Recap To The Decade: TopTV's Abrupt Cancellation And Transition To StarSat + Possible Acquisition By MultiChoice And Zuku TV
Former DStv Channel: What Happened To The Afrikaans Music Sensation MK?
Musiek Kanaal (MK) was a youth oriented music channel with similar styling to the early 2000s MTV and Channel O. It was distributed by M-Net on DStv channel 324 when it launched by mid-2005 as MK89 with the 89 being its original frequency on the platform.
As mentioned, MK had the MTV influence and prestige with reality shows like Jol24, Hoeneer and Petrolkop with music from Hoordoosis, Ondergrond and Kraakvars. Aside from catering to a much younger audience it was well known for infusing music genres.
By 2013, it was announced that MK would be exiting the DStv platform after 8 years with audio version launched in place. M-Net and MultiChoice noticed its strong online presence so kept various social accounts on air in an attempt to build its streaming base.
Prior to its discontinuation, KykNET launched its third spinoff channel KykNET NOU (formerly KykNET Musiek) which is described as a variety channel incorporating music and other programming into the mix.
Although, MultiChoice had the intention of retaining MK through an international service with other content viewed on the audio bouquet. This proved to be unsuccessful as MK barely had much content in the pipeline that it wasn't long till it got discontinued to its entirety.
To date, MK's content is still accessible on YouTube although owners Google were looking to deactivate millions of inactive accounts. With thousand hours of MK content on the platform one has to wonder how long the brand would continue to be accessible.
Understanding the downfall of MK
According to MultiChoice, most of its consumers preferred using online platforms than watching outdated television which contributed to its low figures. But that couldn't be any further from reality as a various scenarios could have formed the exiting of MK.
KykNET NOU was introduced as the new kid in the block a year before MK was shut down. Unlike MK, KykNET NOU was grouped alongside KykNET's other linear channels despite offering similar content to MK which was grouped with MTV Base and Trace Urban.
MK was a premium channel while KykNET NOU was available all the way down to Family. KykNET NOU had the figures and combining that with MK put it at a disadvantage so if the problem was viewership they could have restructured the content as opposed to closing.
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What Happened To The Hallmark Channel On DStv?
Hallmark Channel was a family based entertainment channel featuring a set of miniseries such as McBride and Mystery Woman, movies alongside reality and acquired series like Walker Texas Ranger, Home Improvement and The Brady Bunch.
The channel hadn't been profitable during the time it was managed by Crown Media Holdings as they made several losses during 1998 to 1999. They recorded a $35.5 million in 1998 on revenue of $23.7 million, and in 1999 it lost $56.7 million on revenue of $31.9 million.
After several years of struggle, the channel made a breakthrough in 2005 recording their highest peak in viewership. It was also the year Hallmark's international operations was put up for sale receiving so many weak offerings they were fortunate to find a buyer.
Out of all the weak offers, Sparrowhawk Media purchased the brand for a total of $242 million which too was weak but the most they've gotten amongst bids. Around that time, NBCUniversal assisted in channel distribution.
In 2007, Sparrowhawk Media was later purchased by NBCUniversal had plans to launch a further set of channels including Universal TV, KidsCo, Diva, Syfy, Studio Universal and 13th Street Universal while as operating 18 Hallmark channels.
In 2011, Universal Networks International's rights to the Hallmark Channel brand ended; the networks were either shut down, or rebranded as one of the channels mentioned above.
Hallmark Channel can only be found in the United States and despite not having much power over the brand. They do own the space once reserved for the brand so Hallmark Channel can't do much globally without NBCUniversal's authorisation.
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Recap To Last Year: How MultiChoice Went About Phasing Out The eBranded Channels?
10 DStv Channels That Need To Be Revived
Since 1995, MultiChoice has provided a number of TV channels and some of these channels form part of our childhood memories. Now a look at 10 DStv channels that need to be revived. Take to account some of these brands are current while defunct are M-Net.
Presenting 10 DStv channels that need to be revived.
1. ActionX (M-Net Action/M-Net Edge/M-Net City)
Before the M-Net City and Action concept existed, there was ActionX which was viewed be as a b-grade to M-Net Action and M-Net City by 2004. Home to shows such as Battle Galactica, Supernatural, The 4400, Criminal Minds, Eureka, Brotherhood and The Lost Room.
