The History Channel Bring You War Story Sundays This June

This year marks 80 years since the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944. The seaborn invasion and airborne operations were the beginning of the liberation of France and western Europe during WWII.

In commemoration of this anniversary the HISTORY Channel Africa brings viewers D-Day: 100 Days To Beat The Third Reich. Other war stories that will be brought to life, each Sunday evening in June, includes Hitler’s Handmaidens, The Lost U-Boats Of WWII and WWII Air Crash Detectives

Catch these gripping WWII doccies this June and July!

Hitler's Handmaidens

Sundays at 20h15

Starts 2 June

The role of women in the rise and implementation of Nazi Germany is rarely featured in the history of World War II.

Hitler’s Handmaidens examines the women who played an influential role in German

society under the Nazi regime, from those who supported Hitler’s rise, to the individuals who played an active role in the Holocaust and other atrocities.

D-Day:100 Days to Beat the Third Reich

Sundays at 21h05

Starts 2 June

For the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landing, this documentary will bring back to life the 100 days it took for the Allies to liberate Normandy, to break through the German line and to pave the way towards victory. It tells of 100 critical days, both heroic and tragic, that made history.

The Lost U-Boats of WWII

Sundays at 21h05

Starts 16 June

During WWII the Nazis stole billions of dollars in gold, jewels and art. To hold onto as much of their treasure as possible despite losing the war, the Nazis dispersed the valued goods all over the globe using U-boats. For almost 80 years the treasure laden U-Boats have remained in their watery graves, until now. Famed treasure hunter Darrell Miklos sets out to complete his lifelong mission of finding the missing U-boats and their multi-billion-dollar cargo. Each one-hour episode follows Darrell and his team of experts as they attempt to locate and lift the missing Nazi U-boats from the bottom of the Caribbean Sea.

WWII Air Crash Detectives

Sundays at 20h15

Starts 30 June

Uncovering the truth behind the deaths of thousands of airmen in World War II is investigator Garth Barnard. He reveals the historical events that caused vast destruction and devastation.

Not only are stories told of collisions with attacking aircrafts, but the series presents the facts behind dangerous training missions and accidents that occurred.

Join the HISTORY Channel Africa, as we uncover details surrounding the largest and deadliest conflict in human history, only on DStv 186 this June and July. 

Important Notice Dated 30 May

As some readers are aware, we have been less active on the site as this is part of many enhancements to improve reader's experience. We are currently distributing other content on X (Formerly Twitter) while our Facebook account continues to offer the best of Insidus. 

During this time, we have been prepping up new content which we will share in the coming days.

Warner Bros. Discovery Hinting At More Mergers And Acquisitions Through Interviews

Warner Bros. Discovery, just over two years after closing the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, will be “opportunistic” about seeking M&A deals in the next two or three years, president and CEO David Zaslav said.

“I think some companies will be for sale,” Zaslav said, speaking Thursday at the Bernstein 40th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference in New York. “We can be opportunistic but we’re going to be very disciplined.”

“I think there’s likely going to be some consolidation. There are a lot of players. There are a lot of players that are losing a lot of money,” Zaslav said. “One of the reasons why we really fought to drive our free cash flow and pay down our debt is to be in a position — as we roll out globally, as we fight to build our business — that we’re a healthy company.”

Speaking of losing money, Warner Bros. Discovery reported full-year 2023 revenue of $41.3 billion, down 4% on a pro-forma basis, and a net loss of $3.13 billion (versus a net loss of $5.36 billion on a pro-forma basis in 2022). The media conglomerate during the first quarter of 2024 repaid $1.1 billion of debt to end the quarter with $43.2 billion of gross debt.

“Over the next two to three years, I expect that there’s going to be some opportunities,” Zaslav said. “There’ll be some players that want to get out of the business, that will look to consolidate their streaming businesses with others. And so I think we will look to be opportunistic during that time,” he said, adding that he believes there will be 4-5 dominant global streaming platforms as things shake out.

“The global nature of this business is going to require a number of players to decide whether they want to go it alone,” according to Zaslav. He said “consolidation can happen in a lot of different ways,” including through bundling — such as WBD and Disney’s forthcoming Disney+/Hulu/Max bundle — and he also suggested “over the long term some of the smaller players in streaming will end up wanting to be part of a bigger global organization.”

