"Analyzing Kuiertyd": Why e.tv's Kelders Van Geheime And Annekan Die Swa Kry Have Simultaneous Broadcasts On eExtra?

During the week, eMedia Investments unveiled their first local Afrikaans soap, Kelders Van Geheime. After SABC had shuttered 7de Laan back in 2023 and moved further Afrikaans content to SABC 3, eMedia had continued to bolster the entertainment. 

Initially being reduced to merely dubbed content from Turkey, eMedia Investments expanded the lineup to include local productions Ouma Sarie and Die Fakulteit. Both of which currently have exclusive runs on eExtra serving a minority of e.tv's viewers.

As some readers aware, Annekan Die Swa Kry is currently being transmitted on both e.tv and eExtra in the same timeslot. Kelders Van Geheime was also anticipated to follow the same route with eExtra doing weekly repeats on Saturday nights.

From what was understood about eMedia's decision to get Kelders Van Geheime at 18:00 on eExtra. It was to give consumers on the channel time to view this new soap without it getting in the way of Elif which now comes on 30 minutes later.

But Annekan Die Swa Kry's inclusion still remains very much a mystery to date.

From what we've hypothesized is that eMedia Investments is positioning eExtra as their go to destination for Afrikaans content like KykNET. Getting Annekan Die Swa Kry and Kelders Van Geheime was probably an alignment on eExtra and with e.tv exposure.

Reducing the Guilty Pleasures a name given to the non-Kuiertyd stuff was probably a means to reduce their focus in that area. Not that consumers weren't watching Naagin or Rebel Princess but similar to Judge Judy on e.tv exist as overflows.

When a channel doesn't have much content on their plate they either reduce their duration or increase the airtime for their content. Overflow is what you consider Kuiertyd's daily repeats on e.tv or Eternal Love or Naagin on eExtra - additional content. 

You just don't prioritize these areas you would find new episodes and rebroadcasts of Naagin in the same timeslot. Then you have Kuiertyd's primetime block on eExtra where a current TV program is phased out for another with repeats loaded on ePleiser. 

What eMedia Investments Might Have Looked Like Under The Ownership Of Warner Bros. Discovery?

As reported sometime ago, Warner Bros. Discovery was looking to acquire eMedia Investments several years back. Following various legal hurdles of foreign ownership sold their remaining shares as eMedia Investments continues to blossom.

They currently offer Openview, SA's most successful free-to-view DTT platform which is accessible to over 3 million households. It offers over 20 TV channels which offer a range of movies, reality shows, drama series, telenovelas, sports and cartoons.

Most of which probably wouldn't have been under Warner Bros. Discovery's radar leaving consumers the latter on DStv and StarSat.

Warner Bros. Discovery (known as Time Warner) at the time consisted of brands such as HBO, TNT, Cartoon Network and Cartoonito (formerly Boomerang). Before the merger in 2019, their lineup consisted of drama series, movies and cartoons.

There's no way eSeries could have entered the equation if M-Net licensed content from HBO and Warner Bros. Studios. Same goes for the kiddies channel eToonz which might have been supplemented by Cartoon Network all of which are pay-tv brands.

e.tv could have remained as a singular channel with the eMedia Investments trademark phased out. It would have been home to locally produced content while as licensing content from other studios and exploring Warner Bros. Studios archives.

There wouldn't be room for much expansions in terms of local programming e.g. Kuiertyd. 

eNCA would have probably been the only other TV channel with connections to the eMedia trademark. It would have served as the SA adaptation of CNN perhaps infusing its lineup if not co-existing or just have that heavy focus on the local economy. 

Recap To The Past Decade: Warner Bros. Discovery (Formerly Time Warner) Was Looking To Acquire eMedia Investments

e.tv is a South African free-to-air entertainment channel operated by eMedia Investments. Since its inception, it became the second most TV channel in the country surpassing masses like SABC 2 and SABC 3 whose audience has declined in recent years. 

Similar to MultiChoice, eMedia Investments had garnered interest from foreign investors such as TF1 (France), Channel 9 (Australia) and United News Media (United Kingdom) with Time Warner (now Warner Bros. Discovery) owning 20%.

By 2001, South African laws limited foreign businesses hold over to local companies to 25%. Warner Bros. Discovery worried they may never to able to gain full ownership sold their shares to Remgro Limited (33%) and Hosken Consolidated Investments (67%).

Since then, Warner Bros. Discovery had produced various TV series and films alongside distribution of various channels in Latin America, France, India, Asia, Australia and New Zealand and Poland.

