Discovery and MultiChoice to add the American home and garden TV channel, HGTV, to DStv from 15 July.

Discovery and MultiChoice will add the HGTV channel to its DStv satellite pay-TV service from mid-July, bringing DStv subscribers a new TV channel with fresh content about home improvement, do-it-yourself house renovations, design, real estate and gardening.

TVwithThinus can reveal that HGTV will launch on 15 July on DStv and will be available to DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus and DStv Compact subscribers in South Africa.

It's not yet known whether HGTV, that originally stood for "Home and Garden Television" when it started in 1994, will launch as a high-definition (HD) channel on DStv in South Africa.

HGTV ended 2018 as the 4th most watched pay-TV channel in the United States where it is the leading home and lifestyle channel and often gets cited by pay-TV subscribers as one of the "must-keep channels" and one of the reasons why viewers pay for subscription television.

In November 2017 MultiChoice did a 3-week marketing research tryout of HGTV on DStv, when the channel was run as a prime time content block on the Travel Channel during weekdays and over weekends. It led to a hugely favourable response from DStv subscribers.

Besides America, HGTV is already available in Canada, the Caribbean, Asia and Australia and will also launch in Germany in June, marking the channel's first European rollout since Discovery completed its takeover of Scripps Networks Interactive in 2018.

Former Scripps sister channels - now all belonging to Discovery like the Travel Channel (DStv 179 / Cell C black 255), the Food Network (DStv 175) and Fine Living (Cell C black 251 / StarSat 281) - are already available in South Africa and throughout the continent on various pay-TV services.

Yet the addition of HGTV makes it Discovery Inc.'s first channel brand from what was Scripps, to be launched in South Africa and Africa as Discovery realigns and scales its expanded collection of lifestyle channels in the territory.

HGTV's content covers 6 basic pillars, ranging from buying and selling property, home renovation, investing in improving property to sell it for a profit (flipping), home improvement and dream homes.

HGTV will launch in mid-July on DStv with a wide slate of home interest programming, with many of the shows on the schedule during South African prime time that have never been seen here on television before or are first-to-market episodes.

The home improvement and aspirational property programming on HGTV will aim to help DStv subscribers with inspiration, instruction about renovations and the selling and buying of homes, as well as providing entertainment, fresh ideas, the latest trends, and access to celebrity homes and sought-after real estate listings across the globe.

"HGTV shows were placed on the Travel Channel in late-2017 and the content flew. HGTV is now going to launch on 15 July on DStv and we're very, very excited about the content on the channel," says Henry Windridge, the head of brand at Discovery Inc. for the Africa and Middle East region.

"It's very much focused on the genres that we know work very well in the United States. Renovation shows, for instance, are such a core part of HGTV; it's so important. It's not about decorating."

HGTV's programming slate
HGTV's programming launch line-up on DStv during prime time between 20:00 and 22:00 will be stratified according to days of the week that will each have a soft theme.

Viewers will be able to see property buying and selling shows on Mondays, renovation shows on Tuesdays, property seeking shows on Wednesdays, property flipping shows on Thursdays, renovation and flipping shows on Fridays, "tiny" home shows on Saturdays, and ending with aspirational and dream home shows on Sundays.

On Mondays DStv subscribers will be able to watch shows like My Lottery Dream Home and Beachfront Bargain Hunt Renovation; Good Bones and Home Town on Tuesdays; House Hunters USA and House Hunters Renovations on Wednesdays; and Flip or Flop Nashville and Boise Boys on Thursdays.

Flip or Flop Atlanta and Lakefront Bargain Hunt Renovation will be shown on Fridays; Tiny House, Big Living and Tiny Paradise on Saturdays; and with Sundays belonging to Beachfront Bargain Hunt and Mediterranean Life.

House Hunters International will remain on the Travel Channel.


Competition for The Home Channel
The addition of HGTV from mid-July to DStv will be direct competition - its first - for the 11-year old The Home Channel that launched on MultiChoice's platform as a stand-alone channel in October 2007.

The Home Channel (DStv 176) from the Tiso Blackstar Group, has ironically been acquiring and showing a broad slate of programming from what was Scripps and produced by its HGTV channel for years, like the popular Property Brothers fronted by the twin brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott.

None of these HGTV shows are available or will be sold to The Home Channel anymore, with existing international licensing broadcasting rights that won't be renewed once they run out.

It means that The Home Channel will have to find new content elsewhere in the months ahead - either through searching and secure new international content for its schedule to replace the gaps, or by ramping up its quota of locally produced shows in South Africa.

TVwithThinus asked Discovery about the change of keeping original HGTV programming back for HGTV, since the channel will now have its own presence and space in the South African TV market.