By 2008, it was known as M-Net Action with most of the channel remaining intact until 2012 which is when it was folded under M-Net Movies. The concept was later revived in 2015 as M-Net City and year prior M-Net Edge but shuttered respectively in 2021 and 2017 with further content on M-Net and Me.
2. Animax (Sony Max)
Animax is adult animation channel distributed internationally through Sony Pictures Television as the premier anime channel home to shows such as Bleach, Black Cat, Ghost In The Shell, Chrono Crusade, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Hellsing and Samurai 7.
Due to low viewership, the channel was replaced by Sony Max which offered solely live-action dedicated to a male audience including Baywatch, Impractical Jokers, 1000 Ways To Die and NCIS. By 2019, Sony Pictures Television halted distribution of further TV channels outside India.
3. The Sci-fi Channel (now Syfy)
Syfy owned by NBCUniversal formed part of the initial offering when MultiChoice rolled out their pay-tv service DStv in 1995. The channel featured science-fiction, drama, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming.
It was ripped away from consumers by 2004 with further content folded under ActionX as it was deemed too niche and a decade after its termination MultiChoice Africa was in talks to relaunch the channel by 2015 but never happened with sources deeming costs as a feature to the halt.
4. VH1 Classic (now MTV Classic)
VH1 Classic was the TCM of music basically operating a variety of international hits from the 80s and 90s from the likes of Michael Jackson, James Brown, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child and The Beatles. It was basically the channel to relive nostalgic moments.
Over the years, Paramount had been moving most of VH1's offering to MTV and with the latter in Africa seeking to be more modern opted for the pop centric MTV Music24 (later on MTV Hits). The channel was later axed due to low viewership and replaced by Qwest TV.
5. tvN
tvN is a South Korean entertainment channel operated by CJ ENM that was added as a pop-up channel on MultiChoice's DStv in 2021. It offered short-form drama series such as Cheese In The Trap, Tails Of The Nine Tailed, Flowers Of Evil and Another Miss Oh.
Since it's termination, several broadcasters in the market including eMedia Investments eXposed and MultiChoice's Showmax had supplied selected content.
6. Eurochannel
Eurochannel is an award winning general entertainment channel formerly seen on the DStv app which promotes European culture and lifestyle through movies, series, documentaries and music. Some of the content included the Serbian drama The Black Sun and Dutch mystery drama Placeres Mortales.
7. ShortsTV
ShortsTV is the leading network in short forms including a number of Oscar nominated short films such as My Year Of Dicks, Flying Sailor and Ice Merchants. ShortsTV is operated by Shorts International in a joint venture with AMC International.
8. Timeless Dizi Channel
Timeless Dizi Channel is Turkish entertainment channel and also the leading brand operated by SPI International, a division of Canal+. It is home to a number of shows including Karadayi, Black Money Love, Kuzgun, The Red Scarf and Kurt And Shura and The End.
It was launched as a pop-up channel on MultiChoice's DStv by October 2020 and since is currently viewable on rival provider, StarTimes. A number of content seen on Timeless Dizi Channel can be viewed through various broadcasters in Africa.
9. ITV Choice
ITV Choice was a general entertainment channel owned by ITV and also a rival to BBC Studios' BBC Brit, BBC Lifestyle and BBC Earth offering a number of films and series including Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Poldark and the much loved soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
In line with the strategy to continuously review international and local content line-ups and optimise the suite of channels on offer on DStv. MultiChoice opted to discontinue carriage by June 2020 with further content folded by BBC and M-Net.
10. Disney XD
Disney XD is a children's channel owned by The Walt Disney Company targeting boys 7-14 years old offers a mix of animation and live-action including Star Vs. The Forces Of Evil, Kick Buttowski, Star Wars: Rebels, Wonder Over Yonder, Pair Of Kings and Mech X4.
By October 2020, the channel was axed with further content being integrated onto Disney Channel and Disney+ with The Walt Disney Company planning to integrate most of their content to streaming in the coming future as that remains a top priority.
What Happened To Trace Sport Stars?