If Warner Bros. Discovery had pursued eMedia Investments as originally intended at the time. It's likely that most channels within eMedia's stable like eSeries and eReality would have access to an extensive lineup of content from Warner Bros. Studios.

Warner Bros. Discovery would have served as a competitor to MultiChoice while as licensing brands like Cartoon Network and Discovery to DStv. Their freemium channels would serve as a repeat channels while they continue to build their original content slate.

Saved Again: Netflix Acquires Rights To The 2019 Season Of The Bold And The Beautiful For Fans Across South Africa

Set in the glamorous world of Los Angeles, The Bold And The Beautiful focuses on the wealthy and powerful Forrester family. Its company, Forrester Creations, is the leader in the fashion industry. Add in the machinations of rival businesses and families, and you've got a classic set-up.

Produced by Bradley P. Bell through Bell-Phillip Television Productions, Inc, The Bold And The Beautiful debuted by March 23, 1987 on CBS.  So far at least 9000 episodes of the American soap with a new seasons being filmed for the 2024-2025 period.

It held the record for most watched in the soap in the world with its audience reach surpassing 26 million viewers. The American soap also holds won 77 Daytime Emmy Awards, including three for Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.

SABC 1 acquired rights to the American soap by the late 90s before moving to SABC 3 over 10 years after its launch due to low ratings. Around this time, SABC 3 was going through an identity crisis and the public broadcaster these two would align better.

Although The Bold And The Beautiful was able to pull a massive following in South Africa. It wasn't bringing in the revenue for the public broadcaster so much that by 2019 the show got axed with the only means to the soap EVA and Vodacom Video Play axed years later.

Following its departure from South Africa, several consumers pirated several episodes illegally through torrent sites while others had to make due with what's seen on their screen. As seen by several subscribers, Netflix has become the exclusive home to The Bold And The Beautiful. 

Netflix has held these rights since October 2023 for consumers in South Africa. After M-Net opted not to acquire the show when it exited SABC 3, the streamer added the first 100 episodes to the 2019 season which coincide with demises of EVA and Vodacom Video Play. 

Why eToonz Now Offers Shows Like MasterChef Junior?

eToonz is South Africa's first free-to-air children's channel operated by eMedia Investments. It broadcasts daily at 6am with preschool shows like Peppa Pig, Postman Pat and Bob The Builder alongside with other content like Trollstopia, All Hail King Julien and Ninjago.

Launched in 2013, eToonz initially served as a preschool filtered brand and to date remains as the only youth brand on Openview to feature animated and live-action shows. Despite the rise in competiton with MultiChoice ramping up a duplicate offering on Play Room.

There was a lot of commotion pertaining to its performance regardless eMedia Investments had continued to bolster the entertainment. The channel now offers its own slate of live-action something formerly offered on Craze on top getting more first run programs.

As seen in recent months, eMedia Investments opted to add MasterChef Junior from eReality to eToonz current line-up. The inclusion of MasterChef Junior would further expand its line-up.

Openview launched in 2013 and as mentioned eMedia Investments remains hush hush on eToonz performance. There's been rumours that not much consumption is being poured on the brand as sources site Openview's demographic for the low numbers.

If anything, the inclusion of MasterChef Junior helps draw in numbers as well as more mature content like The Thundermans, Hank Zipzer and Backstage. Such content is relatable with fiction cast aside viewers are able to envision themselves within these characters.

Could Merit Street Media Also Be Eyeing International Expansion?

Last year, Phil McGraw known for his daytime talkshow Dr. Phil announced plans to start up his own TV network, Merit Street Media. This new network would form part of a joint venture with Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) covering 65 million homes.

Phil McGraw is set to star in his own program following the cancellation of Dr. Phil in 2023. Other content set to join the line-up include Morning On Merit Street and The News on Merit Street with the network likely to explore TBN's rich archives and instill religious value.

Merit Street will debut on linear TV by February 26, 2024 on DirecTV and Dish and cable systems owned by Charter and Altice, among others. It also intends to distribute the network via various free advertiser-supported television or streaming services, or FAST channels.

As to whether this new network would be distributed in other countries. TBN already distributes film channel Positiv and church channel TBN in these countries so Merit Street Media forming part of this line-up wouldn't seem that far fetched of an idea.

Phil McGraw already has a presence with his as mentioned cancelled medical show, Dr. Phil. If not a TV network, selected content from Merit Street Media will likely surface as a programming block on TBN as seen formerly Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) on TLC.

