News Shorts: CBeebies Set To Debut Brand New On-Air Look, M-Net Movies Action HQ To Rollout On DStv And Zee World Undergoes Various Schedule Changes

CBeebies is set to align themselves with the rest of the BBC channels

In the UK, BBC Studios has begun phasing out the playful and enthusiastic CBeebies logo for a more bold and plan design. The new logo looks identical to the current BBC Kids and most of their linear channels the change is likely part of another alignment or streamlining strategy from the BBC.

BBC Studios is looking to boost their streamlining endeavours similar to the The Walt Disney Company with more details set to be unveiled later in the year.

M-Net Movies Action is being revived for a limited time

In September 2020, M-Net Movies restructured their movie offering by reducing their 6 movie channels at the time to just 4 each of them numbered with the second being a fusion of Action and Action+ channel. After 2 years, the M-Net Movies Action concept is being revived as a pop-up channel.

The Big Bosses Of Action will air on channel 111 from March 17 to April 2 with catch-up till May 1. Feature films include Die Hard, Unchartered, Tom Gun Maverick, John Wick: Chapter 2 and Taken.

Zee World is bringing more extraordinary to the tele

As seen this past week, Zee World in Southern African markets had their schedules adjusted with Twist Of Fate at 2pm-4pm (double bill), Can You See Me at 4pm, It's Not Easy To Love at 8pm, Broken Bonds at 8.50pm, Razia Sultan at 9.40pm and Age Is Just A Number at 10.30pm. All times are allocated in CAT.

The channel has several upcoming attractions such as Radha Mohan alongside 3 other shows and judging by these changes it's safe to put them in the coming soon tile.

What To Expect On Warner Bros. Discovery Africa's Bouquet Of Channels In April 2023?

Discovery Channel:

• The Bond - tells remarkable, moving and surprising stories of men, women and children bonding deeply with animals that we might think of as wild.
• Shorty Dream Shop - Everyone knows the American Dream wouldn't be complete without a great ride, but restoring classic cars is more than just a job for Shorty and his crew.
• Salvage Hunters Classic Cars - Salvage aficionado, Drew Pritchard teams up with Turbo Pickers' Paul Cowland for an epic motoring mission. They scour the UK, buying, restoring and selling classic cars.
• Brother Vs. Brother - Brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott go head-to-head as they mentor home improvement experts in order to refurbish properties. The teams will work hard to build the best property and secure the final prize.

TLC:

• Return To Amish S7 - Tell the stories of young people raised in the Amish and Mennonite communities. Some are wrestling with whether to continue to live according to their traditional beliefs or break away and embrace the modern world.
• 90 Day Fiance The Other Way - Several people from different walks of life set out on a journey across the globe to marry their soulmates. However, they must overcome a number of challenges in order to achieve success.
• 1000-lb Sisters - The Slaton sisters, tipping the scales at over 1,000 pounds combined, have always depended on each other for support. Now in their 30s, Amy wants to have children, but cannot due to her weight, while her elder sister Tammy is nearly bedridden.

Discovery Family:

• Street Outlaws Memphis - JJ Da Boss, from Memphis, USA, alongside his family and friends who have a decade-long history in street racing, welcomes the challengers who are tyring to beat them in a race.

Real Time:

• Restoring Galveston - Michael and Ashley Cordray are on a mission to save centuries-old homes on the island of Galveston, Texas. The home renovation specialists have a passion for preserving the island's history and won't let these architectural gems get wiped off the map.

Investigation Discovery:

• The Playboy Murders - is a limited anthology series of 6 episodes that give first-person insight into the world of obsession and murder that tragically affected the lives six young women involved with the Playboy lifestyle.

Food Network:

• Spring Baking Championship - America's finest pastry chefs and professional bakers battle it out in a series of challenges based on springtime treats that test their culinary skills.
• Beat Bobby Flay - A talented chef hosts a cooking showdown wherein culinary experts battle it out to win the ultimate culinary duel. The winner gets a chance to compete with Bobby Flay.
• Bake It Til You Make It - An inside look into the unique world of competitive baking and the extremely enthusiastic, over-the-top personalities who pursue their dreams of sweet victory in some of the toughest baking competitions in the country.

