More TV channels on MultiChoice's DStv axed including People’s Weather.

by Thinus Ferreira

As the traditional pay-TV bundle continues to fray at the seams DStv subscribers have lost access to even more TV channels although another price increase will kick in from April, with B4U Movies gone, as well as community TV channels 1Free State TV and NWTV that went dark after just a few months, and with People's Weather getting axed within days.

B4U Movies, the Indian movie channel based in Mumbai with a channel line-up mix of classic and contemporary Bollywood films formed part of MultiChoice's DStv Indian package but suddenly stopped broadcasting at the end of January. 

About B4U Movies, MultiChoice told me it "regularly reviews its channel lineup to ensure we offer customers the best in local and international content" and that B4U "will no longer form part of our content lineup on GOtv channel 57/157/357 and DStv channel 451 effective 1 March 2024".

After MultiChoice's fanfare announcement that 1Free State TV (DStv 264) from mid-November, and NWTV (DStv 266) from December 2023 were added for DStv subscribers, both these community TV channels abruptly failed and stopped transmitting after just two months.

At launch, MultiChoice said that 1Free State TV as an "exciting addition to the DStv line-up is set to captivate the audience with entertainment, with its different range of programming delivered in Sesotho and English" and that the pay-TV service was "dedicated to showcasing the richness and diversity of Free State, with a focus on local culture, innovation, and community engagement". 

At launch, MultiChoice said that it "happily welcomes NWTV on our platform as it speaks to our continued effort to strengthen the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of our country" and that the partnership "allows us to enrich lives of the communities we operate in through job creation and skills development".

MultiChoce and NWTV promised "a diverse range of family-friendly programming" over the coming months which failed to materialise.

Two months later both channels are nowhere to be seen on DStv.

Following 1Free State TV removal from DStv, Thobeka Basholo, 1Free State TV spokesperson, told me "The termination of the channel was primarily due to contractual challenges, which both parties are actively addressing to reach a favourable resolution".

"1Free State TV is currently in negotiations with MultiChoice to resume broadcast on the DStv platform."

MultiChoice says on 31 January it removed NWTV and 1Free State.

"We remain committed to bringing our customers the best of local and international content through our various DStv channels and will continue to provide our customers with exciting content available on a range of packages."

After several years MultiChoice is also doing away with the People's Weather (DStv 180) channel, with the channel going dark at the end of this month. People's Weather remains available on eMedia's Openview satellite service on channel 115.

About People's Weather, MultiChoice says it "regularly reviews its channel line-up to ensure we offer customers the best in local and international content. This is done to ensure we deliver unbeatable content to our customers and that our DStv services cater for the needs and viewing requirements of our customers".

"As part of this ongoing process, People's Weather on DStv channel 180 will no longer be available on DStv packages, effective 1 March 2024."

So far six TV channels will be gone from DStv in just the two months since the beginning of 2024, with Deutsche Welle which stopped airing on 30 December and MultiChoice that decided to cancel the controversial Emmanuel TV of the late Nigerian televangelist T.B. Joshua by 17 January.

ALSO READ: Deutsche Welle and Emmanuel TV going dark on MultiChoice's DStv.

People's Weather adds Cape Town urban jungle exploration series City Beasts with presenter Josh Crickmay.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Cape Town game ranger, adventurer and wildlife filmmaker Josh Crickmay is showing viewers how humans and animals co-exist within Cape Town, in the series City Beasts: Cape of Chaos starting on 29 January on People's Weather (DStv 180 / Openview 115).

In City Beasts: Cape of Chaos, Josh Crickmay goes on a mission to seek proof that humans and animals can coexist in harmony, sharing his experiences as he discovers these animals in a fun and educational way.

Through tracking, trap cameras, stakeouts, and by following the tales from the locals, he encounters fascinating "beasts" in and around Cape Town, uncovering their resilience as they adapt and cohabit with humans, who have increasingly claimed their spaces.

Josh Crickmay encounters animals ranging from penguins, sharks, porcupines and baboons to genets and even otters as he sets out to prove his theory that not only do people coexist with wildlife in Cape Town but also the remarkable impact it has on the locals.

Josh Crickmay's passion for wildlife was ignited as a 15-year-old when as a lost and suicidal teen, he spent a year chasing down bird species in Southern Africa, the Andes, and the Amazon. 

After that he produced a coffee table book Josh’s Big Year, which is a photographic record of his experience. He a qualified FGASA nature guide and became interested in creating content and started filming his experiences, uncovering his eccentric and often humourous slant on nature.

Josh Crickmay says that "Creating City Beasts was the culmination of everything I love in life: Incredible wildlife, fascinating people, conservation, challenging filmmaking, pirate boats and unbridled havoc".

"It was as every bit chaotic behind the scenes as it is on the screen, and I couldn't have asked for better."

 

Stephan le Roux, People's Weather owner and CEO, says "What attracted us to the City Beast series is Josh's unique, genre-bending approach to wildlife film-making".

"It's off-beat, unusual, highly accessible and engaging. He has created a fresh approach to an often serious genre that is desperately in need of some humour and young voices to broaden its appeal. Think Tik Tok by the waterhole!"

City Beasts: Cape of Chaos starts with a visit to Cape Town's dassies after which he follows baboons as they navigate the urban landscape and tracks down the four species of cormorants inhabiting the city, unveiling a stunning diversity of avian life. 

He then takes a into the depths of the kelp forests, learning to free dive to bring viewers face-to-face with the shark life beneath the waves. His encounters with the iconic seals of Cape Town provide a rare glimpse into their daily struggles and triumphs in their natural habitat. 

