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Developing Story: MultiChoice Bids Farewell To Both M-Net Essentials (Me) And 1Magic On DStv By The End Of March

Earlier in the year, MultiChoice sent notifications to selected DStv customers that both 1Magic and Me would be exiting the DStv...

Showing posts with label eReality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label eReality. Show all posts

Saturday, December 23, 2023

News Shorts: Impact Wrestling To Revert Back To The TNA Trademark In Hard To Kill, Second Chances Rumoured To Debut On Zee World In The Coming Days And uBettina Wethu Season 4 To Replace Nikiwe After It Ends

TNA is making a comeback

We are told the company has quietly polled long-term fans of the promotion earlier this year and learned that many of them stated they preferred the TNA name. Fans who have chanted "TNA" since the promotion returned to the road have also been a factor in the company thinking about making the change and then finally flipping the switch back.

There was a lot of TNA nostalgia several years ago when the promotion brought back the TNA title with Moose as titleholder with the original plan for the company to revive TNA as a separate TV series and possibly promotion out of a TNA reunion PPV but the COVID-19 pandemic stalled those plans before they were dropped. Instead of two different promotions and TV series, instead TNA has returned as the name of the company.

The plan is for Impact to close out the remainder of the year and then transition over to the TNA name in January with the Hard to Kill PPV in Las Vegas being the first official TNA show.  
Second Chances coming to Zee World

Yash (Shreyas Talpade), a rich and esteemed business tycoon, yearns for real love. While he falls in love with Neha (Prarthana Behere), the journey ahead is not going to be an easy one for him. Will he be able to win Neha’s heart?

Second Chances (Mazhi Tuzhi Reshimgath) debuted on Zee One earlier in the year and according to sources the series is rumoured to launch on Zee World across Southern Africa from 29 December but there has been no mention of the show by the channel yet.

uBettina Wethu takes the front seat

During the month, it was revealed that Nikiwe would be axed by early 2024 after it struggled to garner traction following its debut earlier in the year. eMedia Investments in not so shocking news had enlisted the fourth season of uBettina Wethu on e.tv's line-up.

After phasing out the 18:00 timeslot drama timeslot for locally produced reality shows on eReality. It lead consumers to wonder what fate awaited uBettina Wethu and as predicted sometime ago it would take up Nikiwe's timeslot.

In Season 4 we will see Betty, her comrades, and kin in a whole new light as they realise new goals and fix old wounds. Betty has lost direction, so she sets off to realign and march forward determined to win - without the distraction of personal relationships - her downfall in the past. 

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Development Alert: The Perfect Picture Moves From SABC 1 To e.tv For A Season 2

The Perfect Picture is a nine-part reality series where ten celebrities with a passion for photography compete against each other to show they have what it takes to step away from the spotlight and move behind the camera! Do they have the best eye for a great picture? The celebs must use their technical and creative skills to show they can take the perfect shot. 


It features Anele Zondo, Cristall Kay, Ivan Roux, Gugu Kathi, Jonathan Boynton-Lee, Lasizwe Dambuza, Luyanda Mzazi, Nomvelo Makhanya and Tshego Koke.


The YouTube original had its entire first season broadcast on SABC 1 and for some reason if not budget cuts and successors like Skeem Saam. the second season will move to e.tv with repeats on eReality. Not that I've heard of the show but this move could give it exposure.


With so much currently seen on SABC 1, it's hard for a program such as The Perfect Picture to consume much viewers I mean Uzalo and Skeem Saam are in the 5 million area while the recent addition Deal Or No Deal SA can pull almost half of that viewership.


The Perfect Picture airs every Sunday from 23 July on e.tv at 5PM and repeats on eReality everyday at 5:30PM.

Friday, June 2, 2023

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

Thursday, June 1, 2023

More Repeats Coming Soon To The Openview Platform??? As Beef! And Dare Lie To Me Were Scheduled To Air On e.tv

Not to be mistaken with eKasi: Our Stories much less eKasi+, eKasi is a programming block on eReality that eMedia Investments use for original productions like Beef! or Pay Back The Money alongside other content like Date My Family or Our Perfect Wedding.

Since 2022, eMedia Investments has been working on building their original slate which led to the decline of international content on e.tv as they want to reshape the channel to better compete with brands like SABC 1 and Mzansi Magic which seen success for such content.

e.tv is shaping up to become another SABC 1 which too has seen a lot of rebroadcasts (such as The Estate) build their lineup or in e.tv's case Kuiertyd and eNCA.

During the month, eMedia Investments reshuffled primetime having shows like Devi and Checkpoint air on Sunday with repeats throughout the week to compliment The Last Word With Shahan Ramkissoon and these changes caught viewers by surprise.

From the looks of the channel's EPG, these changes kind of seemed rushed as they have the ABC comedy, The Goldbergs listed under the channel. For those not viewing on Openview, the international lineup on e.tv was supplemented by eXposed.

Anyways as I'm looking, I noticed e.tv has Beef! and Dare To Lie Me scheduled for 11 June. The only problem is Devi is airing where Beef! would be seen with CrimeWatch in Dare To Lie Me's timeslot. All of this kind of proves my point these changes were rushed.

It's not surprising to see these shows on the channel considering how much airtime is latched onto eExtra's Kuiertyd as well as the local series and films produced by eVOD. It was only a matter of time as this content costs them a lot of money and e.tv gives them exposure.

Considering that the week these series were slated to air has The Goldbergs it's likely to be phased out alongside the sitcom. But if I had to guess, it will probably air in the timeslot used by My Wife Rules which is 1 hour and the individual series 30 minutes.