Travel Channel:

• The Ghost Town Terror - Follows a team of investigators as they try to uncover and solve mysterious paranormal events.
• Ghost Brothers Lights Out - Three brothers with different personalities visit various haunted locations across the United States to debunk supernatural lore and phenomena.
• UFO Witness: With unprecedented access to the archive of famed ufologist Dr. J. Allen Hynek, Ben Hansen seeks to unlock the secrets of the past to shed light on today's UFO encounters.
• Destination Fear S4 - Maverick paranormal explorer Dakota Laden takes his sister, Chelsea, and best friend, Tanner, across the country in an RV to spend the night in the most haunted locations in America, testing the limits of human fear.

Cartoon Network:

• Junior - Mikako, Africa, is home to Junior, an amazingly resourceful 10-year-old boy who always has a thousand and one ideas for solving everyday problems. Struggling to find the show, type Junior Hats Off To A Bright Idea.
• Craig Of The Creek - Young Craig and his two friends, Kelsey and John, live in Herkleston, Maryland. They experience a series of misadventures in and around their neighbourhood's creek.
• Summer Camp Island - Two best friends go to a magic sleep-away camp where nothing is what it seems.

Cartoonito:

• Bugs Bunny Builders - Bugs Bunny and Lola Bunny manage an inept crew of builders at ACME Construction Company. Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, and others use their tools and wild vehicles to pull off some loony construction jobs.
• Looney Tunes: On The Run - Lola Bunny invents a perfume with the adverse effect of turning people invisible, sending her and cab driver Bugs Bunny on the run from the FBI, while another shady group seeks the formula.
• Rabbids Invasion: Mission To Mars - Rabbids are on the mission of a lifetime to Mars. It's up to them to come together and stop the galaxy's newest threat.

* WEIRD: Boomerang Movie Stars becomes Cartoonito Movie Stars

Cartoonito Africa's DISASTROUS 24 Hour Lineup Ahead Of Its Debut Across The Continent

Last month, Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled a 24 hour service for Cartoonito which serves as a programming block. As outlined, all of Boomerang's shows will be retained alongside new additions such as Batwheels, Bugs Bunny Builders and Interstellar Ella.

Over the weekend, I was sort of able to obtain the 24 hour lineup of the channel and Warner wasn't joking when they said all. As seen below is how Cartoonito would be perceived on weekends:

* Bold representing shows seen on the former programming block for Cartoonito
* Bold with italics represents shows from both Boomerang and Cartoonito
* / to seperate Saturday from Sunday those without is the same either way.
* In case you want to compare schedules: click here

00:05 Zig & Sharko
00:30 Moka's Fabulous Adventures
00:50 Moka's Fabulous Adventures
01:15 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
01:35 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
02:00 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
02:20 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
02:45 Mighty Mike
03:10 Mighty Mike
03:30 Mr Magoo/Looney Tunes Cartoons
03:50 Zig & Sharko
04:15 The Tom And Jerry Show
04:35 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
05:00 Masha And The Bear
05:20 Grizzy and The Lemmings
05:40 Pat The Dog
06:00 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
06:35 CoComelon Karaoke
07:00 Zig & Sharko
07:15 Masha And The Bear
07:40 Masha And The Bear
08:00 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
08:20 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
08:40 Batwheels: Secret Origin of the Batwheels/Batwheels
09:10 Batwheels (second slot starts at 8:50 on Sunday and ends at 9:05 with Zig & Sharko)
09:30 Zig & Sharko
09:40 Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse/Tom And Jerry: Wizard Of Oz (ends at 10:55)
10:35 Tom And Jerry In New York
10:55 Masha And The Bear
11:20 Moley
11:35 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
12:00 Mr Bean: The Animated Series/Batwheels: Secret Origin of the Batwheels
12:26 Zig & Sharko (starts at 12:35 on Sunday)
12:50 CoComelon Compilations
13:10 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
13:35 Masha And The Bear
14:00 Tom And Jerry: Spy Quest/Sunday: Lucas The Spider, Dino Ranch and Mr. Bean
15:10 Tom And Jerry In New York/Mr. Bean (starts at 15:00)
15:15 Grizzy and The Lemmings
15:35 Zig & Sharko
15:55 Zig & Sharko
16:15 Masha And The Bear
16:30 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
16:55 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
17:15 The Adventures of Little Penguin
17:35 Masha And The Bear
18:00 Zig & Sharko
18:20 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
18:45 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
19:00 Masha And The Bear
19:20 Looney Tunes Cartoons
19:35 Tom And Jerry In New York
20:00 Mr. Bean
20:25 Scooby-Doo And Guess Who?
20:45 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
21:05 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
21:30 Tom And Jerry Tales
21:50 Tom And Jerry Tales
22:15 Masha And The Bear
22:40 Masha And The Bear
23:00 New Looney Tunes
23:20 New Looney Tunes
23:45 Zig & Sharko

