Hearst Networks Africa commissions The Schultz Creative for Battlefields South Africa with John Robbie on History channel, hands Great African Crimes a second season

by Thinus Ferreira

Hearst Networks Africa has commissioned The Schultz Creative to produce a new original series, Battlefields South Africa with John Robbie for the History Channel Africa (DStv 186), while renewing Great African Crimes with presenter Mandy Wiener for a second season.

Great African Crimes is also produced by the Johannesburg-based The Schultz Creative, taking over from the troubled Clive Morris Productions (CMP), which produced the first season.

Battlefields South Africa will start on the History Channel on 6 June and air every Friday at 21:05, while a starting date for the second season of Great African Crimes will be announced later.

"We're delighted to once again be building on our local content offering from recent years," says Nazarene Khan, Heart Networks Africa regional director.

According to Heart Networks Africa, Battlefields South Africa takes audiences on a journey through three locally relevant iconic historic battle sites. 

Combining a mix of vivid storytelling and expert analysis, Battlefields South Africa brings the childhood wonder of playing soldiers to life, exploring real-life stories from pivotal conflicts.

The episodes will focus on some of the country's most legendary battlegrounds, including Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift, Spionkop, and Colenso.

"We're incredibly excited to work alongside Hearst Networks Africa to bring these battlefields to life," says Carl Schultz, The Schultz Creative executive producer.

"In each of the episodes, John Robbie will invite a celebrity guest into studio where he will tell the story of the battle with the use of a large-scale model of the battlefield creating a dynamic and educational experience."

The second season of Great African Crimes will looks at two shocking crimes from the South Africa's history books. 

The second season looks at what would be different if the cases happened today and how the outcomes of the court could differ to what they were historically.

Lifetime TV channel on MultiChoice's DStv shuttered in Africa.

by Thinus Ferreira

After almost 8 years the version of the Lifetime (DStv 131) TV channel from A+E Networks shown in Africa is being shuttered at the end of May on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service following A+E Networks' termination of its channel in Europe.

A+E Networks UK launched Lifetime in July 2014 in South Africa and across other countries in sub-Saharan Africa as a female-centric brand in its stable of TV channels that once included a set of TV channels including History (DStv 186) and Crime+Investigation (CI).

At the time, A+E Networks UK executives said that they believed that there was a real gap in the market for Lifetime in South Africa as a female-centric entertainment TV channel.

Lifetime provided a mix of drama series, made-for-TV movies, scripted reality shows and factual entertainment programming, and produced some localised series like two seasons of Married at First Sight SA, Love at Second Swipe and Four Weddings South Africa.

"A+E Networks Africa is closing its Lifetime Africa channel, on both linear and non-linear platforms on

31 May 2022," says Nazarene Khan, A+E Networks Africa regional manager, in a statement.

"This follows the closure of Lifetime in Great Britain, Ireland and Malta and will coincide with the shutdown of the channel in Poland."

A+E Networks Africa says "We are proud to have brought audiences local shows such as Married At First Sight, Love At Second Swipe and Four Weddings South Africa. We have been delighted to have worked with local celebrities like AKA and Pabi Moloi."

"We thank our viewers and clients for their invaluable support over the years. A+E Networks Africa's History channel is still available on DStv and Crime + Investigation Play will remain active in the

region."

Yusuf Nabee out as A+E Networks Africa boss after embarrassing channel carriage conflict with MultiChoice; Johannesburg office restructured as Nazarene Khan takes over as regional manager.

by Thinus Ferreira

Yusuf Nabee is out as A+E Networks Africa boss following the hugely embarrassing and highly damaging channel carriage conflict in late-2019 between A+E Networks UK and MultiChoice in South Africa.

Nazarene Khan, currently head of marketing and sponsorship for the past two and a half years at A+E Networks Africa, is taking over as A+E Networks Africa regional manager from Yusuf Nabee who is gone from the end of February 2020. He was appointed as A+E Networks Africa general manager in May 2016.

A+E Networks Africa held a channels upfront in mid-September 2019 despite no contract extension that was in place for its channels on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform for South Africa and MultiChoice Africa in sub-Saharan Africa despite MultiChoice that warned A+E Networks Africa not to go ahead with an upfront media event.