Friday, May 5, 2023

Reminder: The Block And MTV Shuga S11 Coming Soon To eReality And MTV Base Respectively

The Block is an Australian game show from Nine Network which follows couples who compete against each other to refurbish a home and sell it at an auction for the highest price to receive a monetary prize and go through a range of experiences as they do so. It features Judges Scott Cam and Shelley Craft.

Currently seen on M-Net, eMedia Investments picked up rights to the reality series for one of the top channels in the market, eReality. The channel features original content alongside a range of content licenced from CBS Studios, NBCUniversal and Paramount.

MTV Shuga Naija Season 5, the highly anticipated series produced by the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, premiered at an exclusive event in Lagos on Thursday. The event featured a press briefing that focused on the issues addressed in the series, followed by a private screening of the new season.

The new season combines an exciting ensemble of established on-screen legends and rising stars including Adesua Etomi-Wellington, John Njamah, Tomiwa Tegbe, Maggie Osuome, Okey Uzoeshi, Gbubemi Ejeye, Genoveva Umeh, Ilooise Omohimin, Sharon Jatto, Lexan Peters, Bolaji Ogunmola, and Susan Pwajok.

MTV Shuga premieres May 7 at 22:00 on MTV Base and The Block premieres May 5 at 19:00 on eReality.

Friday, December 9, 2022

Roundups #117: Batwheels Returning For A Second Season On Cartoon Network And HBO Max, A Repeat Of Men Don't Cry Surfaces On e.tv And Time Of Departure Coming Soon To Timeless Dizi Channel International

Teen Titans GO! wannabe gets a season 2

Despite some of the uncertainty regarding animation under the Warner Bros. Discovery banner, DC's preschool animated series Batwheels is officially slated to return for a second season on HBO Max and Cartoon Network.

Variety has exclusively confirmed that Batwheels has been renewed for Season 2. The outlet notes that the Warner Bros. Animation production has proven to be a success with its target demographic on both platforms it calls home. DC's Batwheels currently ranks as the number one original preschool series among boys aged 2 to 5 on Cartoon Network. It is also the most-watched original preschool series on HBO Max, according to data provided by the streamer.

Batwheels centers on Bam (Jacob Bertrand), an anthropomorphic version of Batman's (Ethan Hawke) trusty car, the Batmobile. In the series, Bam teams up with his fellow superheroic vehicles to fight crime across Gotham City. Bam's allies in the field include Redbird (Jordan Reed), Robin's car; Bibi (Madigan Kacmar), Batgirl's motorcycle; Buff (Noah Bentley), a monster truck; and the Batwing (Lilimar), Batman's jet.

Regular Nick:
- Barbie: It Takes Two and Thomas And Friends: All Engines Go! coming soon to eToonz
35 facts you didn't know about these Dragonball instalments
A list of scrapped spinoffs for The Simpsons
Spider-Man live-action series has been greenlit
Disney Junior greenlit two new animated series one of which is a spinoff to Sofia The First

More eReality coming soon to e.tv

eKasi is a 2 hour programming block which is home to various original productions such as Will You Be My Ex?, Pay Back The Money and alongside third party content from M-Net's Mzansi Magic including Our Perfect Wedding and Date My Family.

As it was known by most viewers, eMedia kept these shows under warps with the only source of viewability being their streaming service, eVOD. Now we recieved word from sources that a repeat of Men Don't Cry will take up Durban Gen from 19 December when it goes on production break.

Men Don't Cry is a show about men who find themselves in a really dark place. These men have been denied access to their children, or are caught in abusive relationships, experiencing financial hardships, and are about to end it all.

Openview+:
- Die Vertroueling coming soon to eExtra
Major changes coming soon to the SABC
Daai Crazy Somer coming soon to e.tv
Could Glow TV be on the chopping block?
Mystery drama Liar currently streaming on eVOD

Brand new family drama coming to Dizi

Timemess Dizi Channel, SPI International's most popular entertainment channel home to various shows such as Karadayi, Wings Of Love, The End, Red Scarf and various other shows is set to introduce a new family drama, Time Of Departure.

Cennet lives in Mardin which is a city located in the southeast part of Turkey. She is forced to get married as a second wife when she is a young girl. As a second wife in the family, Cennet does all the house chores and suffers from the cruelty of the first wife Hanim.

Vahide Percin stars as Cennet, Talat Bulut stars as Yilmaz, Tilbe Saran stars as Hanim, Cansu Tosun as Zumrut and Elif Ceren Balikci stars as Kiraz. The series airs December 13th on selected Timeless Dizi Channels.

Everyday Novelas:
- Queen Of The South to end with third season on Telemundo
The Game Of My Destiny a brand new Turkish drama unveiled by Global Agency
The Rebel Princess coming soon to eExtra
The history of Zee TV's Razia Sultana
A look at former NBC soap, Passions
Die Vertroueling coming soon to eExtra

Friday, October 28, 2022

Why Impact Wrestling Is No Longer On Your Screens Or At Least Not With Openview?

WWE was ripped off from viewer's screens several years ago and found its way onto SuperSport. At the time, eMedia Investments wasn't quick to source a replacement and relied solely on the existing international offering to fill the gap left by the wrestling brand.

It wasn't long till there was an announcement eMedia Investments acquired broadcasting rights to Impact Wrestling. The rights which was formerly held by SuperSport so in a way they kind of did a switcheroo kind of like that time with Lotto and Powerball.

Now if we have to go over Impacts time on e.tv here's how to summarise it, the show didn't form part of the monthly TAMS as seen with WWE in the past and the audience in question weren't as welcoming of Impact as they were with WWE which kind of spells trouble.

