News Shorts: Reno 911 Returns With A Season 7 Across Africa On Comedy Central, SABC Lehae Has Been Uploaded On SABC+ And uMbali To Make Their Linear Debut On e.tv

Fan favourite series returns to Comedy Central

This partially unscripted comedy brings viewers into the squad car as incompetent officers swing into action, answering 911 calls about everything from speeding violations and prostitution to staking out a drug den. Within each episode, viewers catch a "fly on the wall" glimpse of the cops' often politically incorrect opinions, ranging from their personal feelings to professional critiques of their colleagues.

It starred Cedric Yarbrough, Niecy Nash, Robert Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon, Carlos Alazraqui, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Kerri Kenney-Silver, Mary Birdsong, Ian Roberts and Joe Lo Truglio.

Local news in your language on SABC+

Through a brief press release, SABC News was spun off onto a multilingual news channel, SABC Lehae. Resigning exclusively on SABC's DTT, the channel is said to cater for non-DStv or paying consumers which resulted in the abrupt cancellation of SABC News.

Now the channel is currently streaming on SABC+ alongside existing brands such as SABC 1-3, SABC Sport and SABC Education. As mentioned, SABC News is exclusive to DStv meaning that SABC Lehae is now the leading destination for local and global news on the platform.

Mbali is a beautiful township girl with boundless ambition who gets caught on the wrong side of the law

A former teen beauty queen, she has the looks to drive men crazy. But, she is poor and lives in a small backroom in Diepkloof with her mother Phindile, her sister Phumla and daughter Khethiwe.

The family lives off Siya, Mbali’s boyfriend, a criminal who sells Mbali dreams of a lavish life. But when he gets arrested, the family is plunged deep into poverty as their main financial support is lost.

uMbali debuts Thursdays at 10PM from 12 October replacing the second season of Housewives.

Development Alert: SABC Reportedly Registered A New Channel On DTT, SABC Variety

Last month, SABC through a small press release on their website had unveiled their second news channel, SABC Lehae. After losing rights to SABC News, the channel would telecast news segments seen on SABC 1-3 alongside archived material with plans to offer live news.

Prior to that time, it was reported that the public broadcaster was in production of another TV channel with sources suggesting it to be a general entertainment channel which led to speculation of SABC Encore.

Following its demise on DStv, SABC was looking to revive the channel and for 3 years there has yet to be an update on when or if that is still on the cards. They had used it as a pop-up channel on their DTT platforms during that time but other than that nothing until now.

Not long ago, a viewer had spotted a channel on DTT known as SABC Variety which we presume was the rumoured channel the public broadcaster was looking to unveil within the first quarter of 2024. It could be a new name for the long-speculated SABC Encore channel.

The public broadcaster hasn't shared details about the content but SABC+ has a variety section known as SABC Reality for shows like Nyan Nyan, Motswako, Afro Cafe and Spykaart. So we can only assume that this a rival brand to eKasi on eReality, Via, Moja Love and HONEY.

The Splat: Nicktoons And Possible Nick Jr. To Unveil A Brand New On Air Look Likely In October/November Across Africa

During the year, Nickelodeon unveiled a brand new on air look which saw the brand reprise one of their iconic logos and give it a more iconic feel. This format was duplicated across several platforms with most international territories only able to update their designs by August 2023.

Prior to its international rollout, there had been questions from several consumers regarding Nicktoons, TeenNick and Nick Jr. As these brands had taken longer than anticipated to switchover in these regions with the recent switch spotted across several promos this month.

Although, there hasn't been official word on when this will transpire in other territories. Through some November highlights for the brands in Africa, Nicktoons is now listed with a Splat logo while Nick Jr. for the time being remains unscathed unlike what's transpired in France.

If I had to guess, Nicktoons could debut the new logo between October and November with Nick Jr. operating with a globalised feed is complicated. Considering that the Splat logo was spotted on the preschool brand in France I'd assume that the switch will happen sometime in the year.