Trace Sports Stars is a lifestyle channel that celebrated the life of sports through factual entertainment, reality shows and gossip similar to E! operated by NBCUniversal. The channel supplies various originals such as Up Close, Bad Boys In Sports and Football Stars.
The channel was added in 2011/2 on Sky UK and MultiChoice's DStv across Africa as Trace Sports. Two years later, it went dark in the UK which coincides with the rebrand to Trace Sports Stars as they didn't offer live sports and the name didn't coincide with the offering.
When looking at a brand name like Trace Sports, one would assume they'd play actual sports like English Premier League, La Liga and WWE and although the content is focused solely on that topic. It just didn't really stick with some consumers.
In general, Trace Sports Stars was a wreck not because the channel couldn't get fresh content as it did possess potential but likely due to the fact that this type of content promoted by the channel isn't watched by vast majority as seen with the actual sporting events.
That in mind is what led to it's demise on MultiChoice's DStv with Trace Africa coming in place and at that time it was made available on rivals On Digital Media and StarTimes' StarSat and eMedia Investments' Openview platform.
This was Openview's first attempt at anything sports with StarSat offering a platform to reject channels or affordable entertainment. But of course, both brands ended scrapping the channel before 2018 for similar reasons as MultiChoice - viewership.
As of 2023, Trace Sports Stars is not viewable anywhere in Africa but that doesn't mean the channel is completely lost as it can be obtained on Binge Networks (USA), Sky (Mexico), Viaccess-Orca (France) and NTV Plus (Russia).
To be frank, Trace Sports Stars remains sustainable if anything it's not performing as well as it's musical family Trace Urban, Trace Gospel, Trace Toca, Trace Mziki and Trace Naija all of which are viewable on MultiChoice's DStv in selected territories.
eReality On DStv: Here's Everything Briefly Wants You To Know About The eFamily Member Channel
Briefly News is a South African digital media and news platform that was founded in 2014. It is one of South Africa’s largest news and entertainment websites and one of the top-earning brands on Facebook in Africa. It is also partner to Genesis Media Emerging Markets.
Genesis Media Emerging Markets, a digital media holding operating in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and worldwide. Other GMEM news projects include Legit.ng (Nigeria), TUKO.co.ke (Kenya), YEN.com.gh (Ghana) and Sportsbrief.com (Worldwide).
In 2018, eMedia Investments launched a free-to-air reality channel on the Openview platform, eReality. It currently ranks as the most popular reality channel in the market featuring local and international series from e.tv, NBC, M-Net, Oxygen, BBC and MTV.
Prior to its rollout on Openview, rumours swirled around that eMedia Investments would be adding eReality as the 6th channel to MultiChoice's DStv joining the now defunct eBella alongside eExtra, eMovies, eMovies Extra and eToonz.
Of course, not much was known about its potential rollout it was believed to be replacing eBella as news of a possible rollout of the reality channel coincided with the termination of the channel which introduced viewers to shows like Qubool Hai and Fatmagul.
Last year, an author of Briefly published a story about eReality but this time as a channel for DStv. Of course, not much is known about what led to the mix up or which channel the author was referring as they listed it under the Compact bouquet but not Openview.
eMedia Investments gave away broadcasting rights to eNCA to MultiChoice for another 5 years preventing Openview consumers from ever viewing the channel with SABC News currently viewable on SABC's DTT and streaming service, SABC+.
Briefly now viewing eReality as a DStv channel, would it be a bad idea to rip the channel away from Openview consumers as the switch to DStv could help give brands like TLC and MTV a ran for their money with their 90 Day Fiance and Teen Moms.
Honestly, it's better off on Openview as there's not much alternatives to the content and as seen with eMedia's 4 other channels on DStv. It would have likely joined the group of channels awaiting their departure from the pay-tv operator for carrying "DStv Repeats".
Source: Briefly
New Channel Alert: DStv Compact Gets ESPN 2
DStv added ESPN 2 to its channel catalogue for Compact subscribers, increasing its sports offering for these customers to ten channels.
ESPN 2 is the home of basketball and American football in South Africa, with the channel airing National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Football League (NFL) content.