Afrikaans Voice Actors For Wie Laaste Lag

Nadia Beuke as Esra

Johan Joobert as Ilan

Donovan Pietersen as Cinar

Claudia Jones as Çagla 

Eloise Cupido as Menekse

Rowlen Ethelbert von Gericke as Ekrem

Henrietta Gryffenberg as Zümrut

Mila Guy as Elif

Karin Retief as Reyhan

Kevin Smith as Yalçin

Sue Tyler as Feraye

Bernice Du Toit as Zeynep

Gustav Gerdener as Musa

Bertha La Roux as Neriman

Dr. Phil To Launch Primetime TV Channel In The US By Early 2024

Following the end of his long-running daytime syndicated talk show, Dr. Phil McGraw is launching Merit Street Media, a new news and entertainment cable TV network. It will be anchored by Dr. Phil Primetime, which will premiere Feb. 26, 2024 and will air nightly at 8 PM ET.

No details have been revealed yet about the new network’s distribution. It is expected to have nationwide carriage, which would be no small feat in the current challenging business environment of declining linear ratings and cord-cutting.

Merit Street will be based in the heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where a new state-of-the-art broadcast center, spanning over 5 acres, is completing construction. Dozens of longtime Dr. Phil staffers have relocated their families to Texas to continue working alongside McGraw.

In the coming months, Merit Street will announce its full primetime lineup; the network is expected to initially offer multiple hours of original daily programming, including live news broadcasts.

Dr. Phil Primetime will stay close to the format of McGraw’s daytime show, with him continuing to offer no-nonsense advice in addition to conducting interviews with headline makers.

“I absolutely love talking to real people about real problems. People who aren’t just complaining but are actively looking for real solutions to better their lives,” McGraw said. “It all begins and ends with real people dealing with these issues for real, using common sense, fact-based information, and action plans to create results.

In the months since Dr. Phil ended its run after 21 seasons, McGraw has continued to receive requests from viewers seeking advice.

“As always, the audience will dictate our content because they are our content, and I want my viewer’s help in building Merit Street,” McGraw said. “I continue my pledge to help individuals, couples, and families have the tough conversations, face the hard realities, and get real answers for the most positive and effective outcome.”

The new show also is expected to feature some of McGraw’s conservative views on family values, immigration and education curriculum which he shared in the final years of his daytime talker. He hinted at that in his official comments about the launch Merit Street.

In the coming months, Merit Street will announce its full primetime lineup; the network is expected to initially offer multiple hours of original daily programming, including live news broadcasts.

Dr. Phil Primetime will stay close to the format of McGraw’s daytime show, with him continuing to offer no-nonsense advice in addition to conducting interviews with headline makers.

“I absolutely love talking to real people about real problems. People who aren’t just complaining but are actively looking for real solutions to better their lives,” McGraw said. “It all begins and ends with real people dealing with these issues for real, using common sense, fact-based information, and action plans to create results.

In the months since Dr. Phil ended its run after 21 seasons, McGraw has continued to receive requests from viewers seeking advice.

“As always, the audience will dictate our content because they are our content, and I want my viewer’s help in building Merit Street,” McGraw said. “I continue my pledge to help individuals, couples, and families have the tough conversations, face the hard realities, and get real answers for the most positive and effective outcome.”

The new show also is expected to feature some of McGraw’s conservative views on family values, immigration and education curriculum which he shared in the final years of his daytime talker. He hinted at that in his official comments about the launch Merit Street.

“American families and our core values are under attack,” he said. “I love this country, and I believe family is the backbone of our society. Together we are going to stand strong and fight for the very soul and sanity of America and get things that matter back on track.”

Additionally, the name of the new network, Merit Street Media, refers to McGraw’s publicly stated respect for the meritocracy on which the U.S. was built.

Veteran news and programming executive, Joel Cheatwood, known for his work at WCBS, CNN, and Fox News, will serve as Chief Operating Officer for MSM. Other staffing announcements will be made in the next few months.

'Friends' Star Matthew Perry Dead At 54...After Apparent Drowning

More details are surfacing about the circumstances surrounding Matthew Perry's death...as sources tell us he actually died at his own house after some physical activity this morning.

We're told Matthew came home sometime in the AM after a 2-hour round of pickleball, and that he sent his assistant out on errand shortly thereafter. We're told when the assistant returned about 2 hours later, he discovered Matthew unresponsive...and called 911.

Unclear if what Matthew was doing before his passing played any role in his death at this point -- the investigation into his death is underway.

