Reminder: eExtra, eMovies, eMovies Extra And eToonz Are Turning 6 In May 2023 On The DStv Platform

In May 2017, eMedia Investments expanded their partnership with MultiChoice which saw the inclusion of 4 additional channels to the DStv platform and also available freely on the Openview platform include eExtra, eMovies, eMovies Extra and eToonz.

eExtra is a general entertainment channel offering series, reality shows and movies. Following the rollout of Kuiertyd, the channel has become one of the most popular channels on the platform for shows like Elif, Dokter Ali, Gebroke Harte and Die Put.

eMovies serves as one of the longest brands on eMedia's portfolio offering light hearted films ranging from comedy, adventure and romance while eMovies Extra is for more robust films ranging action, adventure and sci-fi.

eToonz currently behind eMovies in terms of existence is a fun and imaginative destination for children aged 2-12 years offering a mixture of animated and live-action shows including Zak Storm, GGO Football, Hank Zipzer and Bajillionaires.

Since 2022, MultiChoice has been in an on and off relationship with eMedia Investments for the carriage of these 4 channels and although not much has been confirmed as to whether these channels would be carried onboard for a much longer period.

What is evident is that these channels will be celebrating another year on the platform and it could give us an idea as to when we could recieve an update on the above-mentioned brands.

We honestly believe now that 6 months for these channels had already passed that MultiChoice and eMedia Investments extended their agreement for these channels within that period. Maybe these channels are on an experimental phase to see what works.

Or just like Glow TV, MultiChoice wants to honour their agreement and give them a decent farewell. I mean the idea wouldn't be far fetched considering how much they tried to duplicate/supplement these channels.

From our analysis, eExtra is the only thing worth exploring in terms of content compared to the above-mentioned there's less DStv repetition. But with kykNET & Kie serving a similar offering and e.tv duplicating the line-up we could see why that channel wouldn't survive.

But honestly would it be shocking if all the channels were to go dark I mean since last year MultiChoice had several improvements to the packages these channels best cater for with DreamWorks Channel, Movie Room, BBC UKTV, CineMagic and Magic Showcase.

Why MultiChoice Hasn't Cancelled The Duplicate Telemundo Channel?

Telemundo is a general entertainment channel owned by NBCUniversal which since it's launch in 2013 has served fans across Africa with a number of Portuguese telenovelas including My Heart Beats For Lola, Fearless Heart, Nurses and Lord Of The Skies.

Also part of the launch was the duplicate channel on 507 which is an exact copy of 118 but unlike the channel there's no English audio much less subtitles as seen with the likes of StarPlus and Zee TV but weird is how 118 is viewable in Portuguese.

As seen in September 2020, WWE Channel operated by SuperSport in partnership with WWE on channel 128 and 236 as mentioned when the channel got a duplicate. The idea was to get the channel close to the other SuperSport brands as selected content is viewed there.

Fast forward to 2021, MultiChoice decided to backtrack on the duplicate channel as pay-tv company highlighted a division in consumers and the reason for its remainder on the general entertainment section dealing with the fact consumers are accustomed to 128.

When it comes to Telemundo, there hasn't been any complaints about the duplicate channel I mean they were rumours about them unifying both brands cause as mentioned 118 supplies both English and Portuguese soundtracks to the channel.

But that seems highly unlikely as just like WWE is on 128. For those who view Telemundo on 507 are just as accustomed to the fact it's there same goes to those who were currently viewing the dubbed audio on channel 118.

Imagine hailing from Angola, watching channel 118 and having to always change the soundtrack from English to Portuguese whenever you browse the channel I mean there's no way to leave it under the Portuguese soundtrack and overtime that gets really irritating.

What To Expect On The Home Channel In April 2023?

* Priority slots are marked in bold

Finest Homes S5
South African home design and architecture has truly come into its own; bland imitations have made way for modern masterpieces and character-filled design. The Home Channel brings you a brand new season of Finest Homes, where we explore these creations, talking to the visionaries who are bringing them to life, as well as the people who live in them.

Journey with us as we are taken through the spaces, showcasing architecture, interior design and landscape design; discover valuable tips and ideas offered up by local experts, and recreate some of these looks in your own home.

03 Apr - 26 Jun
Mon 16:00 Wed 20:00 Thu 08:00 Fri 12:00 Sat 15:00 & 22:00 Sun 10:30 & 19:00

My Dream Home S7
Drew and Jonathan Scott have become household names in real estate and home renovation. And on My Dream Home , they’re as determined as ever to help couples find, buy, and transform extreme fixer-uppers into incredible dream homes.

First, real estate specialist Drew tracks down hidden gems with untapped potential, and then it’s up to identical twin brother and contractor Jonathan to expertly overhaul these ramshackle properties. Convincing homebuyers to take a radical risk is their first challenge. Then they’ve got to deliver these ambitious renovation projects on time and on budget.

