Tonight TLC debuts MILF Manor: A jaw-dropping American dating reality show with an unbelievable and uncomfortable twist.

by Thinus Ferreira

Another jarring new American dating reality show, MILF Manor, is starting tonight on TLC (DStv 135) at 22:00 with a shocking twist that needs to be seen to be believed.

Warner Bros. Discovery is bringing MILF Manor to Africa as an Express from the US title with South African viewers who will be three episodes behind the daring new reality show which started on 15 January with an unbelievable twist.

Although there is absolutely no connection between the two, the NBC comedy series 30 Rock once had a fictitious in-show reality series called "MILF Island" in which moms went looking for love like The Bachelorette franchise.

The setup of MILF Manor, somewhat similar to Netflix reality shows like Too Hot to Handle and Dated and Related and ITV's Love Island, eight single women between 40 and 60 are whisked away to a luxury villa in Mexico where they will be given the chance to date and kiss-and-tell before the cameras, as a group of hunky men vie for their attention and love.

The women are all older and have been moms for years, hence the not-safe-for-work acronym "MILF", and they will all be introduced to much younger men. 

Then various challenges follow like the women, blindfolded, feeling the shirtless men's torsos for the winner to get a night in a hot tub with a romantic partner. In the second episode, contestants have to guess each others' "deepest sex secrets".

MILF Manor however comes with a very big twist which is revealed in the first episode.

The moms include a personal trainer, a former ballerina who owns a gym, a surgical nurse, a paralegal, two event planners, a fitness coach, and a mom who works in the hospitality industry.

The guys include a college American football player, a musician, a bartender, a postman, a model and actor, a singer in a rock band, and one who works in the fitness industry. 

Warner Bros. Discovery's TLC channel does gay pride content in June 2022 but just for South Africa.

by Thinus Ferreira

Warner Bros. Discovery will be celebrating Pride month with a line-up of gay-related content from today until 26 June for its TLC channel (DStv 135) in Africa carried on MultiChoice's DStv but just shown in South Africa.

Following complaints from governments in other African countries in previous years, Warner Bros. Discovery is self-censoring, with the LGBTQIA+ related programming on TLC only shown in South Africa, and kept away from DStv subscribers in homophobic African nations like Kenya, Nigeria and others with replacement programming.

Warner Bros. Discovery says it's "celebrating the channel's diverse talent with a rainbow of TLC favourites, new shows and specials, highlighting lesbian, gay and transgender voices". While the content will be accessible to DStv subscribers in South Africa, it won't be seen by viewers watching TLC in other African countries.

When asked if Warner Bros. Discovery has concerns that there might be complaints about the gay-related content being shown on TLC in countries like Kenya and Nigeria, Warner Bros. Discovery told TVwithThinus in response to a media query that it is "aware of the sensitivities in these regions and therefore TLC Pride isn't scheduled to air in these countries".

In October 2015 Discovery Networks International was forced to pull the reality series I Am Jazz about a transgendered teen's struggle and life journey from TLC across Africa just before it was to begin broadcast following government censorship in Nigeria that impacted its screening across the entire continent.

In May 2016 NBCUniversal International Networks was forced to pull the second season of I Am Cait, a reality show about the transgender Caitlyn Jenner – formerly known as Bruce Jenner - from E! in Africa after complaints and a DStv TV-ban in Nigeria.

In July 2016, Viacom International Media Networks Africa, now Paramount, said it would be censoring an episode of The Loud House on Nickelodeon and won't be broadcasting it on its linear channel on DStv in Africa since it featured animated gay dads.

In June 2017 Kenya's Film Classification Board (KFCB) banned 7 kids cartoon for bogus reasons like saying one character "has a dick for a head", and that in another two characters of the same gender went on an (unseen) "implied romantic vacation", ordering MultiChoice Africa to remove Loud House, The Legend of Korra, Hey Arnold, Clarence, Steven Universe, Adventure Time and Star vs the Forces of Evil from DStv because of "homosexual themes".

In November 2017 Kenya banned the Disney Channel show Andi Mack because it featured a gay teenager, keeping it off television for the entire Africa, including South Africa.

M-Net (DStv 101) which has different regionalised channel feeds for South, East and West Africa has also kept certain internationally acquired content away over the last decade from DStv subscribers and more conservative audiences in East and West Africa, like American Gods and the transsexual model agency reality series Strut shown to viewers in South Africa without complaints.

About its Pride June programming stunt, Warner Bros. Discovery says "from 13 till 26 June, viewers can enjoy brand new shows like Kenny and Armando: Love is Love, showing the love story of 90 Day Fiancé couple Kenny and Armando so far; and My Pregnant Husband, which shows how couples experience the joy – and challenges - of a transgender pregnancy".

"Viewers can also tune in for a selection from one of TLC's most well-loved shows, Say Yes To The Dress; a show that celebrates love in all forms, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation".

This is TLC's Pride programming line-up:

Say Yes To The Dress, 13 - 24 June weekdays, 12:00
Kleinfeld Bridal, a Manhattan-based salon that is arguably the world’s finest, is celebrating love in all forms, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. Over 250 consultants do their best to cater to the brides’ wishes in preparation for one of the most memorable days of their lives.