"Scripps had a very different idea, they were really into content sales, whereas with Discovery our view is that it's our content, it's on our channels and we're quite jealous about it. So all of those deals will have to cease; none of them will be renewed," said Amanda Turnbull, the vice president and general manager for Discovery Inc. in Africa and the Middle East.

"We have and will honour existing deals but as soon as those are finished the content will come to our channels because what we do is build channel brands and for us it's really important."

Discovery Communications completes its acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive, changes the company name to just Discovery, Inc.

Discovery Communications, Inc. has successfully completed its acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. with the combined company that will be officially known as simply: Discovery, Inc.

In Africa, Discovery's acquisition sees The Food Network (DStv 175) and the Travel Channel (DStv 179) already carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, join Discovery’s existing stable of TV channels currently available in the market like Discovery Channel (DStv 121), TLC (DStv 135), Discovery Family (DStv 136), Investigation Discovery (ID) (DStv 171), Animal Planet, DTX and Discovery Science (StarSat 320).

"Today marks another critical milestone for Discovery, as we become a differentiated kind of media company with the most trusted portfolio of family-friendly brands around the globe," says David Zaslav, president and CEO of Discovery.

"As a new global leader in real life entertainment, Discovery will serve loyal and passionate audiences around the world with content that inspires, informs and entertains across every screen; deliver new ways for advertisers and distributors to reach highly targeted audiences at scale; and leverage our leadership position to create new value and growth opportunities for all of our stakeholders."

Discovery says the name change to Discovery, Inc. demonstrates "a new focus on growth in the areas at which Discovery excels, telling stories across deeply loved genres and empowering superfans to explore their world wherever and whenever they choose".

Kenneth W. Lowe, the former chairperson, president and CEO of Scripps Networks Interactive will join Discovery’s board of directors, effective immediately.

Rich Ross out as president of Discovery Channel and Science; Kathleen Finch appointed chief lifestyle brands officer in Discovery and Scripps management restructure.

Rich Ross is out as group president of the Discovery Channel (DStv 121) and Discovery Science (StarSat 320) while Kathleen Finch, currently chief programming, content and brand officer for all 6 Scripps Networks brands, will become chief lifestyle brands officer as part of top management restructuring following Discovery Communications getting approval for its acquisition of Scripps Networks Interactive.

Kathleen Finch (right) will now have management oversight of HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, Travel Channel, DIY Network, Cooking Channel, Discovery Life, American Heroes Channel, Destination America, Great American Country and Lifestyle Digital Studios in the United States.

Nancy Daniels, currently TLC president, will become chief brand officer for Discovery and factual. She will lead all aspects of the Discovery Channel and Discovery Science brands that used to be what Rich Ross did.

Susanna Dinnage who has been appointed as global president of Animal Planet in late-2017 in the United States and Animal Planet worldwide, will continue in that role.

Discovery Networks International president and CEO Jean-Briac Perrette will continue is this role for the combined company.

Travel Channel launches the second season of Durban Beach Rescue with a draft - does it perhaps need a raft?

Maybe a raft is in order for Scripps Networks Interactive's Travel Channel (DStv 179) that on Thursday did a media launch in Durban for the second season of Durban Beach Rescue while it sent out a 2-page press release to the rest of the media covering television awkwardly marked "draft".

Media didn't know if they're supposed to use something marked "DRAFT" in grey.

Later, after a media enquiry, Travel Channel reissued the press release without the "draft" watermark.

The Travel Channel on Thursday also had a media launch for the second season of Durban Beach Rescue in Durban.

Media covering television didn't know and wasn't told about it but saw it when photos were posted on social media.

For the first season of Durban Beach Rescue Travel also did media launches but only in Durban and Johannesburg.

The second season of Durban Beach Rescue, produced by Ruby Rocket Media and executive produced by Bronwyn Berry, will start on Travel on Monday 27 November at 20:00 with double-bill episodes.

The 12-episode second season will continue to capture the day-to-day challenges of Durban's lifeguards on the Wedge, uShaka, Umhlanga man and Bronze beaches in KwaZulu-Natal and even further north to Ballito.

"This time around the show is less about the crowds and more about the characters who work tirelessly to keep the holiday-makers safe."

Here is a teaser trailer of the second season of Durban Beach Rescue:

HGTV channel added to DStv for 3 weeks as a programming block on Travel Channel from 6 November.

The HGTV channel, a home and lifestyle programmng TV channel is getting added to DStv but only for 3 weeks and in the form of a programming block on The Travel Channel from 6 November.

HGTV will be available to DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact and DStv Family subscribers on channel 179 where The Travel Channel is broadcast.

HGTV will run from 6 to 26 November and will replace The Travel Channel during prime time between 18:00 and 23:00, and on weekends between 15:00 and 20:00 with American home and decor shows.

HGTV, that originally stood for "Home and Garden Television", will be competition for The Home Channel (DStv 176) from the Tiso Blackstar Group, that ironically has already been showing programming from HGTV like the Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan, for years and will now also be on HGTV.

