Channel Closure: Africa Magic Urban Will Stop Airing On DStv (And GOtv) By 30 April

Last month, it was reported WildEarth would be the 10th TV  exiting DStv by the end of April. This comes after the channel had been going through financial constraints and all of a sudden demanded carriage fees from MultiChoice.

This is also part of a bigger conspiracy seen within DStv as 9 channels had already exited their platforms in under 4 months. This includes 1Magic, Me, People's Weather, B4U Movies, Ginx TV, Emmanuel TV, DW, One Freestate Televisual and NWTV. 

With Africa Magic Urban that is set to be the 11th TV channel to exit DStv platforms across Africa. According to MultiChoice, they're consolidating their efforts as part of a strategic shift in order to deliver the highest quality entertainment that resonates with viewers. 

Similar to 1Magic and Me, MultiChoice is likely looking to cutback on content commissions for these channels in order to boost their streaming endeavors with Showmax. It was revamped in February to include a lineup of archived material from NBCUniversal.

Africa Magic Urban launched as Africa Magic Movies 1 in 2012 was a premium version to Africa Magic Epic and Family. Initially catered to local films expanded to include series most of which are now set to fold under Africa Magic Showcase and Family. 

If we had to be honest, there was not much variation with the content same with seasons. It was like how you'd view Moja Love and Moja 9.9. were instead of them gaining some independence same content launched elsewhere with variation being the package. 

Statement from MultiChoice about the closure of Africa Magic Urban:

Please note that this strategic shift allows us to focus on delivering the highest quality content that resonates most with our diverse audience. By consolidating our efforts, we can better invest in new and exciting programming that aligns with your interests. 

Canal+ Has Increased Its Shareholding In MultiChoice To 40% As The Two Companies Work On A Takeover

Despite already submitting an all-cash offer worth roughly R54 billion, Canal+ has increased its shareholding in MultiChoice from just over 35% to 40.01%

As per the Companies Act, Canal+ had to make an offer to buy the rest of MultiChoice after breaking the 35% threshold.

Canal+ has offered to buy all the shares at R125 apiece, which is being considered by a newly formed independent board at MultiChoice.

Although Canal+ was given the right to buy more MultiChoice shares earlier this week, should these shares be bought at more than R125 each, the French broadcaster would be obliged to increase the officer price to “not less than the highest consideration paid” per share bought. 

MultiChoice’s share price currently stands at just under R120 a share.

Despite Canal+ already owning 40% of MultiChoice, the latter’s memorandum of incorporation means that a foreign company’s aggregate voting power can not exceed 20% of the total voting power in the group to ensure certain statutory requirements.

New Series Alert: Umakoti Oyintandokazi Coming This Month To Zee Zonke

Zee Zonke is a Zulu dubbed entertainment channel operated by Zee Entertainment Enterprises which is home to various Bollywood series from Zee Studios. Launching on DStv in August 2023, it serves as the popular addition to consumers. 

Not long ago, it was reported that Zee World a sister channel to Zee Zonke alongside Zee One would be debuting new content in the month. Now, Zee Zonke will be welcoming its first ever new series from Zee Telegu titled Umakoti Oyintandokazi (No.1 Kodalu).

The story revolves between two women, Vagdhevi and Saraswathi. Vagdhevi is a business entrepreneur, who is looking for an educated girl for her son Rahul. Saraswathi is an illiterate woman with a kind and good heart. After a series of consequences, Rahul marries Sarasu.

It starred Madhumitha H as Saraswath, Jai Dhanush as Rahul, Sudha Chandran as Vagdhevi, Anshu Reddy as Preethi, Suresh as Arun Babu and Kranthi as Teja.

Umakoti Oyintandokazi debuted on Zee Telegu from 9 December 2019 to 9 July 2022 with 735 episodes filmed each with a 22 minute duration. A remake known as Vidhya No. 1 was filmed for the Zee Tamil station from 27 December 2021 to 25 February 2024.

The series will daily at 21:00 on Zee Zonke from 23 April replacing Imfihlo.

New Series Alert: Love Through New Eyes Coming This Month To Zee World

During the past week, it was reported that Zee One would be debuting a Telegu led drama, A Lot Can Happen Over Coffee. Now it's being reported that Zee World will be rolling out a new Marathi based drama Love Through New Eyes (Yeu Kashi Tashi Me Nandayla).