I Am Jazz, 13 - 24 June, weekdays, 22:55
Although assigned male at birth, Jazz is a transgender female and has been living as a girl since kindergarten. Jazz's parents, Jeanette and Greg, and siblings Ari, Griffen and Sander have stood side-by-side with Jazz as she's battled discrimination, hate speech, online bullying and other misconceptions associated with what it means to be transgender.

Nate & Jeremiah: By Design, Wednesday 15 & 22 19 June, 9:25

Balancing their roles as design experts and dads, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent show how to turn a money pit into a masterpiece. The designer husbands help clients learn from their mistakes by rescuing them from renovation nightmares.

Dragnificent! | 17 - 24 June, weekdays, 19:00
Alexis Michelle, Bebe Zahara Benet, Jujubee and Thorgy Thor, four of America's favourite drag queens, come to the rescue of those in need of a major change for an upcoming life milestone. The queens help people reimagine themselves inside and out and reveal their transformations in time for a special day.

90 Day Journey: Stephanie & Erika, Sunday 19 June, 18:00
After four months of dating online, YouTuber Stephanie travels to Australia to finally meet photographer Erika. They hope to deepen their connection in person, but things are complicated by the fact that neither woman has come out to her family.

My Pregnant Husband, Sunday 19 June, 19:00
Ari and Caitlin and Myles and Precious experience the joy of a transgender pregnancy when Ari and Myles, the men in their relationships, become pregnant. The couples must conquer unique obstacles when the person carrying and birthing their child is a man.

Kenny and Armando: Love is Love, Sunday 26 June, 18:00

Kenny and Armando, well-known from the hit-series 90 Day Fiancé, met on an online support group for fathers. Kenny has decided to leave his family behind and move south of the border to be with him. Being a gay couple in Mexico, however, could pose a much bigger challenge than Kenny could imagine. Kenny and Armando: Love is Love shows their love story so far.

MultiChoice Showcase 2021: 18 must-know info-blasts from this year's media event.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice shifted its bi-annual media showcase events for South Africa's press to the end of the year (and did just one this year) with the MultiChoice Showcase 2021 showcase that took place yesterday afternoon as a virtual presentation and dropping various info-blasts throughout the presentation.

Like an Easter egg hunt, the media usually scour for nuggets of information dropped by various MultiChoice executives and shown in sizzle reels, with yesterday that was no different - although MultiChoice shared less information in totality than in any previous years of the showcase. 

Here are 18 things I picked up that you'd want to know:

1. Survivor season 41 on M-Net

M-Net (DStv 101) will show season 41 of America's Survivor in January 2022. 

Season 41 will usher in a new era which will be marked by a lack of a theme, harkening back to the early days of the series. The show will simply be known as Survivor 41. "Those ideas served us very well for 20 years, but now it’s time for something new," says host and producer Jeff Probst. 

M-Net will also show the 8th season of Survivor Australia Brains v Brawn" which will start on M-Net straight after the current 7th season.

2. Survivor SA renewed for a 9th season in 2022

"Return of the Outcasts" will be the "subtitle" of the 9th season of the local South African version that M-Net has now renewed for a 9th season filming in January 2022 and broadcasting in July.

Insiders couldn't wait to tell me earlier this week that Survivor SA was renewed and M-Net refused to respond to media queries about it, until the logo was flashed and "S9" at the MultiChoice Showcase 2021.

The castaways are chosen from previous players who didn't make it to the final Tribal Council and all "have a score to settle". We're told it's filming in January 2022, will broadcast in July on M-Net (DStv 101) and will once again be done somewhere in South Africa because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

3. Award shows

DStv subscribers will be able to watch the 64th Annual Grammy Awards on 1 February on 1 Magic (DStv 103), the 94th Annual Academy Awards known as the Oscars on 28 March on M-Net (DStv 101), the Billboard Awards on 28 April on 1 Magic, and the Miss Universe pageant in 2022.

4. Paradise lost

No air date was provided for an upcoming new TLC show but from the producers of 90 Day Fiancé comes a sexy new docu-soap Love in Paradise – The Caribbean, following people who found love in the Caribbean. 

The tropics will provide the backdrop for relationships in various phases from holiday flings that turned serious to a rekindled love after 10 years apart and a vacation romance that turned into a pregnancy. Will meeting in paradise work out?

5. Pushing sport

Pushing the Line coming January 2022 to the Discovery Channel (DStv 121) will follow some of the top highliners and the up-and-comers of sport, who live together and push one another to take on the craziest places to set lines and break records.

6. Greedy

Mzansi Greed will debut on Moja Love (DStv 157) on 2 December, 21:30 exploring the worlds of crime and greed. What lengths will a person go to for money and power? 

The series focuses on cases of South African pyramid schemes, embezzlement and other crimes, featuring interviews with family members, police investigators business associates, fraud victims and, in some cases, the fraudsters themselves.

7. More SuperSport sports documentaries

In 2022 SuperSport will debut more locally-produced sports documentaries like Chasing the Sun.

 SuperSport is working on Pulse of a Nation: A South African Football Story that is a 4-episode documentary series looking at South African soccer.