As seen overseas, Impact Wrestling is no longer in the big leagues as existing competitors such as AEW and WWE. Most of its reason for living has to do with its history as TNA! Impact.

And I don't want to speculate but could it be possible that SuperSport severed ties with this wrestling promotion as viewers weren't so welcoming of it as the years went by. This trait quickly began to adapt following it's move to e.tv.

Impact Wrestling has been facing several challenges during its time on e.tv as rival brands like the SABC often broadcast soccer in the middle of wrestling and you know how much the sport is loved point made this wasn't much of an issue with WWE.

As for the removal on e.tv, all I can say is eReality will continue to offer Impact Wrestling alongside it's extended library but as for the state of the wrestling promotion. Is it possible that the same outcome awaits consumers on the Openview platform?

Monday, September 26, 2022

Roundups #99: Best Bester To Premiere On Nicktoons Global Just Not South Africa, Ultimate Braai Master Renewed For A Season 8 On e.tv And BET Reportedly Expands Its Reach To More DStv Customers

Yikes, this is actually a TV show

Best and Bester are siblings and best friends obsessed with comparing the best things of all time while enjoying the power to transform themselves into anything they want, once a day – if only they can figure out what the best thing to be actually is!

Best & Bester (52x11) is a co-production between London-based studio Eye Present and Finnish studio Gigglebug Entertainment. Nickelodeon International acquired the pre-buy rights to the series in February 2020. The deal includes creative editorial input and broadcast commitment from Nickelodeon International, as well as YLE, The Finnish Broadcasting Company, and development funding from Creative Europe, a cultural support program run by the European Union.

The series has managed to air various Nickelodeon feeds internationally with Nicktoons set to debut it globally. Of course, Nickelodeon hasn't picked up the show just yet for audiences in Africa which could be the reason for its absence on Nicktoons.

Local is lekker on e.tv

The South African competition reality show Ultimate Braai Master will be back for an 8th season in 2023 on e.tv and will be switching to the Western Cape, with creator Justin Bonello stepping away as host but retaining judges Peter Goffe-Wood and Benny Masekwameng.

With a new host still to be announced, season 8 of Ultimate Braai Master will be on e.tv from 5 February 2023 at 17:00, with the show telling sources it will be filmed between 26 October and 2 December and in the Western Cape this year for 13 episodes after two seasons shot in the Eastern Cape.

The 8th season of Ultimate Braai Master will feature 10 teams having to braai all kinds of food in various locations in all kinds of manner, and will be filmed in the Western Cape. The upcoming season plans to "showcase the wealth of produce celebrated in the region, from free range dairy and grain fed cattle, to fresh grown organic vegetables from farm to braai to table".

BET to be made available to DStv Family and Access customers

BET an international entertainment channel owned by Paramount which is meant to cater for black audiences between the ages of 18-49 with shows like The Oval, Black Ink Crew and Mary Mary is said to be made available to more DStv customers from 26 September.

After launching as BET International in 2014 to DStv Family package, the pay-tv company opted to split the brand in half leaving those on the lower package with scraps before finally merging it back to a single channel after a year.

The expansion of BET to more DStv customers means viewers will be able to see the local drama Redemption while as Family customers will finally gain back the channel even though there's hardly much to browse on the brand aside from repeats.


 

Thursday, September 8, 2022

Why Impact Wrestling Is No Longer A Major Promotion?

Originally founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, then named TNA (Total Nonstop Action) came onto the wrestling scene fresh off of WCW and ECW’s demise. Still, promotions like Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling existed; however, there was something that TNA had that those two companies didn’t: mainstream stars. Well, maybe not stars on the level of The Rock or Stone Cold, but recognizable names like Ken Shamrock, Jerry Lynn, Konnan, and yes, even Jeff Jarrett. TNA was presented as an edgier product than its wrestling counterpart, WWE, just out of the period when the biggest wrestling promotion in the world was transitioning out of the Attitude Era. One of the pioneers of that era was Vince Russo, who was head creative of the newly formed TNA Wrestling.

The pros of TNA is that it presented something fresh for fans who were tired of the WWE product. However, it also had something familiar, as Russo’s chaotic crash writing style was ever so present in TNA. The company also had some hot acts like LAX or Team Canada, and even the X-Division was miles better than WWE’s cruiserweight division. TNA would gain popularity as time went on and though there were a lot of questionable booking decisions made within the company, it still reached its peak with viewers who were happy with the WWE alternative. However, questionable booking decisions started to plague the company overall. Whether it was the over pushing of Jeff Jarrett as a top star. Ridiculous gimmick matches such as the reverse battle royal, electrified steel cage, or the king of the mountain match that the company continuously pushed as the Slammiversary main event during their early years.

However, when the likes of Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan came into the promotion, that was the beginning of the end. Hulk Hogan was certainly a draw for the company and given his big money contract status, Hulk Hogan was definitely going to be used to the best of his abilities. However, this wasn’t the man that main evented WrestleMania’s in the 80s or even NWO Hulk Hogan. At this point, Hogan could barely move. Eric Bishchoff was not a professional wrestler. Yet, the company was booked and centered around these two. There was the unwarranted push of Bischoff’s son Garrett, who pretty much disappeared from the wrestling scene once his time in the company was over. Hogan was at the center of TNA’s biggest angle, Aces & Eights, another terrible story that dominated the promotion. More importantly, veterans like Kevin Nash, Scott Hall (Rest in Peace Mr. Hall), Sting, or Booker T were clouding the main event scene. For the longest time, TNA focused more on WCW and WWE castoffs more than their own talent, which would ultimately come back and bite the company in butt.