The story revolves around a middle-class girl, Avani, who gets hired for a job in Mumbai. Her mother Nalu asks her to stay with her mother's childhood friend, Shaku, to reduce the time needed to reach her new workplace. During their visit, Sweetu is introduced to Shaku's son Omkar. 

It starred Anvita Phaltankar as Avani Vasant Salvi, Shalva Kinjawadekar as Onkar Khanvilkar, Kishori Ambiye as Shakuntala Khanvilkar, Aditi Sarangdhar as Malvika Khanvilkar and Milind Joshi as Mr. Khanvilkar. 

Produced by Tejendra Neswankar under the banner of Trrump Carrd Production. Love Through New Eyes debuted on Zee Marathi from 4 January 2021 to 19 March 2022 with 378 episodes had been filmed for the series each with a 22 minute duration. 

Love Through New Eyes airs daily at 22:00 for Zee World consumers in Southern Africa from 23 April. Other feeds will be presented with Sister Wives alongside a fourth season of Unfortunate Love.

O.J. Simpson, Football Star-Turned-Actor Acquitted of Ex-Wife’s Murder In Trial Of The Century, Dies At 76

O.J. Simpson, the NFL great who later became an actor and then better known for being accused of killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson amid a high-profile televised car chase and trial in which he was ultimately acquitted of murder charges, has died. He was 76.

In a post on Simpson’s official X (formerly known as Twitter) account, the Simpson family shared the following statement: “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”

His death follows a life colored by success in sports and Hollywood that morphed into Simpson becoming a suspected murderer and convicted armed robber. Born Orenthal James Simpson on July 9, 1947 in San Francisco, Simpson’s Heisman Trophy-winning days at USC and later with the Buffalo Bills — where he had a record-breaking run for 2,000 yards in the 1973 season — was followed by playing the lovable dunce in the Naked Gun movies and becoming a rental car ad pitchman as the college and National Football League hero became a celebrity-for-hire.

With a membership to the exclusive Riviera Country Club, a 6,200-square-foot mansion in Brentwood and a coterie of rich and famous white friends, Simpson once famously told the media: “I’m not black, I’m O.J.” That fame included Hertz car commercials where Simpson sprinted to catch a rent-a-car, broadly smiling as he leapt over an airport guardrail and brushed past a cheering old lady. But the celebrity life of a football Hall of Famer turned Hollywood star imploded in the face of what became known as the “trial of the century.”

That began on June 12, 1994 when Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson was found murdered outside her Brentwood condominium along with a young man later identified as Ronald Goldman. Simpson was immediately identified as a potential suspect in the murder of the mother of his two young children, Sydney and Justin. And the slow-motion police chase of the fallen football hero in a white Bronco driven by a friend, Al Cowlings, on June 17, 1994 was captured by a helicopter shot and aired live on primetime TV in the U.S., leaving audiences riveted.

What followed was a murder trial — with intersecting themes of gender, race, sex and violence and big ratings for cable news channels that transmitted a shared pool feed — where Simpson was ultimately found not guilty of the double murder outside a Brentwood home. An estimated 150 million people tuned in to see Simpson walk free when the verdict was announced on Oct. 3, 1995. He always maintained his innocence and the double murder of Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson remains unsolved.

The trial itself, made famous by courtroom evidence of Bruno Magli shoe prints, an Isotoner glove and drops of blood in the infamous white Bronco, left prosecutors Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden and Simpson’s “Dream Team” defense led by Johnnie Cochran as celebrities. Also becoming well-known during the trial were Simpson guest-house occupant Brian “Kato” Kaelin and former LAPD detective Mark Fuhrman, both of whom testified on the witness stand.

The O.J. Simpson trial also taught Hollywood that cheap programming could deliver huge ratings and profitability, both for cable and broadcast networks, and gave rise to an explosion in reality TV that followed that relied far less on actors, writers, costly sets and other production elements.

But the double murder trial lasting eight months also left Simpson ostracized and facing big hurdles to get his life back on track. The disgraced football star had become a cultural Rorschach, with a Washington Post poll taken at the time of the verdict finding 72 percent of whites thought Simpson was guilty, while 71 percent of African-Americans believed him innocent.

With questions of his guilt or innocence very much unanswered, interest in Simpson in future years was seemingly evergreen. And he remained no stranger to courtrooms. A civil ruling followed that ordered Simpson to pay $33.5 million to the Goldman family.  Simpson returned to court to stand trial for a 2007 Las Vegas incident in which he and gun-toting friends attempted to recover sports memorabilia Simpson felt was his. Simpson went to jail after being found guilty of the gunpoint robbery. He was released in 2017, having served nine years.