Two Sides is another Springbok documentary - likely a documentary film - with cameras that once again filmed inside the Springbok rugby camp. The short sizzle clip shown to media contained a litany of unbleeped "f"-words from Springbok players and staff around them as everyone struggle to cope with the stress.

8. New broom

MultiChoice's video streaming service Showmax has a new boss that the media saw for the first time on Thursday. 

Barry Dubovsky who has been with MultiChoice since 2018 joined Showmax in his new role as its chief operating officer (COO) in August. Barry says that in 2022 Showmax will continue to focus on rolling out more Showmax Original productions.

9. Naija reality

The 7th season of Big Brother Naija gets a broadcasting date: June 2022. 

A group of isolated housemates will once again do tasks as they compete for a cash prize. Date My Family Nigeria will start in January 2022 on DStv, sending singletons on dates with three potential partners' families in a bid to find love.

The 7th season of Idols Nigeria will start in February and Judging Matters is a new "Judge Judy"-type show that will address legal issues from a small claims court, in partnership with the Lagos state ministry of Justice, hosted by Justice Olushola Williams and Ebuka Obi-Uchendu.

10. M-Net moves into Mozambique

M-Net is moving aggressively into the Mozambique market and upping local content produced in Portuguese for DStv subscribers specifically in Mozambique and Angola.

In Mozambique, MultiChoice and M-Net will launch the new Maningue Magic channel on DStv channel number 503 on 17 January 2022. 

The channel will have a local telenovela Maida, local lifestyle show, Txunado, local drama The Influencer, as well as Boss Station, a Mozambiquan original music show. Viewers can also expect to see a local version of Date My Family.

11. South Africa's Big Brother goes continental

The new season of Big Brother Mzansi revived after a decade will not just be seen in South Africa but will be shown across sub-Saharan Africa on DStv, similar to how Africa can watch Big Brother Naija. 

Also new is that the prize money will be R2 million for the winner.

12. A foodie date

The 4th season of MasterChef South Africa coming to M-Net (DStv 101) got a date: It will start on 28 February. 

Instead of on a wine farm like previous seasons, the new season is currently being filmed at the foot of Table Mountain in Cape Town "in a dynamic new location that celebrates both the heritage and the innovation of South Africa's diverse culinary offering".

13. kykNET returns

In 2022 kykNET (DStv 144) will have the 4th season of the Afrikaans procedural drama series Die Byl with Projek Dina returning for a second season. 

A new season of the anthology series Spoorloos is currently in development with a story set behind the backdrop of a small coastal town.

14. Fighting housewives

The third season of Real Housewives of Johannesburg will be shown in April 2022 that will consist out of 14 episodes. 

The Real Housewives of Lagos will be on Showmax in the first half of 2022. 

The second season of The Real Housewives of Durban will also be on Showmax but is still listed as "coming on 2022" only with no indication whether it's the first or second half of the year.

15. Local tabloid

While I Blew It will be back for a 4th season in 2022 and Ubizo for a third season on Mzansi Wethu (DStv 163) there will be new series as well doing what Moja Love has found success with Bangoxoshile, Not The One For You, Siza Mina and Fafi. 

Bangoxoshile is a series that assists homeless people who were forcefully removed from their homes by family, relatives or a spouse.

In Not The One For You friends and family write in to ask for assistance in confronting a friend or family member about a potent relationship that they should not be in. 

Siza Mina is a tabloid daily talk show featuring controversial topics and guests who are seeking intervention in resolving issues relating to family, marriage, parenting, divorce, broken friendships, cohabitation. 

In Fafi the 28-year-old Thandi Ndlovu is in love and getting married in 3 months - however it’s not her husband-to-be, Sgoloza Ndlovu, she’s in love with, rather her beloved late husband, Menzi Ndlovu. The Ndlovu family custom has dictated that upon Menzi's demise, his brother must marry his widow.

16. Sporties

On SuperSport in 2022 (see the full summary in its own article Here) the 2022 FIFA Football World Cup coverage will include all 64 matches, live and in prime time, as well as the UEFA Champions League and Europa League (until May 2022) and the FA Cup (until May 2022).

SuperSport will have the all-new United Rugby Championship (until June 2022) and an old friend in the shape of the Six Nations making a reappearance in February. There's also the World Sevens Series of the Blitzbokke.

In cricket, there's The Ashes and India's tour of South Africa until January 2022, the IPL in March and the Proteas' tour of England from July to September. In tennis and golf all of the Majors will be on SuperSport from January to July 2022. 

In WWE wrestling there will be headline events like the Royal Rumble in January and WrestleMania in April 2022.

On two and four wheels SuperSport will cover the longest-ever F1 season, MotoGP, SuperBikes, and cycling events from May's Giro d'Italia to October's Absa Cape Epic, the Amstel Gold Race to Challenge by la Vuelta and the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup and Paris-Roubaix to the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

In athletics SuperSport will have the American Indoor Track League, Diamond League, IAAF World Indoor Tour and World Athletics Continental Tour and in July and August 2022 the Commonwealth Games from Birmingham.

