warn or tell the media beforehand anything about it or what they need to do now.

TVwithThinus still access MultiChoice's DStv press portal hosted at https://press.dstv.com/login on Wednesday afternoon, and again on Wednesday night but by Thursday morning it was suddenly gone and deleted.

The login page, saved as a browser favourite simply returning a "404 Not Found" page without any explanation as to what happened or what's going on, causing massive stress and confusion under several in the media who are dependend on using the site to report and communicate about content on DStv's satellite pay-TV platform.

MultiChoice, unilaterally and without bothering to tell the media, dumped its DStv press portal without giving the press in South Africa no advance warning that it's shutting down its press portal, nor what they have to do,or any explanation why.

The user group - including journalists and editors online, working at newspapers, magazines, in radio and TV, and covering television and ranging from TV writers, TV critics, DJs and social media influencers - received no advance warning from MultiChoice that it is shutting down its press portal, nor what they have to do, or any explanation why.

It's unclear whether the DStv press portal contract termination - possibly the latest misguided and short-sighted cost-cutting measure inside MultiChoice - was ordered by Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice Group CEO, or Mark Rayner, MultiChoice South Africa CEO.

The ordered DStv press portal shutdown and resultant shock, fear and chaos under the media who had no idea that it would be happening and got no communication from MultiChoice about it, comes during a particularly sensitive time in South Africa with the growing Covid-19 novel coronavirus pandemic spreading in the country and globally and where the media in all spheres requires better and more communication - not less - than ever before.

The DStv press portal that already migrated to a new site once before, hosts an extremely precious and valuable archive  - constantly updated - that is a precious and highly-functional publicity material reservoir ranging from monthly schedules and highlight documents, show and cast publicity images, press releases and media statements, show and channel logos and a myriad of other useful information for channels ranging from Al Jazeera to Zee World.

Besides the information from third-part channels hosted on DStv, MultiChoice's DStv press portal carried information about all of M-Net's own packaged channels ranging from M-Net and Mzansi Magic, to 1Magic, to the carousels of M-Net Movies and kykNET channels.

In a instant on Thursday MultiChoice ripped it all away from South Africa's press without warning or any indication as to what they are supposed to do.

On Thursday TVwithThinus emailed and asked MultiChoice's corporate communications team headed by Joe Heshu, MultiChoice group executive for corporate affairs, and Reggy Moalusi, executive head of corporate affairs at MultiChoice South Africa, to please restore the DStv press portal.

They were told and reminded that the DStv poress portal is something that is crucially-important and used a lot by a lot of press in South Africa - many of whom won't yet realise that it's gone from where it used to be, with no idea of what's wrong when they suddenly and urgently need to access it.

TVwithThinus asked MultiChoice's communications team on Thursday - including MultiChoice SA CEO Mark Rayner and Yolisa Phahle, MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment, when the decision was made to remove and destroy the DStv press portal where it has been and where it has been hosted, and why this was not communicated to anybody who is highly dependent on it.

MultiChoice was also asked why the pay-TV operator decided to do away with the existing DStv press portal during such an extremely sensitive time and stressful period in South Africa due to the coronavirus pandemic when the South African government and others implored that as much information as possible be kept and made available to the media and the public.

By Friday afternoon at 14:00 there was no response yet from MultiChoice to any of the questions.

On Friday evening a MultiChoice representative in a phone call said that the DStv press portal has been moved to a new website. MultiChoice gave no explanation why this has happened or why it has been done, or why it has been done now.

It's unclear whether media knows they have to go to a new website, or have to take the time to register again. It's also highly unlikely that the richly populated publicity material, the "Latest News" section without having to search containing latest press releases and announcements, or archived material including monthly schedules and the vast collection of high-res images, will be available on a new site.

"If MultiChoice wanted to shut down or move the DStv press portal the very least they could have done would have been to inform the journalists and editors making use of it personally, and at least a month before the time. That is basic," a journalist and TV critic who uses the site constantly told TVwithThinus on Thursday evening.

"MultiChoice is absolutely beyond ridiculous".