Law enforcement sources tell us the actor was found Saturday at an L.A.-area home ... where we're told he appears to have drowned. Our sources say first-responders rushed over on a call for cardiac arrest. It's unclear where exactly on the grounds this happened.

Our sources say he was found in a jacuzzi at the home ... and we're told there were no drugs found at the scene. We're also told there is no foul play involved.

Perry is most famous for his role as Chandler Bing on the hit '90s sitcom, which ran for 10 seasons ... and with him in all 234 episodes. His character was a fan fave, as was performance -- mannerisms and lines of which have gone on to be recreated and spoofed by fans all over the world. One comes to mind, in particular ... "Could (blank) BE more .."

While 'Friends' was his biggest claim to fame ... MP had starred/guest starred in countless other TV shows over the years -- such as 'Boys Will Be Boys,' 'Growing Pains,' 'Silver Spoons,' 'Charles in Charge,' 'Sydney,' 'Beverly Hills, 90210,' 'Home Free,' 'Ally McBeal,' 'The West Wing,' 'Scrubs,' 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,' 'Go On,' 'The Odd Couple' and more.

He had also acted in a handful of memorable films (mostly comedy) ... like 'Fools Rush In,' 'The Whole Nine Yards,' 'Three to Tango,' 'The Kid,' '17 Again,' 'Getting In,' and many others. He's been off the scene more recently ... not having acted since a TV mini series in 2017.

While his onscreen persona was affable and upbeat, Matthew suffered mightily behind the scenes -- notably, from his addiction to drugs and alcohol ... pain killers, specifically. He was hooked on Vicodin for years -- even while on 'Friends' -- and had been in and out of rehab.

Matthew opened up about this painful chapter of his life in a memoir he put out last year -- where he detailed the struggles he had ... including his clear weight-loss/gain on the show.

During his press run for his book ... Matthew did a number of interviews where he got incredibly emotional -- including one with Diane Sawyer, where he detailed his story.

While Perry appeared to be clean and sober a year ago, the year prior -- when he and the other cast members were plugging the 'Friends' reunion show -- drew concern from fans ... as they felt he appeared unwell, at times slurring his words and looking a bit out of it.

On top of his substance use ... Matthew also dealt with health issues, some of which were serious and required hospitalizations. One such incident stemmed from a gastrointestinal perforation -- which forced him to undergo emergency surgery ... but he luckily recovered.

Matthew never married, but he was briefly engaged to Molly Hurwitz a couple years ago...which came to an end after only 6 months. Before that, he'd been linked to Lizzy Caplan.

Magnum Pi Cancelled On NBC

The Jay Hernandez-led reboot of the 1980s procedural will wrap its run with its upcoming 10 episodes on NBC. The news comes as the options on the cast were due to expire June 30, forcing NBC — whose studio sibling Universal TV co-produces the series alongside CBS Studios — to make a decision on either extending those deals or wrapping up the show. The network, which has recently passed on a number of pilots and canceled nearly all of its bubble shows, opted to let the show conclude with its remaining 10 episodes rather than to spend the money to extend the show’s stars as it’s unclear when production will resume amid the ongoing Writers Guild strike.

Magnum P.I. was canceled in May 2022 after four seasons on CBS. The series ranked as one of the highest shows on broadcast television at the time of its cancellation, prompting NBC to step in and save the show from cancellation with a two-season, 20-episode pickup less than two months later.

NBC is calling the 20-episode order a split season, a loophole that allows networks, studios and streamers to avoid giving cast, creators and crew annual salary increases in a practice that has been widely used by basic cable networks and streamers.

Eric Guggenheim serves as showrunner and exec produces alongside Justin Lin, John Davis and John Fox. Perdita Weeks, Zachary Knighton, Stephen Hill, Tim Kang and Amy Hill round out the cast of the series, which streams in-season on Showmax and otherwise on Paramount+.

Recap To The Decade: 10 TV Channels You Probably Forgot Existed On Openview

Openview is a free-to-air platform operated by eMedia Investments that also manage brands such as e.tv, eReality and eExtra part of which are ranked the top 10 channels. For several years, they've been to be a worthy foe to pay-tv serving affordable entertainment.

It wasn't always like this initially the platform was more of an Easyview type platform and if we remember the DStv bouquet it was one of MultiChoice's crappiest products to exist and Openview at the time was basically that with the exception of eMovies and eToonz.

Now we look at 10 forgotten channels once seen on Openview.