Considering the current circumstances of Warner Bros. Discovery alongside Cartoonito. This format kinds of makes sense if well executed other regions might as well follow. Looking at this schedule it's clear that Cartoonito is also family brand.

Although most of this is just a large chunk of Boomerang, Warner Bros. Discovery never acknowledged the channel as a preschool brand as seen with Cartoonito. This rebrand is one way to help differentiate Boomerang Africa from Boomerang USA.

Boomerang was a legacy brand for older content alongside Tom And Jerry, Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo and the African feed made up a portion of that over the years. And I feel that's how people should see the brand at this point as opposed to killing the original aspect.

At the time, I was able to get the weekend lineup, the weekday lineup wasn't available until today:

00:05 Zig & Sharko
00:30 Moka's Fabulous Adventures
00:55 Moka's Fabulous Adventures
01:15 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
01:35 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
02:00 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
02:20 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
02:45 Mighty Mike
03:10 Mighty Mike
03:30 Looney Tunes Cartoons
03:50 Zig & Sharko
04:15 The Tom And Jerry Show
04:35 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
05:00 Masha And The Bear
05:20 Grizzy and The Lemmings
05:40 Pat The Dog
06:00 Masha And The Bear
06:30 Zig & Sharko
06:55 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
07:15 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
07:45 Masha And The Bear
08:05 Zig & Sharko
08:25 Zig & Sharko
08:45 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
09:05 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
09:30 Masha And The Bear
09:50 Zig & Sharko
10:15 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
10:40 Grizzy and The Lemmings
10:55 CoComelon Compilations
11:20 Masha And The Bear
11:40 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
12:05 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
12:20 Grizzy and The Lemmings
12:40 Thomas & Friends
13:00 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
13:35 Masha And The Bear
13:40 Masha And The Bear
14:10 Zig & Sharko
14:45 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
15:05 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
15:20 The Adventures of Little Penguin
15:35 Masha And The Bear
15:55 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
16:15 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
16:30 Batwheels: Secret Origin of the Batwheels
17:05 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
17:20 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
17:35 Masha And The Bear
17:55 Masha And The Bear
18:10 Zig & Sharko
18:30 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
18:55 Lucas The Spider
19:15 Looney Tunes Cartoons
19:40 The Tom And Jerry Show
20:00 The Adventures of Little Penguin
20:25 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
20:55 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
21:15 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
21:30 Tom And Jerry Tales
21:50 Tom And Jerry Tales
22:15 Masha And The Bear
22:40 Masha And The Bear
23:00 New Looney Tunes
23:20 New Looney Tunes
23:45 Zig & Sharko

It's kind of odd that Lucas The Spider, Dino Ranch and even Thomas And Friends don't get much attention from 24 hour Cartoonito. My guess is they're probably looking for content with the same prestige as Masha And The Bear and Teen Titans GO!.

Maybe this is temporary as the only known region to replace Boomerang much earlier with Cartoonito has less than 40% of the Boomerang DNA. But I wouldn't be shocked if this was somewhat permanent considering the situation of the United States.

News Shorts: Qhayiya Phato To Debut New Book Noxolo The Bride Later In 2023, Star Life Hits A New Low With The Rebroadcast Of The Inseparables And Abafana Ababi To Make Its Linear Debut On e.tv

Qhayiya Phato to rollout Cinderella inspired novel

Noxolo The Bride follows the titular character on her journey to self discovery. She falls in love with Sandile but has to overcome the demons that prevent her and the groom to be from ever finding true happiness. Production on the novel began began back in 2022 and is anticipated to rollout later in the year.

The author Qhayiya Phato manages the blog Yeah Mzansi! and is also manages several fan accounts for eMedia Investments and MultiChoice.

