No changes to the VH1 Classic channel's logo as VH1 changes and updates its logo to 'plus one'.

There will be no changes or updates to the channel logo of VH1 Classic (DStv 323) after the main VH1 channel, no longer seen in South Africa, updated and changed its brand identity to purple lettering now incorporating an ambiguously pluristic "+" sign.

MultiChoice dumped the VH1 channel after years from its DStv channel line-up in November in South Africa.

VH1 was replaced with VH1 Classic which is also supplied by Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa) and is more music video centred than VH1 which has steadily transformed into a popular culture and reality fare channel similar to MTV.

"There are no plans to phase in the new VH1 logo into VH1 Classic in Sub-Saharan Africa, or other non-US markets, at this time," VIMN Africa tells me.

PLUS ONE. VH1 goes 'plus one' as it changes its logo and adds a '+'; is a VH1 Classic logo change coming as well?

VH1 which MultiChoice dumped from its DStv channel line-up in mid-November 2012 to replace it with VH1 Classic (DStv 323) is getting a logo change and brand identity revamp - will the VH1 Classic logo be changing soon as well?

Viacom unveiled a brand-new purple VH1 logo which incorporates an iconographic "+" sign visually ambiguously in the letters of its new channel and brand logo, although VH1 Classic has so far remain unchanged.

I've asked Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa) which ran VH1 on DStv and now VH1 Classic since November, whether the VH1 Classic logo would be undergoing a visual upgrade as well and I'm awaiting word on whether there would be a change or not for what South Africans see.

UPDATE 8 January 2013: VIMN Africa tells me there will be no changes happening to the VH1 Classic logo.

The new VH1 logo was created by the design company Gretel and the "+" symbolizes not just the larger social networking connectedness of modern TV viewers but also VH1's programming expansion into genres wider than just music videos the past decade.

MultiChoice "exchanged" the increasingly pulp reality-driven VH1 provided by VIMN Africa for the more "golden oldie" music video driven VH1 Classic, the logo of which has a more curvature 80s appearance.

MultiChoice is replacing the VH1 channel with VH1 Classic based on feedback from customers.

MultiChoice is replacing the VH1 music channel from Viacom International Media Networks Africa with VH1 Classic DStv on channel 323 because the pay-TV platform feels that that version of VH1 is what more subscribers would enjoy.

MultiChoice tells me that "we made the decision to replace VH1 with VH1 Classic based on feedback from our customers".

MultiChoice will switch VH1 for VH1 Classic on 13 November. VIMN Africa told me yesterday that "we're very excited about VH1 Classic".

"As MTV focuses more on general entertainment programming, and MTV Base on urban music and youth content, we feel that VH1 Classic adds a complementary, third dimension to our music offering," VIMN Africa told me.

BREAKING. On 13 November MultiChoice is ending VH1 and replacing the channel with the VH1 Classic channel.

On 13 November MultiChoice is discontinuing VH1 (DStv 323) and replacing it with VH1 Classic on the same channel.

Two years ago DStv experimented as part of subscriber consumer research with making VH1 Classic accessible as a TV channel to subscribers. MultiChoice then said the channel wasn't feasible and a good fit. MultiChoice said VH1 Classic "didn't test well".

Now VH1 Classic is considered a better fit on the DStv bouquet than VH1, despite not having tested well, two years ago. MultiChoice now clearly believes that VH1 Classic is a better channel or a better fit to its overall bouquet.

BREAKING. CONFIRMED! - MTV Networks plans for Hope in Haiti telethon in South Africa.

You're reading it here first.

I can finally confirm the broadcasting times and schedules for MTV Networks' channels in South Africa for the Hope in Haiti telethon. If you don't know what that entails, you can read my earlier stories about it RIGHT HERE and how long it's apparently taking MTV to get their act together in South Africa about the telethon RIGHT HERE.

Now I can finally tell you that MTV Base (DStv 322), MTV Europe (DStv 321) and VH1 (DStv 323) will definitely all show the Hope in Haiti telethon in South Africa. The telethon will be going out on all 3 channels simultaneously without any commercial interruption (also CNN International (DStv 401) will show the telethon which I wrote about HERE).

Here is where you can see Hope in Haiti:

MTV Europe (DStv 321):
Saturday, 23 January 03:00 - 05:00
22:00 - 00:00 (repeat)
Sunday, 24 January 03:00 - 05:00 (repeat)

VH1 (DStv 323):
Saturday, 23 January 03:00 - 05:00
Sunday, 24 January 03:00 - 05:00 (repeat)

MTV Base (DStv 322):
Saturday, 23 January 03:00 - 05:00
21:00 - 23:00 (repeat)
Sunday, 24 January 23:00 - 01:00 (repeat)

MTV Base will broadcast Hope in Hait telethon.

MTV finally answered me after 5 days of waiting to find out whether South African television viewers get to see the Hope in Haiti global telethon.

On Friday I wrote about the planned global telethon RIGHT HERE and MTV just told me that Hope in Haiti will go out on MTV Base (DStv 322) on Saturday. Apparently it will also go out on the feeds of MTV and VH1 in South Africa.

MTV for South Africa isn't really bothering to get this important news out or bring it under viewers attention besides a basic (and very inadequate press release) - and neither is DStv.

NONE of the DStv channels - MTV Base, MTV (DStv 321) or VH1 (DStv 323) - have any updated schedules or channel guides for this TV event on their respective channel line-ups or the PVR EPG.

MTV Base will apparently show the telethon Saturday morning between 03:00 and 06:00 and repeat it on Saturday between 21:00 and 23:00 and again on Sunday between 23:00  and 01:00. But you wouldn't know that from looking at any TV schedule anywhere.
And I was only answered after I had to ask 3 times.