New Moja Love conflict reality show exposing cheating lovers, Uyajola 9/9, is 'not for the faint-hearted' warns presenter Jub Jub.

The new conflict reality show Uyajola 9/9 starting on Sunday 26 May at 21:00 on Moja Love (DStv 157) is "not for the faint-hearted" warns the convicted killer presenter Jub Jub.

Based on the format of the tabloid American TV series, Cheaters, Uyajola 9/9 hunts down people who are allegedly cheating on their lovers and expose them in the full glare of the cameras as fighting ensues when scorned lovers confront their cheating partners who often try to flee.

Jub Jub (real name: Molemo Maarohanye) who was previously the presenter of the first season of Uthando Noxolo will now be the presenter of Uyajola 9/9.

The disgraced musician was released from prison in 2017 after serving a 4-year sentence after killing four children while drag racing on a public road near a school under the influence of hard drugs.

"I am very proud to be pioneering a show that is a very first of its kind in South Africa. There is no doubt that cheating and infidelity are social ills that are wreaking havoc in South African communities, therefore my quest with this show is to shed light on the impact infidelity has on all affected individuals," says Jub Jub.

"As you can imagine doing a show like this takes a lot of courage as you are dealing with people's lives and their pain on a daily basis. I'm telling you it's not for the faint-hearted."

"I am a firm believer that once people have answers they are able to make informed decisions about themselves and their relationships moving forward."

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Disorganised and confusing 'LA Screenings' spells change - and maybe even some trouble - for South African viewers and DStv subscribers in the months ahead.

The just-concluded 2019 "LA Screenings", this year described by content buyers from various countries who once again visited Los Angeles for a week, as "disorganised" and "confusing", spells change - and maybe even some trouble - for South African viewers in the months ahead, especially DStv subscribers and M-Net viewers.

A level of confusion and uncertainty permeated the past week's 2019 LA Screenings with not just buyers but even studios and the representatives from their international distribution divisions who seemed unsure about exactly what of their new content slate they're willing to sell and which are available to buy.

It's raising questions about not what's available but about what studios might increasingly be likely to keep back for their own existing and upcoming video-on-demand streaming services, like Disney that plans to launch Disney+.

NBCUniversal is also holding shows back and not making them available to buy through NBCUniversal International Distribution. 

Warner Bros. Television Group is likewise holding back content and shows as well, also for the same reason, in that it's making those specifically for its video streaming service from WarnerMedia, meaning that it won't be available for international licensing.

Once a year around May, the big American studios collectively hold what in the trade is known as the "LA Screenings", with about 1 500 content executives from around the world descending on Los Angeles to party, wine and dine and view the upcoming new show slates from which they'll be able to pick and choose and negotiate content deals for their TV channels.

This year, as previously, content executives from MultiChoice and M-Net, flew to Los Angeles for the 2019 LA Screenings.

This year the 2019 LA Screenings has had a very different atmosphere however, indicative of the tumultuous changes rocking the TV industry in America and worldwide as digital is sweeping the biz. 

American broadcasters, studios and pay-TV services are ramping up content production for their own subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services like Disney+ and keeping that content back to exclusively be placed and funnelled through their own services. 

This has led to growing confusion about what content exactly is available to acquire.

As Television Business International noted, this could likely lead to "a scarcity" of content.

One TV executive attending the 2019 LA Screenings described the scene at Walt Disney as "super disorganised" this year with some of Disney's international sales team members who were unaware that Disney has taken over operational control of Hulu.

"Disney is still selling stuff, but it's likely that a lot of the proper Disney shows will be held back," a source told TBI. "They are definitely looking for more flexibility and co-exclusivity. They want to have their cake and eat it, too."

"For buyers at the LA Screenings, the whole point is to see the brand new shows at basically the same time as the American networks so you can make a decision, do a deal and get it in your schedules around September and October," said another executive.

"However, if there’s a holdback, then a lot of the content that broadcasters would have wanted to launch schedules with won't be available until, potentially, next year. If they are going to hold back content for their own over-the-top (OTT) services, and if I was a broadcaster, I'd be saying, 'I’m not going to pay you $100; I’ll pay you $60'.

