Sony is changing its Sony Channel in the United Kingdom into Sony Crime Channel targeting women, will the same be happening for Sony Channel in South Africa and Africa at some point?

Sony Pictures Television Networks (SPTN) is ending The Sony Channel in the United Kingdom and switching it to the Sony Crime Channel from 6 February, raising questions as to whether the Sony Channel (DStv 127 / Cell C black 203) in South Africa and across Africa on MultiChoice's GOtv service is destined for the same fate sooner or later.

Sony Pictures Television Networks announced that in the United Kingdom the Sony Crime Channel will start on 6 February on Freeview, Sky and Virgin - but it will happen by merging the existing Sony Channel and its True Crime channel.

The result is apparently the end of the Sony Channel in the UK, and a new channel targeting female viewers with more high-profile programming and crime series.

The Sony Crime Channel will be similar to A+E Networks UK's Crime+Investigation (DStv 170) channel and Discovery Networks International's Investigation Discovery (ID) (DStv 171) that are both also strongly focused on female viewers with schedules packed with "true crime" investigation shows.

The Sony Crime Channel will run series like CSI, Person of Interest, Law & Order, Deadly Women, Crime 360, as well as repeats of British dramas like Spooks and Hustle.

SPTN says "With a predominantly female audience, Sony Crime Channel will create a one-stop destination for crime fans to immerse themselves in the genre with a vibrant fusion of fascinating stories, heart-pounding thrills, engrossing characters and stunning reveals.”

Now to South Africa and Africa where The Sony Channel has been largely neglected over at least the past year. Here's more perspective:

In 2016 MultiChoice Africa removed The Sony Channel and Sony MAX (DStv 128), targeting a male viewership, from DStv in Africa.

In South Africa, DStv also came close to removing the channels according to sources at the time, who said the channels were destined to suffer the same fate as in the rest of Africa as MultiChoice started a drive to cut back on channels with too much repeat programming that were angering DStv subscribers, but in the end both channels got a stay of execution.

In African countries outside of South Africa, after their removal from DStv,Sony and Sony Max were added to MultiChoice's GOtv pay-TV digital terrestrial television (DTT) service because it was seen as less premium pay-TV channels with too much old content and repeats - but then the channels were even removed from GOtv ... only to eventually be added back to GOtv.

The past year there's not been much on The Sony Channel or Sony Max for viewers in South Africa and Africa to make pay-TV viewers excited, and there's been other clues as well about how The Sony Channel and Sony Max have been backsliding during 2017.

In mid-2016 Sony Pictures Television Networks for Africa and The Sony Channel was involved in the scandal of faking Gogglebox South Africa by making as if TV households are watching content on DStv that MultiChoice never even showed.

Of course Gogglebox SA was cancelled and there's not been a second season, with no word from The Sony Channel if there ever again will be one. In December 2017 a veteran producer who was involved with the show at the time, told TVwithThinus that people who were involved in the scandal and allowed it to happen actually got fired.

2017 was also the first year in about 3 or 4 years since Sony Pictures Television Networks from the UK responsible for Africa, failed to do any kind of annual Sony upfront event in South Africa.

Sony did similar upfront events like BBC Worldwide South Africa, Discovery, FOX and others, in previous years but not in 2017 and was conspicuously absent on the upfront circuit where channel providers do their "show and tell" events for the media.

Either SPTN for Africa didn't see it worth spending the money and/or doing the effort, didn't feel it had or has any content or news on The Sony Channel and Sony Max worth crowing about to advertisers and the Press Covering Television, or just lessened the focus and attention that it's giving to these channels in South Africa and across Africa.

Add also the quiet departure of the lovely Sonja Underwood, who used to be Sony Pictures Television Networks' territory director for Sony's Africa channels, and who left Sony at the end of March 2017 for all3media International, something that Sony didn't even announce.

Sonja Underwood whilst at Sony for a decade since 2007 would often directly engage with the media and advertisers, and since she left there's definitely been much less of a tactile interaction and a presence as far as Sony and The Sony Channel in South Africa and Africa is concerned.

Lyle Stewart, is still the senior vice president for the Sony Pictures Television Networks' Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMA) region but it doesn't seem as if Sony bothered to appoint any new Sony territory director for Africa specifically. If there is one, TVwithThinus isn't aware of such a person.

Taking all of this into account as background on how Sony and The Sony Channel slipped in the ranks the past year and a half, it definitely wouldn't come as any surprise news if there were suddenly some announcement that The Sony Channel during 2018 is being flipped to The Sony Crime Channel in South Africa and Africa just like what is happening in the UK now.

Sony Channel blames fast turnaround times with filming for GoggleBox South Africa, for showing DStv viewers the families watching a show that never aired.

The Sony Channel says a fast turnaround time is to blame after filming the latest GoggleBox South Africa episode that showed families watching RuPaul's Drag Race on M-Net's VUZU channel - although the show and the episode never actually aired on DStv.