03 Apr - 26 Jun
Mon 17:00 Wed 21:00 Thu 09:00 Fri 13:00 Sat 16:00 & 23:00 Sun 11:30 & 20:00

Coast vs Country S3
On Coast vs. Country, house hunters from across the UK enlist the help of property experts, Sara Damergi and Kerr Drummond to assist them in finding their dream home in a desirable location, whether it’s a holiday home, a retirement retreat or a fresh start home.

Each host takes on the competitive task by tracking an array of properties to view either by the coast or in the country, whether in the UK or abroad, giving potential purchasers a wide scope of options to choose from.

03 Apr - 18 Sep
Mon 23:00 Tue 10:00 Wed 14:00 Fri 18:00

Nadiya’s Time to Eat S1
Effortlessly impressive meals, made for hectic lives, Nadiya Hussain shares her clever time-saving kitchen hacks and simple, delicious recipes to show that on Nadiya’s Time to Eat. She’ll prove that everyone can make great home-cooked meals and sweet treats, no matter how busy they are or how complicated a life they lead.

Along the way, she goes to the rescue of people with hectic lives, such as firemen, truckers and working parents to help them become heroes in their kitchens, and meets with people in the food industry who prepare and produce her favourite time-saving ingredients.

10 Apr - 22 May
Mon 10:00 Tue 14:00 Thu 18:00 Fri 23:00 Sat 07:00 Sun 13:30

Grand Design’s New Zealand S4
Grand Designs New Zealand is back with popular host, Kiwi architect Chris Moller. This season shares more stories of creative and enterprising New Zealanders who are taking on the challenge of building their own unique and inspirational homes.

Following the internationally successful Grand Designs format, the series follows the process of these incredible design projects, as well as the personal journeys of those building them – from the initial blueprints, through to the long and often arduous task of turning the plans into practical living spaces.

Using both modern and traditional building techniques and materials, Grand Designs New Zealand features houses with locations ranging from remote forests to the busy inner city, to private island escapes and tree canopy hideaways.

10 Apr - 29 May
Mon 13:00 Tue 17:00 Thu 21:00 Fri 09:00 Sat 11:00 & 18:00 Sun 15:00 & 22:00

Gut Job S1
When pro athlete turned all-star builder Sebastian Clovis discovered the 'dream home' he had just purchased required a total nightmare Gut Job, he tackled it like he has everything in life - all in.

Stripping his house back to the studs to rebuild it safer and more stunning than ever, Sebastian knows how overwhelming the process can be. For less prepared homeowners, a paralyzing barrage of decisions and surprises can put them months behind and wildly over budget.

Sebastian is on a mission to guide homeowners through the biggest renovations of their lives, bringing his creativity, support and team to each project. Together they design, demolish, rebuild and beautify their nightmare properties into jaw-dropping dream homes.

11 Apr - 27 Jun
Tue 20:00 Wed 08:00 Thu 12:00 Fri 16:00

Selling Houses Australia S14
On Selling Houses  no-nonsense property expert Andrew Winter is turning things around for hard-to-sell homes, . He shows you how to maximize your profits and achieve a quick sale on one of life's biggest investments.

Today's unpredictable housing market is not for the faint of heart. Stressed owners whose properties have been stuck on the market for months are desperate for a sale and unable to comprehend why no-one wants to buy their home. Andrew Winter brings all the parties together to figure out problems of pricing, presentation and communication. After the home makeover, he then helps his clients strategise around how to bring potential buyers closer to the sale.

17 Apr - 19 Jun
Mon 08:00 Tue 12:00 Wed 16:00 Fri 20:00

Never Too Small S1
Growing populations and land scarcity are squeezing our cities, and around the world people are turning to more affordable and smaller homes. Never Too Small sits down with award-winning designers and architects to break down the design of their tiny homes, micro apartments, cabins and more. Revealing how urban design and architecture will shape how we live, how we work and how we socialise.

Built upon an existing YouTube series with more than 41 million views, Never Too Small explores the experimentation and self-expression on the path to perfecting design, travelling across the globe in search of the best small spaces.

Each episode explores a new theme, from preserving historic buildings, sustainability in rural areas, to life in the most densely populated cities in the world – speaking to the architects themselves as they transform small spaces into homes.

Designed well, no space is ever too small.

17 Apr - 26 Jun
Mon 14:30 Wed 18:30 Thu 23:30 Fri 10:30

Smart Home Nation S1
Showcasing the incredible technologies that are transforming the way we live, Smart Home Nation offers a VIP tour of the most amazing automated homes on the planet. From beds that rate your sleep to a security system that generates holograms of giant dogs, every episode takes viewers on an exclusive room-by-room tour of two over-the-top showstoppers.

Sweeping cinematography offers spectacular views from every angle and cutting-edge CGI opens up walls and floors to reveal how it all works. Hosted by Emmy®-nominated design guru Tanya Memme, the series navigates an infinitely customizable fantasy world—all while serving up great tips for making any home just a little bit smarter.