Regarding Paramount Global — which has been in talks about a potential sale to Skydance Media and has been reviewing a joint bid from Sony Pictures-Apollo — Zaslav didn’t address WBD’s recent interest in exploring a merger with the company, but he commented in a lightning-round Q&A about Paramount, “Great storytelling heritage.” Zaslav met briefly late last year with Paramount’s then-CEO Bob Bakish to size up a potential merger but those talks didn’t continue.

Skydance Sweetens Offer For Paramount Global

David Ellison’s Skydance has sweetened its offer to acquire Paramount Global, Deadline has learned, in an attempt to make it more palatable to the company’s Class B stockholders after they trashed the outlines of a previous deal and threatened to sue.

Ellison’s original offer was to buy out Par’s controlling shareholder Shari Redstone for a significant premium, resulting in a windfall for her, and then merge Skydance into Paramount keeping the combined company public. Stockholders wanted to be bought out at a premium as well.

Skydance, backed by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Gerry Cardinale’s RedBird Capital, sweetened the offer once late last month — offering to buy out a certain number of Class A voting shares from stockholders other than Redstone — as an exclusive monthlong negotiating period with Par ended. But it wasn’t enough to woo holders of the Class B non-voting stock, who are the majority of shareholders.

As the Skydance exclusive talks ended with no deal, Sony jumped in for a $26 billion bid with private equity giant Apollo, that was later downsized in some fashion as Sony signed a non-disclosure agreement with with Par about two weeks ago that would let SPE access Par’s books and talks to start in earnest. Those conversations were not exclusive, however, and Skydance remained very much in the mix, continuing to talk with Par as well.

The issue for Sony is not shareholders but regulators. Foreign ownership rules likely prevent Sony from owning CBS broadcast assets, which likely why its offer became more targeted. But it might not be a cakewalk to merge two major studios either. Skydance is safer, more certain on the regulatory front and wouldn’t require a prolonged review amid possible opposition that can drag a deal out and sometimes end without one.

All offers are being evaluated by a special committee of Paramount’s board of directors. Three on that committee — Dawn Ostroff, Nicole Seligman and Frederick Terrell — will formally exit the board as of the company’s annual shareholder meeting next Tuesday. Another board memeber, Robert Kieger, will also be leaving. Par announced the upcoming departures — which will leave it with a greatly downsized board — earlier this year to widespread speculation on what it meant for a deal.

Par hasn’t said whether the three had continued to serve actively on the pared down committee after their pending departures were announced or what the committee composition is now, or will be after the meeting where shareholders vote for directors among other issues on the agenda. The committee in any case is just there for a recommendation, with Redstone the decider and, some feel, a wildcard.

Says one source with knowledge of the dealings, “At the end of the day, whatever the committee recommends to Shari, it’s up to her to decide. A deal’s not a deal without her.”

Hollywood insiders favor a Skydance deal over a Sony/Apollo takeover of Paramount Global. The reduction of a major studio strikes fear throughout the exhibition sector that fewer event films would exist in the long run, the sector currently weathering the aftermath of Covid, two strikes and a Disney-Fox merger which has reduced the supply of movies at multiplexes.

"Trouble In Bollywood": You Have My Heart Rolls Out On Star Life From June 8th, Titli's Future Remains Uncertain

During the month, Star Life made the dastardly deed of halting daytime repeats of Evil Affairs and Beyond Love. This had caused an uproar of angry viewers demanding for them to be reinstated with Star Life only opting to move further repeats to late nights.

Now it looks the channel will be embroiled in more drama in the coming days as a new titled You Have My Heart is slated for June 8th. The only problem would be the timeslot allocation as it takes up 21:30 where Titli's is currently residing. 

Various consumers are concerned that Titli could suffer a similar fate as Beyond Love. As some readers are aware, Beyond Love has several seasons fully develop and Star Life is ending its journey with only 1 season currently and not airing back to back.

Titli will end with only 71 episodes having being aired on the 21:30 timeslot. There were rumours that the nature of the show had to do with its demise and although that's not proven we presume Titli could replace Beyond Love as opposed to Lost In Love.