GoggleBox South Africa as the first local South African commission for Sony Pictures Television's Sony Channel (DStv 127) purports to show DStv subscribers how other South African viewers are reacting to what is being shown on television in the country.

The Sony Channel admits that the families are not actually filmed watching all of the shows live at the time it's broadcast on MultiChoice's various DStv channels.

The Sony Channel says the GoggleBox South Africa producers worked from the print schedules for April supplied by M-Net for its VUZU channel - a schedule that then changed.

In the 8th episode of GoggleBox South Africa that was broadcast on Thursday night, the Sony Channel showed how families watched the 8th season premiere episode of RuPaul's Drag Race.

The episode was however never screened on VUZU since M-Net ran into content licencing issues and pulled the show from its line-up. The 8th season of RuPaul's Drag Race will now only start on 26 June on VUZU.

It's not clear where Eject Media and Picture Tree got the episode to show the GoggleBox SA families, since it wasn't broadcast on DStv and therefore also couldn't be recorded. Passion Distribution is responsible for the international distribution and licensing of the World of Wonder produced RuPaul's Drag Race.

The inclusion of the "staged" programme that never aired but was presented in GoggleBox SA as being on TV in South Africa and Africa on DStv, is damaging to the authenticity of the show and Sony Channel's reputation.

"GoggleBox South Africa is a past 7 days review show, where our households review programmes which have aired in the past 7 days," says Sonja Underwood, Sony Channel territory director in a statement to TVwithThinus.

"Due to the fast turnaround of the show, some of the programmes are watched live and some are pre-recorded as the filming schedules don't allow for the live viewing of all programmes."

"Confirmed channel highlights are used when deciding on which shows to feature in each episode. Unfortunately there was an unforeseen schedule change resulting in the show in question not being broadcast," says Sonja Underwood.

Sony on Gogglebox South Africa on the Sony Channel: 'All channels and all programmes' on South African television will be considered for the local series.

All TV channels and all programmes on South African television will be considered for the Sony Channel's (DStv 127) first locally produced show, Gogglebox South Africa, that will start on 3 March.

Sony Pictures Television is allaying fears that Gogglebox SA, based on the British series that films ordinary couch potatoes watching television, would miss out on accurately capturing the true South African television zeitgeist by excluding shows on channels from the South African public broadcaster's SABC channels for instance, or broadcasters like e.tv.

Earlier Sony Pictures Television was vague when asked specifically what channels Gogglebox South Africa - which will be seen on the Sony Channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform - would potentially consider and include and if it would include the SABC and e.tv.

Sony Pictures Television says "all channels and all programmes are potential material because Gogglebox is about drawing on the biggest TV moments and watching the nation's response to them".

Sony Pictures Television says "Gogglebox goes into the lounges of some of the country's most avid and opinionated television viewers to watch them discuss, laugh and cry about some of the biggest, current and most talked about television moments in the seven days preceding an episode".

"It captures a cultural response to something that's happening in the world," said Farah Ramzan Golant, format producer from All3Media International.

What it means it that when a big moment happens in Uzalo, The Bold and the Beautiful, Majakathata, Isidingo, WWE wrestling, Selimathunzi, 7de Laan or Scandal! - all the biggest top-rated shows representing tens of millions of viewers on their respective channels - it will be possible for viewers' reactions to those shows to show up in Gogglebox South Africa on the Sony Channel.

"Gogglebox is a fantastic show and we believe that its humour and diversity makes it perfect for South African audiences," says Sonja Underwood, Sony Pictures Television Networks' territory director for Sony's Africa channels.

"It is not your typical television show and we believe our first local production will become a firm viewer favourite."

Gogglebox South Africa will have 10 episodes and is produced by Eject Media's Stephan Le Roux and Picture Tree's Gary King.

"We believe that we have created a show that will create debate among people," says Stephan Le Roux. "Gogglebox South Africa reflects the current state of society and will stimulate viewers to share their opinions and thoughts".

Gogglebox South Africa on the Sony Channel on DStv will have one very big flaw when it starts in March: The show about TV will exclude the biggest TV channels in South Africa.

Gogglebox South Africa will have one very big flaw that will be a deliberate drawback for the new show when it starts on 3 March on the Sony Channel (DStv 127): the show that's purportedly about television won't be about all South African television.

SEE UPDATE BELOW

Gogglebox South Africa will not be inclusive of all TV channels and all the local and most collectively watched South African TV fare. The show will exclude the biggest TV shows, soaps and channels with a focus on what's on Sony's own two TV channels and some other DStv channels.

In Gogglebox viewers at home watch viewers as they watch and comment on television.

Sadly Gogglebox South Africa that will be shown on the Sony Channel from 3 March at 21:00 will only be about shows on The Sony Channel, Sony Max and some other DStv channels.