18 Apr - 20 Jun
Tue 19:30 Wed 22:00 Thu 11:30 Fri 15:30 | Sat 13:30 & 20:30 Sun 17:30 & 00:30

Eyes For The Job  S4
On Eyes for the Job, viewers follow handyman Chris Judge, who is blind, along with co-host Erwan Fresq, as they take on do-it-yourself projects in their community with help from their travelling workshop in a converted camper van. From renovating kitchens and home offices to backyards and basements, Chris and Erwan tackle DIY with a smile.

Born the son of a carpenter, Chris' interest in building started at a young age. Always eager to learn new skills, that interest grew into a passion for carpentry and other do-it-yourself projects, making Chris a lifelong handyman. He brings a unique perspective to the show as he was also born blind and will share some of his accessibility tips in the hopes of inspiring other individuals who are blind or partially sighted to get creative and try some DIY projects of their own.

24 Apr - 18 Jul
Tue 19:00 Wed 22:30 Thu 11:00
Fri 15:00

Other shows include Carol Drinkwater's  Secret Provence S1, Gardener The S20 and Three Veg and Meat S1.

The Home Channel is available on DStv channel 176

CITV Channel To Close As ITV Makes Most Children’s Shows Online-Only, Could eMedia Investments Follow With The eToonz Channel On The Openview Platform?

ITV is shutting down its CITV channel for consumers in the UK and shifting most of its children’s programmes to streaming-only, arguing that young people have largely given up on watching scheduled television.

CITV will disappear as a standalone channel in the autumn, with all children’s content shifting to the streaming platform ITVX. The broadcaster said the channel was unprofitable and children’s TV audiences had collapsed in recent years because of a shift to YouTube and other streaming services.

eToonz is the South African version to the soon to be defunct CITV owned by eMedia Investments and currently viewed on the Openview platform is home to shows such as Peppa Pig, Pokémon, Barbie Dream Adventures, Thomas And Friends and Voltron.

Since it's debut in 2013, eToonz has struggled to gain a vast majority of Openview consumers much less DStv while as it's other sister channels eMovies and eMovies Extra rank as the top movie channels with eExtra top entertainment brand on the mentioned platform.

Compared to the e.tv channels currently sitting abroad the DStv platform as well the additional currently viewed on the Openview platform. eToonz carries the most rebroadcasts from the main channel and any channel that was performing well would do otherwise.

When eExtra was added in 2017, it was more of a catch-up or leftovers channel for e.tv same goes with eReality now both brands have managed to build their unique slate of programming with the likes of Elif, Doodsondes, Forensic Files and Ex On The Beach.

eToonz serving as one of the longest running brands amongst had been subdued to rebroadcasts. I get why the rebroadcasts as adults watch more linear television compared to children who'd have a high preference for YouTube and social media.

All the more reason to justify eToonz lack of new content but honestly whose to say this channel won't fold under e.tv and eVOD. eMedia Investments doesn't leave consumers much alternatives at this point on Openview giving it more purpose.

As for DStv, I can see why they'd opt not to renew their agreement with eMedia Investments for the channel. It's just a duplicate of the existing offering on their stable and brands like Cartoon Network and Disney Junior are luring consumers away from the channel.

As for Craze, I can see that being the future of eToonz on the Openview platform as it is with DStv consumers. It does look like something eMedia wants to retire but can't due to the laws in this country they have to put up with this content for the years to come.

Recap To Last Year: Here's What We Can Expect From eExtra's New Series Dayan, Destructive Beauty

For the last months, eExtra had become another Rewind channel outside of Kuiertyd with shows like Kurt En Shura, Dare To Love, Ice Adonis and Blue Venom Girl. Now the channel is set to rollout their second show of the year, Dayan, Destructive Beauty.

Daayan is a Hindi supernatural drama television series starring Tina Datta, Mohit Malhotra and Adaa Khan. The story revolves around a happy couple, Jhanvi and Akarsh, whose lives takes an unexpected turn when a Daayan enters their lives.

The series stars Tina Datta, Aakash Talwar, Mohit Malhotra, Anupama Solanki, Aashka Goradia, Aman Gandhi, Garima Goel, Priya Bathija, Yash Pandit and Nitanshi Goel.

The series debuted back in 2018 on Zee TV with a total of 66 episodes. It was available to stream on eVOD back in 2022 of course not all episodes were available at the time prior to its potential rollout on the eExtra channel.

It's debut on eExtra was part of a subject of speculation following it's failure to rollout on the channel back in 2022. Unlike most of the shows in question, Dayan is the only one to get out of this scenario unscathed.

Dayan, Destructive Beauty airs daily at 15:50 from 28 March on eExtra replacing Blue Venom Girl. Weaving A Tale Of Love will follow days prior with Roekeloos Dade, Die Put and Hart Van Goud expected for the channel's Afrikaans block in the coming months.