“This announcement is our way of rewarding our loyal customers with a wider catalogue of entertaining content to choose from,” says MultiChoice South Africa CEO Marc Jury.
Regarding content, MultiChoice said Compact customers could look forward to the NBA playoffs and NFL draft in the coming weeks.
“DStv Compact subscribers will] be able to watch, among others, the nail-biting NBA playoffs and soon, the highly-anticipated NFL draft,” the company said.
Despite the NFL’s biggest event of the year — the Super Bowl — concluding in February, NFL fans can look forward to the draft, which is scheduled to take place from 27 to 29 April 2023.
The draft is the primary player recruitment event for the tournament, and NFL said a schedule of games should follow in May.
“We are excited to be bringing ESPN’s compelling content and unique personality to new viewers across Africa,” says the Walt Disney Company Africa’s director of sports Kyle de Klerk.
“With our unparalleled portfolio of international, local and US leagues, together with live games, sports news, films and documentaries, audiences now have every opportunity to relive the greatest moments in sports history and see those moments being made.”
ESPN 2 is available to DStv Compact subscribers on channel 219 from Thursday, 6 April.
New Channel Alert: Ignition TV Expands To DStv Access
Ignition TV, South Africa’s leading TV channel for car fanatics and petrolheads, is shifting a gear. From this week, it is included in DStv’s Access platform, broadcasting on the DStv 189 channel.
Ignition TV promises some of the best motoring content from around the globe, as well as a compelling slate of local content, including tuning, car reviews, spinning, advice for buyers, biking, kasi culture, and 4 x 4.
“From supercars to spinning, bikes to bakkies, Kyalami to the Kasi – if it has wheels, we cover it,” says Ignition executive producer Brandon Maary. “And we have some great new shows lined up for our Access kick-off.”
Some of the shows are:
Richard Hammond’s Workshop – a new series featuring the ex-Top Gear star trying to start his own business.
Rhythm & Smoke – a local spinning show that tracks the lives of Mzansi legends DJ Maphorisa and Stacey Lee May.
Celeb Rides – DJ Sabby and Ney-the-Bae ride shotgun with local stars and get to know them a little better through their cars.
Kasi Car Culture – S’bu Skosana and Zee Masethe celebrate the passion behind SA’s vibrant local car culture.
Tuned in SA – Vic Pardal and Kriya Gangiah show some of the fastest, most tricked-out custom builds in the country.
The Fast Lane – puts the spotlight on the lifestyles, scandals and controversies of Formula 1 racers.
Ignition, owned by Arena Broadcast, started as a weekends-only channel in 2008 and, due to its popularity, expanded to a full 24/7 service in 2014.
“South Africans are car-crazy,” says Arena Broadcast head Vernon Matzopoulos. “We’d sooner upgrade our wheels than buy a home. Ignition taps into that passion, and we’re delighted to now be able to share this with Access viewers.”
Ultraview Vs. A Regular DStv Platform: A Better Understanding On How To Consume Your Money
For several weeks, eMedia Investments has been briefing audiences about their new pay-tv tier to the Openview platform, Ultraview. A multiverse platform where consumers are given the option of two packages Pride and Spice but both come at a hefty price with some comparing it to the likes of DStv.
Before we give our opinion on the matter let's first look at the basics.
DStv is a pay-tv outlet operated by MultiChoice where consumers get access to over 120 channels ranging from movies, sports, drama series, reality shows, kiddies, music, doccies and movies. It currently ranks as Africa's top player in the pay-tv business.
Ultraview is more of a diverse or cultural outlet by eMedia Investments as of this moment it only has Bollywood and LGBTQ based channels but that doesn't mean you can't find a variety of content if anything only a portion of DStv's lineup can be viewed on these channels.
MultiChoice has been in the market for decades with the DStv bouquet and have been criticized by several consumers for the load of repeats funneled onto their platform, the number of channels that have already been removed and the excessive costs in programming.
DStv:
- Boomerang might be first channel to exit the DStv platform in 2023
- MultiChoice shares crytpic message about eMedia's 4 channels
- MultiChoice and eMedia Investments gets roasted over load shedding plans
- BBC to close linear channels and move to an internet only digital future
During the week, eMedia Investments had gotten a taste of the MultiChoice criticism ahead of Ultraview's rollout and this mainly has to do with the quantity and pricing of the packages as well as the offering in general part of which is deemed offensive to Christians.
