News Shorts: eMedia Investments Allocates Two Radio Stations Jacaranda FM And Smile FM To Openview, Disney Channel To Launch Third Local Production Across Africa Wandi & Kabz And SoundCity Scoops Up Several Nollywood Films From Trybe TV

eMedia Investments is expanding the audio lineup on Openview

Jacaranda FM is a South African radio station, broadcasting in English and Afrikaans, with a footprint that covers Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the North West Province. The station's format is mainstream with programming constructed around a playlist of hit music from the 1980s, 1990s and now.

It is available on channel 602

Smile 90.4 FM is a bilingual (English and Afrikaans) adult contemporary radio station, broadcasting to the greater Cape Town Metropole and surrounding areas, including Paarl, Stellenbosch and Somerset West. Smile 90.4FM’s listeners are affluent, family orientated, enjoy a healthy lifestyle and care for their community at large.

It is available on channel 609.

Disney Channel to allocate more local content in the coming month

During the month, Disney Channel unveiled two local productions Kiff and Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire (streaming on Disney+ prior to its debut) with Disney Junior geared up to rollout their first local production Kiya And Kimoja Heroes in the coming month.

Also joining Kiya And Kimoja Heroes in September will be a 5 minute educational segment on the Disney Channel titled Wandi & Kabz.

Neither Disney or MultiChoice were able to provide further details about the segment but from what we've gathered it's likely a historical or biographical segment highlighting selected individuals with the first episode revolved on political activist Charlotte Maxeke.

SoundCity scoops up content from Trybe TV

SoundCity was launched in 2009 by Consolidated Media Associates as a Pan-African urban music and lifestyle channel. Beginning as a TV show promoting local musical acts, the brand was added to MultiChoice's DStv in 55 markets across Africa.

Consolidated Media Associates reaches 100 million households with brands like Spice TV for consumers across Africa alongside West African brands like Trybe TV, Televista, VillageSquare TV, OnTV Nigeria, OnMax, Urban96 Radio Network, Access 24 and Televise TV.

During the week, SoundCity registered several projects from Trybe TV including Top 5 Stars, Director Profile, One On One, Upclose and Personal, Behind The Scene, Morili, Heroes and Long Game. It's currently unknown why some of Trybe TV's titles is being listed under the channel.

Maybe it's CMA's way of trying to make their content accessible in other countries. Another could be that MultiChoice is looking to cut down on more channels in the last months several local channels like Novela Magic, ROK GH and Maisha Magic Movies (SA only) were axed.

New Snakes. New City. New City. Snakes In The City Returns This SSSSeptember On National Geographic Wild Across Africa

National Geographic Wild's "Snakes in the City" has maintained its status as a cherished favourite among audiences for years. The exhilarating show features herpetologists Simon Keys and Siouxsie Gillett, who respond to calls for assistance in capturing and releasing snakes from homes and buildings in and around Durban. Last season, the pair were joined by local snake wrangler Mbali Mtshali. When the ninth season premieres across Africa on Sundays at 18:00 (CAT) from 3 September, the team will extend their abilities facing new snakes, in a new city, in eight new episodes. 

The bustling, coastal metropolis of Durban was once a lush jungle, teeming with black mambas, spitting cobras, green mambas, huge pythons, night adders, bush snakes and boomslangs. It’s their territory and humans built a city right on top of it. Today, the jungle may be gone, but the snakes are here to stay! In the height of Summer, the heat and humidity bring thousands of snakes out of hiding, into direct conflict with the 3.5 million inhabitants of this city. To the relief of those who call, Simon, Siouxsie, and Mbali, experts in animal behaviour, track down and capture some of the world’s most venomous snakes. 

They’re on call 24/7 and are there to help. Whether it’s a harmless house snake, a garden hose or a deadly black mamba, each and every call is answered. Once the snakes are caught, they’re checked, nurtured and rehabilitated before being releases back in the wild - far away from humans! 

This season, Simon and Siouxsie receive a call for help from the residents of the beautiful and historical city of Mysore in India. Here, they join forces with renowned local snake enthusiast, wildlife conservationist and lecturer, M. S. Balasubramania, popularly known as ‘Snake Shyam’. The team assist Shyam on his daily callouts for problem snakes found at people’s homes farms, offices and factories during the monsoon season. Simon and Siouxsie will go up against snakes they’ve never dealt with before - including the common krait, the saw-scaled viper, the Russel’s viper, Indian cobras, enormous, reticulated pythons and the infamous King cobra!

Back home, Mbali holds the fort and continues to provide snake support for Durban residents. In the process, she faces new challenges, and goes on to catch her first spitting cobra and her first black mamba on her own, a feat for any snake catcher. 

Snakes in the City is produced by Earth Touch for National Geographic.

How to tune in:

National Geographic Wild: 

DSTV: Channel 182

StarSat: 221 on DTH, 210 on DTT (250 on DTT in Uganda)

Development Alert: Roekeloos Dade Moves To eExtra For Season 2, Replaces Winter Son This October

During the month, e.tv unveiled the family drama Annekan Die Swa Kry in place of the first season of Roekeloos Dade. With questions amounting to the when e.tv will continue with a season 2 and this comes after Burcu Biricik (the lead actress) hoped onto eExtra's Chrysalis.

As doing some digging around, it has been revealed that e.tv decided to part ways with the show (for unknown reasons) with questions amounting to the future of Annekan Die Swa Kry. Following eMedia's streamlining of the brand, e.tv hasn't completed most of their programs.

The final seasons of Doodsondes are currently streaming on eVOD and earlier in the year the final episodes of Durban Gen were added on eExtra. Several international shows like Magnum Pi and The Goldbergs are being transmitted on eXposed which leads us to question the show.

MultiChoice plans to axe eExtra alongside eMedia's 3 other channels currently viewed on the Openview platform after their current extension expires. It had already been evident that consumers struggle to keep up with this offering and why this would affect DStv is simple.

