BREAKING. Saffron TV shutting down at the end of the month; local Indian TV channel removed from MultiChoice's DStv channel line-up.

Saffron TV (DStv 195), a local South African Indian TV channel which started in September 2008, is closing down at the end of this month and will disappear from MultiChoice's satellite pay-TV platform DStv after the channel failed financially; unable to attract enough advertising over the past couple of years.

Five years later Saffron TV - which hardly ever did any programming publicity to let viewers know what is being shown on the channel, is closing down as a loss-making venture. The channel attempted to be a platform for the South African Indian community to showcase it cultural events.

"We were not able to secure the necessary advertising support to make the channel economically viable," says Andrew Gill, the deputy managing director of media at Times Media in a statement.

Times Media is set to launch a new TV channel soon however.

Saffron TV was produced by Ochre Moving Pictures, a subsidiary of Times Media.

"The Times Media Group continued to support the channel despite ongoing losses," said  Andrew Gill. "The decision to close the channel has been a difficult one and has been taken after much consideration."

"Saffron TV was a good addition on the DStv Indian package and it's sad that the channel will close," says Robyn Smith, MultiChoice South Africa content manager.

"We can assure our loyal customers in the Indian community that we will continue to offer them great entertainment through our specialised Indian packages."

BREAKING. MultiChoice changing the channel number of Saffron TV from November to channel 187 on DStv in the lifestyle group.

MultiChoice is changing the channel number of the Indian lifestyle channel Saffron TV from 1 November from channel 456 to channel 187.

ALSO READ: Is a channel number re-allocation and a new ''channel shuffle'' coming to MultiChoice soon as DStv is again running out of number space?

MultiChoice says Saffron TV, produced by Oche Media, will be moving to the lifestyle genre of DStv's grouped channels from the end of this month. Saffron TV has an open time timeslot on Saturdays and Sundays between 13:00 and 18:00.

''In response to the new channel location we have packaged a lifestyle schedule that will entertain a broader audience who are interested in lifestyle trends coming out of the Asian sub-continent,'' says Aleeshia Naidoo, Saffron TV channel manager.

Saffron TV is touting a set of new shows starting on the Indian lifestyle entertainment channel in November.

Some of these include Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena (current cricket heroes and Indian TV divas on the dance floor), Star Attraction (Bollywood glamour and gossip with Shalandra), Life's a Beach (Sarah-Jayne Bedford explores all and everything you can do at the water's edge), Under The Sun (Nathan LeRoy visits organic farms around the world), Olive it Up (Indian cooking show with olive oil and chef Aditya Bal), Just Desserts This Diwali (with Rochie Rana) and Yoga as Therapy (a 14 part series).

BREAKING. Saffron TV starting an inspirational series with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Saffron TV (DStv 456) tells me that this channel serving the Indian community in South Africa, will be adding a series of inspirational talks by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation and International Association for Human Values).

His series of talks will start from next Tuesday, September 21 at 21:30 and will also be repeated during Saffron TV's open time block at 17:30 over weekends. "We identify ourselves as somebody - I belong to this religion, this culture, this tradition, but we forget the basic identity that we are human beings,'' says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

BREAKING. Saffron TV will celebrate its second birthday in September by rolling out several new shows.

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The local South African Indian interest skewed channel Saffron TV (DStv 456) will be celebrating its second brithday next month in September by rolling out several new TV shows and series.

New shows on the Saffron TV schedule include Do It Sweet, a show about decadent desserts, An Encounter with Omar in which journalist Omar Qureshi talks with Bollywood stars about current issues and Royal Rajasthan on Wheels in which presenters Arun and Amrita travel by luxury train to India's exotic tourist destinations. 

''We are celebrating in style for our second birthday,'' says Aleeshia Naidoo, Saffron TV channel manager. ''We have a fabulous range of new international shows and series for our viewers.'' Saffron TV is a niche subscription channel but is open to DStv premium subscribers over weekends on Saturdays and Sundays between 13:00 and 18:00.

BREAKING. In a new deal The Learning Channel returns to Saffron TV on weekdays from August.

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In a new deal between Saffron TV (DStv 456) and The Learning Channel, the South African educational TV venture's rich customized tutoring material will once again be shown on weekdays on Saffron TV.

Of course Saffron TV is produced for DStv by the production house Ochre Moving Pictures, and The Learning Channel (who's content is primarily seen on SABC1) has a highly synergistic working relationship with Ochre Moving Pictures already since both fall within the Avusa Media group (Avusa owns 70% of The Learning Channel).

From Monday 9 August at 15:30 Saffron TV will once again be running The Learning Channel on weekdays with learning content for grade 12 that includes accounting on Mondays, English on Tuesdays, Life Sciences on Wednesdays, Maths on Thursdays and Physical Science on Fridays. ''This is a wonderful bonus the very educationally conscious Indian community that Saffron TV serves,'' says Aleeshia Naidoo, Saffron TV channel manager.

''The Learning Channel is committed to facilitating the learning process for South Africa's youth,'' says Richard Taylor, The Learning Channel's managing director.''We are proud to be working with Saffron TV again this year, and providing quality educational content to an audience that is renowned for their dedication to learning.''

Programming note: Saffron TV's new Men Can't Dance is looking inside the minds of men.

Saffron TV (DStv 456) has a new show Men Can't Dance with presenter Rajiv Makhni looking at the minds of men and the pressures facing males today.

Men Can't Dance on Fridays at 19:30 on Saffron TV is described as ''an irreverent, totally out of the box and no holds barred series set to destroy every myth about men. It delves into the mind of the male and unravels the pulls and pressures that every man faces today.'' Men Can't Dance is repeated on Saturdays at 08:00, 12:00 and 16:00 (during the DStv Premium open time).

''Men Can't Dance should set the cat amongst the pigeons with our male Indian viewers,'' says Aleeshia Naidoo, Saffron TV channel manager.

BREAKING. Saffron TV on DStv lanches the Indian TV channel's first weekly news show, Saffron India Khabbar, today.

Saffron TV (DStv 456) is launching this South African Indian TV channel's first weekly news show, Saffron India Khabbar, today.

Saffron India Khabbar will go out today at 13:30 during Saffron TV's open time block, and henceforth every Saturday - with a repeat on Sundays at 21:00. Saffron India Khabbar will be produced in partnership with Asian News International (ANI), a South Asia news agency and will bring South African audiences news from the worlds of entertainment, business, sport, politics, travel and religious events, as well as news from India.

''Saffron TV is not positioned as a news channel,'' says Aleeshia Naidoo, Saffron TV channel manager, ''but Saffron India Khabbar will aim to keep our viewers in touch and up to date with what's happening on the Indian sub-continent. These news items are not 'breaking world news headlines', but rather reflect the trends, interests and psyche of India. We select the stories viewers most enjoy and want to see – interesting, unusual, human interest stories about business, entertainment and community projects.''