1. English Club TV

English Club TV sets out to be one of the most least crappiest products on this list. If anything the channel was very promising as it featured documentaries, films, cartoons and music video all of which are illustrated for those who study English.

At the time this channel was around, eMedia Investments didn't have that much consumers. In some way, English Club TV was a victim of unfortunate circumstance which contributed to the cancellation.

2. Inspiration TV

Inspiration TV is a Christian themed channel operated by Inspiration Ministries that is home to the likes of Charles Stanley, TD Jakes and Joel Osteen. It was meant to form the initial offering of Openview when it launched in October 2013 but didn't unfortunately.

eMedia Investments had tried numerous times to get the channel onboard but due to some technologies those plans were halted.

3. BiCars

Bi-Cars TV was a reality street motorsport

lifestyle channel similar to Ignition TV on DStv. It showcased motorsport news, fashion, celebrity riders and real-life stories of street Moto-sport lifestyle, entertainment and music.

Some of the content featured on Bi-Cars TV included Mzansi Celebrities Bikers, Bi-Car Make Over, Battle Of Crews , BC League, Championships Of Speed and Sound, and Torque Talk.

Similar to most of the channels on the list, a vast majority weren't tuning in to the Ignition duplicate.

4. United Christian Broadcasting Network (UCBN)

United Christian Broadcasting Network (UCB Network TV) is a Christian based channel providing religious content. UCBN programming include shows such as Men of Honour, Women In Me, Pastor's Corner, Africa Talent Show, Nuggets of Wealth and Leadership, U Kids.

The channel was terminated due to low viewership.

5. Ekurhuleni TV

Ekurhuleni TV is a community TV station carrying local news, music, educational, health and religious programming.

The channel was terminated due to low viewership.

6. Relevant TV

Founded and run by Joshua McCauley, Relevant TV was intended to be a non-denominational Christian lifestyle TV channel that will look at the spiritual needs of Christians from all walks of life. The main target market of the channel is young adults, although it will cater for other groups as well.

The channel was removed due to unforeseen circumstances and without prior notice by eMedia Investments.

7. Alex TV (LXTV)

Alex TV, stylised as lx tv, was a community based channel with Lucky Siwela as chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder, revolves around covering and mirroring the life and issues of the vibrant, yet impoverished South African township and "suburb" of Alexandra.

The channel was yanked off Openview after its broadcasting licence had expired. Since then, rival company MultiChoice was able to fill the void with GauTV which caters to Sandton all the way to the Bekkersdal township.

8. ASTV (now MYtv)

ASTV was a lifestyle channel in which eMedia Investments had minority ownership broadcast a mix of actuality, outdoor, youth and teen content as well as Afrikaans music videos. Some of the content available on the channel included Vaskap, Eksieperfeksie, Kos Is Oppie Tafel, Ons Gesels Met... and Klankbaan.

Similar to OnseTV on StarSat, the channel wasn't watched by majority of the viewers and hasn't gained much traction as seen with kykNET's offering on DStv. Forming part of Openview's initial offering it went dark after 3 years of service (and 12 on StarSat).

9. Wild TV Africa

Wild TV Africa, developed by Dewald Visser, brought 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.

Similar to most brands on the list, the channel was axed due to low viewership. Of course, similar content can be found on People's Weather and on DStv, WildEarth.

10. Shembe TV

Shembe Unyazi TV will show viewers programming around the African religion founded by Prophet Isaiah Mloyiswa Shembe, known as Bombela, in 1910 and which has 8 million followers in Southern Africa.

Basically a rival to the Nigerian based Emmanuel TV on DStv, it's currently unknown as to why the channel was removed but it was believed to be low viewership with the low rated channel currently seen on StarSat.

Three Ways To Watch tvN's K-Dramas In South Africa

tvN is a South Korean entertainment channel owned by CJ ENM which broadcast a variety of content including reality shows, drama series and movies. It was added as a pop-up channel on MultiChoice's DStv attributing success with shows like Flower Of Evil and The K-2.

But MultiChoice went against the idea of launching a permanent channel thus leaving various households without shows like Another Miss Oh, Tail Of The Nine Tailed and The Tunnel so we turn through two simple methods of getting access to some of these shows.

1. eVOD

eVOD is a video on demand home to various local productions by eMedia Investments including Splintered Pieces, Housewives, Piet's Sake and Whatever It Takes. It's also home to various shows already viewed on eMedia Investments' e.tv and eExtra channel including Gebroke Harte, House Of Zwide and The Black Door.