40% of eMedia Investments' revenue and most likely viewers reside within the DStv platform. eMedia Investments not viewing any of these shows on e.tv as a priority does put them in a precarious position as consumers will likely just flee or in their hopes get Openview. 

As for the second season of Roekeloos Dade, it will return to eExtra this October replacing Winter Son. As for Annekan Die Swa Kry, like I said that's probably a goner as well it would fit the 18:00 timeslot once Elif ends in 2025 seeing as it is a family drama.

Development Alert: uBettina Wethu Cancelled After 3 Seasons On SABC 1, Revived For A Season 4 On e.tv And VIU

A few months ago, it was learnt by the public broadcaster that 7de Laan would end their 26 year run on SABC 2 with the last episode slated for 26 December 2023. Despite being one of the few shows reel in a million viewers SABC can't afford to keep it on the air.

It was also learnt that the public broadcaster that more shows (including ones as popular as 7de Laan) would get the boot. As seen this various media outlets, uBettina Wethu will be ending it's run on SABC 1 with a fourth season slated for e.tv in the coming week.

Based on the Colombian drama Betty Y Soy, uBettina Wethu followed a naïve rural girl who gets a job working for one of Johannesburg's most eligible bachelors. Determined to take charge of her life, she embraces strategic decision-making, self-discovery, and personal growth.

The series became a rating success on SABC 1 but amidst its debut on e.tv, the viewership began to plunge and following e.tv's induction the show is nowhere to be seen on TAMS top 20 likely due to its telecast on SABC 1 which kind of puts the show in a precarious position.

Seeing as the show would depart on SABC 1 and e.tv had spent most of the year rehashing past episodes. Could the fourth season be its last as not a lot of marketing being poured into this show and most consumers would probably think that e.tv is rehashing it for the rest of 2023.

Now that we know that uBettina Wethu was the next program by the public broadcaster to get the boot. Could Takalani Sesame be next as eMedia Investments had scooped it up for their linear platforms during the year and the public broadcaster is reviewing each asset.

New Channel Alert (NOT REALLY): CBeebies Coming This September To Zuku TV

Zuku, an East African brand operated by Wananchi Group established with the aim of making quality home entertainment and communication services in partnership with BBC Studios had announced the addition of CBeebies.

CBeebies is a British based preschool channel featuring animation like Bluey, Thomas And Friends, Shaun The Sheep and Noddy alongside other shows like Yakka Dee, Mister Maker and Andy's Wild Adventure.

Alongside the as mentioned brand, BBC Studios is also home to BBC Brit, BBC Earth, BBC Lifestyle and BBC UKTV all of which are packaged by MultiChoice's DStv.

In other developments, MultiChoice had extended their content agreement with BBC Studios increasing the duration of select shows on the DStv app and also making BBC Lifestyle and BBC UKTV accessible to more DStv households.

Press Release: Hit Series Lord Of The Skies Returns To Telemundo Africa In October For Season 8

NBCUniversal International Networks & Direct-To-Consumer today announced the return of Lord of the Skies, with Season 8 premiering on Monday 2 October 22:00 (CAT) on Telemundo Africa, with episode available immediately after on Universal+. Each 50-minute episode of season 8 will air daily on Telemundo Africa with the Season finale airing on the 31 December 2023.

The fictional drama based on a true story – tells how Aurelio Casillas (Rafael Amaya) became one of the most powerful drug lords who is notorious for transferring drug substances to Mexico, Colombia, and the United States in the 1990s. Casillas builds his path to the top of the narco business, infiltrates the government and spends time in a high security jail, all while maintaining his power and controlling his enemies – including new adversaries in the underground business and his own family members. In season 8, Aurelio Casillas who supposedly died in S7 gets taken by mysterious forces from his last resting place. The DEA has him and they are the only ones who know that Aurelio is alive, hiding him in the desert. In enacting his plan of revenge, Aurelio establishes connections with old allies, faces new romances and uncovers family mysteries.

The ensemble cast includes Carmen Aub, Iván Arana, Isabella Castillo, Alejandro López, Rubén Cortada, África Zavala and Yuri Vargas, with the special appearances of, Robinson Diaz and Salvador Pineda.

Lord of the Skies, created by Luis Zelkowicz, was produced in April 2013 by US Telemundo Studios.

Lord of the Skies returns to Telemundo Africa for Season 8. Episodes to air daily from Monday 2 October at 22:00 CAT premiering on Telemundo Africa, with episodes available Immediately after on Universal+

Will Zee Zonke Be Available Outside Of South Africa?

During the week, it was reported that Zee Entertainment Enterprises would be rolling out a localised version of Zee Marathi titled Zee Zonke. Targeted toward Southern Africa, it would supply various Bollywood dramas in Zulu audio and English subtitles. 

The channel would start out with four dramas, Umakwapheni (Majhya Navaryachi Bayko), Imfihlo (Tula Pahate Re), We Mamezala (Aggabai Sunbai) and Onesipho (Nayan - Jo Vekhe Unvekha) with more content currently in the pipeline.

Since news of the potential new channel came out, Zee Zonke has garnered a lot of mixed signals mostly for the choice in audio with some even skeptical to explore the offering. But news of such channel doesn't come as a surprise seeing as they dubbed various shows on Zee World.

And also, Zee TV was rumoured to be developing such channel back in 2022 alongside various other channels one in Hausa and another Swahili.

Taking account the language illustrated on the channel, Zee Zonke might not be viewable in certain if not most parts of Africa including Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya. Unlike Zee One, none of the content can be viewed on Zee World with select shows on Zee TV.

If I had to guess why this channel can't be seen in these regions, it may be as mentioned the language and another could be that the channel is rolling out in phases maybe Zee TV is experimenting in South Africa and the outcome there will determine its fate elsewhere.

I mean the idea doesn't seem far fetched considering Zee World had dubbed various shows across Africa in local languages. It's only a matter of time, perhaps on top of reception they're looking to first but build the slate on one brand before doing anything elsewhere.