The HGTV prime time and weekend replacement on The Travel Channel is possibly a trial period, similar to when BET and other channels were first temporarily tested before added permanently.

The currently programming on The Travel Channel like Ultimate Braai Master, Bizarre Foods and Mysteries at the Museum will continue to be shown.

"HGTV is one of the most viewed channels for women in the United States, and we are excited to be bringing this popular content to South African audiences," says Phillip Luff, the managing director for Scripps Networks Interactive for the United Kingdom and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions.

"We are certain viewers will be inspired by HGTV, and come away with practical ideas to make their homes beautiful."

The HGTV programming block will bring viewers shows like Brothers Take New Orleans, Fixer Upper, Tiny House Hunters and Flip or Flop.

In Brothers Take New Orleans Jonathan and Drew Scott compete to remodel rundown homes.

In Fixer Upper Chip and Joanna Gaines renovate rundown properties, as does Tarek and Christina El Moussa in Flip or Flop.

Anthony Bourdain trashes Scripps Networks' Food Network and Travel Channel: 'Must be hard to make Burger World or World's Best Roller Coasters year after year after year'.

The caustic chef and telenality Anthony Bourdain now seen on CNN International (DStv 401) was full of praise for CNN but totally trashed The Food Network (DStv 175) and The Travel Channel (DStv 179) from Scripps Networks from the stage at this weekend's Produced By Conference New York.

Although he didn't have to, Anthony Bourdain slammed The Food Network and The Travel Channel where he previously did TV shows like No Reservations, and he had no reservation in telling the public exactly what he thinks of these channels.

No doing Parts Unknown on CNN International, Anthony Bourdain pushed the butcher's knife in to the hilt, saying executives at Scripps Networks, The Food Network and The Travel Channel "have this perverse desire to undermine their brands and saw us as a way to do that".

"In the Food Network's case, to do penance for some of the utter shit they've been unloading for years," Anthony Bourdain said.

"And with The Travel Channel, it must be hard to make Burger World or World’s Best Roller Coasters year after year after year. We went in assuming the worst and knowing it was going to be war."

In South Africa and across Africa The Food Network and The Travel Channel are seen on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, packaged and distributed by Scripps Networks Interactive.

The Food Network in South Africa and Africa on DStv from Scripps Networks Interactive getting its own customised channel feed from September.

Paul Welling, VP of content, announcing from 1 Sept we will have our very own SA feed on @DStv ! #sibastable pic.twitter.com/lvJ9DxjYkm

— Food Network SAfrica (@FoodNetworkSA) August 15, 2017

The South African and African version of The Food Network (DStv 175) from Scripps Networks Interactive is apparently getting its own Food Network channel feed from September on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

The Food Network had a media launch today in Cape Town with a similar one set for Wednesday in Johannesburg for the new season of Siba's Table with TV chef and presenter Siba Mtongana.

In Cape Town on Tuesday, Scripps' new regional content boss Paul Welling announced something in the line of South Africa that will be getting its own Food Network channel feed from September although specific details are not available or known yet.

Currently Scripps Networks International distributes three lifestyle channels across the United Kingdom and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (UK & EMEA) region.

Food Network and Travel Channel are available on MultiChoice's DStv in South Africa, and Fine Living is available on the Chinese operator StarSat's platform but getting zero publicity.

Travel Channel and Fine Living are also available on Econet Media's Kwese platform elsewhere in Africa since February this year.

TVwithThinus isn't able to comprehensively report on the newly packaged Food Network channel feed for South Africa from Scripps and what exactly that - and the change - entails since there was no invitation to the media launch event and by Tuesday night there wasn't any press release or stories elsewhere yet to reference from media who did attend.

Although I wasn't told beforehand that there would be any Food Network launch for Siba's Table, and with PR company Mortimer Harvey in South Africa that didn't respond to any of the media enquiries made on Tuesday about the event, it is however clear from a Food Network SA tweet on social media that some type of adjusted and bespoke Food Network is coming to DStv from September.

Tuesday's media event was significant since it also marks the first public appearance in South Africa of TV executive Paul Welling - formerly from Discovery Networks International.

This was Paul Welling's first time back in South Africa and speaking publicly after his jump to Scripps Networks Interactive in his new position as Scripps Networks Interactive's head of content for the UK & EMEA region since his move to Scripps in May this year.

There is no transcript of what Paul Welling said and announced at Tuesday's Food Network and Siba's Table media event, neither is there any press release available about Siba Mtongana and what she had to say.

However the upcoming 3rd season with 10 new episodes of the successful Siba's Table is set to start on 7 September at 20:00 on the Food Network.

Viewers will see a slight change in the upcoming 3rd season since the start of the series on the Food Network in September 2013.