Another user remarked: "I don't like the new one it's so empty".

MultiChoice warns DStv subscribers that Covid-19 coronavirus is negatively impacting TV programming: 'We are starting to see the effect of the pandemic'.

by Thinus Ferreira

As the Covid-19 novel coronavirus spreads globally and has started to impact South Africa's TV and film industry, MultiChoice is warning DStv subscribers that the TV programming they get to see are being impacted, especially live sport.

International broadcasters, studios and production companies in the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and elsewhere have been shutting down production with India's entire TV and film industry known as Bollywood that will be shutting down between 19 and 31 March.

Meanwhile an ongoing cascade of cancellations and postponements has rocked the global sports world with SuperSport holding the broadcasting licensing rights to those, with multiple sporting codes cancelling events and tournaments that means the loss of live TV sports broadcasts.

Mark Rayner, MultiChoice SA CEO, says that the satellite pay-TV service has "not yet had a single incident within our organisation" and is "working hard to ensure that we keep our employees, suppliers and customers as safe as we can. We are implementing the recommended measures to assess and minimise potential risk of transmission of the coronavirus in our facilities".

He is now warning DStv subscribers that the coronavirus is forcing adjustments that must be made to programming.

"We are starting to see the effect of the pandemic, with a number of sports and international programming events being impacted. This has affected our programming, particularly live sport."

"Many sporting disciplines including football, motorsport, rugby and tennis, have had events either postponed or cancelled by their respective sporting federations. In this instance, as a broadcaster we are subject to their decisions."

"As a result, we have plans in place that will keep you well entertained," says Mark Rayner. "This includes the best live sport available, as well as celebrating some of the classic sporting moments and documentaries. We will also continue to bring you the very best series, kids entertainment and movies. Showmax, Box Office and DStv Now will continue to keep you entertained, anytime, anywhere."

The SABC has several local weekday soaps filming daily episodes for its SABC1 and SABC2 channels with casts and crews bigger than 100 people including its just-revived SABC1 YO.TV youth afternoon block; with the same happening for e.tv that runs Scandal! and Rhythm City.

Meanwhile MultiChoice and M-Net have several big ensemble casts in shows as well for its Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) and kykNET (DStv 144) channels.

The majority if not all of these local South African weekday soaps are likely to hit the shutdown button this week in order to protect casts and crews, although all of them have some week's padding with about a month's episodes already in the can as a reserve.

M-Net (DStv 101) will very likely have to postpone the filming and change the island location of its upcoming 8th Survivor SA: Immunity Island season, produced by Afrokaans, that was set to broadcast in September, while Rapid Blue will likely implement changes for the second season finale and "Women Tell All" episodes of The Bachelor SA.

Questions are swirling around the latest 16th season of Idols, produced by [SIC] Entertainment, and how it will continue given that the show has a contestant and crew complement of over 100 people.

SABC and Danie Odendaal Productions will likely be forced to cancel the upcoming 20th anniversary celebrations and viewers' competition for its longrunning 7de Laan Afrikaans weekday soap.

On Monday the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) announced that it's cancelling the 14th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) that was set to take place on 27 and 28 March 2020.

Free hand sanitiser and sequined gas mask mark the 3rd 2020 DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards (+ full list of winners).

by Thinus Ferreira

As guests made their way along the blue carpet MultiChoice on Saturday evening handed out free bottles of hand sanitiser to everyone amidst growing coronavirus fears in South Africa as Sindi Dlathu, Bonang Matheba, Siya Kholisi and Kabza De Small were some of the big winners at the 3rd DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards.

Thousands of people attended the revived 2020 MVCAs that didn’t take place last year and that was broadcast live on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) on Saturday night from inside the TicketPro Dome in Johannesburg.

The blue and yellow lit awards ceremony went on despite the shuttering of major sports and entertainment events across South Africa and globally as the number of cases of people testing positive for the novel coronavirus Covid-19 keep increasing in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa.

