BREAKING. TopTV tops 70 000 decoders sold; 15 000 more decoders delivered this afternoon.

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The Transnet strike curtailed shipment and delivery of TopTV decoders to On Digital Media (ODM) but I can exclusively reveal that another 15 000 TopTV decoders were finally delivered to South Africa's new pay TV operator this afternoon. In addition to this, insider sources at TopTV are telling me that just over 70 000 TopTV decoders have now been sold since TopTV's commercial broadcast started at the beginning of this month.

According to TopTV sources the Transnet transport strike - although bad and impacting negatively on ODM - afforded TopTV the opportunity to catch up on the backlog of customer care enquiries, activations and installations. Neither my sources nor TopTV officials want to say how many activations have been done so far, out of fear that MultiChoice that runs the DStv platform, will be able to estimate ODM's initial income from subscriber fees. ''We're not releasing that information and making that public,'' Melinda Connor, TopTV spokesperson told me earlier today. She confirmed that TopTV received 15 000 more decoders from the harbour today.
''We had 15 000 TopTV decoders sitting at the harbour that we couldn't get our hands on during the Transnet strike. We received it this afternoon. A lot of it is pre-booked however. OK Furniture, a new distributor that now also wants to sell TopTV decoders has booked 10 000 of that 15 000 already.''

''We have beefed up our customer call centre considerably. We started out with 25 call agents. We've now got 150. We increased our installers to 350 and we've now upped it again to 500 accredited Top TV installation companies. Many of these companies have more than just one individual installer. Melinda Connor admits to ''teething issues'' regarding TopTV installations and some installers not getting paid by ODM. ''As soon as installers have a problem and contact us, we sort it out. In most cases it's because of incomplete information and payments that are then rejected by the system. They are all on the system, but in some cases, because of small errors, payments weren't able to be made, but that's being sorted out.''

BREAKING. TopTV official website finally goes live with an interactive TV guide for subscribers.

TopTV has just gone live with their TV guide that includes a programme schedule for the pay TV operator's selection of TV channels on the official website RIGHT HERE.

For 26 days since its commercial launch (and from even a few days before that) TopTV's TV guide section only had the words ''coming soon''. While no TV guide was accessible from TopTV's website, its on-screen electronic programme guide (EPG) suffered from ommissions, empty channel info syndrome, and out-of-sync madness. The situation became so dire that a subscriber took it upon himself to create an ''unofficial TopTV TV guide that you can find HERE.

FIRST LOOK! SuperSport goes glam with its four upcoming daily new magazine shows for the World Cup.

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In January I was first to tell you about SuperSport's massive coverage plans for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa (the first story link below). Besides the matches and commentary, I've told you that SuperSport is building the biggest high definition (HD) TV set in South Africa ever, and is also planning four unique daily magazine shows that will be running for the duration of the World Cup tournament: Chase the Makarapa, Woza Lunchtime, Supernova and Harambee.

Now I can show you the logos for these shows first, and tell you more about them all.

Harambee means ''coming together'' in Swahili and will be SuperSport's flagship show for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Harambee will be broadcast daily from 19:00 until 19:30 and will lead into the main soccer match of the evening. Harambee will pull together the big issues of the day with football experts and guests discussing the latest developments. SuperSport's leading anchors like Robert Marawa, Thomas Mlambo and Nigeria's Charles Anazodo will be the presenters.

For Chase the Makarapa eight contestants from around the world have been chosen (two from South Africa, one each from China, India, Brazil, Poland, Nigeria and Kenya) for this adventure programme. The daily 15 minute show will see the contestants ''chase the Makarapa'' - in search of for nine matches, including the final.

Supernova is aimed at a youth viewership and this daily, hour long show between 10:00 and 11:00 will focus on technology, fashion, dance and music - all with a World Cup theme.

Woza Lunchtime that will be going out for an hour every day between 12:00 and 13:00 will look at the food, lifestyles and entertainment angle of the World Cup and turn the camera on the glamour and glitz of the month long event. Field presenters will include Bobby Skinstad, Michelle McLean, Elana Afrika, Nonhle Thema and Moses Praiz of Nigeria.

ALSO READ: SuperSport plans massive coverage of 2010 FIFA World Cup.
ALSO READ: SuperSport will be running two high definition (HD) TV channels during the World Cup.
ALSO READ: SuperSport's new HD studio for the World Cup.
ALSO READ: The SABC's high gloss set at the SABC Broadcast Centre for the World Cup.

BREAKING. TopTV finally launches a secret beta version of their online TV guide they're working on.

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I can reveal that TopTV has launched a secret beta version of their online TV guide. [Please see my update below at the end of this post.]

This follows after TopTV had a complete disastrous start with their electronic programme guide (EPG) and a still non-existent online TV guide, leaving its thousands of subscribers with very little alternatives of sources intime and up to date TV schedules. TopTV has made several false promises as to when the pay TV operator's online TV guide on the official TopTV website would be available and there is nothing yet.

But now I can tell you about this beta version RIGHT HERE where the various TopTV channels are listed according to date, and allows you to scroll and check out what is currently on, and what programmes are next.

UPDATE Wednesday 26 May 14:47 - I made a mistake. I'm told this online TopTV TV guide is not of their making and has nothing to do with On Digital Media (ODM). South Africa's new pay TV operator that's now almost a month in commercial operation, is still struggling to get their own TopTV guide act together. Instead, this TV guide is a normal consumer-created, and consumer-implemented online TV guide for TopTV's channels. Who knows. Maybe TopTV should pay and get a few of them to help out and get their TV guide up and running.

