Development Alert: Estação Do Boss To Be Made Available On DStv And GOtv Mozambique's Newest Addition, Maningue Magic Kool

During the month, MultiChoice unveiled Maningue Magic Kool of course details about the content were underwraps. After a few weeks, the pay-tv company unveiled the first show for the reported upcoming for consumers in Mozambique, Estação Do Boss.

Estação Do Boss (Boss Station) is an entertainment program, with a greater focus on music videos, by the irreverent and international television presenter Emerson Miranda. It features behind the scenes of some video clips, interviews from singers.

This series is currently seen on Maningue Magic which confirms my suspicions from weeks back. MultiChoice decided to ramp up yet another BBC UKTV or better yet Magic Showcase to consumers in the region probably another way

As they currently list it under the GOtv Essentials (channel 3) and DStv Base packages (channel 505) which serves as the cheaper tiers within the market. This channel similar to various regionalized M-Net channels appear to be applicable to consumers in the region.

The channel is expected to rollout in the coming weeks.

In other developments, MultiChoice is rumoured to be adding a third kids brand from Warner Bros. Discovery, Boing. Similar to Maningue Magic Kool, the channel was listed under an existing tile before being officially announced by the respective party.

Recap To The Week (Another Annekan Die Swa Kry): River Of Passion Rolls Out On Soweto TV, Complicated Love And Love Or Poison Axed On The Channel Thus Concluding The Run Of Glow TV

Soweto TV, a community channel that is far past its prime or at least with the way their licenced content pan out had acquired rights to the Colombian telenovela, Niche, Lo Que Diga El Corazón (Beats Of Love). For weird reasons, it's distributed as River Of Passions.

Interesting to note, this is a Caracol Television series the same people behind Hidden Passions and Ana's Revenge on Telemundo and they already offer Sinú, Río De Pasiones (River Of Passions) so the titles probably got mixed up as seen with Annekan Die Swa Kry.

Synopsis for River Of Passions:

Ivan Cuero is a total ball of energy when he's on stage. He carries the passion and the feeling awakened by music and love in his voice.

The musical drama stars Jair Romero as the titular character, Abril Schreiber as Marisol López, Helga Díaz as Luz Mariela, Fiona Horsey as Lida.

River Of Passions airs daily at 08:30 and 9 hours later at 17:30 with an Omnibus every Saturday at 09:00. As seen in their updated EPG, Bollywood dramas Love Or Poison and Complicated Love have been phased out thus concluding the last remains of Glow TV.

Nismedia, the company behind Glow TV has been looking to find other means to continue the channel but with no avail. They're currently looking to take legal action against eMedia Investments in regards to the condition in which the channel was removed.

Zee And Sony Merger Expected To Be Completed By September

The anticipated merger between Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) is expected to be completed by the first half of the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, Sony Corp CEO Kenichiro Yoshida said during the company's annual corporate strategy meeting last week.

"By the end of the first half of this fiscal year, we are trying to complete the merger with ZEEL," Yoshida said, adding that the Indian media and entertainment (M&E) market is ripe for accelerated growth due to its large population and the creative talent that exists in the country.

"India has become the most populous country globally. There are so many growth opportunities in India, especially in entertainment. India is a creative country, and it has become the biggest producer of films since 2005," he said. Yoshida also noted that half of India's population is below the age of 30. This, he said, presents a huge opportunity in areas like anime and gaming. "There is great potential for growth in India in these areas," he added.

Apart from Yoshida, the meeting was also addressed by Sony president, COO, and CFO Hiroki Totoki; NP Singh, MD of SPNI, also gave a presentation on the opportunities in the Indian M&E market and the progress made by the company in its 2.5 decades of existence in the country.

Totoki noted that Sony began its journey in India with electronics and later expanded into entertainment. "Now, the proportion of entertainment is bigger than electronics in India. We feel that this is a compelling market," he said.

Could e.tv's Youth Block Craze Also Be On The Chopping Block Following The Rollout Of Takalani Sesame And Revised eToonz Offering?

Last year, eMedia Investments was in a carriage dispute with MultiChoice regarding e.tv's 4 channels on the DStv platform which still remains as quo. Following the demise, eMedia Investments had begun boosting primetime on their least viewed channel, eToonz.

eToonz, a children's channel offering animation and live-action was basically a graveyard for most of e.tv's offering on their youth block, Craze. As mentioned, the channel has seen a growth in entertainment with the addition of live-action like Backstage and Hank Zipzer.

Content which has yet to be seen on e.tv as the only notable live-action show to date is Power Rangers and just like most of eMedia's channels they too provide content that hasn't been made available to the main channel so would it be shocking if eToonz followed.

As mentioned, there's been a lot of questions regarding the future of e.tv's youth offering as the latter serves as rebroadcasts from the SABC and eToonz with eMedia Investments limiting the international offering as seen this past week with The Goldbergs.

e.tv serves a free-to-air entertainment channel offering a mixture of local and international productions. Just like the SABC, they also follow a mandate which requires them to serve news which they initially intended to get out of the way alongside kiddies entertainment.

With that in mind, e.tv will continue to supply a lineup of kiddies content. Of course, this doesn't exclude the possibility of them revamping the block's current offering as seen during the year with Takalani Sesame.

Last Minute Notice: Devi + Checkpoint + Housewives Move To New Timeslots, Crime Watch + The Last Word With Shahan Ramkissoon Rolls Out On e.tv

Yesterday, e.tv decided to move current affairs shows Devi and Checkpoint to Sunday nights at 18:00 and 19:30 respectively without prior notice and unlike most of the changes that the channel has made over the years this takes the icing of the cake.

Devi and Checkpoint had their timeslots rearranged numerous times since their launch and if a show that ran as long as Checkpoint is going to have their timeslot rearranged it can only mean trouble I mean e.tv without Checkpoint doesn't seem far fetched.

They ripped away Days Of Our Lives which will likely resurface on MultiChoice's Showmax streaming service when Peacock rolls out in the market. If they were willing to axe SunRise and South African Morning on eNCA what's stopping them from axing Checkpoint.

I don't see anything good coming out of these changes especially to those who've actually been following Devi and Checkpoint on weeknights as both will be airing in much earlier timeslots where consumers will probably not be tuning in.

Checkpoint's rollout in the 19:30 timeslot also signals the reduction of international content on the channel as sitcoms were viewable on e.tv twice a week in the current timeslot of Checkpoint now the channel reverted back to one sitcom, The Neighborhood.

We can't say this is a shocker as eMedia Investments rolled out eXposed in 2022 and similar to eReality it took most of their international slate so it won't be surprising if the only form of funny on the channel being The Neighborhood suffers a similar fate.

Housewives which launched on Sundays at 20:00 timeslot last year and vanished only to resurface on Mondays 2 hours later at 22:00 is now airing 3 days later Thursdays in the same timeslot as The Last Word With Shahan Ramkissoon airs Mondays to Wednesdays.

Synopsis for The Last Word With Shahan Ramkissoon:

Shahan Ramkissoon talks to newsmakers and reveals his uncensored opinions about what's happening in South Africa. He also brings in some comedy, by looking at the lighter side of news.

This is basically the show that take over Devi and Checkpoint's timeslot and only time will tell if Shahan Ramkissoon will still be getting this much airtime or similar to the above-mentioned have their timeslots rearranged only cause of low viewership.

Crime Watch also launched on the channel Sundays at 18:30 and here's the synopsis on the latest episode:

This week on Crime Watch, we bring you an update on the "Gold Mafia" expose', real crime videos and look at how the demand for self defence training is on the rise as many people are now wanting to protect themselves.