By the end of July, eMedia Investments 4 TV channels primarily eExtra, eMovies, eMovies Extra and eToonz were reinstated on the DStv platform after an intense battle with MultiChoice later in the year over the carriage agreement for these channels.
As advised by the court, MultiChoice will have to put up with these 4 channels for another 6 months meaning the channels would likely have to go off air by either January or February but I'm not expecting them to post any notice.
Earlier in the year, eMedia and MultiChoice went to court in what everyone thought would be a case closed the channels went dark a few hours before their end date so I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled the same trick of rushing their release by next year.
If I had to be honest, I think it would make more sense to keep eExtra seeing as it's the kykNET of eMedia but I'm guessing Kuiertyd isn't enough for them to reconsider unlike eMovies and eToonz now those two had plenty of rebroadcasts but that doesn't mean no one's watching them.
As it is, MultiChoice already allocated the necessary alternatives such as DreamWorks and PBS Kids to their Compact and Easyview customers alongside KIX and Movie Room to their Access customers so I doubt they'd walk away from their decision.
They also boasted about transponder constraints which limits the amount of additions and resorted to retrenchment of channels so yeah I doubt these channels would walk out of this unscathed.
It was also revealed that SABC would be adding 3 channels one of which likely being SABC Education to the DStv platform in the coming future as replacements. SABC doesn't have much of a good history regarding the pay-tv platform.
This upcoming carriage is different as it includes Openview but their channels just wind up not being productive which just leads some viewers to doubt these channels won't just suffer the same fate as SABC Africa and SABC Encore but honestly time will tell with those 3 channels.
The public broadcaster is working on a turnaround plan and as seen with their carriage arrangement with eMedia Investments and the same with MultiChoice when SABC Encore was around we have a long journey ahead.
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