Let's analyze the facts here, Star Life had promised to air repeats of Evil Affairs in late nights but programme guide shows no such thing. Then there's You Have My Heart, Star Life didn't have any new show slated on that day as Titli is still listed. 

Based on the Malayalam drama series Karuthamuthu, You Have My Heart (Anurager Chhowa) follows an ordinary girl and a doctor who fall in love as they discover each other's real beauty despite facing various trials and tribulations.

It starred Dibyojyoti Dutta as Dr. Surjo Sengupta, Swastika Ghosh as Deepanwita "Deepa" Majumdar, Ritu Pyne as Dr. Ira Sengupta, Arjun Chakrabarty as Dr. Arjun Chakrabarty, Sristi Majumdar as Rupa Sengupta and Mishita Roy Chowdhury as Shona Sengupta.

Important Notice: SPI International's Kino Polska Is Getting A New Logo On June 3rd

Kino Polska will feature a completely new visual setting, more modern and adapted to current trends. According to the broadcaster, its introduction is intended to both encourage new viewers to discover the rich world of Polish cinematography, as well as to more strongly emphasize the film character of the channel, which is inscribed in its DNA. 

With the introduction of a new channel design, we want to intrigue both our existing viewers and attract the attention of new ones. We are passionate about Polish cinema, so we want to encourage everyone to choose Kino Polska - both younger and older, representatives of different generations. The station plays an important role in building the identity of different generations and connecting them, educating younger viewers about their roots and history, and reminding older viewers of their youth. In this way, we build the value and impact of the Kino Polska brand, whose mission is important for subsequent generations - says Patrycja Gałązka, Chief Marketing & Digital Officer at SPI International. 

As part of the new setting, Kino Polska has gained a new color palette that responds to the trend of popularity of vintage style. Another element of the changed design is the new Kino Polska logo, in which the channel name has been retained, gaining a refreshed font and a different form of notation. Next to the name, there is also a new signet ring depicting a frame. 

The new logo of Kino Polska additionally emphasizes the film character of the channel and reminds that by reproducing the frame with our hands, each of us can look at the world through the prism of the creator looking for the right shot - informs the broadcaster. 

Along with the refreshed look of the channel, its sound design will also change, which has been adapted to the more modern visuals of the channel, but at the same time refers to the existing musical theme, keeping viewers feeling that it is a well-known channel that accompanies them on their film journeys. 

The new musical setting is universal, suits various moods as well as film genres, it is light and positive. It was composed by musician and composer Szymon Wysocki - adds the broadcaster. 

New programming offer of Kino Polska The Kino Polska channel will gain both a new setting and programming offer. The station is changing for viewers, offering a completely new version of Kino Polska, wanting to reach a younger audience, the broadcaster informs. Starting from June 9, every Sunday of the month, viewers will be able to watch a special film series "Cinema of Generations", dedicated to different generations. The station will take viewers on a film journey through decades of Polish cinema, from the 1980s to the present day. The film proposals include: "Dogs", "Kill me cop", "Sztos", "Fuks", "Controlled conversations" and "No one will sleep in the forest tonight".

Source: Satkurier

News Shorts: Play Room Acquires Broadcasting Rights To Cave Club, Baby Cele Joins Season 2 Of Sibongile And The Dlaminis And Raid The Cage Delayed On SABC 2

Cave Club is now part of the Play Room family 

Welcome to a land of adventure, exploration, and even dinosaurs. Join five fearless friends as they discover the unexpected origins of some of today's most popular trends and tackle relatable issues. These B.F.F.s will be the first to see and do everything-starting with the first-ever best friends' group, Cave Club.

It will air daily at 07:30 from 6 June.

Baby Cele Joins Season 2 of Sibongile & The Dlaminis

Baby Cele is joining season 2 of Sibongile & The Dlaminis as Samkelisiwe, Bab’Ntombela’s sister, and it looks like she is set to shake things up for her former friends Deliwe and Phetheni.

The three met as young women and connected over their shared experience of being scammed, but she got the short end of the stick in this friendship trio, which sets her on a path for revenge.

Baby Cele is one of the extremely talented actors in Mzansi and she has showcased her talent on productions like Mzansi Magic’s Ring Of Lies, Saints and Sinners and recently Shaka Ilembe. Watch her as she returns to Ixopo and turns some people’s lives upside down on the new season of Sibongile & The Dlaminis on Mzansi Wethu (DStv Channel 163) from 29 July at 6:30pm.  