17. Absence of Aletta

This was notably the first MultiChoice Showcase - previously known as the DStv Content Showcase but for some reason rebranded - without Aletta Alberts, Africa's TV content queen. 

The extremely experienced and well-versed executive who was MultiChoice's head of content and third-party channels passed away in July from Covid-19 complications.

MultiChoice apparently didn't replace her position and her absence was definitely felt - the MultiChoice Showcase 2021 didn't have the all-knowing, all-telling tether of Aletta Alberts as anchor who in the past would help the media to integrate and build a bigger picture to put all of the various content streams into perspective.  

18. Notably nothing on this - so far 

Unlike previous years media sadly were not given the opportunity to ask questions at the showcase. MultiChoice that usually make announcements about DStv decoders didn't say anything about its decoders this time with no updates on the DStv Streama decoder that was announced over a year ago but never launched. 

Does MultiChoice plan to add Disney+ as a streaming service next to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video when it launches in South Africa from around June 2022? Or what about eMedia's new eVOD? Is Paramount+, discovery+, HBO Max, Apple TV+ and Peacock going to be added to the DStv Explora Ultra in 2022 like Sky and Comcast overseas did? We don't know yet. 

It's also not yet clear where MultiChoice is with letting DStv subscribers build their own subscription with DStv Flex by choosing various packages with selections of channels instead of picking a bouquet. 

MultiChoice has been investigating this and asking consumers their thoughts about such an offering earlier this year. 

It's also unclear for how long M-Net Movies will have premium first-run films to premiere given the impact of the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic on the world's film industry.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Showcase 2021: Why month-old pre-recorded interviews from MultiChoice executives sitting in Dubai touting DStv's 'home-grown local content' in Africa?

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Showcase 2021: SuperSport to shine in 2022 with a vast locked-in offering of local and international sports events.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Showcase 2021: 'Fuck, fuck fuck, fuck' says SuperSport in profanity-laced Springbok documentary sizzle reel for new Two Sides rugby and Pulse of a Nation football local documentaries coming to DStv in 2022.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Showcase 2021: MultiChoice and M-Net aggressively ramp up Lusophone production targeting DStv subscribers with new channels and content in Portuguese in Mozambique and Angola.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Showcase 2021: PICTORIAL. A set of new Blood Psalms stills released as MultiChoice's delayed Showmax Original fantasy series from Yellowbone Entertainment waits to be paid its film rebate.

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Showcase 2021: M-Net renews Survivor South Africa for an all-stars 9th season to be broadcast in July 2022.

Discovery Inc.'s TLC and ID channels turn 10 in South Africa with special nostalgia-programming; as Discovery says 'Africa has been important for Discovery for 20 years and we look forward to the next 10 years'.

by Thinus Ferreira

Discovery Inc.'s TLC and Investigation Discovery (ID) channels both turn 10 years old in South Africa with special programming on both channels, with Discovery reaffirming its content commitment to the continent, saying that Africa has been an important market for Discovery for over 2 decades and that it's looking forward to the next decade.

Discovery has not yet launched its Discovery+ subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service in South Africa or Africa or made any announcements that it plans to launch in sub-Saharan Africa, as Canada becomes the latest country to have Discovery+ rolled out there on 19 October. 

Marking the decade-anniversary of TLC Africa and ID in South Africa, Anouska Widdess, senior director TLC and channel operations and head of content for TLC in South Africa, says that "Africa has been an important market for Discovery for more than 20 years, and we look forward to the next 10 years as we hope to continue to collaborate and engage with South African audiences".

Discovery says that TLC that ranks as the number one lifestyle TV channel on the Africa continent "remains the flagship channel for Discovery with an impressive share of 1.13%. It consistently ranks within the top 25 channels across total TV and premiere episodes frequently achieve over 100 000 viewer from our loyal viewers".

"TLC has a show for everyone; our audiences turn to their televisions to seek comfort, solutions and inspiration. Each of our viewers has an unforgettable memory, heart-warming moment or special connection with our shows and the growth of the channel has surpassed all expectations."

TLC programming

During its birthday month, TLC (DStv 135) will show viewers "2 weeks of nostalgia" from 1 November at 9:25 daily, with another chance to watch episodes of shows like Gypsy Weddings, Honey Boo Boo and I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant.

TLC will also show Toddlers & Tiaras: Where are they now? with viewers who can catch up with what happened to the various toddler beauty queens, who are now young women.

A new season of Theresa Caputo in Long Island Medium: There in Spirit will start on TLC in November. Then the couples of 90 Day Fiance will have to compete with each other for the first time ever in 90 Day Fiance: Love Games.

Other "memory lane" TLC shows during the 2 weeks include Gypsy Weddings, Breaking Amish, Honey Boo Boo, Jon & Kate, Our Little Family, My Giant Life and My Teen Is Pregnant and So am I.

ID programming

Investigation Discovery (ID) is also marking a decade on the air in South Africa with 10 years' worth of criminologists, journalists, pathologists and psychologists exploring the worst of human behaviour.

From 15 to 24 October ID will bring viewers another chance to immerse themselves in true-crime documentaries, detective shows and stories where love goes awfully wrong, as episodes uncover some of the most shocking crimes in recent years with a line-up of all-time favourites.