Sophie Judge, the head of acquisitions for series at Britain's pay-TV service Sky, told TBI that "We know their own SVOD services are being launched, but as far as we’re concerned, their content is available to buy and that has been communicated to us".

Disney Global Content Sales and Distribution is now also responsible for distributing Fox content following Disney's Fox acquisition, and showed Fox's slate together with Disney content at the 2019 LA Screenings - for instance, new comedies from the 20th Century Fox Television studio, Bless This Mess and Perfect Harmony, alongside ABC Studios' Emergence and Stumptown. (Gone was the traditional Disney International Upfront event from previous years).

It's not clear where South African viewers will get to see a new upcoming show like The Mandalorian, the first live-action Star Wars series that will be on Disney+ - a streaming service not being launched in South Africa for years, if at all.

Will The Mandalorian be on M-Net, Showmax, FOX, elsewhere on MultiChoice for DStv susbcribers - or nowhere at all, except on illegal torrent feeds and download sites?

For South African viewers and DStv subscribers its already becoming clear that the best content distributed by CBS Studios International will no longer automatically be on MultiChoice's platform and M-Net (DStv 101) in South Africa and across Africa as it has been, with the new buzzed-about Star Trek Picard series going straight to Amazon Prime Video after snapping it up in a multi-territory global deal.

Yet the new 90210, BH90210, that CBS Studios International screened in LA, might very well end up on M-Net.

A new comedy from Chuck Lorre, Bob ♥ Abishola, from CBS about a middle-aged sock businessman from Detroit who unexpectedly falls in love with his cardiac nurse, a Nigerian immigrant, had some international buyers slightly worried. 

They said they didn't know how to do the title on their electronic programme guides (EPG) with the symbol but would try to figure it out.

Several international buyers at the 2019 LA Screenings asked the various studios and distributors about the exclusive international rights to the studios' shows but got no or very little answers about rights and availability.

Zimbabwe plans to launch 24 TV channels together with Zimbabwe's state broadcaster; government silent on how it plans to fund the latest TV pipe dream.

Zimbabwe plans to launch 24 new TV channels but is silent about how the cash-strapped Southern African country's government or companies getting licences will pay for it while existing TV operators like MultiChoice Zimbabwe is struggling with payment options and to get paid by DStv subscribers.

Part of the 24 new planned TV channels will be run and done by the embattled Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, Zimbabwe's state broadcaster, as well as by new private companies.

It will be extremely difficult for the struggling ZBC or new private entrants to successfully run anything like additional new TV channels with the country that's notorious for its draconian censorship and harsh laws against media freedom, that has also been marked by a struggling economy for decades.

Nick Mangwana, Zimbabwe's secretary for information, publicity and broadcasting services says that Zimbabwe's government "will diversify ownership".

"Licences will not be issued on partisan lines, but it will be open for everyone. The licences will be issued in a transparent manner, but the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, as a public broadcaster, will have a fair share".

Zimbabwe plans to allow foreign ownership in the private new TV channels to be up to 20%, although it's difficult to see any takers given the harsh way that Zimbabwe has treated and are treating private broadcasters in the country, like MultiChoice, going as far as saying that consumers watching DStv are damaging the country and contributing to the country's bad foreign reserves situation.

In February 2017 the Zimbabwe Reserve Bank dramatically ramped up its clamping down on citizens using foreign currency and the American dollar, specifically slamming Zimbabwean DStv subscribers for their "illogical behaviour" of wanting to subscribe and pay for DStv.

Zimbabwe says it is working on reforming of the country's draconian Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) to give the public more access to information.

Zimbabwe's naive 24 TV channel pipedream is completely unsustainable and reminds of South Africa's original plan to launch 18 TV channels, which was downscaled to 5.

In September 2011 SABC executives and the SABC board told parliament that the SABC's DTT offering will consist of 18 TV channels - 17 TV channels (which includes SABC1, SABC2, SABC3) and one interactive video service channel - as well as 18 SABC radio stations plus Channel Africa.