Besides celebrities like The Real Housewives of Johannesburg’s Christall and Tarina, several prominent TV executives attended the 2020 DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards including Calvo Mawela (MultiChoice Group CEO), Mark Rayner (MultiChoice SA CEO), Nkateko Mabaso (M-Net CEO), Gideon Khobane (SuperSport CEO), Nomsa Philiso (Mzansi Magic channel director), and Christine Service (Walt Disney Company Africa boss). 

The choreographer and reality star Somizi captured some of the latent fears bubbling under the glitsy surface when he sashayed down the blue carpet with a blue sequined adorned gas mask. 

Hosted by Minnie Dlamini-Jones, the awards show included multiple colourful on-stage performances including sets from the Amapiano kings Semi Tee, Kammu Dee and Miano who performed Labantwana Ama Uber, AKA liwho did a medley of his greatest hits, and house music superstars DJ Zinhle, Master KG and Makhadzi who performanced some of their biggest songs of 2019.

The Legend award winner Lebo M performed the iconic Circle of Life from the Academy Award winning animated classic movie, while Joyous Celebration, Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Sipho “Hotsticks” Mabuse wowed the crowd with performances.

Ukhozi FM VJ Khathide “Tshathugodo” Ngobe walked away with the Favourite Radio Personality award as well as the biggest award of the night – the Ultimate Viewers’ Choice Award, after scooping the highest number of viewer votes overall.

Moshe Ndiki (Favourite TV presenter), Siyanda Maphumulo (Favourite comedian), Kabza De Small (Favourite rising star; Favourite DJ), Warren Masemola (Favourite actor), Sindi Dlathu (Favourite actress), King Monada (Favourite music artist/group), Siya Kholisi (Favourite sports personality) and Bonang Matheba (Favourite personality of the year) rounded up the winners’ list.

Here’s the full list of winners of the 3rd 2020 DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards:

Favourite song of the year

Prince Kaybee ft Indlovukazi, Supta & Afro Brotherz – Gugulethu

Favourite TV presenter

Moshe Ndiki

Favourite comedian

Siyanda Maphumulo

Favourite rising star

Kabza De Small

Favourite radio personality

Khathide “Tshatha” Ngobe

Favourite actor

Warren Masemola

Favourite actress

Sindi Dlathu

Favourite music artist/group

King Monada

Favourite DJ

Kabza De Small

Favourite sports personality

Siya Kolisi

Favourite personality of the year

Bonang Matheba

Ultimate Viewers’ Choice Award (most votes in total)

Khathide “Tshatha” Ngobe


ALSO READ: Nollywood remake Living in Bondage the big winner at MultiChoice and M-Net's 7th 2020 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards held in Lagos, Nigeria (+ full list of winners).

MultiChoice opens some further channels to lower-tiered DStv subscribers, will make upcoming Nigerian love reality competition series Ultimate Love available to South African viewers.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice is opening access of 3 TV channels to lower-tiered DStv packages, adding two pop-up channels and will be making the upcoming new Nigerian love reality competition series, Ultimate Love available as a channel to South African viewers.

The Nick Jr. (DStv 307) channel from ViacomCBS International Media Networks is made available for DStv Compact Plus subscribers, while DStv Family subscribers are getting access to the National Geographic (DStv 181) channel from Fox Networks Group as well TRACE Urban (DStv 326) supplied by TRACE.

M-Net Movies is running the M-Net Movies Blackout: The Leading Men Edition (DStv 109) pop-up channel for DStv Premium subscribers between 24 January and 16 February 2020.

The channel will showcase some of Hollywood’s greatest black actors in their biggest films with over 100movies starring actors like Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson, Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy.

MultiChoice is opening the Moja Love (DStv 157) channel from SiyayaTV to DStv Access subscribers from 7 February until 6 March 2020.

MultiChoice is also making its new Big Brother Naija-type love reality show, Ultimate Love, available in South Africa. 

The Ultimate Love channel (DStv 198) will run from 9 February until 5 April 2020 in what the pay-TV operator says is a "first-of-its-kind Nigerian reality show".

Sixteen contestants - 8 men and 8 women - will be living together for 8 weeks in an isolated mansion looking for love until there is only one potential couple left who could win a traditional wedding and a home. 