That talent didn’t bring enough drawing power to warrant the dominance at the main event and worst yet, the stories and booking decisions weren’t getting any better in the promotion. Eric Bischoff effectively killed whatever career The Young Bucks had in TNA by beating the AEW stars in a tag team match. There was a rat on a pole match. The Lockbox Challenge set the knockouts back 100 years. The questionable booking only got worse as time went on, especially since most of the shows were focused on Hogan and Bischoff. When the two tried to recreate the Monday Night Wars in 2010 it did give TNA more viewers, but it was ultimately a massive failure. TNA wasn’t ready for the war because their own house wasn’t in order. The promotion was in a dire creative mess and there didn’t seem to be any indication that things would change.

For years, fans complained about Vince Russo and Dixie Carter, but the company moved on as there were no issues whatsoever. Hogan, Bischoff, Sting, Dixie, and Vince Russo leaving didn’t matter one bit. TNA had an opportunity to course correct by signing Paul Heyman as head creative control, but that never came into fruition and the company sunk into lower depths since then. The funny thing is that TNA, now Impact Wrestling, was miles ahead better than it was during the Bischoff/Hogan reign. One of the most buzzed out moments about the product was the Broken Matt Hardy stuff. Of course, when the promotion had the likes of LAX (Santana & Ortiz) The Lucha Brothers, and Johnny Impact, that was when the company as at its best, consistently delivering top notch shows. However, Impact killed the trust of fans completely by then. It wasn’t the fact that they kept moving from station to station, it was because the interest just wasn’t there.

TNA/Impact Wrestling tried so hard to compete against WWE that it became WWE lite for a lengthy period of time. The promotion lost any sense of identity that helped put them on the map, and Impact hasn’t really been able to lock down the type of company it wants to be. Plus, the booking decisions were REALLY bad. Impact is now a blimp on the wrestling radar, especially with AEW around. The company now draws ratings in the range of 89,000 to 150,000, a far cry from 1.0 million viewers. The company has managed to survive this long, but it’s highly doubtful that it will reach the highs that it did in its early years.

Credits: TVOM

Friday, August 12, 2022

Could eMedia Investments' Local Endeavours Lead To The Recreation Of The eKasi+ Channel?

eMedia Investments has been building their local portfolio with the likes of The Black Door, uMbali, Housewives, Is'phindiselo, Daryn's Gym and Atlantis and I don't know about you but all this kind of leads to the thought of a standalone channel.

eKasi+ was another property of eMedia Investments seen on the Openview platform when it first launched in the market. At the time, eMedia's local endeavours usually hit a bump on the road on top of working under a limited budget which is why it's known to viewers as eExtra.

eExtra has achieved a lot of milestones on eMedia's portfolio following the success of Kuiertyd which has a hub on eVOD and standalone channel on the Openview platform. It even lead MultiChoice to build their own Kuiertyd through kykNET & Kie.

But the fact is eExtra doesn't cater to the same audience as eKasi+. While eExtra is viewed as an alternative to kykNET and the dismal Afrikaans offering on SABC 2 with eKasi+ it was taking on the likes of SABC 1 and Mzansi Magic's Wethu and Bioskop channel.

I'm not saying eMedia had no reasons to throw the channel away as eKasi+ was very much repetitive and struggling to hit the standards seen on SABC 1 which is why there was that existing bulk of eExtra available on the channel alongside WWE.

But with this fresh offering coming to their stable with more expected in the near future. It wouldn't be a bad idea to revive a concept similar to eKasi+.

I'm not expecting any exclusive content to run on the channel but function more like SABC's Encore channel or M-Net's Mzansi Wethu where the channel offers a selection of archived material alongside current shows from e.tv like The Black Door, Scandal and Imbewu.

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

What Happened To Joey Greco From Cheaters?

From 2002-2012, Joey captivated us with his soul patch, glasses, and calculated tone. He confronted cheaters with the evidence that they, in fact, cheated on their significant other or long-term partner.

So, what happened to 'Cheaters' host Joey Greco?

The concept of the show is simple. If someone feels that their partner is not being faithful, they seek out the help of the Cheaters team. The show then sends out its private investigators to essentially spy on the partner in question. Over the course of a few days, the PIs collect evidence that either proves or disproves their suspicions. 

Due to the sensitive nature of these confrontations between the host, the cheater, and the client, things tend to get quite fiery on the show. In 2003, Joey was the victim of a stabbing during one of these confrontations. This incident raised questions over the show’s validity, leading it to be considered “fake” by critics.

 

However, it gave Joey notoriety. Cheap stunt or not, it was one of the few things that contributed to him becoming a fan-favorite of the show.

Joey was replaced on 'Cheaters' in 2012 with Clark Gable III.

Despite his popularity, Joey was replaced for the 13th season of the show in 2012 by the late Clark Gable III (Clark Gable’s grandson who passed in 2019 from a drug overdose). According to executive producer and creator Bobby Goldstein, “We just felt it was time to freshen up the show with a new host.”

Joey was asked to finish out the end of Season 15 of Cheaters in 2015. Not much has been heard of Joey since then, but rest assured, he’s still around — just not confronting cheaters.

Joey got back into acting after leaving 'Cheaters'...
Joey was an actor before he became the host of Cheaters. After his decade-long stint on the show, he landed some small roles here and there but mostly appeared as himself for nostalgia’s sake.

His credits post-Cheaters include Charlie: A Toy Story (2013) and the television show Hot Package “Sex and Violence” (2015).

 

He’s had recurring roles on the television series Ghostbreakers from 2011-2016 as himself and has appeared in various product and service commercials. He also hosted Netflix Cheaterz in 2017, a parody surrounding the issue of Netflix cheating.