Reminder: Disney To Close Their Remaining Linear Channels Across Asia In The Coming Months, More Markets Likely To Follow

Disney is to close its six remaining linear TV

channels in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Taiwan

and Korea as the conglomerate puts a greater

emphasis on direct-to-consumer streaming.

The channels concerned are National Geographic,

National Geographic Wild, Star Chinese Movies,

Star Chinese Channel, Star Movies and Star World.

Linear services will end from September in

Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Korea, and by

December in Taiwan.

The group expects to retain a streamlined

television portfolio with channels in Japan, China,

Australia and New Zealand for the time being.

Consumers can continue to access content from

these channels on the conglomerate’s Disney+

and Disney+ Hotstar streaming platforms, which

are now fully rolled out within the Asia-Pacific

region, except China. The twin platforms carry

movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star

Wars, National Geographic and Star, Disney’s

general entertainment brand.

While the moves may help reduce costs and push

consumption onto its D2C businesses, sources

close to the group say that Disney still expects to

grow its media and entertainment businesses –

D2C, theatrical, consumer products and theme

parks – in the region.

The moves were foreshadowed by similar moves

in 2020 and 2021 . Disney closed its sports

channels in Taiwan in 2020. In September 2021, it

closed Fox, Fox Crime, Fox Life, FX, and Channel

V; movie channels Fox Action Movies, Fox Family

Movies, Fox Movies and Star Movies China; sports

channels Fox Sports, Fox Sports 2, Fox Sports 3,

Star Sports 1, Star Sports 2; kids channel Disney

Channel and Disney Junior; factual services Nat

Geo People and SCM Legend. Many of those

channels had been brought into the Disney group

by the 2018 acquisition of 21st Century Fox.

In the five largest markets of Southeast Asia

proper (Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore

and the Philippines) SVOD subscriptions reached

49 million at the end of the first quarter, according

to data from research house Media Partners Asia.

It estimated that, in terms of subscription

numbers, the leading platforms in the first quarter

were Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar with 9.4

million, Viu with 8.5 million, Netflix with 8.0

million and Prime Video at 1.3 million. (A

categorization by revenue might produce a

different ranking.)

Other recent reports have pointed to U.S.-

produced content accounting for only 20% of

video viewing time in the region, eclipsed by

Korea content at 30%. However, since the launch

of the streaming platform, Disney has become a

significant investor in locally-made Asian content.

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero (NES)

The player takes control of a team of three G.I. Joe characters, each with his own specialty. The goal of the game is to navigate through six stages on a mission to finally bring down Cobra.

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From Below (NES)

FROM BELOW is a falling block puzzle game featuring:

Soft Drops

Hard Drops

Wall Kicks

T-Spins

Lock Delay

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The Evil Dead (NES)

The game is set in the cabin from the Evil Dead film. The player controls Ash, and must close cabin windows to prevent monsters from entering, while also killing monsters that are already in the cabin.

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Dragon Ball Z Side Story: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans (NES)

Dr. Raichi is the lone survivor of the Tuffles, a race that once lived on Planet Plant before the invasion of the Saiyans. The Saiyans not only massacred the entire Tuffle race, but also stole their technology and conquered the planet; renaming it Planet Vegeta in honor of their king . Raichi managed to escape and found refuge on the Dark Planet and prepared to eradicate the last remaining Saiyans.

On Earth, he sends devices that emit a substance called Destron Gas that can destroy all life. When Mr. Popo finds out that only a few hours remain until the planet's destruction, Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Trunks, and Piccolo rush to destroy the devices located around the planet. They manage to destroy all but one that is protected by an impenetrable energy barrier. However, Frieza , Cooler , Turles and Lord Slug appear and engage the heroes. It is revealed by King Kai that the villains are ghost warriors and will continually come back to life when killed unless defeated in the same way their lives were originally ended.

The heroes track Dr. Raichi down to the Dark Planet and engage him, discovering that his ghost warriors are generated by a machine called Hatchihyack, a device powered by the hate of the Tuffles. It is also revealed that Dr. Raichi is a ghost warrior himself, generated by Hatchihyack. When Vegeta vaporizes Raichi, preventing him from re-materializing, the hate Dr. Raichi had causes Hatchihyack to exceed its limit. Hatchihyack appears in a powerful android body. Hatchiyack devastates the heroes until the Saiyans, after having transformed into their Super Saiyan forms, combine their powers together into one massive wave of energy, ending the threat.

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Donkey Kong 3 (NES)

Donkey Kong has begun rampaging in Stanley's greenhouse garden and it's up to him to stop the ape from stirring up any more insects that will soon destroy his flowers. Stanley saves the flowers by spraying bug spray on Donkey Kong and exterminating all of the attacking bees.

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Angry Birds (NES)

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1200-In-1 (NES)

The NES 1200 games in 1 apk is specifically designed for Android users. This is a complete collection of all the most adored games of old age in one place.

A collection of 1200 NES games in one game is much more interesting than any other thing for any game lover. The device is small, but it is packed with features and functions.

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The Ren & Stimpy Show: Buckeroo$! (NES)

Stimpy invents the Gametron 5000 Moneymaker which is the first video game machine in the world that rewards the player with money. Ren, who is always on the lookout to get rich, eagerly gets to playing with the video game system on the quest to earn big bucks.

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Amazon Reportedly In Talks To Buy Minority Stake In ESPN From Disney

Recently we learned that Disney was open to selling part of ESPN to a potential partner if the deal was right. This comes from a June interview with CNBC, where Disney CEO Bob Iger said he was open to partnering with other companies to make a new ESPN streaming service work including selling part of ESPN.

This comes as ESPN is working on launching a direct-to-consumer streaming service. This new service would let subscribers watch live ESPN without the need for cable TV.