The original People v. Orenthal James Simpson murder trial exhaustively covered by CNN, Court TV and other cable networks also lay the seeds for an era of saturation news coverage and tabloid TV to follow. Simpson’s murder trial reached a new, younger audience as the subject of the first installment of FX’s American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, starring Cuba Gooding Jr. as Simpson, Sarah Paulson as Clark, Sterling K. Brown as Darden and Courtney B. Vance as Cochran. The 2016 hit series, from prolific producer Ryan Murphy, went on to win eight Emmys, including best limited series and acting awards for Paulson and Vance.

American Crime Story was 21st Century Fox’s second attempt at tackling the Simpson drama. In 2006, the company famously spiked Simpson’s bombshell book, If I Did It, and a pretaped TV interview on Fox in which the fallen star recounts, hypothetically, how he might have murdered his ex-wife, after a backlash from the Goldman and Nicole Simpson Brown families. That fiasco prompted Fox boss Rupert Murdoch to issue an apology.

Also in 2016, Ezra Edelman’s five-part miniseries and documentary film O.J.: Made in America debuted to rave reviews and won numerous awards including the Oscar for best documentary feature. The project still has a 100 percent freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. And for a true-crime TV audience seemingly obsessed with retrying the past, Martin Sheen produced for Investigation Discovery Hard Evidence: O.J. Is Innocent, a true-crime docuseries that attempted to show Simpson was innocent as it reinvestigated the Simpson case from beginning to end.

Press Release: Disney Animation/Kugali Series "IWÁJÚ" Airs Across Africa On Disney Channel

Following the debut of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pan-African Entertainment Company Kugali’s “Iwájú” on Disney+, the original animated series premieres on Disney Channel (DStv Channel 303) across Africa this April and May.

 

“Iwájú” will premiere each weekday from Monday, 22 – 26 April at 17:00(CAT) / 16:00(WAT) with a marathon on Saturday, 27 April from 14:00(CAT) / 13:00(WAT). Special repeat broadcasts will run from Monday, 29 April – Saturday, 4 May with a marathon on Sunday, 5 May from 13:35 (CAT) / 12:35(WAT) and, on Africa Day, Saturday 25 May, viewers will be able to view another 6-episode marathon from 11:00 (CAT) / 10:00(WAT).

 

The premiere of the original animated series gives viewers across the continent an opportunity to view the series in territories where Disney+ is not available. Set in a futuristic Lagos, “Iwájú” tells the exciting coming-of-age story of Tola, a young girl from the wealthy island, and her best friend, Kole, a self-taught tech expert, as they discover the secrets and dangers hidden in their different worlds.

 

“Iwájú” is a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Pan-African entertainment company, Kugali Media. It’s written and directed by Olufikayo “Ziki” Adeola, with Hamid Ibrahim as production designer and Tolu Olowofoyeku as cultural consultant. 

 

Christina Chen from Disney Animation was the producer of the series, with Jennifer Lee (chief creative officer for Walt Disney Animation Studios) executive producing along with veteran Disney director Byron Howard (“Encanto,” “Zootopia,” “Tangled”). The screenplay is by Adeola and Halima Hudson from Disney Animation.

 

“We created ‘Iwájú’ as a love letter to Lagos, Nigeria, and an ode to the rich legacy of African storytelling,” said Writer and Director Olufikayo Ziki Adeola. “We’re proud to share this series and hope that it inspires more Africans across the world to share their stories and shape our collective narrative.”

 

Says Christine Service, Senior Vice President and General Manager of The Walt Disney Company Africa: “‘Iwájú’ is a true celebration of the creativity and storytelling excellence that is at the heart of Disney, bringing the immense talent and creative vision of home-grown filmmakers to the world. With the distribution of the series on Disney Channel, we are excited to give audiences across Africa the chance to experience this ambitious and uniquely innovative series.”

 

Kugali Media’s president and “Iwájú” cultural consultant Olowofoyeku explains: “The origin of “Iwájú” is part of a phrase in the Yoruba language that is actually ‘Ojó iwájú,’ which means ‘the day ahead’ or the future. Many of our main characters in the series are Yoruba (one of the main ethnic groups in Nigeria).”

 

Ibrahim, Kugali Media CEO and “Iwájú” production designer, adds: “We wanted to imagine the future of Lagos, set roughly 100 years from now, where the mainland is designed to house as many people as possible in huge towers, and the island where the richest people live is made to look beautiful like an art piece.”