After that it's the turn of Cape Town's goofy and lovable nature of African penguins. 

In a breathtaking exploration of shipwrecks off the Cape of Storms, Josh reveals how nature has ingeniously turned man's trash into treasure. He meets a Cape Clawless Otter under the docks of Simon’s Town harbour, searches the dangerous gorges of Table Mountain for the extremely elusive and aptly named ghost frog, and has a memorable experience with a pair of porcupines. 

Josh also shares his personal story of struggle and success with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as he explores sundews and seabirds and searches for an elusive otter.

Josh says he tries to show the beauty of the natural world "through conservation, spreading knowledge and excitement about our world through film - told with humour, adventure, and as always, mayhem".

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 3 October 2017.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:

■ How the SABC's Bessie Tugwana allegedly tried to bulldoze in her "friend" over a senior producer.
The SABC's latest acting COO is the last of two appointments by Hlaudi Motsoeneng. Bessie Tugwana allegedly tried to get rid of Nompumelelo Phasha in favour of her "friend" Marcia Mahlalela.
Bessie Tugwana were warned that what she is doing will lead to irregular expenditure at the SABC.


■ Wendy Williams' husband Kevin Hunter has been having an affair with a young massage therapist. Allegedly.
Cheated on Wendy Williams in 2001 and has been living with "Sharina" for years with his mistress living just 9 miles down the road. Brave Wendy flashes an engagement ring to try and prove the love is strong, making sure the left hand is easily visible. She tells her Wendy Williams Show audience on BET (DStv 129)  "You can believe what you want,", says in a statement "there is not 'there' there".
- Rival talk show The Talk trashes in fake-seriously reporting the breathlessness as the audience goes "ooh, aah" - watch.


■ Still with talk, and the failing Megyn Kelly in her new talk show asks Jane Fonda about her plastic surgery - the rest of the interview is a wash-out.
"You really want to talk about that now?" is Jane Fonda's curt reply.

■ End of the TV remote control?
New TV technology changes the channel using body gestures.

■ Siesta Key episode order upped from 10 to 18.
First season of the new MTV reality show increased, will start on MTV (DStv 130) in South Africa and Africa in November.

■ Jason Isaacs talks about his new role as Captain Gabriel Lorca of the USS Discovery in Star Trek: Discovery.
"I deliberately concentrated on not giving a f- ".
And in another interview he says "you don't want to be asking about things that get revealed during the show".
And in another interview "I'm dealing with idiots left, right and centre".

- Executive producer Akiva Goldsman, who directed the 3rd episode talk about Star Trek: Discovery's bigger story and then there's the bastardisation of string theory but with space spores.
 - And Star Trek The Next Generation has just turned 30 years old.

■ Piers Morgan interviews Mariah Carey, sprawled out on a couch in front of a Christmas tree, about the Las Vegas gun massacre.
Because Mimi isn't used enough insightful analyses as an expert on America's gun violence.


■ Hilariously misguided and uninformed Nigerians are mocking DStv as TStv launches.
Clueless that new pay-TV operator TStv isn't an improvement.
- Idiotic Nigerians don't realise the cost doesn't include installation - the "secret" terms and conditions of TStv that consumers are not aware of. Although some Nigerians are catching on, are cautious and are realising the true facts.
- MultiChoice Nigeria is giving GOtv subscribers in Nigeria one month free subscription in October as part of the new GOtv Max bouquet launch.
- Even more idiotic is Nigeria's minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed uttering trash statements at the launch event like "TStv will totally redefine the televison industry in Nigeria". It won't.
- At least Lai Mohammed admits a massive problem Nigeria has with its TV industry at the TStv launch event: The lack of a proper TV audience ratings system in Nigeria that is damaging and holding back Nigeria's TV biz.
- Images from the TStv launch event. Of course no press release or basic press statement but at least the satellite dishes come with potted plants.


■ MultiChoice Namibia held a TV content workshop
for Namibian content producers to explain how to pitch content to TV channels for their shows to appear on DStv. VIA (DStv 147) says it's willing to put Namibian content on the channel. People’s Weather (DStv 180) says it's willing to create a "Namibian block" on its channel.

■ OnseTV on StarSat doesn't have a channel head yet after its launch last week.
Or very clear answers to a lot of questions.

■ "Mulder and Scully are swapping places."
Some teasies about the second season of the revived The X-Files that will be broadcast in 2018.

People's Weather channel on DStv adds two new shows from July, Latest Sightings and Geek or Genius? as it continues to ramp up its content offering.

The People's Weather (DStv 180) channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform is adding two new shows in July, Latest Sightings and Geek or Genius? as the channel continues to dramatically ramp up its content offering to viewers.

Latest Sightings shows YouTube content  submitted by viewers in which  wildlife sightings from parks in and around South Africa are shared.

People's Weather shows one new sighting from Monday to Thursday with a longer recap episode each weekend and ranges from baby lion cubs playing in the street to things like a standoff between wild dogs and hyenas.

Geek or Genius? on People's Weather is a science show that explains how things works, ranging from droughts to solar energy.

People's Weather channel on DStv doing Environment Month during June, focusing on informative coverage of all aspects of the natural environment.

People's Weather (DStv 180) is doing Environmental Month in June.

The weather channel says all of the content on the DStv channel during June will be dedicated to the natural environment.

In June People's Weather will focus on the natural environment, from living off the grid, to the sustainability of oceans and natural forests, people making a difference, and those who form part of the problem.

People's Weather will keep viewers informed during June about how ordinary citizens can make a difference and fight for the future of our planet.