Since that interview, reports have been flying about who Disney is talking to. Major sports leagues, including the NFL, and rivals like Comcast have all been suggested as potential ESPN Partners. Now, The Information is reporting that Amazon and Disney are in early talks to partner on ESPN’s streaming partnership.

According to the report, Amazon is in talks to possibly offer an ESPN streaming service, likely through its Amazon Channels service. This deal could also see Amazon take a minority stake in ESPN. Amazon has a lot to offer Disney with its ability to stream live events, and a customer base that Disney could use to promote ESPN’s new streaming service.

Amazon is not the only company Disney is reportedly talking to. A few weeks ago, the New York Post reported that Disney has been in talks with media companies such as Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, Verizon, and T-Mobile, to name a few. The goal is reportedly to take advantage of their technology to help expand the reach of ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service.

Last week The Information reported that Verizon and Disney have started talks about a possible partnership with Verizon and ESPN. Verizon could be a great partner for its technology and a possible bundle deal similar to the Disney+ bundle Verizon recently offered to its wireless subscribers.

Disney owns 80% of ESPN, and the rest is owned by Hearst. Disney would likely want to keep as much ownership as possible, but if the right partner comes along it may be open to selling part of the storied sports network.

Recap To The Decade: Disney Channel Resurfaced In The UK Prior To The Channel's 40th Anniversary

Disney Channel was ripped away from from the UK by the end of September 2020 alongside Disney Junior and Disney XD. This coincide with the channels termination in Africa alongside FOX Life with most feeds of Disney XD shuttered before the end of that financial year.

Unlike most Disney feeds across the world, Disney Channel was discontinued in the UK due to carriage disputes with cable providers. At the time, it was also stated that they plan extend distribution agreements for Disney channels in markets where Disney+ is also available.

Of course that may no longer be a priority as Disney is looking to sell their linear platforms in the U.S. which kind of proves several analysts theories about the brand moving away from cable TV so it's likely that more markets particularly in Europe will be joining the Disney Channels in the UK

Disney Channel was a teen centric channel featuring live-action productions like Hannah Montana, Jessie, Descendants and High School Musical alongside animation like Phineas And Ferb, Gravity Falls, Miraculous: Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir and Kim Possible. 

It's popularity led to the creation of preschool brand Disney Junior and male oriented Disney XD. Brands which initially leveraged selected content from the main channel and after seeing a popularity boost included first run programming and films.

Since 2020, Disney has been closing several channels across the world with more territories set to join the UK Disney Channels by end of the current financial year - 31 March 2024. Unlike other parts of the world, the UK Disney Channels have shown some sign of life.

Although they don't exist on linear platforms, Disney Channel's YouTube page remains active featuring clips (if not full episodes) of past productions from their linear counterpart. Compared to other feeds, it's currently unknown whether or if Disney will be looking to close that area soon.

What To Expect On TNT Across Africa In September 2023?

BEYOND THE ILLUSION

Living in South Africa can feel a bit like a movie sometimes, with bizarre plot twists and surprise guest appearances – but our ‘Beyond the Illusion’ movie blocks each Saturday this month take that to another level! Transcend reality, delve into deception and explore a world where nothing is truly ever as it seems. Whether it’s Christian Bale as John Connor taking on T-800 in Terminator Salvation, Jim Carrey living a reality show in The Truman Show, or Arnold Schwarzenegger forced into a battle for his life in the classic The Running Man, this is altered reality on a whole new level.

TUNE IN DETAILS (channel premieres)

Saturday, 2 September         

18:05   –    Terminator Salvation (2009)

20:00   –    The Running Man (1987)

Saturday, 9 September

18:05   –    Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

20:00   –    The Truman Show (1998)

Saturday, 16 September

17:50   –    Last Action Hero (2016)

20:00   –    Minority Report (2002)

Saturday, 23 September

17:55   –    The 6th Day (2000)

20:00   –    Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)

CELEBRATE HERITAGE DAY

In South Africa, we celebrate our heritage with a public holiday – and this year, we get a bonus Monday break too! TNT has you covered with a fantastic comedy film lineup that takes you from the ridiculous to the absurd via the madcap and the strange. It’s the perfect blend of family fun for a well-deserved – and respected – holiday break.

TUNE IN DETAILS (channel premieres)

Sunday, 24 September

13:30   –    Mr Deeds (2002)

15:05   –    Beverly Hills Ninja (1997)           

16:40   –    The Legend of Drunken Master (1994)

18:20   –    Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)

20:00   –    Meet the Parents (2000)

Monday, 25 September

13:50   –    Surf Ninjas (1993)

15:20   –    Yes Man (2008)  

17:05   –    3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998)

18:40   –    Click (2006)

20:30   –    A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)

DJIMON HOUNSOU FAN DAY

We celebrate the amazing talent of Africa’s Djimon Hounsou this month with a dedicated ‘fan day’ featuring some of his best-known work. The Beninese-born actor won acclaim in Steven Spielberg’s Amistad in 1997, and he’s continued to captivate fans for the last quarter of a century in star turns in films like the ones we’ve lined up on 17 September. Watch out for two channel premieres in Biker Boyz and The Legend of Tarzan!

TUNE IN DETAILS (channel premieres)

Sunday, 17 September

13:40   –    King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

15:50   –    Blood Diamond (2006)

18:10   –    Biker Boyz (2003)

20:00   –    The Legend of Tarzan (2016)

Pending Development: My Girlfriend's Father + Tickets + More Local Productions That Have Yet To Be Seen On eVOD

Below is a list of local productions some of which are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. As advised during the year, eMedia Investments had been forming partnerships with various broadcasters to build some of the content viewed on eVOD and e.tv.

This list consists of titles that are awaiting release:

• My Girlfriend's Father: When a guy from the city finds a new girlfriend, he does not know that the fate of their relationship rests in the hands of a snooty patriarch from a royal family. The film debuts 14 September on eVOD.