 

The series has garnered positive reviews globally with it being hailed as “an exciting new step for Walt Disney” by ScreenRant.com while ABC News in Australia describes the series as “both uniquely African, and yet universal in its appeal” and “beautiful to look at and the story draws you in”. 

 

Catch “Iwájú” in 3 special broadcasts, only on Disney Channel (DStv, Channel 303):

Weekdays from Monday, 22 – 26 April at 17:00(CAT) / 16:00(WAT) with a marathon on Saturday, 27 April from 14:00(CAT) / 13:00(WAT)

Special repeat broadcasts from Monday, 29 April – Saturday, 4 May and a marathon on Sunday, 5 May from 13:35 (CAT) / 12:35(WAT)

On Africa Day, Saturday 25 May, with another 6-episode marathon from 11:00 (CAT) / 10:00(WAT)

Reminder: TLC South Africa Announces The Next Season Of ‘90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?’

TLC Africa has a new lineup of 90 DAY FIANCÉ: HAPPILY EVER AFTER? couples that viewers have come to know and root for over the years. They continue to navigate the highs and lows in their relationships, including everything from preparing for first impressions with the in-laws, to managing significant cultural differences, to working through turbulent family dynamics and more. These couples are kissing the honeymoon stage goodbye as they navigate the next step in their love story. 90 DAY FIANCÉ: HAPPILY EVER AFTER? premieres on Thursday, 11 April at 20:00 CAT on TLC South Africa. 

 

Over the years, the 90 DAY FIANCÉ franchise has helped find love matches all over the world. The show has been filmed in 56 countries, broadcast in 216 territories and translated into 44 languages. When it comes to lasting marriages, 90 DAY FIANCÉ has a 78% success rate – higher than the national average.  

 

Below are the 90 Day couples who will be featured on the upcoming season of 90 DAY FIANCÉ: HAPPILY EVER AFTER? with two more couples to be announced soon!  

 

Kobe (36, Cameroon) and Emily (31, Kansas) (Previously appeared on 90 Day Fiancé): With two kids and her parents in tow, Emily accompanies Kobe on a pilgrimage to his home country of Cameroon for the first time. Emily can’t wait to meet her husband’s family, whom she’s never met before, but soon finds herself hard-pressed to prove she can be an excellent Cameroonian wife. 

 

Michael (35, Nigeria) and Angela (57, Georgia) (Previously appeared on 90 Day: The Last Resort): After years of waiting and multiple visa denials, Michael has finally secured a make-or-break spousal visa interview. Angela joins him in Africa to prepare for the most important day of their lives. But a cascade of unsettling discoveries leaves Angela grappling with the darkest doubts she’s ever faced about her marriage. Will Michael finally get to see Georgia? Can Angela finally exorcise the demons that have shadowed their relationship? Or will she cancel the visa for good? 

 

Alexei (35, Israel) and Loren (35, Florida) (Previously appeared on Loren & Alexei: After The 90 Days): After having three kids in three years, Loren and Alexei are finally ready to hit the brakes on baby-making. But when Loren reveals her plans for a major life overhaul, Alexei worries about losing the balance they’ve finally found. Can the couple find happiness as individuals while keeping their family together? 

  

Mahmoud (31, Egypt) and Nicole (40, California) (Previously appeared on 90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way): After four years in Egypt, Nicole has returned to L.A. in hopes that she and Mahmoud can make a life together in America. As Nicole rediscovers herself in Los Angeles, how will Mahmoud cope with the huge cultural differences he’s about to face? Will they be able to find common ground, or are their differences too much to overcome?  

  

Thais (26, Brazil) and Patrick (33, Nevada) (Previously appeared on 90 Day Fiancé): When Thais left Brazil to be with Patrick, she hid from her family that she intended to marry him, which caused a lot of tension during their 90 days. Now, the couple is traveling back to Thais’ hometown for the first time since the birth of their daughter, and they hope they can mend relationships, chiefly with Thais’ father, who still expects Patrick to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. But things take a turn for the worse when Patrick’s rowdy brother John tags along on the trip, and Patrick's father shows up with some unexpected demands. 