For several years, DStv consumers wondered when MultiChoice was planning on unbundling their channels and Ultraview gave a clear reflection when charging consumers either R75p/m or R120p/m for just two channels.
Same goes with the likes of Disney+, Paramount+, Peacock, BritBox and HBO Max where you need about R700p/m or R800p/m to view the best of HBO, Adult Swim, NBC, BBC, ABC and Showtime altogether versus R450p/m with your Compact bouquet.
It goes show the best entertainment doesn't always come in cheap as seen with Ultraview's current offering. In general, it's not about who has more on the table but how productive you make a business.
eMedia Investments:
- SABC+ Vs. eVOD: The Consequence Of Free-To-View Television
- MultiChoice and eMedia Investments plan to combat load shedding get a lot of attention
- Ultraview Pride and Ultraview Indian coming soon to Openview
- Could SABC be unveiling another two channels for Openview Ultra?
To those viewing MultiChoice as a better contender take to account, only a fraction of the actual total of channels are watched by DStv consumers. Sure, it may be cheaper but most of the content in question will likely to date back to 90s/00s if not approachable.
As for Ultraview prior to when it was only Openview, eMedia Investments often sought out brands which gained traction which could be the case for this package the downside has to do with the quantity as that's distracting consumers from Ultraview's potential.
I mean I get it these are M-Net type channels but the moment another brand tags along with the something similar if not the same expect consumers to follow that brand if it means paying less to view that alternative or waiting longer to access a particular show.
In the end, I feel that Ultraview doesn't cater enough to eMedia's current audience as a lot of viewers aren't familiar with this concept they're putting forward as opposed to DStv which has a number of options like AddMovies, DStv Internet, Decoder Insurance etc.
The Whereabouts Of Sony Channel And Sony Max
Sony Channel (also known as Sony Entertainment Television) was a general entertainment channel based of the branding of the same name in India alongside defunct sister channel, Sony Max both of which were available in the African market in 2007 and 2011 respectively.
Some of the programming featured on these channels included The Amazing Race, Scrubs, Baywatch, Baggage, Drop Dead Diva, 1000 Ways To Die, Fear Factor, The Boondocks, Fatal Attraction, My Wife And Kids, Friends, Crossing Lines and Impractical Jokers.
The channel were seen as another alternative to brands like M-Net, Universal and BBC Brit and went as far as competing with the likes of Comedy Central and MTV. Sony Channel and Sony Max had everything going for themselves until that fateful show Gogglebox changed everything.
In 2015, Sony made their first attempt in producing local content with the launch of Gogglebox a series where random people watch various content particularly on DStv and you got to see their reactions to whatever was viewed on the platform.
It was this same show that caused a lot of scandal not only to the production crew but Sony in general. The crew of the show claimed to have viewed content that MultiChoice wasn't giving their consumers which led to the cancellation of the series.
Reruns were made available but from that point forward Sony had been alienating themselves from society offering less new content and often shuffling shows between channels despite their accessibility to the market.
In 2018, Sony Crime was introduced as a replacement to Sony Channel offering shows like Orange Is The New Black, Person Of Interest, CSI and Law And Order which kind of signalled the end of the brand in Africa of course most hoped that they would be saved.
But from what's been seen with several linear channels like Disney XD, FOX, FOX Life and EVA usually when a channel stops offering new content it usually means the channel is on the chopping which was the case with DStv as viewers had to resort to M-Net and Universal.
The Sony Channels were made available for another year until they were subsequently discontinued on another defunct platform Cell C's Black.
Sony Entertainment Television operated a number of linear channels like the kids channel POP and music channel KISS all of which were terminated as the company now opts to supply content to the market and not linear channels.
As of 2022, the only regions to supply a Sony linear channel are in Latin America and Germany while others like Turkey, Asia and the UK join Africa on their demise.
As mentioned, the names of the Sony Channels in Africa were derived from India which remain active but for different programming and audience while DStv uses the channel numbers for Sony Channel and Max for sports or as Vince McMahon calls it Sports Entertainment.