ID will show episodes from series including The Madeleine McCann Mystery, Gypsy's Revenge, Evil Stepmother, Perfect Murder, Deadline: Crime with Tamron Hall, Deadly Affairs, and Crime to Remember.

Discovery revives its shuttered Real Time channel brand for Africa, added to MultiChoice's DStv and StarTimes and StarSat.

Discovery has revived its Real Time channel brand it shuttered in 2010 with the lifestyle channel that is being added to both MultiChoice's DStv as well as China's StarTimes in Africa and StarSat in South Africa as part of channel carriage agreements.

The logo above is Real Time's logo at launch in Africa, slightly different than the logo (right) of when Real Time was shuttered in 2013 where it ran as a channel in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe.

The teal and coral colours have been switched, the coral changed to red, and the word "Discovery" dropped from the logo.

"We are incredibly excited to present Real Time to the market, and further expand and diversify our local portfolio offering," says Amanda Turnbull, vice president and general manager for Discovery Networks in Africa and the Middle East in a statement.

"With an already successful suite of pay-TV brands, Real Time affords us the chance to bring our world-class content to even more audiences across South Africa, in the form of a channel designed to provide much-needed ‘me time’ to the modern African woman and her wider family."

"With so much in store for our viewers and commercial partners, we look forward to establishing Real Time as Africa's newest go-to destination for quality female-skewed programming," says Amanda Turnbull.


Real Time on MultiChoice's DStv
On MultiChoice Real Time is the supposed "replacement" channel for the dropped Animal Planet at the end of 2017, although not really.

While Animal Planet was aimed at higher pay-TV subscriber tiers, Real Time that was added on Monday 3 September is "tailored specifically" for DStv EasyView subscribers - the cheapest package.

What that means is that Real Time will probably irritate (or be ignored by) a lot of existing DStv subscribers since it will likely be packed full of repeats - programming that DStv subscribers have already seen on other Discovery channels.

Discovery literally chose to highlight People Magazine Investigates that will be on Real Time and that is literally currently showing on ID" Investigation Discovery - which just serves to underscore the already-kinda-rerun fatigue world Real Time will inhabit.

Also strange is that MultiChoice would take away something like Animal Planet that was somewhat distinct, and replace it with something like Real Time that as a "female-skewed" channel, will be competition for the existing TLC (DStv 135) that is also from the same Discovery stable. Why make additional competition for yourself?

Discovery says Real Time is a "general entertainment channel for female audiences" and will be "bringing the best of Discovery's lifestyle and factual storytelling to a whole new fan base" on channel 155.

Does this mean that the "best of Discovery's lifestyle and factual storytelling" is no longer on TLC? How are the two channels different, while Discovery Family is also lurking as the third triplet in the closely related channel grouping?

Also on MultiChoice, besides Real Time's linear offering, a selection of Real Time's programming will also be available to stream or download on the DStv Now platform.

Real Time on StarTimes and StarSat
Real Time is also being added to China's StarTimes across Africa, as well as in South Africa to StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat.

This is part of a new carriage agreement signed between StarTimes and Discovery Networks that had that public show-and-tell channel deal signing ceremony in August in Beijing, China.

StarTimes and Discovery switched out Discovery Science for the bland more mass-market Discovery Family, and is adding Real Time.

Several things to note here: On StarTimes Real Time becomes competition for Discovery's own TLC on DStv.

Secondly, StarTimes and StarSat blatantly lied when it released the Real Time channel logo to make it look as if it's a channel packaged for StarTimes and StarSat as one of StarTimes' own channels, under its own logo.

StarTimes and StarSat literally marketed Real Time as the "StarTimes Real Time" and "ST Real Time" channel on channel number 179.

This is however not the case - Real Time is packaged and distributed by Discovery Networks and doesn't carry any StarTimes channel logo as part of its real design and as StarTimes pretended.

Questions in previous weeks to gain clarity on this embarrassing gaffe, what went on here, and why Real Time was initially shown with this logo, have been ignored and went unanswered.

Thirdly, Real Time on StarTimes and StarSat isn't on this pay-TV service seen as a "cheapo" addition. Real Time on StarTimes and StarSat is only available to the two most expensive packages, Super and Special.

It's weird how the inherent channel value proposition can sometimes be so arbitrarily defined or interpreted. It's the exact same channel, with the same channel logo and branding.

Yet only those paying the most will be able to get Real Time on StarSat, while those paying the least and everybody else will get Real Time on DStv.


Disappointment
After waiting 8 months for the Animal Planet replacement and wondering what channel it would/could be, Real Time is, sorry to say, a real disappointment-addition.

Why this sort of retread channel for South African and African audiences when TLC and Discovery Family already exist?

It feels like way too much duplication, like McDonalds adding yet another Big Mac version when the customer already has too many choices with/in one product line.

And why is Africa getting a UK/Europe reject channel? And again in a market where TLC already exists?

It's a bit weird that Amanda Turnbull would actually say Discovery Networks is "incredibly excited to present Real Time to the market" since nothing about Real Time really looks incredibly exciting.