• Tickets: Young lovers Crystal and Marlyn can’t keep their hands off each other. He dreams of rapping and she dreams of singing on the big stage. What they both actually want, is just a way out of the Flats. Phyllis, Crystal’s Mom, lives with a heavy secret, the burden of hiding it is driving a wedge between her and her daughter.

• Clean Job: Clean Job is the story of a grief stricken, broken young woman named Kimberly, who grows up to be the ruthless master mind behind a criminal syndicate of desperate, poor women from the township, who disguise themselves as domestic workers, to rob rich people living in the suburbs of Johannesburg.

• Klip Anker Baai: A young woman comes back to South Africa to run her late father's fishing company and save her community from losing their livelihood.

• Proof Of Payment: Set in modern day South Africa, Proof of Payment is the story of Themba, a disadvantaged, yet incredibly intelligent, charismatic, yet unscrupulous young man who has perfected the art of conning unsuspecting victims out of their valuables.

Still in development:

• Umbrella Men 2

News Shorts: School Is In Session With Woza Matrics Now On Mzansi Wethu, kykNET & Kie To Debut 5 Namibian Based Films And Glow TV Rumoured Relaunch On The Openview Platform Debunked

Mzansi Wethu enters the classroom

WOZA Matrics is a programme designed to help matrics catch up on their studies and to assist Matrics nationwide with learning materials and study tools via classes broadcast on TV channels, online platforms and radio.

Some of the platforms include DBE TV (on Openview) from 08:00 until 10:00 and 13:00 to 15:00 everyday. The programme will also be available on the DStv Catch Up function on DSTV Now.

As seen this past week, MultiChoice extended the reach of the program to Mzansi Wethu. For a while now, consumers on the platform had to sought out free-to-view platforms with a similar offering on Mindset's Liberty Learn.

,

Namibia is taking over kykNET next month

NBC and MultiChoice partnered up to source out various short films within the region also known as Project Mukorob giving Nambians a platform to share their unique stories and to contribute to the cultural richness of the country.

All films will air on NBC from December 2023 to May 2025.

Five films will be telecast through KykNET and Kie on Sundays at 20:00, starting with "The Funeral" on September 3rd, followed by "Bokwagter" on September 10th, "The Goal" on September 17th, "Wish for Death" on September 24th, and Instant Love on October 1st.

Prime TV IS NOT COMING TO OPENVIEW

During the week, it was reported that eMedia Investments would be adding/relaunch another Bollywood centred brand to the Openview platform, Prime TV (aka Glow TV). This was after a user had spotted the Wikipedia page for Glow TV now known as Prime TV for some apparent reason.

Neither Glow TV or Nismedia were available to comment on the latest development but eMedia Investments debunked news of another Bollywood channel and proclaiming it #FakeNews. Although the news was proven false, viewers are eagerly awaiting the possible return of the channel.

Earlier in the year, Glow TV was phased out from linear platforms and Nismedia was looking to take legal action against eMedia Investments - still no word on how that's going or if it's still on the cards. Since then selected content like The Get Real Talk Show With Denver Naicker had migrated to People's Weather.

As for the news of Prime TV, the idea was probably conceived after consumers on Openview had learnt that MultiChoice would be allocating a third Bollywood channel Zee Zonke to low tiered bouquets. Similar to eExtra's Kuiertyd, the content is dubbed in local languages.

Development Alert: Disney's Saturdays Coming This October To Disney Channel Across Africa, Phineas And Ferb And New Raven's Home Added To The Channel's Fall Lineup

Disney to rollout their first sitcom of 2023

Saturdays follows Paris Johnson, a 14-year-old girl forms the "We-B-Girlz" skate crew with her best friends: Simone and Ari. Together, they are determined to create the hottest skate routines in their local roller rink "Saturdays" and are working to become famous in Chicago, Illinois.

The coming of age comedy stars Danielle Jalade, Daria Johns, Peyton Z. Basnight, Jermaine Harris, Tim Johnson Jr., Golden Brooks, and Omar Gooding.

As mentioned in the headline, Disney Channel has been going through a dry spell with their live-action slate as the channel is saturated with animation (yay) alongside various Disney+ titles we assume the channel could be a gonner as the channel cuts back on programming.

Saturdays airs weekdays at 16:00 from 9 October and the recently added Kiff moves down to almost 2 hours which is 18:05 as Raven's Home forms as a double bill at 16:25 followed by Miraculous Tales Of Ladybug And Catnoir at 17:15.

Weirdly enough, Saturdays will become a double bill later in that month meaning expect more doubles on the Disney Channel.

Another rebroadcast enters the Disney Channel

Phineas And Ferb follows the adventures of stepbrothers Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, who are between eight and ten years old. They live in the fictional city of Danville in an unspecified tri-state area, as they seek ways to occupy their time during their "104 days of summer vacation ". 

Since it's debut, Phineas And Ferb remains as one channel's most successful shows. It conceived several films, spinoffs and merchandise and it was also one of the few shows (alongside Lab Rats and Walk The Prank) to be on Disney XD before the channel's departure.

Interesting to note, Phineas And Ferb resurfaced almost around the same month Disney XD was axed which was 1 September in 8:20 timeslot and three years later it will retain their timeslot a month later being 1 October - kinda weird really about this latest entry.

What To Expect On Warner Bros. Discovery Channels Across Africa In September 2023?

Discovery Channel:

• Shed & Buried

TLC:

• Flipping El Moussas

TNT:

• Myths & Legends

• Beyond The Illusion

• Celebrate Heritage

• Djimon Hounsou Fan Day

Investigation Discovery:

• People Magazine Investigation

• The Curious Case Of Natalia Grace

• Disappeared

• Disappeared: The Bradley Sisters

HGTV:

• Renovation Wild

• Why The Heck Did I Buy This House?

Travel Channel:

• Haunted Towns

Cartoon Network:

• Teen Titans GO!