The SABC's three channels - SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 - together with the free-to-air commercial broadcaster e.tv dominate with the biggest viewership especially when it comes to weekday soaps and prime time programming like Uzalo, Muvhango, Generations - The Legacy, Rhythm City, Scandal!, Ashes to Ashes and a range of other mass audience shows that South Africans watch and follow in large numbers.

Yet Gogglebox South Africa on Sony Channel will apparently not include or cover any of these shows or channels - the programming that truly make for a communal watching experience in South Africa and that give rise to questions like "Is Gxabhashe really dead?", "Is Xander going to be found guilty?" and "Will Tau ever know if his baby is alive?"

Gogglebox in the United Kingdom broadcast on Channel4, has no problem to show viewers watching rival public channels as people in Gogglebox comment on various popular programming shown across rival channels like the BBC, ITV and others.

Asked if Gogglebox South Africa will include and cover all TV channels, including programming on the SABC and e.tv, Sony Pictures Television Networks tells TV with Thinus it won't.

"The shows that will be reviewed weekly on Gogglebox South Africa are a cross selection of shows on the Sony Channel, Sony Max, as well as the best and most talked about entertainment, sport, news, politics and current affairs shows that aired in the past week on DStv".

Sony Pictures Television Networks declined to respond as to what the rationale is behind the decision to not cover and include all channels' possible shows in Gogglebox South Africa.

The decision means that Gogglebox South Africa won't be as inclusive as it should be, to make for a real comprehensive show that really reflects the most popular, most watched and top TV moments of the previous week that South African viewers have really been talking about.

This exclusion will likely hamper the upcoming show's bigger, broader appeal and popularity.

Gogglebox South Africa is likely stepping into the same TV trap that became the downfall of previous shows on South African television on specific channels that promised to cover entertainment news or celebrities but then actually ended up only doing myopic coverage of news or celebrities who appeared on that one channel.

Adding to the awkwardness is that Gogglebox South Africa is Sony Pictures Television Network's first locally commissioned South African television series.

Sony wants to show that the show is South African, but Gogglebox South Africa will make as if the TV that the bulk of South African television viewers are really watching, doesn't exist.

When a big moment happens in Uzalo, The Bold and the Beautiful, Majakathata, Isidingo, WWE wrestling, Selimathunzi, 7de Laan or Scandal! - all the biggest top-rated shows representing tens of millions of viewers on their respective channels - it won't make Gogglebox South Africa on the Sony Channel on DStv.

"Gogglebox is a fantastic show and we believe that its humour and diversity makes it perfect for South African audiences," says Sonja Underwood, Sony Pictures Television Networks' territory director for Sony's Africa channels.

"It is not your typical television show and we believe our first local production will become a firm viewer favourite."

Gogglebox South Africa will have 10 episodes and is produced by Eject Media's Stephan Le Roux and Picture Tree's Gary King.

"We believe that we have created a show that will create debate among people," says Stephan Le Roux. "Gogglebox South Africa reflects the current state of society and will stimulate viewers to share their opinions and thoughts".


UPDATE 29 February 2016 14:00:
Sony Pictures Television is more specific regarding exactly what content Gogglebox South Africa could include, saying "all channels and all programmes are potential material" for the show.

Sony Pictures Television says "all channels and all programmes are potential material because Gogglebox is about drawing on the biggest TV moments and watching the nation's response to them".

Sony Pictures Television says "Gogglebox goes into the lounges of some of the country's most avid and opinionated television viewers to watch them discuss, laugh and cry about some of the biggest, current and most talked about television moments in the seven days preceding an episode".

"It captures a cultural response to something that's happening in the world," said Farah Ramzan Golant, format producer from All3Media International.

BREAKING. David Letterman dumped from Sony Entertainment Television as licensing rights to the late night talker not renewed.

You're reading it here first. 

David Letterman just got dumped - to South African viewers who are wondering what happened to the The Late Show with David Letterman on Sony Entertainment Television (DStv 127), I can reveal that the late night talk show won't be back and has been pulled from the line-up by the channel which will not be showing it anymore.

Sony Entertainment Television introduced The Late Show with David Letterman to South African TV audiences on DStv with great fanfare, and was the first American TV talk show to have its broadcasting date of episodes moved up dramatically.

The show was the first America talk show to have weekday episodes broadcast in South Africa just a week behind transmission dates in America. Earlier in the year South Africans tuned to The Late Show with David Letterman to watch the South African group Die Antwoord perform on his show recorded in the Ed Sullivan theatre in New York.

Shocked viewers asked me what has happened to David Letterman in South Africa and why the show disappeared from the SET schedule apparently without warning. It's because the channel will no longer continue with the distribution contract.

"The Late Show with David Letterman will no longer be airing on Sony Entertainment Television on DStv channel 127 as from 30 December," Sonja Underwood, territory director for Africa channels at Sony Pictures Television tells me in response to a media enquiry.

"Sony Entertainment Television is not renewing the licence for the show," says Sonja Underwood. No reason has been given.