Out of the SABC's envisioned DTT plans, only SABC News and SABC Encore (originally called SABC Entertainment) materialised with the SABC unable to do even these channels on its own.

Both channels have been funded and are paid for by the MultiChoice Group and would be shut down by the SABC if not for the money from MultiChoice paid to the South African public broadcaster.

China's StarTimes pay-TV service in Africa launches quarterly online film competition, the Pan Africa Online Film Festival (PAOFF), for its StarTimes ON streaming service.

The Chinese pay-TV service in Africa, StarTimes, has launched its Pan Africa Online Film Festival (PAOFF) in Nigeria that is done by its StarTimes ON streaming service.

The StarTimes ON Pan Africa Online Film Festival (PAOFF) is aimed at encouraging local African online film creation.

"It is an online age and local online video contents will be an important pillar of StarTimes ON's content strategy and that is why we organised the awards," says Ariel Wang, StarTimes ON operation director in a statement.

"We sincerely hope the awards competition will encourage the development of local online video creation and see the rise of African online video industry."

PAOFF will be a quarterly online film competition, with Best Film Award, Best Short Film Award and Best MV Award that will go to various submitted videos.

Game of Thrones: The Last Watch documentary on M-Net to show the making of the final season of HBO's fantasy drama series.

Game of Thrones: The Last Watch is a behind-the-scenes documentary giving viewers a glimpse behind the making of HBO's fantasy drama series that M-Net (DStv 101) will broadcast this coming Monday morning at 03:00 at the same time as in the United States, and again on Monday during prime time at 21:00.

The Game of Thrones: The Last Watch caps the 8th and final season that was met with widespread criticism from viewers and the media about the story and its conclusion, as well as production mistakes and in some instances being "too dark to see".

Yet the documentary is a "must-watch" for viewers who have been fans of the series for close to a decade, and will explore the creation of the final season, revealing the tears and triumphs behind-the-scenes in Northern Ireland and the studios, fields and car parks where the last 6 episodes were filmed.

Game of Thrones: The Last Watch is a personal report, done by Jeanie Finlay, from the trenches of production, following the crew and the cast as they contend with extreme weather, punishing deadlines and an ever-excited fandom hungry for spoilers.

The documentary is a Glimmer Films production for HBO, directed and produced by Jeanie Finlay. It will also be available on Showmax from 21:00 on Monday 27 May.

e.tv's Openview satellite-TV platform still loss-making but adding 35 000 set-top boxes per month; eNCA still most watched TV news channel; e.tv prime time ratings slightly up, movie slots reduced - eMedia Holdings 2018/2019 financial results.

According to eMedia Holdings' financial results for the  year ending 31 March 2019 its Openview free-to-air satellite-TV service remains loss-making although it's now adding 35 000 set-top-box sales per month, its eNCA (DStv 403) remains the most-watched TV news channel in South Africa, and e.tv's prime time audience share rose slightly thanks to local content as it reduced movie slots.

e.tv's Openview continues to be a loss-making operation although it is adding 35 000 activated set-top boxes (STBs) per month, according to eMedia Holdings that has released its financial results for the year ended 31 March 2019.

eMedia now has 1.57 million "activated" Openview decoders in South Africa and Southern Africa.

eMedia Holdings runs e.tv, the Openview platform and the eNCA (DStv 403) TV news channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service.

eMedia Holdings on Thursday reported a R117.6 million profit for its year ending 31 March 2019, compared to a loss of R1.5 billion during the previous financial year. eMedia Holdings has an interest of 67.69% in eMedia Investments.

Openview, inclusive of the e.tv multi-channel business, earned advertising revenue of R131.8 million during the past financial year with content costs of R255.7 million.

This content costs of R255.7 million was up from R173.6 million the previous year, with the increase that is attributed to the launch of the new Open News TV news channel, as well as the block of Afrikaans language content on the eExtra channel, and the launch of the eReality channel in November 2018.

According to eMedia Holdings, these content changes have increased the market share on other e.tv packaged channels from 2.6% in March 2018 to 4.6% in March 2019.