• Junior

• Teen Titans GO! Vs. Teen Titans

• Lego Super Heroes: The Flash

• Barman Day

Cartoonito:

• Interstellar Ella

• CoComelon

• Beantastic

• Moley

• Rabbids Invasion: Mission To Mars

• Batman Day

Here Are Some Did You Know Facts About

The professional wrestling fraternity was saddened to learn about the demise of the former WWE World Champion Bray Wyatt at the age of 36. He has long been dealing with an undisclosed illness but nobody expected his condition to have deteriorated, this much.

Earlier this month, Fightful Select reported that the illness Wyatt was dealing with was indeed life-threatening. The source also noted how Wyatt contracted COVID-19 earlier this year which exacerbated heart issues for him.

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Bray Wyatt as WWE Champion in 2017 (image courtesy YouTube)

Bray Wyatt as WWE Champion in 2017 (image courtesy YouTube)

Positive progress towards his pro-wrestling return was noted in recent months but he ultimately suffered a heart attack to pass away. As we mourn the death of one of the most entertaining WWE Superstars of the modern era, here are some lesser-known facts about him:

- Real name Windham Rotunda, Bray Wyatt comes from an enriched family with a tremendous history in pro wrestling. He is the son of former WWE wrestler Mike Rotunda who oversaw the company's non-televised house shows for years until the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two of Mike's brothers, Barry Klinton Windham and Kendall Windham were also wrestlers as they followed in the footsteps of their father, Blackjack Mulligan. Even Bray's own brother, Taylor Rotunda was an ex WWE Star best known as Bo Dallas.

- Bray Wyatt returned to WWE last year at Extreme Rules 2022 with an Uncle Howdy character tagged alongside him. This persona was supposed to be played by his brother Bo but WWE never got the opportunity to reveal the identity.

- In real life, both Bray Wyatt and his brother have been attached to either active or former WWE personalities. While Bo is dating active WWE Superstar Liv Morgan, Wyatt has been married to former WWE in-ring announcer JoJo.

Morgan and Bo reportedly run a farm together and they entered a relationship for their love of farming in the first place. As for JoJo, she took a break from the WWE to focus on her personal life with Bray.

- Following his October 2022 return, Bray Wyatt only competed once on WWE TV which was at the Royal Rumble earlier this year, where he defeated LA Knight in a first-time-ever Pitch Black Match presented by Mountain Dew.

WWE arranging a sponsored match for a particular superstar is an example of how Wyatt was over with the WWE Universe. If the WWEShop.com sale is to go by then he was the second-highest merchandise mover.

Being the franchise player of the WWE, Roman Reigns usually covers the top spot while Wyatt overtook him on quite a few occasions with the invention of The Fiend and those puppets from Firefly Funhouse.

The original Wyatt Family gimmick was so popular among the fans that The White/Black Sheep mask sold like hot cake almost a decade ago. Even during his latest return, he moved tons of merch with Uncle Howdy before illness sidelined him.

- Bray Wyatt was one of those very few top WWE Superstars who never had the chance to successfully defend the WWE Championship in a singles capacity. He won the prestigious belt back at Elimination Chamber 2017 PLE.

Just when people thought that WWE was about to give Wyatt his deserved push, Wyatt lost the momentums by dropping the belt to Randy Orton at Wrestlemania 33. Things went worse for him with the follow-up House of Horrors rematch that ended up being a debacle.

Overall, Bray Wyatt is a three-time world champion in the WWE. After 2017, he won the Universal Championship in 2019 as The Fiend only to be victimized by Goldberg. Then in 2020, he regained the title for just seven days before Roman Reigns took it.

Development Alert: Novela F Acquired Rights To Mexican Drama La Tempstad, The Del Monte Dynasty Resurfaces On Telemundo Across Africa

Classic Televisa series resurfaces on another platform

The Tempest (La Tempestad) which serves as a remake to Colombian telenovela La Tormenta follows Marina, a young and beautiful woman who gets fired one day as she tries to help a colleague who's been raped. An unsuspected twist of faith lands her in a car with a mysterious woman Mercedes who offers her a job at a small fishing village. She accepts when her mother's health declines and hopes that the sea side will offer both of them something good. Arriving at the town means that she'll have to meet the captain of La Tempestad, Damian Fabregas.

William Levy and Ximena Navarrete star as the protagonists, while Iván Sánchez, Laura Carmine, and César Évora star as the antagonists.

The series was broadcast on TLNovelas in 2021 and will make its premiere on Novela F on 4 September.

The Del Monte Dynasty is loading on Telemundo

Five adopted brothers Juan, Jose, Pedro, Gaspar and Lucas see how their easygoing life in the countryside is changed by the death of their father Emilio del Monte, who gives part of his land to his only biological child Paula, who comes to claim what belongs to her. Paula begins to interfere with the close bond the brothers have, especially when some of them become attracted to her, especially Juan del Monte. 

The series starred Marlene Favela and Mario Cimarro serve as the protagonist, while José Luis Resendez and Margarita Muñoz star as the protagonist.

A rebroadcast of the Chilean remake airs daily at 08:40 from 6 September.

The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man (NES)

At the beginning of Bartman Meets Radioactive Man, Bart Simpson is at home reading a Radioactive Man comic book only to be shocked as Radioactive Man's sidekick, Fallout Boy, jumps out of it. Fallout Boy tells Bart that he must venture into the comic book universe in order to save Radioactive Man, who is being held captive at the black hole -orbiting prison Limbo Zone. Once inside the comic book world, Bart transforms into his superhero alter ego Bartman and has to defeat three super villains that have stolen Radioactive Man's powers: Swamp Hag, Dr. Crab, and Lava Man. After collecting these powers, Bartman must find Radioactive Man and team up with him to defeat Brain-O the Magnificent, the mastermind behind the evil plot.

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Where's Waldo (NES)

The player's goal is to help Waldo get to the Moon, by finding Waldo in various pictures in order to progress through the game. 