PBS Kids which serves as somewhat of a contender to Nick Jr. has gone down a similar route with the new simplified logo spotted within ad breaks while the kid friendly green logo is spotted on the top right corner of the channel with bumpers included.

What To Expect On The Nickelodeon Channels Across Africa In November 2023?

Nickelodeon:

The Really Loud House

Episodes: 113, 117, 119

01/11/2023-03/11/2023

18:15

Squeeze That Sponge Stunt

The Patrick Star Show: 121-126

SpongeBob SquarePants: 288-293

16/10/2023-01/11/2023

Monday-Friday

15:30

The Loud House

Episodes: 705-708

13/11/2023-21/11/2023

Monday-Friday

17:00

Nicktoons:

SpongeBob SquarePants

06/11/2023-17/11/2023

Episodes: 261B, 263B, 264B, 270A, 273-277

Monday-Friday

11:30

The Casagrande's Stunt: Family Fiesta The Casagrandes

20/11/2023-01/12/2023

Monday-Friday

15:25

Nick Jr:

Bossy Bear

30/10/2023-10/11/2023

Episodes: 111-115

Monday-Friday

09:30

Gamma. Expands To Africa, Names Larry Gaaga VP And GM

…Chooses Nigeria as operational headquarters  

Gamma., an artiste-first multimedia platform, providing creative and business services across all artistic and commercial formats, today announced an expansion of its commitment to Africa with the addition of two impactful music industry pioneers to the region’s executive team.

The executive appointments include legendary Nigerian songwriter and recording artiste, Larry Gaaga, joining as Vice President/General Manager of Africa.

Historically, international labels have headquartered their African operations solely in South Africa, with Nigeria often having satellite presence. However, Gamma. is rewriting this narrative by investing its largest resource focus in Nigeria, recognising its position as the leading country in terms of the global export of music.

Taken together, these actions amplify the foundation that Gamma. and its digital distribution arm, Vydia have built in the region, increasing the company’s capabilities and resources and ensuring a two-way exchange of culture and opportunity for artistes worldwide.

“Gamma.’s mission is to both nurture talent local to Africa and the Middle East into global superstars, as well as to open the continent for Western artists to reach new fans and opportunities,” said Sipho Dlamini, President, Africa and Middle East, Gamma. “Larry has the historical background and cultural fluency critical to establishing the relationships and resources necessary for us to succeed.”

Most recently, Gaaga was Vice President of Def Jam Africa, where he led the label’s A&R division. In his new role, Gaaga will oversee Gamma.'s operations across the entire African continent. His visionary leadership and guidance to the teams in both Nigeria and South Africa will drive the company’s growth, development, and ultimate success across the region.

“Larry extensive experience, deep understanding of the local music landscapes, and relentless passion for nurturing talent are welcome additions to the Gamma. family,” said gamma. Co-founder and CEO, Larry Jackson. “He will strengthen our market presence and drive significant growth across Africa and by extension, worldwide.”

Gaaga's primary focus will be on providing strategic direction for long-term success, driving revenue growth, and expanding market reach across Africa. He will spearhead initiatives to develop local talent, ensuring their success both domestically and on the global stage through collaborations and partnerships with the wider group.

Naomi Campbell, a prominent figure in the global entertainment community and Special Advisor to Gamma., played a crucial role in fostering the partnership between Gaaga and the company. "Artistic brilliance knows no bounds,” says Campbell. “Larry’s appointment exemplifies the spirit of artistic empowerment. I am thrilled to have played a part in bringing his visionary talents to this artiste-first platform.”

Responding to his appointment, Larry Gaaga said, "I am honored and excited to take on the role of Vice President/General Manager of Africa. This presents a unique opportunity to contribute to the growth of the entertainment industry across the continent, promoting local talent and showcasing the incredible creativity and diversity of our artistes to the world.”

The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in New York, London, Miami, Nashville, Lagos and Dubai.