ALSO READ: TopTV's broken, incorrect and out-of-sync electronic programme guide (EPG).

BREAKING. Could DStv be adding the BET, Kidsco and the Afro Music channels for South African viewers soon?

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Could DStv be adding the TV channels of BET (currently channel 190 on rival TopTV), the NBC Universal kids channel Kidsco and the Afro Music channel soon?

I told you RIGHT HERE earlier today that it seems as if MultiChoice is getting ready to add three new TV channels to DStv besides Mzansi Magic that will start on July 12. DStv has activated the channels of 116, 308 and 326, although nothing is being broadcast at the moment . . . yet. However, 116 will have to be a general entertainment channel, 308 will have to be a kids channel and 326 needs to be a music channel.

Now a snoopster tells me BET is channel 116 on DStv in the rest of Africa, that Kidsco is shown on channel 308 elsewhere on the continent, with the Afro Music channel on channel 326. If its these channels being added soon to the available DStv bouquet for South African viewers - if it is to happen - it would make sense given the channel numbers and the channel names and content that correspond perfectly.

BREAKING. Africa's media elite getting ready to converge on Uganda for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2010.

Africa's media elite are getting ready to converge on Uganda where this year's CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2010 will be taking place in Kampala on Saturday evening.

The prestigious awards ceremony - the continent's biggest competition for African journalists across a broad range of mediums - will be broadcast on CNN International (DStv 401) in June, on as well as the eNews Channel (DStv 403) on June 12.

Besides contestants and journalists from all over Africa who will attend the award ceremony, several high-flying executives as well as well-known TV faces will be in attendance this year. Besides CNN's Isha Sesay who presents the weekly Inside Africa and who will most probably again dazzle as host, the CNN International correspondent David McKenzie based in Nairobi, Kenia and who's also well known to viewers might also drop in. e.tv's Debora Patta also told me that she will again be there this year.

Besides executives from CNN like Khosravi Parisa, the senior vice president and managing editor of CNN International, MultiChoice will also have some of its most prominent names from the pay TV operator attending the event. Nolo Letele, group CEO of MultiChoice South Africa will definitely be there, as will Collins Khumalo, president of MultiChoice Africa. Several parliamentary portfolio committee members for communication have been invited like Niekie van den Berg, Johnny de Lange and Rosalie Morutoa to name just a few.

The guest list from the rest of Africa read's like a veritable who's who from the world of journalism, with a plethora of press from Angola, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Mauritius, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe, Liberia, Senegal, Botswana, Kenia, Namibia, Nigeria and Zambia who will attend.

ALSO READ: CNN MultiChoice African Journalists Awards 2010 finalists announced.

TOLDJA. SuperSport will be running two high definition (HD) TV channels during the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Earlier in the month I told you RIGHT HERE that SuperSport is planning on having a second high definition (HD) TV channel on DStv during the upcoming 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the sports broadcaster has now confirmed the news to me. Get ready for SuperSport HD 2!

''Yes, SuperSport will have a spillover channel,'' SuperSport tells me. ''It will be another channel entirely. This will accommodate all the simultaneous World Cup matches, plus any other high definition (HD) sport broadcasts.''

SuperSport is already running the high definition channel SuperSport HD (DStv 171) since December for DStv Premium subscribers. SuperSport HD 2 is what the additional SuperSport HD channel will be called and DStv Premium subscribers will be able to find SuperSport HD 2 on channel 174 on DStv during the World Cup.

Programming note: M-Net will be showing the American Idol finale live on Thursday morning at 02:00.

Well done for M-Net that will be broadcasting the American Idol finale live tomorrow morning, Thursday 27 May, at 02:00 for fans who don't want to wake up on Thursday and have the result of the winner spoiler for them.

Its too bad that M-Net Series (DStv 110) didn't do the same with the Lost finale on Sunday in which the rest of the world took part, but American Idol followers can now stay up and enjoy the final two hours live on TV, while they social network and fret about who the winner between deadlock-supergirl Crystal Bowersox and ''the heart of the season Lee Dewyze is going to be. Viewers will also see American Idol say goodbye to judge Simon Cowell and there will be a special surprise visit by Paula Abdul.

Viewers who don't want to stay up for the American Idol finale can catch it tomorrow evening on M-Net from 19:30 in a three hour special. This means that M-Net is pre-empting the episodes of 90210, Desperate Housewives and Fringe. The Saturday repeat will also still take place on M-Net Series at 11:00.

BREAKING. Is DStv planning on adding three brand-new TV channels besides Mzansi Magic very soon?

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Is DStv planning 3 brand-new TV channels very soon besides the new Mzansi Magic that will start in July? It definitely seems so.

I now know that the new Mzansi Magic TV channel will be channel 107 on DStv when it starts in July on DStv (Read about the new DStv channel Mzansi Magic RIGHT HERE). A clever reader has however alerted me to the fact that MultiChoice has now already created brand-new channels which are all live - although not broadcasting yet - on the DStv bouquet.

DStv is likely to roll out 3 brand-new TV channels imminently on the DStv channel numbers 116, 308 and 326 respectively. If you visit any of the channels like 107 (which will become Mzansi Magic in mid July), DStv subscribers will now get the channel status message similar to the photo above. DStv's electronic programme guide (EPG) has now added these (still empty, yet with iPlate information) to the bouquet which has not been the case before. It means subscribers can now actually go to these channels that wasn't the case before. 116 will be a general entertainment channel on DStv, 308 will be a new DStv kids channel and 326 will definitely be a new music channel.

DStv officially responds by saying to me, ''We will be sure to keep you updated with future developments from a channel perspective as and when they arise.''