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Amazon's Bestseller I'm Glad My Mom Died By Jeanette McCurdy (PDF)

I'm Glad My Mom Died is a memoir by American writer, director and former actress Jennette McCurdy based on her one-woman show of the same name. The book is about her career as a child actress and her difficult relationship with her abusive mother who died in 2013. It is McCurdy's first book and was published on August 9, 2022, by Simon & Schuster.

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SpongeBob SquarePants Pitch Bible (PDF)

SpongeBob SquarePants, commonly known as the SpongeBob Bible, is the pitch bible for SpongeBob SquarePants . It contains many concepts originally made for the show, but a lot were not included.

The pitch bible is laid out as scientific discoveries from a team of deep sea divers. The research is dedicated to a diver who lost their life due to ocean pressure. The pitch bible starts off detailing the main character, Sponge Boy. It describes his character, how he's different, and his appeal to children. It then shows various drawings of the important buildings and their attributes, with a description of background characters interspersed. After which, A drawing made by Stephen Hillenburg shows a couple on a beach. The woman says "Dave, lets take a moment to talk about the Secondary Characters." It then describes Squidward, Patrick, and Sandy, in that order. A drawing of a tiki saying "other characters is then also seen," followed by drawings and descriptions on Mr. Crabs, Pearl, Plankton, Barnacle Bill, and Mermaid Man. It then describes in further detail, aimed towards executives, of the appeal of Sponge Boy to kids. A comic-style of Sponge Boy is then shown, followed by a Hawaiian background with the text "story ideas for a pilot." Another drawing of Sponge Boy is seen, followed by early plot descriptions and drawings of "Jellyfishing" and "Reef Blower." Another Hawaiian background is shown, now with the text "more story ideas." Then follows plot descriptions for "Mussel Beach," "Squeaky Boots," "Bubblestand," and "Employee of the Month." A drawing of Patrick is shown, followed by more shorter and unnamed story ideas. Another page describing the appeal of Sponge Boy, titled "Why 'SpongeBoy'?" is shown, followed by an image and description of the show pitcher, Stephen Hillenburg. Finally, four drawings depicting various settings in Bikini Bottom are shown, which marks the end of the pitch bible.

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Press Release: Sisonke With Zee Zonke! DStv Brings The Indian Community To DStv Access

Zee Entertainment Launches new isiZulu channel, Zee Zonke on DStv

 

23 August 2023: The home of entertainment, DStv, will be bringing a new channel to viewers screens. Zee Zonke is a 24-hour general entertainment television channel dubbed entirely in isiZulu with English subtitles, coming from Zee Entertainment.

 

Zee Zonke is set to premier on DStv channel 169 from Monday, 28 August 2023 on all DStv Premium, Compact+, Compact, Family and Access.

 

Zee Zonke is a testament to Zee Entertainment’s commitment to innovation and diversity, as it proudly brings captivating content to viewers through the power of language – isiZulu. The channel will debut with an array of riveting series across the week and weekends showcasing romance, drama, action, suspense, and crime.

 

With the many years Zee has been in South Africa, it’s localisation efforts and job creation, the brand has become a household name, one of South Africa’s very own.

 

“Our vision at Zee Entertainment has always been to push the boundaries of innovation and deliver exceptional entertainment experiences. The launch of Zee Zonke marks an exciting milestone for us as we aim to bridge linguistic barriers and provide a unique viewing experience that resonates with diverse audiences, and we feel we have done that with this channel offering in isiZulu" says Somnath Malakar, CEO: ZEE Africa.

 

“We continue to strengthen our partnerships, which in turn strengthens our content offering, therefore, we are extremely excited to introduce Zee Zonke to our viewers. What is extremely special about this channel launch is that we get to bring great  entertainment in isiZulu. As Africa’s most loved storyteller, we are always looking to offer diverse entertainment to our DStv customers and the Zee Zulu offering aims to do just that,” says Georginah Machiridza, Executive Head of General Entertainment Channels at MultiChoice Group.

 

Zee Zonke will give DStv customers never seen before series, seven days a week. Here are some of the thrilling titles to look forward to:

 

 

Zee Zonke will be available on DStv channel 169 from 28 August 2023.

BBC Studios And MultiChoice Strengthen Long-Standing Partnership By Expanding Reach Of BBC Channels On DStv In South Africa

• BBC UKTV expands its potential audience by a further 2.7 million homes by joining DStv Compact.

• BBC Lifestyle joins DStv family for the first time

• The DStv catch-up window for BBC owned content on BBC Brit, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Earth, BBC UKTV and CBeebies will increase from 30 days to 60 days

BBC Studios’ multi-genre channel, BBC UKTV, will expand to DStv’s Compact package and Lifestyle channel, BBC Lifestyle, will join DStv Family from 1st September 2023. BBC Studios’ will also extend the DStv catch-up window on BBC owned content across channel portfolio from 30 days to 60 days from September, providing DStv audiences further access to the best of British content.

BBC Studios’ multi-genre channel, BBC UKTV (DStv channel 134), launched in December 2023 and has proven to be a channel of choice with subscribers to the DStv Family, Access and EasyView packages with its audience share increasing by 79% in its second quarter since launch. BBC UKTV will now also be available in DStv’s Compact package, providing around 8 million families in South Africa access to a variety of entertainment, natural history series, soaps, and children’s shows from BBC Studios’ award-winning catalogue. Shows coming to the channel in September include Shakespeare and Hathaway: Private Investigators, Father Brown Season 3 and Earth's Great Seasons Season 1.

Home to a variety of premium local and entertainment programming, including The Great South African Bake Off Season 4, Listing Jozi and Jamie Oliver Cooking for Less, BBC Lifestyle (channel 174) will be available on DStv Family subscribers for the first time since launch in 2015 in addition to its place in the DStv Compact package. DStv Family subscribers can look forward to Come Dine With Me South Africa Season 9 and Britain’s Most Expensive House Season 2.