I really thought and expected something more "wow-ier" from MultiChoice and Discovery - something that South African pay-TV subscribers haven't seen or experienced before, like maybe Velocity (soon to rebrand as Motor Trend Network) as a cool 1080p HD channel, or maybe DIY Network, or something like that.  But it's not to be.

StarTimes signs new carriage agreements for Africa with Discovery Networks International that includes a new female-focused channel, Real Time; and FOX Networks Group for the set of Fox channels.

The Chinese pay-TV operator in Africa, StarTimes, have signed two new channels carriage agreements with both Discovery Networks International and the FOX Networks Group.

At a "cooperation signing ceremony", Janet Liu, StarTimes' head of the content operation centre, signed a contract with Amanda Turnbull, the vice president and general manager for Discovery Networks International for the Africa and Middle East (MEA) region.

Under the new carriage deal the crime channel Investigation Discovery (ID) will remain on StarTimes and StarSat in South Africa, with the Discovery Family channel that will be added to StarTimes and presumably StarSat in South Africa.

Discovery Family is already carried by MultiChoice on DStv in South Africa and elsewhere across the continent by MultiChoice Africa.

Discovery Networks International will also create and package a new female lifestyle channel called Real Time. Real Time - like TLC already carried on MultiChoice's DStv in South Africa and elsewhere across Africa - will launch later this year on StarTimes and presumably StarSat, and according to StarTimes "will be customised especially for the modern African woman".

Discovery's Real Time was shut down in April 2013 and turned into TLC, but that Real Time brand is now being revived by Discovery for Africa as a parallel, yet differently branded, channel to TLC.

Discovery Networks International didn't issue any statement by Wednesday night about its carriage deal with StarTimes and if there is one it will be added here.

In a second "cooperation signing ceremony", Janet Liu, StarTimes' head of the content operation centre, signed a contract with Adam Theiler, the executive vice president of the FOX Networks Group for Europe and Africa.

Under the new carriage deal the FOX, FOX Life, FOX Sports, FOX Sports 2, National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Baby TV and Voyage will remain available on StarTimes in the rest of Africa and on StarSat (Voyage excluded) in South Africa.

In Africa these channels managed by FNG Africa will be available in English, French and Portuguese.

FOX, FOX Life, National Geographic, and Nat Geo WILD are also carried by MultiChoice on DStv in South Africa and MultiChoice Africa across the continent in several other African countries.

The FOX Networks Group Africa (FNG Africa) didn't issue any statement by Wednesday night about its carriage deal with StarTimes and if there is one it will be added here.

As part of the carriage agreement between StarTimes and Fox, StarTimes will also offer Fox and National Geographic content on its StarTimes/StarSat app and the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services Fox+ and NG+ will be added to the 70 TV channels already available on the StarTimes app. The StarTimes app now reaches 450 million mobile phone users.

MultiChoice and Discovery Networks International for Africa upgrade TLC, Discovery Family and Investigation Discovery channels to HD on DStv.

MultiChoice and Discovery Networks International for Africa are upgrading three more of Discovery's TV channels seen in South Africa and across Africa on the DStv platform from standard definition (SD) to high definition (HD) channels from Monday 21 May.

The upgrade means that all of Discovery's channels portfolio available in South Africa will now be shown in HD.

TLC (DStv 135), Discovery Family (DStv 121) and Investigation Discovery (ID) (DStv 171) will all broadcast in HD from 21 May, joining the Discovery Channel (DStv 120) that is already in HD.

"At Discovery we are constantly seeking ways to enable our passionate audiences to explore their world and unlock new experiences," says Amanda Turnbull, the vice president and general manager for Discovery for the Africa and Middle East region, in a statement.

"With our entire DStv portfolio available in HD, Discovery fans can now catch their most loved shows in the best quality."

After MultiChoice's abrupt removal of Discovery's Animal Planet channel with very little advance warning to DStv subscribers at the end of 2017 that was poorly communicated and infuriated and confused viewers, Discovery will be adding a new channel to DStv in mid-2018.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 5 April 2018.

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

■ MUST READ: The SABC's changes at its SAfm radio station reveals a broader malaise in a dumbed-down society.
The Mail & Guardian on the SABC's poor communication of plans, and how the SABC that wants to change SAfm from a current affairs and hard news radio station to "talk radio" is part of why the SABC remains a schizophrenic institution.

■ Mistakes cost brands customers.
A new study has found that a significant number of consumers will and do drop brands when they make mistakes. 55% of consumers say they give a brand one chance only before moving on to another brand - and millennials are the most unforgiving. Brand perception among consumers is something marketers should take very, very seriously.

■ The SABC says the South African public broadcaster is in ongoing talks with trade unions about changes at SAfm - while SABC chairperson Bongimusa Makhathini says he received an anonymous e-mail making allegations of corruption at the South African public broadcaster.

■ Jennifer Lopez' low-rated cop drama, Shades of Blue, seen on M-Net City (DStv 115), cancelled after 3 seasons.

■ Death by TV: An Irish man dies after his TV set exploded.

■ MUST READ: Reality TV changed the economics of television and now it's paying for it.
and reality TV has started to eat itself and its innovations are slowing.

■ Where are the Only Children on television?

■ Move over reality TV, this is the era of fake futility television, says The Sydney Morning Herald.

