Nickelodeon To Cease Operation In South Korea

Paramount and AMC International have begun reviewing their linear offering and with the ongoing rollout of Paramount+. The CBS channels currently seen across Europe are phasing out CBS brand with CBS Reality said to remain as they're likely working on a name.

Paramount Network has even seen a decline internationally as most Paramount wents to seperate the linear from the streaming which resulted in several closures or replacements for the brand.

During the week, it was also reported that more Asian viewers will lose Nickelodeon by the end of June following its closure in Japan earlier in the year with several shows like Paw Patrol, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Loud House and Danger Force streaming on Paramount+.

 

Nickelodeon had been available to the market for nearly 17 years as part of a joint venture with SBS Medianet and Paramount Networks EMEA. The demise of Nickelodeon means viewers lost out on another major kids brand following Disney Channel's closure last year.

As mentioned, Paramount will be rolling out their streaming service in more regions and although they don't plan to halt all their linear offering just yet. There has been cutbacks part of which include several localised feeds or channels with too much old content.

AMC International Giving Their Channels Weird Names Ahead Of Paramount+ Launch In Africa By 2023

Paramount+ is a streaming service owned by the company of the same name (without +) that is home to brands like Paramount Network, CBS (CBS Drama, CBS Justice and Horror Channel), Showtime, Comedy Central, MTV, BET, The Smithsonian Channel, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.

As some consumers are aware Paramount will be rolling out their streaming service by 2023 in the Middle East and Africa and question loomed in regard to the linear offering across the world.

Although the company had no intentions of ending their linear operations that doesn't exclude the possible reduction or restructure to their portfolio as seen in the UK with their CBS channels this past week.

 

AMC International formed a joint venture with the company for CBS Reality, CBS Justice, CBS Drama and Horror Channel since 2012 under the brand Chellomedia and even before and after becoming majority stakeholder the channels had a share of repeats.

After nearly a decade, the CBS channels would be laid to rest by the end of June as Paramount is scrapping the CBS branding since they'll be present on Paramount+ kind of like what they did with the Paramount Network and in doing so comes the new names.

Update: CBS Reality will remain the same for now but there's more to the story as there's a channel that goes by the name Reality in the UK. In other developments, CBS Reality will be getting an additional channel Reality Xtra.

 

Other channels like CBS Justice discontinued and merged onto Legend which serves as a replacement to Horror Channel which in turn becomes a part time channel Horror Xtra with the current CBS Reality getting a sister channel Reality Xtra.

If you've watched MTV, Travel Channel and TLC then you'll be able to realise that the brand names don't match with the offering and that's the case with these new channels.

Apparently, the content in question on these channels will remain the same Reality Xtra will air drama series although the name appears to make it a reruns or edgier version of CBS Reality and imagine they're instilling crime on horror.

Judging by the info available at the moment, its clear that these changes could have been last minute or organised in a short duration.

 

Taking that to account, is it possible another restructure is on the cards and perhaps with alternate names I mean Poland has the AMC brand and if not another name perhaps aligning the content with the brand names.

Last resort would include cord cutting as these channels are very much outdated even onto the new brands and the idea of AMC and Paramount operating less channels at this point doesn't seem far fetched.

If there's a brand I'd have to praise for its uniqueness then its CBS Reality I get this feed doesn't supply original content but the way this channel incorporates less repeats is astounding. Even more interesting is how their former brand name Reality (E)Xtra was revived.

Da Vinci Kids Rebranded Last Year That's Why The Channel Has Been Loading Up On Fresh Content

A new kids’ content initiative rolled out in Asia, delivering learning in multiple formats and promising a positive, safe and ad-free environment for children across the region.

The move is part of a global expansion strategy, follows the consolidation of global educational assets – Da Vinci Media’s Da Vinci Kids and Azoomee – under newly formed holding company, Macademia.

Additional acquisitions are being planned in the continued drive to consolidate the EdTech and edutainment kids’ segments, says Macademia’s co-founder and chief operating officer, Estelle Lloyd.

Lloyd says the company’s mission is to “help parents raise exceptional humans”.

 

Macademia is best known for its selection of STEAM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Art & Math) programming, including award-winning TV shows, documentaries and educational games for kids 4 to 12.

“Our mission is to unlock children’s full potential by igniting a passion for discovery and imagination through inspiring videos and games,” Lloyd adds.

A core part of the ambitious new plan, the latest iteration of Da Vinci Kids includes a completely revamped mobile streaming app, a library of educational games, as well as an upsized linear channel. Da Vinci Kids targets 6+ year olds and adults.

Sister platform, Azoomee, targeting kids below six years old, debuted in Asia. Globally, Azoomee is available in 125 countries through its partnership with Huawei, which bundles a one-year pre-paid Azoomee subscription with Huawei tablets.

 

Expanding Da Vinci Kids’ content has been a key focus of the new strategic direction, Lloyd says, adding that topics range from science, technology and nature to history and arts, among others.

Recent video series acquired included "The Fixies", "Darwin & Newts" and "A Week to Beat the World", which is exclusive to Da Vinci Kids. These join titles such as "Operation Ouch", "Science Max", "Pin Code" and "Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch".