BBC Studios’ suite of channels will continue to offer DStv audiences premium programming, now with an increased catch-up window for BBC owned content on DStv catch-up across BBC Brit, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Earth, BBC UKTV and CBeebies, from 30 days to 60 days. Shows include Death in Paradise, Green Planet, The Great British Bake-Off, Hey Duggee and many more.

Pierre Cloete, the Commercial Director at BBC Studios in Africa says “We have a long-standing relationship with Multichoice and are proud of our six incredible BBC channels on the DStv platform. Each channel offers something for everyone with broad genre, trusted quality and international and local talent. I’m so excited to showcase our commitment to going further, broadening the reach of BBC Lifestyle and BBC UKTV and increasing the catch-up window for BBC owned content across our portfolio. This will give even more people in South Africa access to the very best BBC content and I can’t wait for new audiences to find their new favourite shows.”

Arran Tindall, Chief Commercial Officer, EVP, EMEA Key Markets says “We are proud to extend the reach of our portfolio. Adding BBC Lifestyle to Family and BBC UKTV to Compact enables us to reach wider audiences utilizing the richness of the BBC’s content, providing more DStv subscribers access to award-winning shows.”

“We continue to strengthen our content offering, therefore, we are excited about broadening the content scope for our customers,” says Georginah Machiridza, Executive Head of General Entertainment Channels at MultiChoice Group.

Development Alert: Kind Van Die Noodlot And In Die Ysterhand Se Greep Currently Streaming On Showmax, #DisComplicated To Rollout On e.tv

Kind Van Die Noodlot and In Die Ysterhand Se Greep now on Showmax

Last year, kykNET rolled out two international dramas Kind Van Die Noodlot (Belahan Jiwa Kahraman) and In Die Ysterhand Se Greep (Asla Vazgeçmem) through kykNET & Kie. Amidst that period, MultiChoice had an ongoing through a carriage feud with eMedia Investments.

eMedia Investments played a part in their success after rolling out a similar offering in 2018 on eExtra. Since then, over 30 Turkish dramas had been distributed in Afrikaans (4 of which belong to kykNET) and eMedia had rolled out a dedicated channel and OTT platform.

Despite that, MultiChoice is not interested in retaining eExtra alongside their other 3 channels viewed on the Openview platform including eMovies, eMovies Extra and eToonz.

Although we have yet to see kykNET ramp up its own ePlesier type channel or give these shows much exposure on their linear platforms. MultiChoice has however made Showmax the official streaming portai for shows like Kind Van Die Noodlot and In Die Ysterhand Se Greep.

At the moment, Jy Is My Seun and Verbode Liefde aren't available on the platform.

A rebroadcast of #DisComplicated is coming to e.tv

Since Kuiertyd's inception in 2018, eMedia Investments had been using e.tv as a catch-up service for some of their shows. Of course, there are still a selected number of shows which haven't been seen yet on the platform including Om Elke Draai, Impak and Kruispad.

As seen through an updated programme guide, #DisComplicated which serves as another one of those never before seen shows has been allocated in the 8:30 on e.tv in place of Fenix from 30 August.

For those without a DStv and Openview can follow the story of follows Eda Yıldız longing to become a landscape architect. After losing her parents when she was young, this brilliant student pursued her studies with scholarships. However, she crosses paths with Serkan Bolat an obsessive workaholic who jeopardizes her plans.

New Series Alert: SpongeBob SquarePants + The Thundermans + More Nick Classics Make Their Freemium Debut On The eBranded Channels

During the year, eMedia Investments scooped up various content for their linear platforms particularly from Nickelodeon like Dora The Explorer, The Loud House and The Fairly OddParents. Now eMedia is set to expand their stake on Nickelodeon with the following programs:

e.tv

• SpongeBob SquarePants: A yellow sea sponge named SpongeBob SquarePants, who enjoys being a cook at Krusty Krab, lives in the Pacific Ocean. He embarks on various adventures with his friends at Bikini Bottom. The series airs Mondays to Thursdays at 14:30 from 28 August.

eToonz

• Victorious: Tori Vega, a sixteen-year-old girl, finally gets a chance to prove herself and shine away from her sister's shadow after she gets to attend a well-known high school of performing arts. The series airs Wednesdays at 18:00 from 23 August.

• The Thundermans: Max and Phoebe are the Thunderman twins who belong to a super cool family of superhumans. While Phoebe wants to use her abilities for good, Max is hell-bent on becoming a villain. The series airs Friday at 18:00 from 1 September.

• Game Shakers: Babe and Kenzie create a popular application named Sky Whale. However, rapper Double G threatens to ruin their business because he finds out they have been using his song without permission. The series airs Mondays at 18:00 from 28 August.

Pending/Rumoured

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: After getting exposed to a mutant substance, four turtles become giants and start speaking and walking upright. They are trained by a wise rat, Splinter, in order to defeat an evil man, Shredder.

• Henry Danger: Henry Hart, a thirteen-year-old boy works secretly as Kid Danger, a sidekick to superhero Captain Man. He must protect his own exploits from being discovered by his family and friends.

• School Of Rock: Misadventures of Dewey Finn, a rocker who poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school as he teaches his unconventional and overachieving students to play and love rock 'n' roll.

• Sanjay & Craig: The always odd and often gross-out adventures of a young boy named Sanjay Patel and his talking pet snake Craig.

Afrikaans Voice Actors For Winter Son On eExtra

Anton Schmidt as Mazhar

Bradley Oliver as Bora

Insey Cele as Nadide

Stephren Saayman as Burak

Vinette Ebrahim as Fatma

Raynad Slabbert as Efe/Mete

Sue Pyler as Seda

Eloise Cupido as Seda's mom

Dawid Minnaar as Resat

Roderick Jahfta as Yakup

Mortimer Williams as Ismail

Warren Hannelie as Sumru

Liane Heyl as Leyla

Zetske Van Pletzen as Nisan

Dirk Stoltz as Kadim 

Source: Insidus Plus, Die Afrikaans Voice Page