In 2020, Joey works as a fitness trainer and real estate agent.

Actors are not obligated to continue acting once they’re out of a gig and some choose to pursue other careers. This is true of Joey Greco. He is a counselor, a fitness trainer, and, if you live in Dallas, Texas, then chances are that Joey could be your new real estate agent!

That’s right, Joey works for Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty. He appears to have some decent testimonials, too.

Although Joey spends most of his time on real estate, there is a chance that you’ll catch him in some form on TV, either in commercials or perhaps as the occasional host of a reality show. The fact is, there isn’t any "news" about Joey.

He lives a seemingly unbothered life down in Texas, and sorry, he won’t even be returning to host the latest seasons of Cheaters — and we don't blame him.

Credit: Reese Watson

Monday, July 4, 2022

Roundups #73: Cartoon Network Delays The Final Season Of Summer Camp Island, eReality Working On Pregnancy Based Series Inhlawulo Damages And The Season Finale Of Bridal Material On Zee World Alongside Returning Series This Is Fate

Summer Camp Island's weird delay

The sixth and final season of Summer Camp Island has been postponed until next year. New episodes of the acclaimed Cartoon Network Studios series were scheduled to appear on HBO Max on June 9, but the streamer mysteriously delayed the new episodes on June 6. Creator Julia Pott told fans that the reason for the delay does not have to do with the show itself.

One fan asked if there was a reason for the delay, but she could not explain. "Unfortunately not allowed to share but it's just logistical things and nothing to do with the show itself," the Adventure Time veteran wrote . When another fan asked if anyone asked for a delay because of the content, Pott said no. "We will still tell all our stories about time," she wrote .

Summer Camp Island launched on Cartoon Network in 2018 and moved to HBO Max for its second season in June 2020. The show centers on friends Oscar Peltzer, an elephant, and Hedgehog, a hedgehog, who were dropped off at a magical summer camp at the start of the series.

eReality is looking for parents to be

Do you feel it's finally time for the father of your child to pay damages? Are you expecting a child and in the process of paying inhlawulo to the mother of the child? Pregnant and in the process of revealing it to the father's family in order to pay inhlawulo then eReality has got a show for you.

 

Inhlawulo Damages premieres Sunday 17 July at 19:00 on eReality's eKasi block.

This Is Fate returns to Zee World

Bridal Material is set to come to a close on July 6th as when Dolly accuses Maahi for putting Meera’s life in danger, Vivaan reveals that Maahi is his daughter. As Vivaan prays in front of his mother’s photograph for help, the photograph falls and Vivaan finds a map behind it...

From July 7th, This Is Fate returns to Zee World replacing Bridal Material as Preeta's serene life turns chaotic when Karan marries her under unconventional circumstances. However, as a dutiful wife, she vows to nurture and protect her new family from those out to destroy them.

Friday, June 3, 2022

Killer Clown: The Story Of John Wayne Gacy

Who Was John Wayne Gacy?
John Wayne Gacy was an American serial killer and rapist who took the lives of at least 33 young males in Cook County, Illinois, burying most under his house. Other bodies were recovered from the nearby Des Plaines River.

Sometimes known as the “Killer Clown" for his habit of dressing in a clown costume and makeup, Gacy had an abusive childhood and struggled with his homosexuality. After being convicted of sexual assault in 1968, Gacy's murders were discovered.

Early Life
Gacy was born on March 17, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. The son of Danish and Polish parents, Gacy and his siblings grew up with an alcoholic father who would beat the children with a razor strap if they were perceived to have misbehaved. His father physically assaulted Gacy's mother as well.

 
 

Gacy's sister Karen would later say that the siblings learned to toughen up against the beatings, and that Gacy would not cry.

Gacy suffered further alienation at school, unable to play with other children due to a congenital heart condition that was looked upon by his father as another failing. He later realized he was attracted to men, and experienced great turmoil over his sexuality.

Career, Wife & Kids
Gacy worked as a fast-food chain manager during the 1960s and became a self-made building contractor and Democratic precinct captain in the Chicago suburbs in the 1970s.

Well-liked in his community, Gacy organized cultural gatherings and was active in political organizations and the Jaycees civic group. He was married and divorced twice and had two biological children (in addition to two stepdaughters).

Clown
Gacy was a member of a Chicago-area "Jolly Joker" clown club and frequently performed in clown attire and makeup at children's parties, charity fundraisers and other events as his alter egos "Pogo the Clown" or "Patches the Clown."

 
 

The “Killer Clown" sometimes lured his victims with the promise of construction work or some other ruse, and then captured, sexually assaulted, tortured and eventually strangled most of them with his hands or with rope.

Years later, during a conversation with detectives while he was under surveillance, Gacy discussed his work as a clown, remarking, “Clowns can get away with murder.”

Sexual Assaults and Murders
In 1968, Gacy was convicted of sexually assaulting two teen boys and given a 10-year prison sentence. He was released on parole in the summer of 1970, but was arrested again the following year after another teen accused Gacy of sexual assault. The charges were dropped when the boy didn't appear during the trial.

By the middle of the 1970s, two more young males accused Gacy of rape, and he would be questioned by police about the disappearances of others. Gacy referred to this period of his life as his “cruising years,” when he committed most of his murders.

On December 11, 1978, 15-year-old Robert Piest went missing. It was reported to police that the boy was last seen by his mother at a drugstore where he worked before he headed out to meet Gacy to discuss a potential construction job.