As mentioned, eVOD is also home to Asian programming or in this case content seen on tvN including Ice Adonis, The K-2, Flower Of Evil and The Devil Judge. The best part all of this is free but the only downside is the limited offering.

2. Showmax

Showmax is a streaming service owned by DStv's parent company also known as the tvN hater MultiChoice. Just like eVOD, they're also home to various local productions including Blood Psalms, Recipe For Murder, Devilsdorp, St. Agnes and The Wife. It is also licences various content from NBCUniversal, CBS Studios, Sony Pictures Television and Disney Star.

The streamer is also home to the corporation that deprived DStv consumers of tvN as they rather keep the best shows on Showmax including Melting Me Softly, Cheese In The Trap, Encounter and Revolutionary Love. Unlike eVOD, you can browse a number of content but it comes with a fee.

3. VIU

VIU is an Asian based streaming service from VIU International Ltd. which distributes a number of drama series and movies from Indonesians, Malaysians and Burmese to audiences in the Middle East and Africa. They also offer a selection of content from Paramount, AMC International and A+E Networks.

Just like the previous two, they also offer Korean Programming such as L.U.C.A The Beginning and Mouse and some of this comes with a fee while others come at no charge.

Afrikaans Voice Overs For In Die Ysterhand Se Greep And Kruispad + An Update On Die Put Voice Overs For Season 2

In Die Ysterhand Se Greep

Gustav Gerdener as Yigit

Sesethu Ntombela as Nur

Shemane Harris as Iciai

Karin Retief as Aytul

Sanli Jooste as Nazaan

Denver Vraagom as Cahit

Claudia Jones as Yaren

Susan Coetzer as Hafize

Mia Anne Kennedy as Elmas

Kruispad

Anton Dekker as Suleyman

Adrian Styen as Mert

Rika Senne as Kudret

Sue Pyler as Nehir

Marlee Van Der Merwe as Ilay

Cindy Swanepoel as Eda

Die Put replacements

Wilhelm Van Der Walt as Selim

Jaundre Kim as Karaca

Credits: Die Afrikaans Voice Page

eVOD Has Been Credited In Latest Annual Results From MultiChoice Group

MultiChoice and eMedia Investments have been in an on/off relationship following the dispute in regard to the 4 e.tv channels. As seen in May, the channels went dark on DStv without notice only for the Competition Tribunal to look back on their final notion following pending investigation.

During that time, MultiChoice had managed to find the necessary alternatives with kykNET's Turkish offering on kykNET & Kie, DreamWorks, KIX and Movie Room all of which have managed to perform at their best capacity but not enough to fill the void left by the e.tv channels.

For those who've been following eMedia's stations for a while may have heard of eVOD I mean who wouldn't have heard of it as it is the only known outlet to stream the bulk of content some of which haven't aired any of eMedia's channels.

It was speculated the only reason eVOD wasn't added onto the Explora Ultra had to do with the ongoing feud between eMedia Investments and MultiChoice in regard to DTT and the carriage fees for their channels as other brands like the SABC are said to be earning more with just SABC News.

But as MultiChoice outlined in their recent annual results, they plan to add more streaming services even crediting various entities that haven't been seen on the Explora Ultra like Acorn TV and eVOD.

Taking that to account, could you say that eVOD will likely be bundled under the Explora Ultra perhaps as a replacement to e.tv's 4 channels as the channels only returned as part of a technicality and aren't must carry channels like SABC 1-3.

'Days Of Our Lives': Could The Sand In The Hourglass Be Heading To A New Era In South Africa?

NBC’s long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives will be leaving broadcast television after 57 years to stream exclusively on Peacock, the network announced on Wednesday. The change means that fans who previously have been able to watch the show for free on broadcast will now have to pay for a streaming service to learn what happens next in the show’s fictional town of Salem.

“With a large percentage of the Days of Our Lives audience already watching digitally, this move enables us to build the show’s loyal fanbase on streaming while simultaneously bolstering the network daytime offering with an urgent, live programming opportunity for partners and consumers,” Mark Lazarus, chairman of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming, said in a press release.

Earlier in the year, Days Of Our Lives was swept out of e.tv's primetime offering as eMedia tries to boost their original offering with eMedia Investments expected to invest R100 million in their streaming endeavours which has seen success as the company was able to obtain half a million registrations and record breaking ratings.

