OpenView HD dumps under-performing channels ASTV, Spirit Word, Ekurhuleni TV and Wild TV Africa; will add a new channel in October.

OpenView HD (OVHD) is dumping 4 TV channels from its service that it says is under-performing - ASTV, Spirit Word, Wild TV Africa and Ekurhuleni TV - and says it will add a new TV channel in October.

Following the news that OpenView HD is done with ASTV - a channel it actually acquired a shareholding in in mid-2014 but failed to grow as a partner - the free-to-air satellite platform run by eMedia Investment's Platco Digital says it is also getting rid of the Spirit Word, Wild TV Africa and Ekurhuleni TV channels.

ASTV will go dark on OpenView HD on 14 October with Spirit Word, Wild TV Africa and Ekurhuleni TV getting cut from the end of September through to mid-October.

Wild TV Africa that was added to OpenView HD in August 2015 lasted just a year since OpenView HD said in July 2015 its "excited" about adding it.

ASTV that will continue to be seen on On Digital Media (ODM) and StarTimes Media SA's StarSat platform, willgo dark three years after it was picked up by OpenView HD in October 2013. The community TV station, Ekurhuleni TV was added to OpenView HD in January 2014.

OpenView HD says it will add a new TV channel in October.

"The decision to terminate the 4 channels' contracts came after careful consideration of their performance and the overall OpenView HD strategy going forward," says Ziyanda Mngomezulu, OpenView HD's channel and acquisitions executive.

Ziyanda Mngomezulu says OpenView HD's overall audience and business objectives mean that the available channels on OpenView HD require constant reassessment.

OpenView HD adds the new South African outdoor and adventure lifestyle channel, Wild TV Africa, from 31 July.

Platco Digital's OpenView HD is adding the new outdoor and adventure lifestyle channel Wild TV Africa (OVHD 153) to the satellite platform's channel line-up from Friday, 31 July at 12:00.

Wild TV Africa, developed by Dewald Visser, will bring viewers outdoor and adventure programming focusing on camping, mountain-biking, fishing, 4X4 trails, scuba diving, conservation, mountain climbing, hunting, sport shooting, skydiving and big wave surfing.

The addition of Wild TV Africa is part of an additional investment of R245 million by Seardel into the still loss-making OpenView HD.

Asked about Wild TV Africa last week, e.tv responded to a media enquiry with a press release confirming the launch of the channel this week.

"We recognised the gap in the TV landscape presented by the Wild TV Africa team and were quite excited about partnering with the channel to provide for the demand," says Ziyanda Mngomezulu, the head of channel acquisitions at OpenView HD.

Wild TV Africa will run for 24-hours per day and is promising viewers 9 locally produced weekly magazine and talk shows. The Wild TV Africa schedule is themed, with Mountain Mondays, Target Tuesdays, Wet Wednesdays, Turbo Thursdays, Fishing Fridays and Wild Weekends.

Wild TV Africa also aims to find the "Adventure Town of the Year", highlighting smaller towns around South Africa which are enticing visitors with a variety of outdoor and adventure activities.

"Our key content focus is on providing family entertainment with shows about camping, braai and outdoor cooking as well as kiddie outdoor fun activities," says Dewald Visser, the managing director of Wild TV Africa in a statement.

"South Africa is a mecca for outdoor pursuits with amazing weather and incredible natural beauty. This is not a sports channel but rather a channel that focuses on content that makes you feel alive, while exploring the essence of Africa and its wide-open spaces. Although some of the activities are not for the faint-hearted, it makes for great viewing," says Dewald Visser.

"With the Wild TV Africa addition to OpenView HD, we look forward to attracting a new audience that makes up a great part of the South African active outdoor lifestyle enthusiasts," says Ziyanda Mngomezulu.