According to the producers "participants will be paired based on their mutual attraction to one another and will compete to emerge as the ultimate couple of the competition".

Mark Rayner, MultiChoice South Africa CEO, says "We are continuously looking at ways that will ensure that customers across all our packages are able to access some of the great content that is available on our platform".

"Having these channels available for our customers is part of our ongoing commitment to bringing a wide variety of the best in local and international content that touches the lives of our viewers."

EXCLUSIVE / BREAKING. It’s Halloween and the living dead are alive! MultiChoice to keep axed History and Lifetime on DStv after reaching new channel carriage deal with A+E Networks.

TVwithThinus can reveal that MultiChoice has made a U-turn after reaching a new channels carriage deal with A+E Networks and will no longer take away the History (DStv 186) and Lifetime (DStv 131) channels from DStv subscribers although the Crime+Investigation Network (DStv 170) will still go dark on Halloween.

Negotiation brinkmanship between MultiChoice and A+E Networks led to a breakdown in the relationship between the Randburg-based pay-TV operator and A+E Networks UK that operates a local affiliate office, A+E Networks Africa, after channel carriage negotiations failed when neither companies could settle on the terms and price that MultiChoice had to pay to keep the channels set.

Following MultiChoice's shocking announcement that History, Lifetime and C+I would disappear from DStv at the end of October,  renegotiations started up again between MultiChoice and A+E Networks although it's still unclear who blinked and made the first overture.

Furious DStv subscribers added massive pressure when they started a petition that by Thursday morning had over 8 700 signatures and comments since it started in early-October, while shocked and angry South African production companies making content for the channels were also vocal in their unhappiness about losing channels as platforms that allow them to make shows and earn a living.

Disgruntled local producers who were commissioned by A+E to do local shows were upset that their productions - some just-commissioned and some already in post-production - won’t be seen and that they have been kept in the dark about what's going on. 

South African production companies who spoke privately to TVwithThinus were extremely upset, saying they were kept in the dark that A+E Networks didn’t have a channel renewal when their recent content was announced at A+E Networks Africa’s upfront showcase. 

Producers said that they have been kept out of the loop about what is going and about what will be happening with their shows - including programming already commissioned, produced and scheduled for November 2019 all the way to February 2020. 

These shows range from plans to do Don't Tell the Bride SA, to Crime Stories SA (from Clive Morris Productions), Loved Like Crazy (from Nala Media), as well as Your People, Our People (from Pillay Media). 

Dean Possenniskie, the managing director of A+E Networks for the Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, spoke at A+E Networks Africa's content showcase upfront on 19 September in Johannesburg and touted the ongoing, increasing production spending going to the creation of local South African programming on its set of channels. 

Possenniskie described it's channels supplied to MultiChoice as its "core business" and part of a long-standing partnership with DStv, and that A+E Networks had already invested R30 million in creating local content in South Africa in 2019.


Trick or treat: Two further channels to be added
MultiChoice on Thursday morning told TVwithThinus in response to a media enquiry that both History and Lifetime will now remain on DStv after the signing of a new multi-year contract with A+E Networks but that C+I will still get axed.

MultiChoice will also still add the two further replacement channels that it promised to give in the place of the channels that would have been removed.

MultiChoice has removed the channel termination notices for both History and Lifetime from its electronic programme guide (EPG) on DStv.

Similar to the radio silence of the past 4 weeks when it had no comment, A+E Networks publicists didn't respond to a media enquiry on Thursday about A+E Networks Africa, led by Yusuf Nabee, as general manager, and its latest channel carriage developments.

"We're reached an agreement with A+E Networks for terms that we think are acceptable to our DStv subscribers for both History and Lifetime but Crime+Investigation is still ending," Mark Rayner, MultiChoice SA CEO said.

"Two further new channels will still be announced before the middle of November as a replacement for C+I from another provider, as well as another factual documentary channel from a new provider. We're just finalising technical launch plans so that we can be clear on a launch date."

MultiChoice was asked what the damage has been to both the pay-TV provider, A+E and South Africa's TV industry because of the earlier announcement that A+E Networks' channels are getting axed when negotiations stalled.