■ Has Discovery's TLC become the most exploitative TV channel?

■ The fantasy book series, Gormenghast, was a mini-series shown on M-Net (DStv 101), now a new updated TV version will be made.

■ 7 great TV shows that remain stuck in development hell and 6 TV shows that lived on after their ending on TV.

■ Australia's Channel Nine banned from the 21st Commonwealth Games - take a guess why.

■ Why the future of the reality series, Project Runway, is in doubt just as M-Net is getting ready to launch Project Runway South Africa on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161).

■ Ooh twist! In Shadowhunters on Netflix, Lilith's Owl is finally unmasked and it's ...

■ Roseanne producer wants viewers to ignore the photos of Roseanne Barr dressed up as Hitler and putting gingerbread Jews cookies into an oven.


■ Vietnam's government wants to know why the pay-TV operator VTVCab abruptly dumped 22 international TV channels without even telling subscribers, including BBC Earth, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Animal Planet and National Geographic.


■ So, the Enterprise shows up in the opening credits of the Lost in Space reboot that is coming to Netflix soon - and it reminds a bit of the opening credit sequence of Star Trek: Enterprise too (that featured the same Enterprise).

Discovery suddenly pushes Thando Thabethe's new TLC talk show, Thando Bares All, out to May on the schedule although all episodes have been filmed.

Discovery Networks International has suddenly postponed the debut of Thando Thabethe's new South African talk show, Thando Bares All, that was supposed to start this month on TLC (DStv 135) by 3 months to May without saying why.

Thando Bares All with Thando Thabethe and Carissa Cupido was supposed to start on Saturday 24 February at 20:55 on TLC but Discovery Networks CEEMEA has yanked the show, produced by Oxyg3n Media, from the schedule and moved it to May.

Discovery isn't willing to give any specific reason for the sudden move of the show 2 weeks before it was supposed to debut with the "slightly risque" 8-episode Thando Bares All that would be about with people about "body positivity" and "things that society might be afraid or embarrassed to speak about".

Topics in the 8 episodes of Thando Bares All will discuss polygamy, "naked attraction", outrageous style and body issues with themes borrowed and synchronising with other well-known TLC programming.

One strong possibility for the sudden postponement is that Discovery wants to prevent Thando Bares All - geared towards trying to capture a local female audience - from getting lost in the initial high audience sampling before ratings level off when a new TV channel launches.

Moja Love (DStv 157) from Siyaya TV starts on 14 February on DStv as a new TV channel and is a new direct competitor to TLC and A+E Networks Africa's Lifetime (DStv 131).

With a swarm of new locally produced female-driven talk shows on Moja Love that DStv subscribers will take for a TV test ride, Discovery likely thought to protect Thando Bares All from the cacophony of voices like Show Me Love starting on Moja Love that is based on the American talker The Real with KG Moeketsi, Unathi Msengana, Abigail Visagie and Nontobeko Sibisi. 

Dilek Doyran, vice president of commercial development and country manager of Africa at Discovery Networks Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA), in late-2017 said "Thando Bares All is about bringing people together and tackling topics we know our viewers will have strong opinions on."

A potential problem with the delay is that episodes will be seen more than half a year after they were filmed in late-2017. In the 6 month gap some of the content might have become somewhat stale or irrelevant, with guests and what they have to say that might likely no longer be as current as when the in-studio sit-downs were taped.

Discovery doesn't yet have a new starting date for Thando Bares All. Discovery was asked whether the postponement was a production issue - for instance episodes not being finished in time, or a scheduling issue, or a combination of both.

Discovery told TVwithThinus the episodes of Thando Bares All have been delivered by Oxyg3n Media and that the postponement is purely a scheduling decision.

BREAKING. Discovery's TLC Entertainment on DStv dropping the 'Entertainment' from January 2018 as it goes back to its abbreviated name after 4 years.

Discovery's TLC Entertainment (DStv 135) channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform will be reverting back to being known as just TLC and will be dropping the "Entertainment" add-on from its name from January 2018.

Discovery changed TLC to TLC Entertainment in October 2013 when it added programming from Oprah Winfrey's OWN but after 4 years it is now changing back to just TLC.

According to Discovery and in response to a media enquiry, Discovery tells TVwithThinus that the move of TLC Entertainment back to just TLC is part of a wider global brand alignment. "The channel itself and its content will remain the same," says Discovery.

In other changes to Discovery Networks' African TV pride, the Animal Planet (DStv 183) channel is abruptly getting culled from DStv at the end of December 2017 in just two weeks' time. Animal Planet was carried on DStv for 14 years since October 2003.

These changes are very likely big parts of the reason why Discovery Networks didn't hold any year-end upfront presentation for South African advertisers and media this year, marking the first time in at least 7 years that Discovery in South Africa broke with its own annual upfront modus operandi.

New shows on TLC will include Dr Miami, Judge Jenkins and The Healer while new wedding shows Diva Brides and Curvy Brides Boutique will join returning seasons of 90 days to Wed and Surrounded by Daughters.

Discovery Networks in South Africa's big local push on the back-to-abbreviated TLC in early 2018 will be around its new local show with Thando Thabethe. 