Operating costs, including retail subsidies of R55.3 million amounted to R185.4 million compared to R193.6 million in the prior year. The reduction is attributed to a reduction in subsidies of set-top boxes from R150 to R75 per box in October 2018 as well as the exit from the SES contract.

eMedia Holdings says that despite the reduction in subsidies of STBs, Openview set-top box activations continue to grow at an average of 35 000 per month.

At the end of the period, a total of 1 574 395 (compared to 1 149 217 in 2018) Openview boxes have been activated and a total of R55.3 million (2018: R74.5 million) has been spent on retail subsidies.

During the financial year Openview also launched the personal video recording (PVR) functionality for the Openview box although it didn't publicise it widely, and says that in the new financial year it will "launch of a few more technical initiatives".


Tough conditions for free-to-air broadcasting in South Africa
eMedia Holdings says tough trading conditions continue for the free-to-air broadcasting industry in South Africa, with advertising revenue that remains under increased pressure.

Despite this, eMedia showed an increase of 4% in advertising revenue from R1.577 billion to R1.638.8 billion for the financial year.

The cost of sales - mainly e.tv content costs and employee costs at the eNCA channel - increased by 1% from R1.199 billion to R1.211 billion.


eNCA remains most watched TV news channel

While eNCA is only available to top-tiered DStv subscribers and with channels like SABC News (DStv 404) available to a wider potential DStv audience, eNCA remains the most-watched TV news channel in South Africa, with 45% of the overall TV news channel viewership market share.

"Despite eNCA only being on some of the premium DStv bouquets while SABC News is on all the bouquets and the DTT platform, eNCA continues to be the most watched 24-hour news channel in the country with 45% of the market share. While advertising revenue remains under pressure, costs are being well maintained in light of the reduced DStv contract that is in its second year," eMedia said.


e.tv prime time audience slight up

e.tv's prime time audience share rose slightly from 15% to 19.2% during the financial year which e.tv attributes to the telenovela Imbewu: The Seed and the "improved performances" of its two local weekday soaps Rhythm City and Scandal!.

e.tv reduced the number of movie slots after a market analysis of what movies work for the channel which eMedia Holdings says helped to improve e.tv ratings, while e.tv executives are working on ways of further improving the e.tv schedule in the next financial year.

eMedia Holdings says that South Africa's TV market is facing several technology and viewership challenges that means that the group must constantly assess "its strategic alternatives".

"Our investment in Openview provides the group with strategic flexibility and is part of our plan to address the challenges of the impending digital migration transition. We continue to engage government on its digital terrestrial television (DTT) and direct-to-home (DTH) plans."

"With the sale and our closure of certain non-core assets during the year, the group is focused on its core businesses of broadcasting, content creation and a platform and technology provider."

Ewan Strydom joins kykNET's weekly Bravo! magazine show as a new presenter.

Ewan Strydom has joined the weekly Afrikaans entertainment magazine show, Bravo! on kykNET (DStv 144) as a new field presenter with his first insert that will be broadcast on Sunday 26 May.

Ewan Strydom left SABC3's morning show, Expresso, on 30 April this year where he was one of the co-presenters since the show, produced by Cardova Productions, launched in October 2010.

No reason was provided by Expresso or SABC3 for Ewan Strydom's exit but it's now clear that it was because he left to join a broadcast competitor of the SABC.

Ewan Strydom is returning to Homebrew Films and the M-Net stable with Homebrew Films that used to produce the original version of the magazine entertainment show, All Access, for M-Net (DStv 101) where Ewan Strydom was one of the original presenters.

"So exited to announce that as of 26 May I am joining the Bravo! team on kykNET," he announced on social media. "Looking forward to yet another unforgettable journey with you".

Ewan Strydom will now switch from English TV presenting to Afrikaans.

TOLDJA! MultiChoice adds the PBS Kids channel to DStv as a 3-month pop-up channel from 22 May in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa.

As TVwithThinus reported in March would happen soon, the PBS Kids channel is being added to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service in South Africa and sub-Sarahan Africa to all DStv packages as a new 3-month pop-up channel.