"Some customers voiced their concerns and the media. The reality is that the two parties just couldn't find each other and expectations were not met on either side. As soon as we realised we can't, we're obligated to give proper notice. We can't just cancel channels at short notice."

"As soon as we realised we don't have a deal that triggered our legal obligation to advise our customers of a potential change. I think it's worked out well for everybody that we've come to agreement on those two channels."

"We welcome History and Lifetime back and look forward to continuing with those and there's no break in service because they haven't gone down and won't go down."

MultiChoice apologises for bad communication over billing changes and DStv over-charge mistakes: 'We certainly could have done better'.

MultiChoice is apologising for the pay-TV operator's bad communication to customers, its call centre problems as well as billing problems and overcharging mistakes as a result of switching to a new billing system which has angered and confused thousands of DStv subscribers.

DStv subscribers are urged to check their bills after thousands of customers have been seen double billing as well as overcharges ranging from R20 to even R1 000, leading to a flood of complaints on HelloPeter, in the media, on social media and to MultiChoice.

While an initial statement from MultiChoice to the media failed to apologise, Mark Rayner, MultiChoice South Africa CEO is now saying that the Randburg-based pay-TV operator messed up in not properly communicating to DStv subscribers and with billing mistakes and that it is apologising unreservedly".

In an interview with Joanne Joseph on the 702 radio station, Mark Rayner explained that "A couple of weeks ago in late August we made a major change to our billing system to simplify the way our billing is handled for our customers."

"Around our customers who have our DStv Price Lock product in this month we collapsed the billing into one single account and double-billed the hardware portion of that contract."

"So the majority of the bill is for the subscription, the small amount is for the Explora. It's moved that billing from arrears to advanced, which means that in this particular month there's a double billing. So that's something that we really didn't communicate well to our customers and we apologise unreservedly."

"There was another problem as well where we had customers experiencing some small amounts of overcharging and I can tell the customers with confidence we reversed all of those charges and any credits will be reflecting on their account."

"Where we really need to take it on the chin and apologise unreservedly is we didn't communicate this well in advance," said Mark Rayner. He said that although MultiChoice's intentions were good to try and simplify things longer-term the pay-TV operator messed up with subscribers and the smaller amounts they've been billed for.

Several listeners called in to complain about MultiChoice's services, about A+E Networks' History, Lifetime and Crime+Investigation Network channels being dumped from DStv at the end of the month, and being placed on hold for very long by the MultiChoice Call Centre.

Laetitia from Soweto who was trying to get answers on her overbilled account said "I was sent from pillar to post. Last week I had to pay R1000. Then they said I must pay another R300. I asked what is it for? Nobody could tell me. Nobody knows what's going on. I tried to speak to team leaders. I was told that they are in meetings. They make you hold on for almost 2 hours on the phone. It's just a total mess."

Mark Rayner "we learnt a couple of lessons on the system change-over. It was a fairly major upgrade. Certainly we could have done better. Where we certainly could have done better is the communication to our customers."

HGTV DStv channel launch Day 1: IN PICTURES - 37 photos of HGTV's beautiful cocktail party at sunset at the infinity pool of a Upper Clifton mansion in Cape Town.

Discovery Inc. held a media launch for its new HGTV (DStv 177) channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service in South Africa in the form of a 3-day press tour in Cape Town that kicked off with a beautiful cocktail party at sunset at the infinity pool of a multi-storey Upper Clifton mansion in Cape Town.

The Cape Town based events solution company Show Works conceptualised and executed Discovery Inc.'s incredibly beautiful, unique and extremely impressive HGTV cocktail party on the Day 1 evening of the HGTV media launch week.

The cocktail party took place at Villa Beyond, the stunning home of the South African architect, Stefan Antoni. The 6-level luxury mansion is suspended over the highest point in Clifton - South Africa's most expensive suburb - and its panoramic views over the Atlantic Ocean are some of the very best in Cape Town.