But that's the only thing Sony took from India the brand names as the channels were managed by the UK which has since then been acquired by Narrative Capital with the Sony branding removed from all assets.
Sony Max never existed in those regions and most if not all the Sony Channels are using the "Great!" branding and Sony Channel now Great TV! features shows like Castle, M*A*S*H and The Persuader and Hart To Hart basically old series.
Is Sony's linear offering in better hands I guess but with streaming taking the media by storm you never know if some restructuring will take place but all the best for the new management.
BYUtv Offers The Very Best In Kids And Family Entertainment, Could DStv, StarSat Or Openview Perhaps Get It?
With family at its core, BYUtv - a non-commercial, value-based television network - brings inspiring and uplifting entertainment into million of homes across the nation through cable, their website or on the app. BYUtv has a place for everyone -- together.
BYUtv produces shows under several categories: BYU Sports, Campus, Documentary, Faith, Family, Lifestyle, People, and Performing Arts. This includes original series, documentaries and religious service programs, along with family and faith-based films from several major studios.
Some notable original series include Studio C, Random Acts, All-Round Champion, Relative Race and Wayne Brady's Comedy IQ.
StarTimes and On Digital Media once provided a religious channel Smile TV operated by Trinity Broadcasting Network. This channel would have made a suitable alternative had they considered replacing the channel the moment TBN opted not to supply it.
MultiChoice is set to lose a pair of channels in the near future - Disney Channel and Disney Junior. With that entail, an alternative will be needed in order to keep viewer's minds at ease. BYUtv can make up for the soon to be lost live-action slate on Disney Channel.
eMedia Investments once offered the Da Vinci educational channel on the Openview platform until it formed one of their never ending attempts to save money. BYUtv could make up for the lost factual content especially now that Openview+ is on the cards.
Magic Showcase Vs. Novela Magic: List Of Content You'll Probably Miss Out On? + Potential Content Suggestions
MultiChoice and M-Net decided to the halt the distribution of Novela Magic to consumers in South Africa with the channel expected to go off air from 27 November as it will be supplemented by two other channels ahead of time, Magic Showcase and CineMagic.
Novela Magic offered a lot of content from Mzansi Magic which is enough justification to have it removed but the brand existed for multiple brands as well including Africa Magic, Maisha Magic, Zambezi Magic, Pearl Magic and Maningue Magic.
While as Mzansi Magic and kykNET can make up for the chunk of SA content alongside kykNET & Kie, kykNET Lekker and Mzansi Magic. Viewers will basically lose access to content from the above-mentioned brands with Access receiving the most blows.
Africa Magic hosts a ray of linear channels none of which can be viewed on the Access package so it's bye bye to The Johnsons, Zuba and Battleground unless you plan to upgrade to the Family package in order to continue watching these shows or Easyview better yet.
Magic Showcase is a general entertainment channel which will be sourcing out content from Mzansi Magic such as Being Bonang and The Imposter while as supplying content outside of that namely Zuba, Arendsvlei and Legacy.
All this kind of gave me an idea for another channel which is hovered with rebroadcasts and basically a waste to Compact bouquets, Mzansi Wethu.
As much as MultiChoice refuses to acknowledge the fact Mzansi Wethu is basically how Magic Showcase could have been had they made it accessible to more consumers. I know I say this channel sucks a lot but maybe there is a way to keep it onboard.
In July, kykNET introduced their Turkish offering on kykNET & Kie which kind of helped give the channel its own identity as opposed to being viewed as kykNET+. Mzansi Wethu could do something similar but instead of sourcing Turkish they go for African.
Africa Magic Family already supplies Isibaya to their audiences so what's the harm in getting Battleground and Zuba onto Mzansi Wethu as it can help reduce that repeat tier tendancy for those using the Compact bouquet.
kykNET Vs. eExtra: MultiChoice's Purposed Attempt To Replicate Kuiertyd
MultiChoice and eMedia Investments have been on opposite sides for long time and the matter only worsened when the pay-tv operator opted to replicate the current offering seen with the red brand which led to the discontinuation of their 4 channels.