 
 

Ten days later, a police search of Gacy's house in Norwood Park, Illinois, uncovered evidence of his involvement in numerous crimes, including murder. It was later discovered that Gacy had committed his first known killing in 1972, taking the life of 16-year-old Timothy McCoy after luring the youth to his home.

After a lengthy period of police surveillance and investigation — and the discovery of several trenches filled with human remains in the crawl space beneath his house — Gacy eventually confessed to killing about 30 people.

Victim No. 24
Over the years, there have been lingering concerns that Gacy may have been responsible for the deaths of other people whose bodies have yet to be found. And when police uncovered human remains in Gacy’s house in 1978, eight bodies could not be identified.

More recently, Cook County authorities used DNA evidence to identify Gacy’s unidentified victims. In 2017, one of those men, “Victim No. 24,” was identified as 16-year-old James "Jimmie" Byron Haakenson.

In 1976, Haakenson left his home in St. Paul, Minnesota, and traveled to Chicago to begin life in the city. On August 5, he called his mother to let her know he had arrived; however police believe Gacy killed him shortly thereafter.

In 1979, Haakenson’s mother had contacted authorities to find out if her son was one of Gacy’s victims, but she didn’t have dental records and the department lacked sufficient resources to identify him as a victim.

Haakenson’s mother died in the early 2000s, but other family members provided DNA samples in 2017, and authorities made an immediate match to “Victim No. 24.”

Trial & Insanity Plea
Gacy's trial began on February 6, 1980. With Gacy having confessed to the crimes, the arguments were focused on whether he could be declared insane and thus remitted to a state mental facility.

Gacy had told police that the murders had been committed by an alternate personality, while mental health professionals testified for both sides about Gacy's mental state.

After a short jury deliberation, Gacy was ultimately found guilty of committing 33 murders, and he became known as one of the most ruthless serial killers in U.S. history. He was sentenced to serve 12 death sentences and 21 natural life sentences.

Execution
Gacy was imprisoned at the Menard Correctional Center in Illinois for almost a decade and a half, appealing the sentence and offering contradictory statements on the murders in interviews.

Though he had confessed, Gacy later denied being guilty of the charges and had a 900 telephone number set up with a 12-minute recorded statement declaring his innocence.

As both anti-death penalty forces and those in favor of the execution made their opinions known, Gacy died by lethal injection on May 10, 1994, at the Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill, Illinois.

John Wayne Gacy's Art
While imprisoned at the Menard Correctional Center, Gacy took up studying the visual arts, especially painting. His paintings were shown to the public via an exhibition at a Chicago gallery. Many of his paintings depict Gacy as “Pogo the Clown.”

 
 

In 2017, Mullock’s Auctions in Shropshire, U.K., auctioned off a number of Gacy’s artwork as well as crime scene pictures from Gacy’s trial. Three of Gacy’s paintings, including two originals of “I’m Pogo the Clown” and “They Call Him Mr. Gacy,” sold for £4,000 and £325, respectively. Eight other works went unsold.

Movie
A 1992 television movie titled To Catch a Killer explored the efforts to find out what happened to the missing teenage boys who were later discovered to be among Gacy’s victims.

The movie, starring Brian Dennehy, Michael Riley and Margot Kidder, was nominated for an Emmy award for Dennehy’s performance. According to Dennehy, Gacy wrote a letter to him from prison, protesting his portrayal in the film and proclaiming his innocence.

John Wayne Gacy’s House
Gacy's house was located at 8213 W. Summerdale Ave. in Norwood Park, just east of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. On several occasions, visitors and family members reported that the house had an unusual stench, which Gacy attributed to mold or rodents.

 

A simple, one-story ranch house in a middle-class neighborhood, Gacy had outfitted his home with a trap door leading to a crawl space beneath the house, where he would dispose of many of his victim’s bodies. Others were buried in the backyard or dumped in the nearby Des Plaines River.

In 1978, with Gacy under arrest, the house was dismantled in an effort to find more evidence. The following year, the house and all structures on the property were demolished, and a new house was eventually built on the property.

According to one worker involved in the demolition of Gacy’s house, “If the devil's alive, he lived here.”

Monday, May 30, 2022

eMedia Investment's Financial Reports: Viewership, Finances And More Channels

eMedia’s Financial Performance
For the year ending 31 March 2022, eMedia has experienced a resounding bounce back in its fnancial performance after the impact of the pandemic on businesses and the economy generally. This resounding bounce back is evident in a signifcant increase in proft from continued operations of R426.4 million as compared to the previous year’s proft of R138.5 million.

The year’s proft is also signifcantly better than the pre-COVID-19 year fiscal which ended in March 2020, which ended with an adjusted proft after adding back the goodwill impairment of R241.6 million. This fscal as compared to the pre-COVID-19 March 2020 proft shows a R184.8 million increase or a 76.5% increase and as compared to March 2021 is R287.9 million more and 207.9% better.

Revenue and Market Share
The Group’s revenue for the fiscal of R3.2 billion is the highest ever achieved, underscored by an increase in television advertising revenue to R2.1 billion. The television advertising revenue ended 39% better than the prior year and approximately 15% better than the market.

 
 

The Group beneftted from the resurgence of television advertising revenues as compared to the pandemic affected years which experienced a decline in advertising spend. This beneft in advertising revenues can be attributed to an increase in the Group’s prime time audience market share from 29.6% in March 2021 to 34.1% in March 2022, an increase of 15.2%.