Discovery Inc. executives who jetted to Cape Town from the United States, Dubai and Amsterdam, mingled with the South African and Middle East media, as well as advertisers and ad execs, alongside MultiChoice executives, sipping champagne and nibbling on the light supper on offer as everyone watched a magnificent winter sunset.

High-ranking Discovery Inc. executives included Amanda Turnbull (vice president and general manager at Discovery Inc. for the Africa and Middle East region), Kathleen Finch (Discovery's chief lifestyle brands officer), Lee Hobbs (senior vice president for pay-TV and global brands for the EMEA region), Tatiana Lagewaard (vice president of lifestyle and pay-TV production for the EMEA region), and Henry Windridge (head of brand at Discovery Inc. for the Africa and Middle East region).

High-ranking MultiChoice executives who attended the cocktail party included Yolisa Phahle (MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment), Mark Rayner (MultiChoice South Africa CEO), Fahmeeda Cassim-Surtee (CEO of DStv Media Sales), and Aletta Alberts (MultiChoice head of content strategy).

Also in attendance were Stefan Antoni himself, as well as the American TV talent Tarek El Moussa of HGTV's Flip or Flop who flew to Cape Town for the media launch.

The beautifully executed HGTV cocktail evening set the perfect tone for the channel's launch.

"We're incredibly proud and excited to launch HGTV in this market," said Amanda Turbull.

"I must say Stefan, thank you so much. I don't think we could have chosen a more perfect venue to start the HGTV channel launch than this wonderful, wonderful house. It's a wonderful way to start the channel here."

"This has really been a great journey for us to bring HGTV to the South African market. It's one of the first international channel launches since the acquisition of Scripps. We're very proud that our South African partner, MultiChoice, can be part of that journey with us," said Amanda Turnbull.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: IN PICTURES - 29 photos of HGTV's official South African media launch event presentation.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Lee Hobbs, Discovery Inc.'s global brands boss for EMEA, says HGTV channel will bring 'loads of new and unseen content' to South Africa.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Discovery Inc.'s chief lifestyle brands officer Kathleen Finch says HGTV 'is a channel tailor-made for people who love their homes - and there are a lot of those people'.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Announcing Flipping 101 with Tarek El Moussa and a new teaser trailer.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Tarek El Moussa, the star of Flip or Flop on HGTV says it's 'a magical channel about real people working on real houses' and reveals what home means to him.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Discovery Inc.'s Africa boss Amanda Turnbull says new channel HGTV on DStv is about real people but also aspirational, 'which is why we fought really hard to have it on Compact as well so more people can see it'.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: MultiChoice's content boss Aletta Alberts says Discovery Inc.'s new HGTV channel will do well on DStv because 'HGTV fits so well with South African consumer culture'.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: IN PICTURES - 9 photos of HGTV's terrific 'Toolbox' lunch.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Executives press conference opening remarks: 'HGTV is going to be both inspirational and aspirational'.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Executives press conference: Ads on HGTV won't get in viewers' way, instead it will add to the viewing experience.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: MultiChoice on why it decided to make HGTV available to DStv Compact subscribers as well: 'The content speaks to everybody'.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: HGTV in HD - why MultiChoice launched Discovery Inc.'s latest channel in high definition on DStv and the factors influencing what quality version a TV channel is launched and seen as.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Will Discovery Inc.'s latest channel have local content? MultiChoice explains how it works with international third-party TV channels.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Press conference - Why Discovery Inc. launched it so quickly in South Africa after acquiring Scripps and Africa's growing importance as a pay-TV market among global content suppliers.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Executives press conference - HGTV's surprising answer on design trend-spotting and staying ahead of the curve with what viewers want to see next.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: INTERVIEW - Flip or Flop star Tarek El Moussa: 'I feel like I have a very intimate relationship with HGTV because I feel like I've grown with them'.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: IN IMAGES - 20 photos of HGTV's gala rooftop dinner at the Zeitz Museum in Cape Town.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 3: IN IMAGES - 9 photos of the media breakfast and press screening & 4 sizzle reels including a special Home Town surprise message.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 3: IN IMAGES - 8 photos of the Grand Provence media lunch.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch press tour - An overview.