Cell C black loses more TV channels with True Movies and POP from Sony Pictures Television Networks also removed.

Cell C black is losing more TV channels with True Movies and the kids channel POP - both from Sony Pictures Television Networks - also being removed, with Cell C black that didn't want to tell the broader public about it.

It follows after Sony Pictures Television Networks decided to abruptly remove its linear Sony Channel and Sony MAX channels from Cell C black in January 2019, with these two channels that also went dark on MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV platform since November 2018.

The removal of the channels are part of Sony Pictures Television Networks strange and as yet unexplained decision to change its channel distribution business South Africa and Africa.

Cell C black has now also lost True Movies (Cell C black 242) that got culled on 31 January and was already dumped from MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform a while ago due to under-performance, as well as the kids' channel POP (Cell C black 303) that will be taken away on 31 March 2019 when it shuts down.

Both True Movies and POP are run by Sony Pictures Television Networks.

It means that Cell C black is suddenly down 4 TV channels at the beginning of 2019 while Cell C black subscribers are paying the same subscription fee as before for less content. Cell C black didn't say with what or if the 4 channels will be replaced.

POP also remains available on China's StarTimes (Africa)/StarSat (South Africa) satellite pay-TV platform. StarSat was asked whether POP is closing down and being removed from its platform but didn't yet respond. If/when StarSat responds it will be added here.

Ntombi Gama, Cell C black's spokesperson at the Atmosphere PR agency, confirmed in a media enquiry to TVwithThinus that True Movies and POP are also cut from Cell C black in addition to Sony Channel and Sony MAX.

Asked why Cell C black doesn't communicate the discontinuation of TV channels on its service publicly and why potential customers are kept in the dark regarding the changing channel line-up of the service, Ntombi Gama says "we have been communicating these changes to our own subscribers".

TVwithThinus also reached out to Sony Pictures Television this week, with Sony Pictures Television Networks that responded with the same holding statement as in January, again saying that "As part of a review of our channel portfolio, we have decided to revise our offering in sub-Saharan Africa".

"We are actively examining other possibilities in the territory and remain excited about future programming opportunities there."


UPDATE Wednesday 13 February 2019 - 11:40
StarTimes/StarSat respond to the media enquiry confirming that the POP channel will be removed from StarSat since Sony Pictures Television Networks will no longer be producing the channel.

New True Movies channel on DStv just for the rest of Africa and not for South Africa; but the M-Net Movies channels has lots of new hidden gems.

I first became aware of it when I received a sudden flurry of enquiries from readers asking: What is True Movies? When will DStv add it? And: Will True Movies be on DStv Compact?

True Movies launching today on DStv is indeed a new movie channel, but it won't be on DStv Compact - in fact it won't be in South Africa at all. The newly added TV channel on MultiChoice's bouquet is only a channel for the rest of Africa outside of South Africa.

"This channel is not launching on DStv in South Africa," says MultiChoice. "As always, when we are ready to launch new channels, we will make the necessary announcements.


Other interesting factoid: Although DStv's EPG only constantly says "Filler: Entertainment" on the various new movie channels on DStv's M-Net Movies channels - gladly do yourself the favour and be like a movie squirrel hunting for nuts. The various M-Net Movies channels contain actually very good movie magazine shows and content.

Unfortunately you won't be able to find it through a search (even The M-Net Movies Show on Fridays is only listed as "Filler: Entertainment" so I just recorded "Filler: Entertainment" this past Friday evening for instance to ensure I get the see the show.

There's really great movie programming in-between some movies since the "filler" actually has programme titles and names in reality, you just have to figure out where exactly to find it, or keep looking to stumble across it.

Leonard Maltin who's been the movie critic for years on Entertainment Tonight for instance does syndicated movie review and interview programming which can now be seen by South Africans for the very first time on these M-Net Movies channels and it's really great.