Further analysis of the Group’s market share reveals an increase in both shoulder and prime time. The share ended at 31.8% and 34.1% respectively, making the Group the biggest broadcaster in audience share in both categories in South Africa.

e.tv
The increase in audience market share has driven up eTV’s advertising revenue. e.tv’s local dailies such as Imbewu, Scandal, House of Zwide and Durban General have driven the surge in market share in prime time. Edged on by this, management have invested in another local daily soap at 9.30 pm called The Black Door. With a few schedule changes Management is confdent of increasing market share.

e.tv may well be affected by the imminent analogue switch of facing the country but the group is confdent that the audience share will be carefully managed. At present the Group is awaiting a Constitutional Court decision on whether the switch off would be delayed giving more time to assist ordinary South Africans to be well accommodated and not be left without TV.

 
 

Openview
There has also been an improvement in the ratings of the other six channels produced by the group. eExtra, eMovies Extra and eReality rank in the top 15 of all satellite channels available in South Africa. A few more channels will be launched on the Openview platform.

This DTH unit of the business accounted for 21.9% of the advertising revenue amounting to R468.1 million which is up from R269.6 million in the previous year. Proftability in this unit has been achieved for the frst time with content costs for the fscal being pegged at R446.3 million.

The distribution of the four Openview entertainment channels on Multichoice, which contributed to the Group’s audience and revenue share, is presently under investigation by the Competition Commission after non-renewal of the channel carriage agreement. At the time of this report the channels remain on the Multichoice bouquet as a decision is yet to be received.

The set-top box activations for Openview are increasing on a monthly basis from an average of 35 000 per month to 40 000 per month. At the end of the period a total of 2 774 454 boxes were activated.

 

Technological advancements being the focus of the business will bring in the next upgraded phase of the Openview set-top box, a smarter set-top box which will have memory facilities and Wi-Fi capability.

eNCA
The news channel, eNCA, is the most watched news channel in the country, although it’s not offered on all tiers of the DSTV bouquet, whereas the competition is on all tiers. The advertising revenue targets were achieved through the pandemic affected years while its costs were carefully maintained.

The group has secured a further fve year agreement with Multichoice for the carriage of eNCA. The channel will remain exclusive to Mutichoice.

eVOD
In August 2021 eMedia launched an OTT platform, eVOD which has been well accepted in its target market. The number of registered viewers to date has been very encouraging with the average daily minutes viewed in excess of 1 000 000. The eOriginals offering on eVOD is the leading audience generator on eVOD making the group bullish about investing a further R100 million in local original content which will be amortised across the Group’s platforms and channels.

 

Other Subsidiaries
All of the groups subsidiaries which include Media Film Service, Sasani Studios, The Refnery, Cape Town Film Studios and YFM have posted better results having recovered from the COVID-19 years and all have returned to proftability.

Costs
Administrative and other costs have been well maintained although an increase of 19.7% has been revealed. This increase is mainly due to certain companies within the Group returning to 100% of salaries after reductions in the period of lockdowns and an increase in marketing activities after the lull brought on by the pandemic.

Cost of sales, which mainly consists of the cost of content, in the case of e.tv and employee costs in the case of eNCA, increased from R1 494.2 million to R1 748.1 million. Much of this increase is because of the bold step of introducing a new prime time daily “soap”, Durban General which launched in October 2020. This calculated risk was rewarded by the outstanding performance of the programme in its time slot. The fnancial year has also seen another new “soap”, House of Zwide replace Rhythm City. House of Zwide improved the group’s market share in the time slot. This increase in share of both of the new soaps underwrites an increase in revenue.

Proftability
The only asset of the group is a 67.69% interest in eMedia Investments the company that owns etv, eNCA, Openview, eVOD among other businesses.
The Group ended the year with a net proft of R420.8 million, which is inclusive of the loss of R5.6 million relating to discontinued operations, made up of losses from operations that the Group has considered non-essential and will be exiting or closing in the next fnancial year.

 
 

The above proft should be viewed in the context of the proft of the prior year of R107.9 million and an adjusted proft of R225.0 million in the year ended 31 March 2020. The year before the impact of the pandemic.

Earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortization for the Group ended on R677.9 million compared to R302.9 million in the prior year, a 123.8% increase year-on-year.

Conclusion
The Group is forging ahead with numerous technology advances and strategic planning to continue to be the audience share market leader. The investment in Openview provides the Group with the strategic flexibility and is the plan to address the challenges of the transition that digital migration brings with it.

With the closure of non-core assets, the Group is now focused on its core business of broadcasting, content creation, platform advancements and a granular focus on technology that improves broadcasting.

Friday, May 13, 2022

The Tragic Story Of Charles Manson Jr.

The name of infamous cult leader Charles Manson casts a long shadow on those close to him. No one knows this fact better than Manson's grandson Jason Freeman.  In an interview with CNN back in 2012, he spoke about what it was like growing up under a "family curse" that was started by his grandfather and the Manson Family. Manson had often claimed that he had no idea how many children he had fathered but it has been confirmed that he had at least three boys.

His eldest son, Charles Manson Jr., was born in 1956 when the criminal mastermind became a first-time father with his first wife Rosalie Jean Willis. He was, however, not the most present father and left the family home when his son was still very young.

As Manson Jr. got older, he struggled to come to terms with the heinous crimes his infamous father had committed. This made such an impact on him that he unofficially changed his name to Jay White so that other's would not associate him with his father.

 

Freeman, who is a 6-foot-2 kickboxer and cage fighter, told CNN in the interview: "I'm coming out." He also said that he was doing it because he wanted the real Manson family members to stop hiding. Freeman also said that he wanted to understand his roots and himself better.

He knew when he was very young that Charles Manson was his grandfather but it did not mean anything to him until one day, in his 8th-grade history class. Freeman said: "Our teacher was talking about Charles Manson and I'm looking around like, are there people staring at me?"  