Sister duo Jeevika and Maanvi are back on Star Life

The Inseparable Is a story of Jeevika Chaudhary and Maanvi Chaudhary are two orphan sisters living in Rishikesh with there grandmother, uncle, aunt and cousin while Viren Singh Vadhera and Virat Singh Vadhera are two brothers hailing from an elite family of lawyers in Chandigarh. The two sisters are inseparable tho there outlook towards life are totally different. Maanvi loves and respects Jeevika as though she is her mother.

The series premieres March 23 replacing Kulfi - The Singing Star.

Robin Hood based comedy to rollout on e.tv

Abafana Ababi a brand new locally produced action comedy starring Thomas Gumede as Thebe, a comical cool cat, Matli Mohapeloa as Gift, a slick ladies’ man and Justin Strydom as Stuard Rembrand, the crime boss. Thebe and Gift are best friends from Orlando, Soweto, who grew up poor with aspirations of being rich. They take the easy road and get into a life of crime, and make it big as two bandits modelled on Robin Hood – stealing from the wealthy (who acquired their money from dirty deals in the first place), and then share their takings with the community.

The film airs Sunday at 20:00 from March 19.

HBO Max (Or Max) Will Likely Fold Under MultiChoice's Showmax Streaming Service, No Word On Discovery+ As Yet

During the month, NBCUniversal in partnership with MultiChoice are planning to rollout a revamped Showmax streaming service featuring content from the highly anticipated streamer, Peacock. Of course details about the pricing have yet to be revealed.

As some are probably unaware, NBCUniversal has done several partnerships with MultiChoice over the years aside from Universal, DreamWorks and E! and the digital component Universal+. Through their Sky service, MultiChoice was able to distribute a number of television sets.

This deal doesn't come as a shock, not that I was anticipating something like this but the reality is Peacock coming as a standalone put itself in a very risky position hence the reason SkyShowcase (a merger with Paramount+) exists in various European markets.

All of this had got me thinking about Warner Bros. Discovery's HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming service.

As some consumers are aware these two are set to the last entry in Africa as we got most of the major streaming services Netflix, BritBox, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+, Peacock (as mentioned) with Paramount+ gearing up for its rollout later in the year.

Last year, it was stated that HBO Max and Discovery+ would merge to form this giant streaming service which would have complicated things as the HBO side of the business was waiting till 2025 for contracts to go null therefore giving HBO Max the greenlight.

Compared to HBO Max, there was no problem in getting Discovery+ out to those regions which had a deal in place for the other streamer. If it wasn't for this restructure, we could have gotten Discovery+ or at least recieved an update about the platform in Africa.

After several months, it was revealed that Warner Bros. Discovery scrapped plans to merge these two but would rather keep Discovery+ intact as it's cheap while boost the lineup of HBO Max (soon Max) as the brand had seen a cutback of original content back in 2021.

In April, Warner Bros. Discovery plans to unveil more details about this new Max streaming service which I honestly think won't be made available to African consumers compared to Discovery+.

As mentioned, they will be the last entry to the streaming game and as above-mentioned streamers have been reeling in potential consumers. With that in mind is it possible that HBO Max will fold under Showmax?

Showmax is home to various locally produced content and they also supply a number of international content from NBC, Starz, CBS Studios, Sony Pictures Television. They also supply various titles exclusive to HBO Max alongside catalogue from Adult Swim.

MultiChoice even have various linear channels from HBO Max's parent company including TNT, Discovery Channel, TLC and Cartoon Network. Even supply various shows to M-Net such as The Flight Attendant and House Of Dragons which serves as a spinoff to Game Of Thrones.

Showmax becoming the official home to HBO Max wouldn't be far fetched as Warner Bros. Discovery in recent months had signed deals with local broadcasters in Australia and Japan which go over 2025 which boosts the possibility of the same outcome in Africa.

Showmax in general supplies content various content from BritBox and Paramount+. With those deals set to expire, it's possible these streamers would want to keep the content abroad their platforms and distribute them across linear stations.

HBO Max benefits Showmax in the long run as it would help build their international portfolio and help them serve as a strong contender to Netflix and Disney+ which too have a lot of international content in the pipeline. I'm just so lost with with plans for Discovery+.