A+E Networks Africa did it anyway, followed by brand damage and embarrassment when MultiChoice shortly after announced that it's dumping the A+E Networks' Crime+Investigation Network and History and Lifetime channels provided by A+E Networks UK from November 2019.

MultiChoice executives were adamant that they won't pay what A+E Networks wanted for the channels and that the pay-TV operator isn't willing to accept the terms of a channels carriage agreement renewal.

Angry DStv subscribers started a petition that lured thousands of signatures.

Following the public channels termination announcement, MultiChoice went back to the negotiating table with A+E Networks and hammered out a new deal to keep carrying only History and Lifetime and dropping Crime+Investigation Network.

Yusuf Nabee and the A+E Networks Africa office declined multiple interview requests since November and refused to talk to the media about the embarrassing channel negotiation skirmish which further damaged media relations between A+E Networks Africa and the South African press.

In contrast high-level MultiChoice executives spoke to the media several times about the unfolding matter.

A+E Networks Africa also damaged its image and relationships with local South African production companies who were kept in the dark by A+E Networks Africa after it commissioned them to do shows, not knowing if their shows would go ahead or what's happening.

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. 

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 2019 in Johannesburg where he touted the ongoing, increasing production spending going to the creation of local South African programming on its set of channels. 

The media and content producers slammed A+E Networks for being having been dishonest and secretive, creating a perception that everything was fine and remaining "as is" while A+E Networks in reality didn't disclose that it was at risk of losing its entire set of channels in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa.

"Yusuf who has been instrumental in establishing A+E's local presence and building our brands has decided the time is right to step down from his role," says Adrian Pilkington, senior vice president for commercial and strategy at A+E Networks for the Africa, Middle East, Nordics and Benelix region, in a statement.

A+E Networks Africa will now be overseen by Nazarene Khan who is promoted to regional manager.

"Nazarene Khan has been a key part of the team for the past few years and working alongside Fatime Kaba, our head of programming and scheduling, we have two very talented executives to build upon the foundation that Yusuf has created. I'm delighted to have her heading up our Africa team."

A+E Networks Africa apologises for stuck-on-repeat Married at First Sight SA broadcast blunder on Lifetime as DStv subscribers slam the show.

Disappointed and angry viewers divorced and tuned out the first new episode of the second season of Married at First Sight South Africa on Friday night when unexplained technical issues marred the broadcast on Lifetime (DStv 131) and saw the episode stuck in an endless loop of repeating the same insert without any intervention.

On Thursday the Lifetime Africa channel run by A+E Networks Africa, a subsidiary of A+E Networks UK, told viewers to "brace yourself for the unexpected season two of Married at First Sight SA".

The unexpected thing that however ended up happening on Friday the 13th, turned into an embarrassment for sponsors Telkom and 1Life, MultiChoice, A+E Networks Africa and production company Oxyg3n Media headed up by Rebecca Fuller-Campbell, when the same 15 minutes of the episode kept repeating four times over without any fix or on-screen advisory, apology or notification.

During the show Lifetime Africa on social media said it's a technical glitch and that it will be "sorted out soon", however the hour ended with no fix and yet another repeat after the last in-show ad break.

It's not the first time that the stuck-on-repeat happened with Married at First Sight SA on Lifetime and viewers slamming the "internal deficiencies" were not happy.

After the Groundhog Day-like endless repeating started, furious viewers who wanted to watch the second season of Married at First Sight South Africa said they're tuning out of the show, while some started mocking the show, saying they know what's going to happen next and after the next commercial break.

"MAFSSA just got a 100% divorce rate," said Michelle on Twitter, while another viewer weighed in with "why is the same thing showing every 15 min followed by an ad break? Married at First Sight SA - what a waste of an everything. Poor show."

Thabang Mawela wanted to know why "Lifetime South Africa are trashing a good franchise. This is a joke" and another viewers remarking that "guess there will be a new position open for a logger on Monday. Hit me up."

"Sorry, after watching the overseas ones, sorry this is just pure incompetence. You're not ready yet," said Mambhele Manaka.

#MAFSSA after watching the overseas ones, sorry this is just pure incompetence. You're not ready yet.

— Mambhele Manaka (@MambheleM) October 13, 2017

"Why are you playing the same over and over, I'm never watching this show again...first impression lasts," said Yonwaba Boyana.