Her upcoming TV talk show on TLC (DStv 135) in early 2018 that will be entitled Thando Bares All.

Discovery Networks International looking for the a TV presenter for TLC Entertainment in Next Great Presenter Search which will start in August.

The lifestyle channel TLC Entertainment (DStv 172) is looking for its first South African star – someone who thinks they can be the next Oprah, Buddy Valastro or Randy Fenoli.

Discovery Networks International (DNI) is looking to uncover the first South African presenter to appear on TLC Entertainment, with the competition, TLC Next Great Presenter, which will kick off on Sunday 9 August – Women's Day.

People who consider themselves "super-fans" from across Africa, will be able to enter from 9 August.

DNI hasn't released any more specific details yet, but Lee Hobbs, the vice president of channels for the emerging business division of Discovery Networks for the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) region, is hoping for a big response.

"South Africa's Women's Day is the perfect opportunity for us to give back to our TLC fans and launch this fantastic campaign which will see one lucky winner get the chance to present a brand-new show on TLC," says Lee Hobbs.

"We know how vocal our TLC fans are and I'm certain we'll get a tremendous response when the competition officially opens on 9 August and look forward to receiving all the brilliant entries".


Will have to make a presenter’s video
Viewers will have to make and submit a video clip of their TV presenting skills. In the short video for TLC Next Great Presenter, contestants will have to explain why they should be chosen and why they will make a great TLC presenter.

Something people should keep in mind is that TLC Entertainment is the number one lifestyle TV channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform for adults older than 15, as well as women aged between 20 and 49.

Wannabe presenters have to appeal therefore to this market demographic – these viewers must feel as if the person they're looking at is relatable and is speaking to them and their lives.

A panel of experts will create a shortlist out of all of the entries received, after which it will be up to TLC viewers to choose the lucky winner who will get the chance to present TLC Top 10 – a brand-new series coming to TLC Entertainment later this year.

TLC Top 10 will celebrate the biggest and most popular shows that viewers have seen on the channel in South Africa in 2011.

DNI rebranded its Discovery Travel & Living channel in September 2011 to TLC on On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat which was then still known as TopTV.

A month later, in October 2011, MultiChoice added TLC as well. In October 2013 DNI changed the schedule and rebranded the MultiChoice channel to TLC Entertainment to create a separate and differentiated channel feed on DStv from the TLC channel running on StarSat.

BREAKING. StarSat loses the TLC channel from Discovery Networks International; StarSat hit by channels black-out during migration problem.

StarSat is losing the TLC channel permamently amidst a technical transmission switch-over drama which saw all the TV channels on StarSat go black on Thursday afternoon leaving StarSat subscribers stunned, shocked and bewildered.

Only a handful of channels came back later, but StarSat is losing the TLC channel permanently which was supplied by Discovery Networks International.

After brand name damage the past two years, On Digital Media (OMD) and China’s StarTimes just relaunched the struggling TopTV under the new StarSat name with a controversial, add-on porn bouquet. 

Now the "new" satellite pay-TV operator is however losing its first channel under the rebranded service.On Thursday afternoon StarSat channels simply went dead leaving subscribers baffled. A handful of channels returned eventually but technical problems persist with a lot of subscribers unsure of what is happening on why they’re not getting certain channel's they've paid for.

According to StarSat insiders the switch-over of the uplinking of channels from Germany to elsewhere didn't go smoothly yesterday when the process was started as StarSat switched its broadcasting system from 12:00 on Thursday to a new service provider. 

StarSat expected "short interruptions" in transmission, but didn’t anticipate the unexpected black-out of the channel line-up which came as a surprise to even the Woodmead based operation.

"Yesterday a technical migration exercise where channels were being moved from one uplink site in Europe to another affected programming and created various blackouts," StarSat tells TV with Thinus.

"The TLC channel link was lost during this process. ODM will take every measure to ensure that such technical errors are not repeated in future."

TLC droppedStarSat is however losing TLC permanently and which was supplied by Discovery Networks International (DNI). 

StarSat told TV with Thinus on Friday that the South African pay-TV operator was informed some time ago by DNI that it will no longer make TLC available to the company due to exclusivity agreements with MultiChoice.

MultiChoice now runs the enhanced version of the channel, TLC Entertainment – a different channel feed from TLC on DStv. TLC Entertainment with programming blocks of Oprah Winfrey and her Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) was launched in October, exclusively for MultiChoice's DStv.

The dropping of TLC raised questions about the future of, and whether, Investigation Discovery (ID) which is also available on MultiChoice's DStv, as well as the Discovery Science channel which is only available so far on StarSat, will remain on the platform.

"The TLC lifestyle and entertainment channel will be discontinued on Tuesday 31 December," says StarSat. "This is a result of a decision by the channel’s owners to enter into an exclusivity arrangement with the competitor," said StarSat.

"TLC will no longer be available on StarSat from 31 December, however StarSat subscribers will continue to receive Investigation Discovery and Discovery Science, featuring the best in suspense, entertaining and informative programming to satisfy curiosity," said Lee Hobbs, the channel director for emerging business for Discovery Networks CEEMEA in answer to a media enquiry.