Of course, Days Of Our Lives' absence still haunts a lot of consumers as they've been following the soap for half a century when it began on the free-to-air SABC 3 channel which was known at the time as CCV channel and after the SABC's controversial COO at the time Hlaudi Motsoeneng put up a ban for international series forcing the drama to air close to midnight. 

As seen earlier in the year, the sand in the hourglass for e.tv has come to an end after almost 5 years of broadcast which has some feeling agitated over an outlet to this ongoing soap opera.

Peacock overseas decided to move Days away from cable as the ratings have been slipping on a year to year basis as direct-to-consumer becomes a top priority for international brands like The Walt Disney Company.

Before this news came into affect, Vodacom's defunct streaming service supplied Bold And The Beautiful another ongoing soap opera and rival to Days Of Our Lives after it was swept out of SABC's lineup due to the corrupt bold man thereafter MultiChoice's DStv as AMC International opt to not supply EVA channel which was the home of Bold on cable.

As it is a lot of long format or in other terms old timers like The Simpsons moved from cable to streaming for consumers in South Africa as The Walt Disney Company retracted the FOX channel as they plan to become a digital exclusive platform like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Now Days Of Our Lives being a digital exclusive doesn't seem far fetched and on Peacock although not available in the region as yet wouldn't be far fetched a stretch as well seeing as Days Of Our Lives: Beyond Salem which is a spinoff to be the soap can be viewed on the platform.

Peacock on top of being a streaming service is owned by NBCUniversal the same people that own Days Of Our Lives and now the chances of it suffering the franchise getting swept on this platform is close to zero but questions amount to how this service will eventually rollout in South Africa

As it is, Peacock is just another Showmax holds a lot of third party content, limited original content and is not knowledgeable by a lot of consumers as seen with Netflix and Disney+. In some regions, the platform was able to fold under Paramount+ which is expected in Africa by early next year but that doesn't guarantee it will supply Peacock.

Peacock is a very complicated case as outlined there's not much to offer on the table that you would dump a hamburger for a salad while others found comfort on Paramount+ (also known to some as SkyShowcase). Others got it as standalone as seen overseas while others found comfort in a local provider to which I nominate Showmax.

Say what you want about their owners MultiChoice but NBCUniversal has a tight relationship to the company as they supply the only alternative to M-Net on the DStv platform as others were retracted due to content or management changes. On top of that, the movie offering on Studio Universal can come in handy when you're avoiding cartoons.

Why Openview Has Been Excluded From Delayed SABC Channel Expansion?

eMedia Investments and the SABC finalised their deal for 3 additional channels one of which were SABC Sport alongside 19 radio stations in 2021. As consumers wait over a year for the two channels which are set to carry a lot of existing content there's been some speculation one of which was cleared up is SABC Education.

SABC Education is a DTT channel currently seen on TelkomOne and soon on the likes of DStv and StarSat is based on the educational division formed by the SABC which is home to shows like Takalani Sesame, Matric Reloaded, Ispani, Uzalo, Geleza Nathi and 90 Plain Street.

The channel has remained active as of May 2020 and used as a catch-up channel to programs currently viewed on SABC 1-3 with plans to roll out the brand onto more platforms still underway.

As seen through several consumers on the Openview platform is SABC 1-3, SABC Sport alongside the 19 radio stations but SABC Education doesn't form part of the bouquet with SABC News being exclusive to DStv and DTT consumers.

So the question would have to be is eMedia Investments waiting on SABC Education like DStv?

Probably not as MultiChoice is waiting on two other channels to roll out on the DStv platform and SABC Education alongside SABC Sport and the 19 radio stations did form part of TelkomOne's initial offering when it launched in October 2020.

There could be a number of reasons SABC Education won't form part of the offering. The first has to do with costs, second would have to do with their rivalry perhaps they don't want to invest too much and last may have to do with the existing educational offering on Openview being DBE TV and Mindset.

10PM Will Never Be The Same Again As The Professionals Returns To e.tv

It's been 3 months since e.tv's viewers got much international shows from the channel as the brand boosts their local portfolio with the likes of The Black Door and Isono leaving 10pm as the only source for such content but as seen in the past months the quality has dropped.

I mean they've got decent programs in that slot at the moment L.A's Finest and The Blacklist but no one seems to care that much about them not even the channel as the content airs back to back and you're used to seeing fold one sheet over another but that's not the case.

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Questions have risen over the fate of 10pm slot as there hasn't much variety in a while and after 6 months we finally got some confirmation from the channel.

Apparently, the 2020 action series Professionals which was the last international series at 8:30pm in April before local dramas took over will replace L.A's Finest from 11 July.