Why are you playing the same over and over, I'm never watching this show again...first impression lasts @LifetimeSA #mafssa

— Yonwaba Boyana (@Yona_Boyana) October 13, 2017

"Fire everyone Lifetime SA you guys need new staff! Clearly not a single individual can take charge and sort this out," said Lynne Nietz.

#MAFSSA fire everyone @LifetimeSA you guys need new staff!!!! Clearly not a single individual can take charge and sort this shit out 👎🏼

— Lynne Nietz (@LynneNietz) October 13, 2017

#MAFSSA pic.twitter.com/UEiVDYRqEi

— Nella (@YonelaMaka) October 13, 2017

Hahahahhah fourth time! #MAFSSA pic.twitter.com/w2nnmop9vF

— Dylan Els (@dylanels_) October 13, 2017

I knew she'd say, 'I woke up one day, I was 26 & I was single' in tears COZ IT'S REPEATED x3 #MAFSSA #Lifetime you owe us 2x episodes

— iNkosazana💎👑 (@ItIsShe_Nkuli) October 13, 2017

"I knew she'd say, 'I woke up one day, I was 26 and I was single' in tears because it's repeated three times. Lifetime you owe us two times the episodes," said Nkosazana.

#MAFSSA @LifetimeSA - Fire someone!!! I CAN'T WATCH THIS KAK OVER AND OVER AGAIN.. thanks, now I know why I am single... #KakShow

— Kurt Kleynhans (@kurtkleyn) October 13, 2017

#MAFSSA I am going to watch muvhango rather

— Luvuyo Mkumatela (@Luvuyom) October 13, 2017

— Luvuyo Mkumatela (@Luvuyom) October 13, 2017 I'm going to watch Muvhango rather," said Luvuyo Mkumetela - referencing SABC2's Venda soap.

The show that did a special reunion episode last week to catch up with previous participants, will screen the same episode of last night - hopefully corrected in its full hourlong length - tonight at 19:10 on Lifetime.

A+E Networks Africa quickly responded to a media enquiry made Friday night about the show's broadcasting blunder on Lifetime caused by the playout centre, apologising for the "Friday the 13th" mistake but not explaining why the technical mistake happened.

Lifetime Africa said sorry to viewers who tuned in and who didn't know what was going on and that A+E Networks Africa is themselves disappointed that fans couldn't watch the episode.

"Due to technical difficulties during episode 2, segment one was repeated throughout the show," said Nazarene Khan, head of marketing and sponsorship at A+E Networks Africa in response to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus.

"Lifetime Africa apologises to our loyal viewers for this technical hiccup. We are disappointed that fans of the show were unable to watch it in its entirety. The good news is that viewers will have chance to catch up during the following slots."

The episode will repeat on Saturday (14 Oct) 10:55 and 19:10, Sunday (15 Oct) 21:40, Monday (16 Oct) 07:35 and 14:20, Wednesday (18 Oct) 07:35 and 14:20 and Friday 20 Oct at 20:00.

This will be followed by the 3td episode of Married at First Sight SA in its correct timeslot at 20:50.

"Please note that this will affect the broadcast of Bride and Prejudice (episode 2) on Friday 20 October. This will be moved out by a week to accommodate the double bill of Married at First Sight South Africa season 2," said Nazarene Khan.

Nazarene Khan appointed new TV channel manager responsible for Glow and [ED] TV channels on DStv and OpenView HD.

Nazarene Khan has been appointed to the position of TV channel manager at Kagiso Media and will henceforth be responsible for the Glow (DStv 167 / OVHD 108) and [ED] (DStv 190) TV channels on MultiChoice's DStv and Platco Digital's OpenView HD.

Nazarene Khan played a key role according to Kagiso Media in the conceptualisation, creation and start-up of Glow and has been the marketing manager of Glow since it launched in July 2013.

"Nazarene Khan will define each channel's target market, positioning, proposition, programming mix and on-air look and feel," says Kagiso media. She will also monitor audience reception of channels.

"Naz, brings with her experience from years working within the media landscape and we look forward to the collaboration within the group as well as the strengthening of current brands," says Mark Harris, Kagiso Media group CEO.