Now we look at what MultiChoice regards as the new eExtra.
kykNET serves as the Afrikaans division to M-Net's local endeavours offering content ranging from drama series, movies, lifestyle, reality shows and news something that's been lacking with SABC 2. Some notable titles include Tussen Ons, Suidooster and Binnelanders.
Honestly speaking, you can clearly see why MultiChoice would want to burden customers with something like kykNET I mean it has a lot of variety something which eExtra's Kuiertyd had but was later revamped to match that of Telemundo.
eExtra is very much regarded as general entertainment it doesn't have to be anything like HBO but anything that can offer a variety of flavours in one pot is cool by me. The channel features a range of telenovelas from Turkey, Korea and India including Elif and Twist Of Fate.
Let me say this one fact, if it wasn't for Kuiertyd I doubt a lot of consumers would take a lot of initiative to the Afrikaans movies and Die Kontrak. I'm not expecting them to get as much shows as most dubbed soaps but the impact does come with its own benefits.
It's not really about the language that got viewers glued to Doodsondes but the content in general. As it is, eExtra has a Turkish slot which falls out of Kuiertyd which is all the more proof that content drives in the ratings.
eExtra through Kuiertyd may lack a lot of things like reality shows, music and local dramas but you have to admit these Turkish shows is what gets anyone more viewers latched onto anything kykNET at this point.
Review: The Outcome To The eFamily Of Channels On DStv
Earlier in the year, it was reported that eMedia Investments 4 TV channels currently seen on the Openview platform would exit the DStv platform. Now the channels remain onboard for a few months as the Competition Tribunal conduct their findings.
As it the channel's futures seem very dark on the pay-tv service as they've been hit with various limitations leading them to launch several new channels like Racing240, Hilaal TV and Qwest TV in place of others like Tellytrack, ITV Networks and MTV Hits.
But that's not what aggravated them to axe the channels but mostly the fact that these brands lacked originality and the only existed to mash the existing offering on their platform as it is eMovies and eToonz are duplicating Studio Universal and DreamWorks.
Honestly, when those channels exited for the short while sure I was pissed as there was plenty of content I followed but overtime I felt like a huge burden had been lifted of my shoulders. I mean I kind of got used to their absence and was stunned when they were reinstated.
Just as I was ready to just open up a new chapter I discovered there was more to the previous chapter in this eMedia. Trust me when I say I do take people's opinions to consideration but when it comes to these channels this comes from my point of view.
Honestly, I do feel that these channels are very much possessive or distractions but not a bad way I mean it's hard finding channels that can keep viewers glued this long despite the annual increases and reshuffle of entertainment.
If anything, the only other brand that has me latched onto the platform would be CBS Reality not because of Judge Judy or Cheaters but primarily over the fact that they're very selective I mean they have Animal Hoarding and Shocking Emergency Calls.
I know there's National Geographic Wild and Investigation Discovery but the magic is different from what you can already see on CBS Reality. eMedia's channels had the same effect with the bulk of alternatives already found on DStv.
Sure they may have been a mishap with the amount of Zee World on eExtra but that doesn't mean no one watches it. As it is neighbouring countries are up to speed with what's going on with Twist Of Fate and I Do while others have to catch up through this channel.
eExtra happens to be the most popular attraction on eMedia's stable on DStv alongside eMovies but comparing the two I do feel that this channel should fall back while the others remain exclusive to the Openview platform.
MultiChoice has plenty of movie channels at this point particularly on the ones that eMovies cater for in this case Premium all the way done to Access such as M-Net Movies 4, Movie Room, TNT and KIX and the same can be said about eToonz really.
With eExtra, it's not really about the stories but the fact eMedia views the brand as another window to their local endeavours with the likes of Die Kontrak and the former Afrikaans movie block so why leave kykNET as the only alternative at this point.
Sure there's plenty of viewers tuning into Elif and Verdeelde Liefde on eExtra alongside In Die Ysterhand Se Greep and Kind Van Die Noodlot on kykNET & Kie but those are just complimenting each other even if kykNET were to just give it a channel the feeling would be mutual.
Having both these brands would give consumers more choices compared to the Openview platform which seems to following the route of most M-Net channels that rush to duplicate an offering on another channel.