“Our goal is to provide a variety in content mix and an alternative to the pure entertainment and ratings-driven channels that occupy the vast majority of the kids and documentaries channel landscape,” Lloyd adds.

Linear remains a crucial part of the bundle.

“Da Vinci Kids delivers a content curation strategy focused on range, diversity and quality. We are providing a meaningful viewing experience to kids and families, which we know is very important to parents,” Lloyd says.

 

Between them, Da Vinci Kids and Azoomee are distributed to a global audience of 60m kids and families on 550+ pay-TV and streaming platforms, telcos and OEMs. In addition to Huawei, partners include Vodafone, Telefonica/O2, MultiChoice, Apple, Sky, Roku and Amazon.

Moving forward, Macademia plans to ramp up its investment in original productions and games, building upon segments such as Marvelous Makes (arts and crafts), Search It Up (digital literacy) and Tech Will Save Us (technology).

“As much as we want children to have fun, to be carefree and happy, we also want them to develop into curious and critical thinking people, to open their minds to new ideas,” Lloyd says, adding: “We are going to be there for them.”

Roundups #71: Trolls: The Beat Goes On Coming Soon To DreamWorks Africa, Mzansi Wethu Airs Its First Drama Series Titled Isibopho And eExtra Goes For Two With Ice Adonis And Twice My Son In Law

More eToonz repeats for DStv customers

eToonz left the DStv platform for almost a month and since March various content mostly repeats from the channel are currently viewed on the DreamWorks Channel.

As mentioned through various sources and press statements, Trolls: The Beat Goes On will be added to the channel's portfolio in the coming months.

Queen Poppy, her boyfriend Branch and the other trolls embark on cheerful adventures in the Troll village, where they celebrate several exciting holidays and dance parties.

 

Mzansi Wethu gets some exclusive content

Mzansi Wethu has released the trailer of its first-ever original drama series since the channel debuted. Through Mzansi Magic’s Instagram page the channel has announced that Isibopho will be released and start streaming soon on the channel. The drama series has an all-star cast, and viewers can not wait for it to begin showing.

The drama series will be about a fight for survival and enemies and families bound by blood. People will be fighting for their lives and sneaking around to get the revenge they seek. The story will follow an innocent woman who will be trying to fight off a powerful opponent that she is called a sheep trying to fight dogs.

The drama series will debut at 21:00 from July 10th.

 

More kdramas on eExtra

The Bollywood lineup had manifested throughout eExtra's schedule alongside Turkish. Bad news is Korean is only viewable on the daytime good news is the channel will continue uploading more Korean series.

High Society Scandal will conclude later this month and repeats of A-Lifestyle and Mahadi Lobola take up the timeslot for the rest of the month thereafter a rerun of Ice Adonis takes up the show's timeslot with a second slot added for the new series, Twice My Son In Law.

Lee Jin-sook is a speaker on family happiness. However, she has a sad past. Years ago, she was kicked out of the house by her mother-in-law and was forced to be separated from her newborn daughter. An encounter with Hyeon-tae leads her to not only fall in love but meet her birth daughter.

The series airs at 14:50 from July 4th with Ice Adonis at 14:05.

CBS Justice Is Out For The Count While CBS Reality's Future Remains Up In The Air On DStv

During the week, it was announced that Paramount and AMC International the party in charge of CBS Justice and CBS Reality in Africa will be scrapping the CBS branding from their products by shortening (CBS) Reality and killing off CBS Justice for the male skewed channel, Legend.

As it was the first time this news was announced no one could expect what possible outcome awaited the CBS channels on DStv but through a promo for CBS Justice's replacement you can clearly get a clear perspective to the whole situation.

Legend is said to not only incorporate CBS Justice but offer content with sci-fi, horror and adventure and I won't go over the details with the programming as some viewers may not recognise anything from there but by looking at it you can clearly see where this channel stands in Africa.

 

CBS Justice in the UK offers drama series like Walker, NCIS: Los Angeles and CSI while the feed in Africa carries a lot of factual content some I might add are better than what's seen on Investigation Discovery like Forensic Files, Killer Couples and Snapped.

If anything I wouldn't be surprised if CBS Justice merged onto CBS Reality to form something else or for both of them to get discontinued to its entirety as seen in some regions but here's why I think merging would be the likely outcome.

Alternative names for the supposed channel: Zone Reality and Reality (E)Xtra.

Alternative names should it remain as two channels: Zone 1 & 2, Reality 1 & 2, Reality and Reality (E)Xtra.

 

Before CBS Justice was added in Africa, CBS Reality was the main home to all the content seen on there if anything the downside was the timeslots as most crime or detective stuff aired in the early hours of the day (5am or 6am) down to the night (8pm to 11pm).

The merging of these brands would bring more comfort to those on CBS Reality who once had access to this content and who knows it might even reduce amount of Judge Judys or escalate onto another program but who knows really as it was repetitive by then.

 

But if other channels can't fix that issue why burden that onto CBS Reality. The important thing is that there's plenty to watch outside Judy or Cheaters. The only burden at this point would have fallen onto DStv customers.

As seen in the last couple of months, MultiChoice has lost at least 8 channels and not much replacements are on the cards. If CBS Justice doesn't get replaced by the supplier (Paramount and AMC), will the distributor (MultiChoice) seek alternatives or continue leaving empty gaps.