  

Jasmine (36, Panama) and Gino (54, Michigan) (Previously appeared on 90 Day Fiancé): Gino & Jasmine had a rocky 90 days, and now, they both feel betrayed when certain agreements aren’t followed through on, leaving their future hanging in the balance. Will Jasmine stay in the U.S. long enough for the couple to find happiness? Or will Gino’s mistakes drive Jasmine back to Panama? 

 

Liz (31, Arkansas) and Ed (58, Arkansas) (Previously appeared on 90 Day: The Last Resort): Following a successful therapy retreat in Florida, Ed and Liz have settled in Arkansas and are planning the wedding of their dreams. But the two still have a lot to overcome, including making sure Liz’s daughter is well-adjusted in their new home and coping with the mounting financial pressure of a move and a wedding. Will the couple finally walk down the aisle or collapse one last time? 

New Series Alert: Mzansi Magic Presents Ha Molefi, A New Drama About A Father And Son Overcoming Grief And More

This June, Mzansi Magic will premiere Ha Molefi, a drama about a father and son grieving the loss of a Mother and Wife, forcing them to deal directly with the complexities of their relationship.

Thabang Molefi (TJ Mokhuane) is a queer teenager from Pimville, Soweto, who has just lost his mother, Mam’ Linda, and is on a journey of healing and self-discovery. He lives with his father Ntate Molefi (Dingaan Khumalo/DSK) who is also grieving the loss of his wife, and together they set off on a journey of discovery that lays bare their fears and hopes while honoring Mam’Linda’s memory.

Thabang dreams of winning the all-round category at the annual Ballroom/Vogue Nights and he draws inspiration from his late mother, who was a musical sensation in the 90’s, and who always encouraged Thabang to live his truth and follow his dreams. 

Ntate Molefi, on the other hand, loves his son and has accepted him as he is. However, the recently widowed father has to learn that he must go beyond just loving his son but also make the effort to open up to him.

“Ha Molefi is an emotional story about a relationship between a grieving father and son, focusing on the raw and honest emotional turmoil that both face, especially concerning the son’s identity,” says Shirley Adonisi, Director of Local Entertainment Channels.

“As the home of local, Mzansi Magic is proud to bring this inspirational story to our audiences and we hope that it will inspire. We hope viewers will recognise and appreciate how a parent’s love can manifest in fear and how that can either grow or destroy a relationship.”

Will Thabang realise his dream of celebrating his identity through Vogue/Ballroom while navigating this loving but tense relationship with his mourning father?

Watch this inspiring youthful drama when Ha Molefi premieres on Monday 17 June at 20:00, Mzansi Magic DStv channel 161.

10 TV Channels Exit DStv With More Closures Likely To Follow With Canal+ Acquisition Of MultiChoice

As some readers are aware, MultiChoice had removed 10 TV channels in under 5 months. This includes Deutsche Welle, Ginx TV, Emmanuel TV, B4U Movies, One Freestate Televisual, NWTV, 1Magic, People's Weather and Me with WildEarth to follow.

MultiChoice is in the midst of a possible takeover from French company Canal+ after garnering almost 37% hold of the company. With South African laws forcing them to obtain remaining shares and get approval from legislation or risk termination. 

If this deal goes forward, Canal+ and MultiChoice would be merging their stables with the acquirer Canal+ making some budget cuts. This is a norm when a company undergoes a takeover or merger but how much more turmoil can consumers put up with.

As discussed already, Canal+ assets clash with MultiChoice's current offering as the French company has bought up various properties in Africa. This includes ROK Studios who own the streaming service iROKO TV and linear ROK channels on DStv.

They're basically rivaling with M-Net's Africa Magic and unless Canal+ is looking to sell or restructure these brands they can't just "co-exist". Either ROK Studios will merge into Africa Magic or both will be unified to form another brand in the African market.

Same goes for their streaming services iROKO TV and MyCanal Afrique from Canal+ with DStv Stream and Showmax from MultiChoice. Unless there's no monthly fees attached, iROKO TV could be structured as a Showmax type streamer for Africa Magic.

Lastly, there's pay-tv platforms Canal+ offers to consumers within Francophone Africa while MultiChoice caters to English speaking countries. These serve as the most complicated of the pillar as Canal+ Afrique and DStv would be subjected to a merger.

These include a range of entertainment channels from both parties some of which will likely not form part of the merged packages. Canal+ has its own entertainment they can't just pay for duplicates unless it has appeal or originality in the mix.

Canal+ has stated that merging their assets with MultiChoice would give them a competitive advantage against NBCUniversal and Disney. These cutbacks are likely to hit all corners of DStv.