I mean the platform has too much content that I feel not everything would fit under Showmax so maybe Discovery+ being the only standalone platform wouldn't be a bad idea and MultiChoice distributing a freemium version also wouldn't be a bad thing for DStv consumers.

Before the merger, Discovery Inc. wasn't expecting Discovery+ to be Disney+ big or to compete with other streaming services mentioned here so far.  So all I'm saying is HBO Max being apart of Showmax isn't a bad thing as consumers can't pay for all these platforms.

Discovery+ could as well serve as both a freemium and pay-tv type service. Showmax could bundle selected content particularly premium or first run content perhaps.

Recap To Last Year: The Disappearance Of BBC UKTV On The Openview Platform

Last year, eMedia Investments in partnership with BBC Studios unveiled South Africa's first free-to-air entertainment channel, BBC UKTV. A general entertainment channel featuring a selection of content ranging from doccies, lifestyle, dramas and kids shows.

Some of the content in question includes Top Gear, Live At The Apollo, Midsomer Murders, Come Dine With Me, Wild Africa, Planet Earth and Yakka Dee.

As of 2023, the channel has yet to materialize on the Openview platform with eMedia Investments and BBC Studios remaining on any developments about the channel with the latter added to MultiChoice's DStv as a cheapo on the Easyview bouquet.

It has led to an onslaught of angry Openview consumers some pointing the finger at MultiChoice as eMedia Investments rolls out the pay-tv version to the current free-to-view Openview platform, Ultraview.

Before any word about what the offering or how the bouquet would be priced. They were several Openview consumers who believed that BBC UKTV will form part of Ultraview technically not a DStv problem but a DStv effect as it seems.

If this turned out to be a reality, eMedia Investments alongside BBC UKTV would have deceived several media outlets alongside current Openview consumers with BBC Studios serving as an accomplice I mean the channel comes with a fee on DStv.

But the idea of BBC UKTV being a pay-tv channel wouldn't be the most shocking for Openview I can imagine them reviving ITV Choice or sourcing another DStv channel e.g. BBC News to tag along in this new setup.

All that is known at the moment is that eMedia Investments has yet to rollout a new channel to the free component of Openview. If the supposed channel isn't BBC UKTV then it could mean that plans for the channel were likely scrapped at this point.

New Series Alert (Rumour): Presenting The Second Batch Of Turkish Shows Expected To Rollout In South Africa

Last year, we drafted a batch of content expected for several brands covered through Everyday Novelas without specifying the channel. Now we welcome another batch of content under the same scenario and note no timeframe has been provided for the following:

1. Sadakatsiz (Unfaithful): Doctor Asya lives a peaceful and happy life with her husband Volkan and their son Ali. This situation changes when she finds out that her husband has been having an affair with a young woman named Derin for two years.
2. The Prosecutor (Mahkum): Successful prosecutor Firat, who does not remember anything, is accused of murdering his wife and daughter. He has to escape from prison to reveal the truth.
3. All About Marriage (Evlilik Hakkinda Her Sey): Azra Günay, a successful divorce lawyer, has been dealing with the cases of well-known and influential people of Istanbul for many years together with her mother, Çolpan Cevher, who is the doyen of her job, and her hard-headed brother, Sanem Cevher.
4. Wounded Love (Vatanim Sensin): In an occupied Turkish city, a Turkish soldier starts to work for the enemy. But he is not really on the side of the enemy. He must keep this secret at the cost of losing his family.
5. Meryem: In the aftermath of an accident, a naive girl finds herself torn between an unscrupulous prosecutor and a vindictive plaintiff.
6. Our Story (Bizim Hikaye): This is the adaptation of the famous series Shameless. Filiz, a protagonist who has been struggling to survive in one of the poor neighborhoods of the city is the oldest child of the family.
7. Love Doesn't Understand Words (Ask Laftan Anlamaz): Hayat is a country girl with strict parents. She is in a love hate relationship with her boss Murat. Hayat is full of secrets that can ruin her career and relationship.
8. Yargi: A lawyer and a prosecutor, whose paths cross with a murder case, will have to work together to find the murderer, and this will create an irreversible breaking point in their lives.
9. The Ambassador's Daughter (Sefirin Kizi): Sancar has always & Nare has always yearned for love. When they meet and fall in love as children, they know they are meant to be. On the night of their wedding, a startling revelation by Nare forever changes their lives and puts their love on hold until the night of another wedding many years later.
10. Innocence (Masumiyet): The life of Bahar, a married mother of two, changes when her 19-year-old daughter falls in love with the wrong guy. Her daughter Ela's first love is not a college student her age, but her father's 35-year-old boss, who is about to marry his ex-girlfriend.
11. The Teacher (Ögretmen): Akif Erdem takes the 12A class of Kücükkapi High School hostage and uses a bomb to tear the class apart from the rest of the school. There is only one way for young people taken hostage to get out of this situation telling the truth.
12. A Fairy Tale (Bir Peri Masali): Alina Boz gives life to a babysitter named "Zeynep". Zeynep, who grew up facing many challenges, partly due to her useless father, will face the biggest test when she stumbles upon a bag of cash.

