The limited-run M-Net Holiday Channel, or m199, offered in previous years, won't be returning to DStv at the end of this year.

The M-Net Holiday channel - the limited-run TV channel on MultiChoice's DStv platform which M-Net supplied the past few years (with a gap one year when it wasn't on) - will not be continued.

MultiChoice feels that subscribers have access to a wide enough selection and offering of viewing during the holiday time on existing TV channels on the bouquet.

The past few years the M-Net Holiday channel (renamed simply m199 when it returned in 2010 after an absence in 2009) won't return in 2012 to run from mid-December to mid-January 2013.

Last week I asked MultiChoice what the prospects are of m199 returning, after readers started asking me.

"MultiChoice will not be offering a holiday channel any longer as the new M-Net Movies Showcase channel and Universal Channel will cater for all programmes that were previously covered on the holiday channel," says the pay-TV operator.

BREAKING. No special, limited-run M-Net holiday TV channel like m199 coming to DStv this year.

You're reading it here first.

It could be that the Gringe stole it, but I can exclusively break the news that there won't be any special limited-run, holiday channel from M-Net this year.

DStv that ran a special catch-up encore channel provided by M-Net to MultiChoice in the past with the name M-Net Holiday, which then disappeared for a year and came back renamed as m199 last year, won't be happening this year, sources tell me exclusively.

The reason is somewhat technical but, explains an insider, has mostly to do with the ''runs'' in trade-speak of shows and their seasons. Distributors license and broadcasters buy a set of ''runs'' or a number of times a show can be repeated. M-Net Holiday or m199 was a self-compiled channel that would start in mid-December and essentially be another repeat window of shows already broadcast recently.

Now. Keep in mind all those shows that moved and shifted at the beginning of the year from M-Net Action (DStv 106) to M-Net Series (DStv 110), and from M-Net Series (DStv 110) to Vuzu (DStv 123), and from M-Net (DStv 101) to Vuzu (DStv 123). Keep in mind that there is M-Net HD (DStv 170), shows that's on M-Net and all these other M-Net channels loaded onto DStv's Catch-Up service; shows now available online on the Catch-Up service. All of these technically count towards the overall package of runs of shows, which now also ''eats'' at the runs.

Additionally all the runs are mostly anyway used by M-Net HD and M-Net Series, and several of the shows that moved to Vuzu this year have become part of a very different rotation pattern than before, further complicating matters.

The end result? Not really enough shows that can really be bundled and shown with another run left - unless M-Net spends a lot more money overall, or protracted distributor wrangling takes place.

Also keep in mind MultiChoice's limited satellite broadband capacity for the time being as a separate factor that also has bearing on this issue. Keep in mind that MultiChoice launched several new TV channels this year. MultiChoice will still be launching one more new TV channel before the end of the year. It all took bandwidth. So quite a confluence of reasons as to why there won't be a holiday channel from M-Net this year.

TOLDJA! MultiChoice to add the newly-named M-Net holiday channel, m199 to DStv from mid-December.

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I was first to tease you about m199 RIGHT HERE when I broke the news and then I told you flat-out RIGHT HERE that m199 will be M-Net and DStv's new holiday channel in December - news that MultiChoice just officially confirmed.

''DStv Premium subscribers can look forward to the return of the popular holiday channel on DStv. The m199 channel, previously known as the M-Net holiday channel, gives subscribers the opportunity to catch up on their favourite series or movie that they might have missed during the year,'' MultiChoice says in a just-released statement.

m199 will start to broadcast from Wednesday, December 10 and run until January 9, 2011 from 08:00 in the morning until 13:00 - of course on channel 199 on DStv and not on channel 198 as in the past. "This time of the year is all about providing the whole family with great entertainment,'' says Aletta Alberts, MultiChoice's general manager for content. ''We believe that m199 will add to the overall experience and give our subscribers more choice this festive season.''

The m199 holiday channel will be themed according to days, as well as timeslots. Family friendly movies will go out daily between 08:00 and 10:00. Medical shows such as Mercy I, Private Practice II and House VI will run on the ''Midday Medical'' timeslot at 12:00, 13:00 and 14:00 respectively.

Fridays will have musicals and Saturdays superhero movies while ''Bridal Specials'' will be shown on m199 on Sundays with movies like Painted Veil, Bride Wars, Rachel Getting Married, Made of Honour and The Proposal.

Series will be shown at 17:00 daily, with themed movies at 21:00. Mondays are devoted to comedy movies, Tuesdays to drama, Wednesday to action and Thursday night will go to chick flicks. A special ''Horror Hour'' awaits on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 23:00. Omnibus broadcasts of series are scheduled for Sundays with the final season of Lost (4 episodes per Sunday), The Pacific I (2 episodes per Sunday) and Nurse Jackie (2 episodes per Sunday).

MultiChoice to add DStv channels Disney XD, Disney Playhouse from December; M-Net's holiday channel m199 from mid-December.

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As I exclusively scooped the news about MultiChoice adding the channel Disney XD for boys; the preschool channel Disney Playhouse and M-Net's new holiday channel m199 I can now reveal that sources are telling me that Disney XD and Disney Playhouse will start in December on DStv and that m199 will start to broadcast mid-December and run until mid-January.

Of course Disney XD and Disney Playhouse will be permanent channels, while m199 will run for just  a month. M-Net's holiday channel that was previously called M-Net Holiday will also be found on channel 199 on DStv and not on channel 198 as in previous years when M-Net ran the channel with the exception of 2009 when M-Net Holiday didn't run.

Neither DStv nor M-Net has made any official statements yet regarding these three new channels - the last for MultiChoice's pay TV platform for 2010.

I'm not talking about an assault rifle, the cellular growth medium or a tankless water heater.