He was then banned from talking about his cult leader grandfather to his school friends to prevent them from teasing or taunting him. This made him always feel different from the other children and even inside his own home the talk of his grandfather was not allowed. Freeman was also not allowed to talk to his grandmother, Rosalie, about her husband, whom she married in 1955. It was definitely a skeleton in the closet through most of his life.

 

More than anything in this world, Freeman wanted to connect with an absent father whom he only knew through a rare letter that was sent to him. He believes that Manson Jr. changed his name to Jay White just so that he could stay away from his father and to not blemish his son's childhood the same way his childhood had been. Freeman told CNN in 2012: "He just couldn't let it go. He couldn't live it down. He couldn't live down who his father was."

White, who was unlucky enough to get the name Charles Manson Jr., took his own life on June 29, 1993, on a lonely stretch of highway in Burlington, Colorado, which is a little to the west of the Kansas state line. The death certificate seems to give a few hints as to why he chose the particular spot and what it was that finally pushed him to commit suicide. The document has also indicated that the suicide happened at around 10:15 am from a "self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head" at "exit 438 on Interstate 70".

 

Freeman, who is an avid wrestler, fighter, and tattoo lover, works on oil rigs in western Pennsylvania to provide for his family. He is generally a tough guy but always gets very emotional when it comes to the father he never met. This is the case especially when it comes to what he went through as a child. He reportedly fought back tears when asked what he would like his father to know and said: "I want him to know that he missed out on a lot."

Freeman specifically says that he wished his father was there to meet his grandchildren and see the life that his son has managed to build for himself. He concludes the interview by saying: "I see my kids, you know, and that's kinda where I get shook up. I would hate to see them grow up without a father. That's important. Very important."

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Roundups #48: Ellen's Game Of Games Makes Its Free-To-Air Debut On eReality, Vice TV Calls Its Quits For Dark Side Of The Ring And Disney Junior Announce Four New Series

Ellen is now on eReality

Earlier in the year, the controversial talk show host wrapped production of Game Of Games which was currently seen on M-Net saw contestants play in one of four preliminary games. The winner
of each game advances to the semi-final round for a chance to win $100,000.

Through several ads, it was confirmed that the cancelled game show would be made available to eReality from the 29th May at 6pm - eMedia basically proved MultiChoice's hypothesis with them duplicating their offering.

 
 

Dark Side Of The Ring canned???

The news comes as a bit of a surprise, as Dark Side of the Ring had become the most-watched series in Vice's history. Its third season was even given a supersized order of 14 episodes, up from the 10 given to season 2 and only six episodes for season 1. The docuseries had also garnered acclaim from critics and viewers.

Meltzer claims that the series was likely canceled due to controversy stemming from season 3. In particular, the "Plane Ride from Hell" episode had drawn some criticism as there were "inconsistencies" in some stories told, perhaps with wrestlers mixing up details from that infamous plane ride with others that had happened around that time.

 

The producers are teaming up with Dwayne Johnson's Seven Bucks Productions to develop a new wrestling-based docuseries for the network. It is said to follow the territory days of pro wrestling that were around before Vince McMahon's WWF (now WWE) completely changed the business in the 1980s.

Disney Junior greenlit four series

Disney Junior has unveiled new original content, including four series and two shorts, that will be launching across the preschool channel and Disney+ through 2024.

Hey A.J., based on the books by Martellus Bennett, is produced by LA-based Surfing Giant Studios in association with Disney Junior. The series features seven-year-old girl A.J., who uses her imagination to find excitement in ordinary activities. Bennett, Jeff “Swampy” Marsh and Michael Hodges will serve as EPs.

 

The kidscaster is also teaming up with Dublin-based Brown Bag Films on Robogobo. The series follows a group of adopted pets who become superheroes with the help of robo-suits from a kid inventor named Jax. Robogobo is being developed for TV by Matt Hoverman, who is also a co-EP and story editor, while creator Chris Gilligan also serves as an EP and supervising director.

LA-based Oddbot Entertainment will bring Broadway to the classroom with Kindergarten: The Musical, a co-pro with Disney Junior. The series enters the world of five-year-old Birdy who tackles everyday challenges by expressing her emotions through musical numbers. Creators Michelle Lewis and Charlton Pettus will serve as EPs along with ​​Tom Warburton, Kay Hanley, and Dan Petty. Co-EP Laurie Israel is also attached as story editor.

The kidcaster is also co-producing SuperKitties with New York- and London-based Silvergate Media to tell the story of four superhero kittens who take on bad guys and hope to make Kittydale a “pawesome” place. Creator Paula Rosenthal will serve as EP with Kirk Van Wormer attached as co-EP.

Tuesday, April 12, 2022

eMedia Investments Launches A New Sports Channel On Its Streaming Service, Might Be Added Onto eReality

360 Sport is one of South Africa's leading live streaming companies that specialise in streaming sports for event owners whose content is not on major networks like SuperSport which can be deemed expensive.

360 Sport ran a TV show on the defunct News And Sport channel on the Openview platform which went off air earlier in the month with further sports programming added onto eReality and the newly launched Xposed.

 

Of course, 360 Sport wasn't present in the lineup likely due to this new distribution agreement with eMedia Investments which sees several content from the brand such as Simola Hillclub, Battle Of The Warriors and National Blackball Federation.

360 Sport joins Microblast TV as one of the few channels that can't be viewed on the Openview platform. eMedia Investments is competing with other brands such as Showmax, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, VIU and the soon-to-be-launched Disney+.

It only seems logical for the brand not put all their eggs in one basket.

You can also find me through the other platforms by pressing this link in brackets (Lnk.Bio).