In July 2018 MultiChoice added PBS Kids content to its DStv Now Catch Up service.

At the time MultiChoice told TVwithThinus that it is testing the content and would make it more broadly available if there's a demand for it.

PBS Kids is the children's programming brand of America's Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) that is broadcast as a kids programming block on PBS in the United States, but it is also a digital video channel streaming kids content as part of a video app that PBS launched in January 2017. 

MultiChoice says PBS Kids will be available for a 3-month period from Wednesday 22 May to Thursday 22 August to all DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact, DStv Family and DStv Access subscribers.

PBS Kids will run on DStv channel 313.

Shows on PBS Kids will include Pinkalicious & Peterrific, Arthur, WordWorld, Postcards from Buster, Peep and the Big Wide World and Time Warp Trio.

Asked what MultiChoice learnt from making the PBS Kids content available as video streaming only, MultiChoice told TVwithThinus on Monday that "we received a lot of positive feedback from our viewers when PBS Kids was made available on DStv Now and our parents appreciate the fact that DStv is providing the kind of kids' programming that will help to make them classroom ready, while also keeping them entertained".

Andrea Downing, PBS Distribution co-president in a statement says "We are excited to offer this new audience the opportunities that PBS Kids content offers. PBS Kids is the number one educational media brand for kids, offering children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds. DStv is inviting parents and children to experience this trusted content that helps children learn and grow."

Yolisa Phahle, CEO of General Entertainment for MultiChoice, says in a quotable that "MultiChoice is always open to exploring ways to expand our customer offering, adding a children's channel that is not only entertainment for the entire family but also experiential and educational adds value to the DStv packages".

Yolisa Phahle isn't really saying this, with the same quote that is replaced by MultiChoice Africa and attributed to different MultiChoice executives in various African countries who customise-regionalise the same MultiChoice drop-in quote.

MultiChoice released show synopsis for some of the PBS Kids programming:

Pinkalicious & Peterrific
Based on the beloved book series by Victoria Kann, the show encourages children to engage in self-expression and to explore the arts, including music, dance, and visual arts. Kids will be inspired to get creative by Pinkalicious, Peter, and their friends through adventures in their neighbourhood of Pinkville.

Arthur
Based on the best-selling children's books by Marc Brown, Arthur follows the adventures of 8-year-old Arthur Read. Join the aardvark for heartfelt and humorous stories about family, friends, and the challenges of growing uup.

Wordworld
The lovable WordFriends take children on adventures in a world of words where they encounter problems that can only be solved by building a word. Playfully demonstrating the connections between letters, sounds, words, and meaning, WordWorld empowers children to advance from learning letters to learning how to read.

Viewers confused as e.tv rejigs the eExtra channel's prime time line-up again without notification; Afrikaans news bulletin Nuusdag moved from 8pm to 6:30pm.

Viewers have been left confused and unsure of where to watch what after e.tv quietly, again rejigged the prime time programming line-up of its eExtra (Openview 105 / DStv 195 / StarSat 489) channel on Monday 20 May.

The Afrikaans programming block on eExtra was changed without explanation, with the channel's local Afrikaans news bulletin, Nuusdag om 8, that is now only called Nuusdag and that has been moved to 18:30.

The dubbed-in-Afrikaans telenovela, Bittersoet, is at 19:00, followed by the Afrikaans drama series Vallei van Sluiers on Mondays now at 19:50, the magazine programme Nisboere on Tuesdays at 19:50, and Die Wiel Draai on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in the 19:50 timeslot.

Nuusdag om 8 started in October 2018 on eExtra at 20:00 as a daily programme, followed by Nuusdag Perspektief also as a daily show.

Nuusdag Perspektief was promptly scrapped after just 3 months from the beginning of 2019 and turned into a weekly, Sunday-only show, without any communication or explanation.

TVwithThinus asked e.tv before the latest changes happened in early-May, as well as again on Tuesday after it happened, why the programming and timeslot changes were made to the eExtra prime time line-up and Afrikaans block, but there's not been any answer.

If an answer is received it will be added here.