Now Siba Mtongana will give traditional dishes and recipes her "sibalicous" spin by showing viewers how she creates her own unique re-interpretation to food ranging from.braai pork and snacks to steak and even creating a blind date for some of her friends.

Burton Jablin appointed as COO of Scripps Networks Interactive; Kathleen Finch appointed chief of programming and content officer.

In the United States Scripps Networks Interactive has promoted Burton Jablin (left) to chief operating officer (COO), while Kathleen Finch has been appointed chief programming, content and brand officer.

Scripps Networks Interactive runs channels like The Travel Channel and The Food Network which are available through Scripps Networks International on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, and Fine Living Network (FLN) on On Digital Media (ODM) and StarTimes Media SA's StarSat satellite pay-TV platform.

Burton Jablin who will report to Scripps Networks Interactive CEO Kenneth Lowe, will be overseeing sales, distribution, programming, digital and strategic planning for the company.

Burton Jablin will have to look at greater coordination and cooperation between Scripps Networks' programming in the United States and its international programming as seen for instance in South Africa and elsewhere around the world as the group continues to expand internationally.

Kathleen Finch will now be responsible for content in the United States - a lot of which filters through and is seen internationally on the international versions of these channels like The Travel Channel and The Food Network.

"As Scripps Networks Interactive continues to grow, both in the United States and internationally, it's important that we take a more coordinated approach to how we operate our business and create content," says Kenneth Lowe.

Discovery Networks and Scripps break off talks over the tantalising possibility of Discovery taking over Scripps' TV channels.

Discovery Communications and Scripps Networks Interactive are no longer talking about the possibility of Discovery buying and taking over Scripps and all its TV channels, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Last month the trade publication Variety reported that Discovery Communications was thinking about the option of maybe acquiring Scripps - a tantalising possibility which would have seen TV channels such as Food Network and the Travel Channel become part of Discovery's television collection.

The Wall Street Journal has unnamed sources which say talks between Discovery Communications and Scripps Networks International has ended, which means that Discovery will not be buying Scripps.

BREAKING. Travel Channel launches major rebranding with new on-air look and logo; promises new programming, schedule overhaul.

The Travel Channel (DStv 179) is rebranding with a new look, logo an on-air identity.

Scripps Networks Interactive which supplies the Travel Channel to MultiChoice's DStv has done a comprehensive brand refresh of the travel channel which is rolling out today in South Africa and other countries besides North America, and then later in America as well.

The Travel Channel is also going to see a major overhaul of its scheduling and programming, including what Scripps Networks Interactive says is "series premieres across 6 new programming genres" in addition to the staple core of programming which Scripps says "resonates with global audiences".

"As the leader in lifestyle media in the home, food and travel categories, Scripps Networks is proud to be investing in a brand-new identity for Travel Channel across its international territories," says Nick Thorogood, the senior vice president for content and marketing for Scripps for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

"We are building an even stronger brand," says Nick Thorogood. "We believe the new programming and presentation, alongside the new look will appeal to all our audiences, affiliate partners and advertisers alike - it's dynamic, fresh and delivers the experience and quality of a modern world-class channel."

The Travel Channel will be adding more than 400 hours of new content as part of the channel's scheduling and programming overhaul. Six new programming genres - adventure experience, factual travel, lifestyle, food, luxury and travel passions - will become a part of the channel's line-up.

The creative agency Lambie-Nairn worked with Travel Channel to devise new on-air materials. The interstitials were filmed in South Africa, and portray the movement and sensory experiences associated with travel.

New programming in March, April and May on Travel Channel include Middle Kingdom Ride (10 April at 20:00 and 20:30), It's a Women's World (6 May at 19:00), Hotel Impossible - After Anthony (22 April at 20:00), Jonathan Phang's Caribbean Cookbook (23 April at 21:00), Travel Like a President (15 May at 19:00 and World's Greatest Motorcycle Rides - Russia (27 March at 20:00).

Scripps Networks restructures its London operation from where South African viewers get The Food Network, FLN and Travel.

Scripps Networks Interactive has restructured its operations in the United Kingdom from where South African pay TV viewers receive several TV channels such as The Food Network (DStv 185) and Travel Channel International (DStv 181) on MultiChoice and Fine Living Network (FLN) (TopTV 451) on On Digital Media (ODM).

Jonathan Sichel has been appointed as the managing director for the business and will be in charge, based in London, for these channels' day-to-day operations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa or so-called EMEA region.

His job will be to expand distribution, further develop the brands in the region and to boost viewership and revenue of The Food Network, Travel Channel International and FLN. He will be reporting to Bob Baskerville, the chief international operating officer for Scripps Networks Interactive.

Meanwhile Nick Thorogood, previously the managing director of Food Network EMEA has been named senior vice president of content and marketing for the UK and EMEA, reporting to Jonathan Sichel.