The Regular Nick Effect: Breaking News From Across The World From In The Last 7 Days Dated March 11

1. Scooby-Doo And The Mystery Pups no longer moving forward at HBO Max
2. Totally Spies! Season 7 has been delayed to 2024
3. Adam Sandler was honoured with the King Of Comedy Award at the 2023 KCAs
4. Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will return with new season after 4 year hiatus
5. Veteran radio and TV presenter Mark Pilgrim, 53, has died
6. Tom Sizemore, ‘Heat’ and ‘Saving Private Ryan’ Actor, Dead at 61
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem features an A-List including Seth Rogen and John Cena
8. Nicki Minaj is launching her own record label
9. Genius Brands double down on Al with new shorts
10. Poltergeist rumoured to getting revived by MGM
11. FutureLife and SuperSport Schools sign three year deal to provide nutrition for children
12. Nick Cannon working on new show Celebrity Prank Wars hosted by Kevin Hart
13. Velma Season 2 is in development
14. Kesha and AEW superstar MJF make a cameo appearance in Impractical Jokers
15. Batman: The Caped Crusader is coming to Amazon Prime Video for 2 seasons
16. ITV Studios shuts down their children's channel CITV
17. Peppa Pig to launch on Disney+ in 19 countries with more territories to follow
18. Disney to start selling their content to broadcasters again
19. Beetlejuice 2 is in development with original cast and Jenny Ortega
20. Miley Cyrus unveils new album, ENDLESS SUMMER VACATION
21. Tame Impala returns in 2023 with first new single, Wings Of Time from the film Dungeons And Dragons: Honors Among Thieves

Newsflash: CCTV-4 To Continue Broadcast On The DStv Platform Through The IS-20 Satellite

During the month, it was reported by various outlets that MultiChoice was removing CCTV-4 by the end of March. A free-to-air channel which features documentaries reality shows, drama series, news, movies and kids shows on the Easyview package.

As seen in a press statement by MultiChoice:

“All channel and programme relationships are contractual and have an intended end-date which is then open for the parties to review,” MultiChoice explained.

“This is part of the ongoing review of our products and services. Often channels are removed from the platform due to low viewership and performance on some packages.”

“In this instance, the parties have agreed to not renew based on commercial viability and viewership of the channels.”

The channel would be terminated on all DStv platforms from 31 March 2023 at 23:59. Right???

After doing some digging around it was revealed by their PR that CCTV-4 would continue on the IS-20 platform as mentioned below:

"Following additional contractual reviews, a decision was made to continue airing CCTV4 on our IS20 satellite, which includes South Africa. – MultiChoice"

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but is it possible that MultiChoice is feeding the press half baked goods. Just the other day, QWEST TV was announced as a channel for all DStv consumers but that wasn't the case as it was allocated on Premium and Compact+.

This is the same MultiChoice which held an unannounced Showcase in 2022. So all I'm saying is could it be possible that MultiChoice was feeding the press such details as if it affected the region cause I wouldn't be shocked if that was the case here.

CCTV-4 is still going dark but in neighbouring countries while South Africa will continue supplying the channel.

But such discrepancies reminds me of when INX Prime was slated to rollout in the beginning of August only to launch closer to the end of that month. The other incident was KIX and PBS Kids brands MultiChoice used as collateral damage for e.tv's 4 channels.

They were promised by the end of March of last year, MultiChoice stood by it even when e.tv's channels got a stay of execution for another 2 months and waited for those channels to go dark before anyone could get any update on the supposed channels.