Through a briefing, eMedia had mentioned that they've scrapped shows like S.W.A.T., New Amsterdam and Seal Team. Is it possible that some of this content will just resurface on a limited basis or could the channel be seeking more short form series for the 10pm timeslot.

Introducing The Renowned Graphic Designer For eMedia's eToonz Channel, Rayaan Cassiem + Several Designs For The Channel

Born and raised in Cape Town, Rayaan was never found without a crayon, paintbrush or pencil in hand scribbling, doodling and painting for hours at a time.

Being determined to study Graphic-Design at the Technical University, he sold his car and worked odd jobs, ranging from construction to shelf-packing. His hard work and dedication paid off and he received a bursary in his third year, completing his BTech in Graphic Design. Rayaan draws his inspiration from a myriad of avenues including graffiti and street art, album covers, comic books, animation, video games, fine art as well as graffiti and street art. ‘Being able to earn a living and supporting my family doing what I love is a blessing,’ he says.

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Rayaan’s artwork appeared alongside local and international artists as part in popular mixed-media group exhibitions in South Africa, Europe and the United Arab Emirates, where currently lives and works. His special interest in local African Mythology and Folk stories inspired Rayaan’s edition of 30 portraits of children from the Matchbox daycare centers in his unique graffiti-inspired style, all drawn on fine paper in A4 format.

eExtra Vs. Glow TV: The Best Source For Bollywood Series

eExtra is general entertainment channel from eMedia Investments home to primarily telenovelas particularly Indian and Turkish. Glow TV is a South African entertainment based channel from Nismedia that has content which resonate with the Indian community.

Both these channels have Openview and StarSat in common aside from that the owners of these brands have been beefing with each other following eMedia's failed attempt and today we compare the channels that started it all.

eExtra is currently one of the top channels on Openview for their selection in Turkish dramas which brought a spinoff ePlesier. Outside of that bubble, the channel offers a ton of Bollywood dramas which don't clash with the existing offering on Glow TV.

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Glow TV is SA's only Indian channel that promotes the Hindi community with not only telenovelas like eExtra but other entertainment like reality, lifestyle and local programming. It is actually one of the first channels to distribute dubbed Hindi content full-time.

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The setback for eExtra has to do with distribution as some fans already noticed the channel doesn't play fair in terms of catch-up. Some shows repeat once off while others need eVOD in order for you to catch-up on what you've missed.

Glow TV's issue revolves on a similar matter repeats compared to eExtra you don't get a lot of new content and what's even more depressing is how often they place a former program in the schedule.

In regard to best channel, eExtra is your #1 source for drama series and although Glow TV has been repetitive in this region. There is plenty of entertainment you won't find on eExtra such as reality, lifestyle and local content.

#BoycottKykNet: A Possible Outcome To The Demise Of eExtra

eMedia Investments got into a fist fight with MultiChoice when the pay-tv platform decided to scrap 4 of their e.tv channels before handling the matter with Competition Tribunal with outcomes to the agreement set to be unraveled.

As seen this past week, kykNET's duplicate channel kykNET & Kie will be adapting to the concept seen on eExtra's Kuiertyd block where they dub various telenovelas particularly Turkish in Afrikaans and giving the free-to-view brand some steady competition.

As mentioned in an early press release:

World-class TV has been dubbed into Afrikaans for decades. Over the past few years, South Africa's excellent reverberation skills have been used to bring Turkish telenovelas to local screens - in Afrikaans. The plot, action and romance in these telenovelas keep viewers glued.

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kykNET obviously got this entail from e.tv as series like Droomvelore can pull close to 2 million views while a show like 7de Laan has less than 900000 views monthly. Even eExtra despite not being as accessible as the main brand was fortunate enough to surpass 7de Laan.

As seen for the past 4 years, this content was exclusive to eExtra before being duplicated on more eMedia brands now DStv consumers will be getting more alternatives to but the decision to keep the e.tv channels is entirely up to DStv.

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Firstly, kykNET's attempt could be met with severe backlash not because of the cancellation of Tussen Ons or reduction in local content but MultiChoice's decision to not keep eExtra alongside the 3 other e.tv channels.

After that close scare in March, several consumers opted for Openview in case things don't work out between those parties and these shows are divided between platforms.

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eMedia was the main reason these stories went on to be as big as they are today. The only way most if not all consumers would view this content on DStv is to be assured that eExtra will remain unscathed throughout kykNET's introduction to the Turkish market.