SABC 2 delayed Raid The Cage

In late March the SABC at a programming upfront in Johannesburg rolled out podcasters Sol Phenduka and Mac G on stage before stakeholders and announced them as the co-presenters of Raid the Cage South Africa that the public broadcaster said would start on 27 May on SABC2.

According to insiders, the SABC made the announcement about Raid the Cage and other shows without various contracts having been signed yet. 

Raid the Cage SA for SABC2 is another one of the shows acquired by Primedia Studios and done for the SABC and is one of the new crop of localised format shows produced by Anele Mdoda and Frankie du Toit's Rose and Oaks Media like The Masked Singer SA and Ready, Steady, Cook for SABC3. 

Development Alert: Star Plus Undergoes Timeslot Changes In Africa With Maati Se Bandhi Dor Added To The Lineup, Telecast Of Lost In Love Replaces Beyond Love On Star Life

Star Plus is a general entertainment channel that distribute Bollywood based films and series part of which are made available to Star Life. The parent company Disney Star also operate Star Bharat, Star Select, Star Gold and Vijay TV in the region.

During the week, the channel had made several schedule adjustments to their existing offering with Pandya Store (a long awaited show for Star Life) aired its last episode on Sunday night. This would be replaced by another original show Maati Se Bandhi Dor.

Maati Se Bandhi Dor follows a hard-working Vaiju who labours in the fields to support her family and village, but she finds her life facing an unexpected challenge when Rannvijay dismisses her as a potential wife. Ankit Gupta and Rutuja Bagwe star as the lead characters. 

Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin moved from 20:00 to 19:30 with Udne Ki Aasha moved from 18:30 to 20:15 both of which run for 45 minutes. The latter Anupama and Yeh Hai Chahatein remain intact in their current timeslots at 21:00 and 22:00.

Other shows offered on the channel include Chhoo Kar Mere Mann Ko at 11:30, Grihapravesh - Ek Nayi Shuruwat at 12:00 and Kasme Vaade at 15:00.

In other developments, the first season of Beyond Love concludes on Star Life by June 7th following a troublesome rollout on the channel due to Evil Affairs. Both had lost daytime slots and had no repeat slots throughout the night which led to an onslaught of complaints. 

According to the programme guide, Beyond Love will be replaced by a current telecast of Lost In Love which kind of begs the question. Could this have anything to do with the controversies surrounding Evil Affairs?

Recap To The Decade: Canal+ And MultiChoice Unveil New DStv Package Catered For Francophone Africa

Canal+ is a French based pay-tv provider operated by Vivendi that distribute various films, series and TV channels. It is also one of MultiChoice's biggest shareholders owning almost of the pay-tv company as it looks to take full ownership and get a JSE listing. 

Canal+ and MultiChoice are no strangers to one another as they had done numerous content deals e.g. Blood Psalms. Another being Canal+ attempt at acquiring MultiChoice Africa (excluding South Africa) which was quickly blocked from mentioned parties. 

With Canal+ current stake within MultiChoice, they were able to distribute channels already viewed on their platforms through a separate package/add-on targeted at Francophone Africa known as DStv English.

The name DStv English comes from the fact that MultiChoice's services are well-known within the English speaking countries (or Anglophone) and with DStv being a household name. Another derives from offering viewed on these platforms.

DStv English comprises of two packages the first titled English Basic option offers general entertainment brands like Africa Magic Epic, Zee World, Telemundo, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. All of which were currently priced at a monthly rate of 5000 CFAF (R152,61).

The second package known as English Plus comprised mainly of M-Net and SuperSport channels and these include Africa Magic Showcase, M-Net Movies 3 and 4, SuperSport EPL and La Liga. All of which were currently priced at 14500 CFAF (R442,58).

Notice the price difference here with your standalone DStv package in South Africa. It should be noted that DStv English only offers 15 channels which are divided into two packages and with the total sum it would make DStv Compact (R470p/m) cheaper.

If anything it goes to show that every channel viewed on your regular DStv comes with a price tag and also that MultiChoice has been spending more money on channels viewed on English Plus.