Could WildEarth Also Be Looking To Exit DStv As Broadcaster Hints At A Streamlined Portfolio?

WildEarth is a interactive wildlife channel which brings viewers to closer to nature with two daily live safari shows within the hotspots of Africa. Aside from DStv (Africa), the channel can also be viewed on Sling TV (USA), Freeview (UK and Ireland) and Samsung TV Plus (Global).

Viewers across Africa! We need your help with this hugely important survey. Link in the comments below.

Posted by Wildearth on Saturday, December 16, 2023

In December 2023, WildEarth held a survey for consumers across Africa in regard to its future within the DStv platform. In a statement to fans, they mentioned these questions will determine whether the channel would be removed from the pay-tv platform.

Consumers expressing worry and grief had requested that the channel remain onboard their platforms. Although WildEarth has yet to share it's findings on the matter the mere thought of it exiting/consolidating within DStv wouldn't seem far fetched.

In recent months, MultiChoice has been removing various local channels on their platforms: Maisha Magic Movies, HONEY, People's Weather, ROK GH and NWTV. As part of a streamline/cost cutting attempt, these closures were said to be building the lineup for their current offering.

Prior to People's Weather closure, they had forged a content deal with WildEarth extending the reach of the brand to free-to-air households. Other broadcasters to have offered programming from WildEarth include National Geographic and SABC 3.

News Shorts: Warner Bros. Discovery To Close Rooster Teeth After Plans To Sell Backfire, A Rebroadcast Of Timeless Love Launches On TLNovelas Across Africa And Young Sheldon Spinoff Officially In Development At CBS

Rooster Teeth is a bust

Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, after unsuccessful attempts to sell the unprofitable fandom, gaming and comedy entertainment division, is shutting down Rooster Teeth’s operations. RT general manager Jordan Levin announced the shutdown of Austin-based Rooster Teeth at an all-hands meeting Wednesday and in a memo distributed to staff.

Warner Bros. Discovery is currently in talks to sell the rights to certain Rooster Teeth catalog content and intellectual property such as the popular anime-style series “RWBY” (pictured above), pioneering sci-fi spoof “Red vs. Blue,” and Michael B. Jordan’s animated mecha series “Gen:Lock.” In addition, WBD is seeking to sell the Roost podcast network, with shows spanning gaming, true crime, fandom, comedy and food, which for the time being will continue to operate.

Primetime is halted 

After announcing the inclusion of Shadows Of The Past, TLNovelas will be making another U-turn in their upcoming plans with a repeat of Timeless Love from April 22. Further growing the number of reruns on the channel to take on rival Telemundo.

Based on the 1988 telenovela La Mentira, Timeless Love (Cuando Me Enamoro) is the story of Renata and Jeronimo, whose all-embracing love for each other is undermined by bitterness and betrayal, and by the insidious poison of a malicious lie.

Georgie and Mandy TV series in development 

CBS has formally ordered a spinoff of Young Sheldon — itself a Big Bang prequel — that will focus on Georgie (Montana Jordan), Sheldon’s older brother, and his fiancée, Mandy (Emily Osment), as they raise their young family in Texas. The project has been in the works since January, and a straight-to-series order was expected after deals closed.

Young Sheldon executive producers Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro and Steve Holland will continue in their roles on the new series, which will be part of CBS’ 2024-25 slate. Warner Bros. TV, Lorre’s longtime home, is producing.

News Shorts: Twilight Animated Series In Development With Daria Spinoff Jodie Cancelled, And Avatar: The Animated Series Renewed On Netflix For Season 2 And Season 3 With Monsters At Work Moving To Disney Channel For Season 2

Twilight Animated Series In Development 

Michael Burns, vice chairman of Lionsgate, shared the news during a Q&A at the Morgan Stanley media conference on Tuesday, revealing, “We’re going to go out with the ‘Twilight’ series, an animated series, I think there’ll be a lot of interest in that.”

The animated series would be based on the Stephanie Meyer book series of the same name, which was previously adapted into a film franchise, starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.

There were four “Twilight” novels — “Twilight,” “New Moon,” “Eclipse” and “Breaking Dawn” — published between 2005 and 2008. In 2015, Meyer released the book “Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined,” which gender-swapped the two main characters, Bella and Edward. Meyer then released “Midnight Sun” in 2020, which told the story of the first book from Edward’s perspective rather than Bella’s.

Jodie axed on MTV

The long-gestating project first began as a series that would feature Daria and Jodie, and then was narrowed to just focus on the latter character. In 2020, Comedy Central picked up the adult animated show from creator and head writer Grace Edwards and MTVE Studios with hopes to pair it with South Park.

Two years later, it morphed into a movie.

“Jodie will not be moving forward at MTVE Studios,” said an MTVE Studios spokesperson. “We have loved working with Tracee, Grace and the whole team on creating a film that is full of joy and genre-bending fun with an inclusive, diverse, and incredible cast.  We are fully supportive of them finding a home elsewhere and look forward to partnering with them in the future.”

Avatar: The Last Airbender cancelled on Netflix

Netflix announced that it has greenlit Albert Kim’s take on Avatar: The Last Airbender for another two seasons that will “bring The Legend of Aang to its proper conclusion.”  Netflix also shared a new teaser image suggesting that, like the animated series, the live-action show’s second and third seasons will focus on Team Avatar’s adventures in the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, respectively.

There’s no word yet on when production on the new seasons will begin or when we might expect to see them on Netflix.

Monsters Inc. coming to Disney Channel 

The second season of the animated series “Monsters at Work” will premiere April 5 on the Disney Channel, and begins streaming on Disney+ May 5 in the United States. With the first reason rolling out in Africa by March 25 on Disney Channel. 

Based on Pixar’s “Monsters” franchise and a sequel to Monsters, Inc., the series follows a maintenance crew at the monsters factory as it transitions from scaring kids to making them laugh to generate energy for the city of Monstropolis.

The first season won an Emmy for Individual Achievement in Animation.

Development Alert: Arise News Coming Soon To DStv And GOtv In More African Countries

Arise News is a London based television network that offers news and current affairs to audiences across the United States, Europe and Africa. It is operated by Arise Broadcasting Ltd., which is owned by Nigerian media mogul Nduka Obaigbena.

It offers programs such as Arise 360, Global Business Report, Arise Newshour and Daybreak Nigeria. This is accompanied by a streaming service known as Arise Play in 2021 with select titles can be live streamed with content from BBC Studios.

Since 2017, Arise News was only viewable on DStv Channel 416 and GOtv 24 in Nigeria. By 2020, Arise News can be found streaming on Freeview via its own service on Channel 269 and formed part of the Visiontv line-up on Channel 264.

As seen not long ago, MultiChoice might be looking to allocate Arise News in more African countries through DStv. This was after the channel had been spotted by several viewers taking up transmissions formerly occupied by B4U Movies.

The inclusion to more DStv customers doesn't seem far fetched a stretch as they offered news centres in Johannesburg and Lagos. The only mystery now is why they'd wait 11 years after it launched to expand to other markets with 5 years in Nigeria.

Die Fakulteit: Schools In Session With eExtra's New High School Drama This April, Will Be Available On e.tv

Not long ago, it was reported that eMedia Investments was filming a new Afrikaans drama that was set to rival with KykNET and replace 18:00 on SABC 2. Now it has been reported that eExtra will be launching a new series titled Die Fakulteit (The Faculty).

The project will ensemble a new and familiar cast alongside including Bibi Du Perez, Carien Botha, Abel Knobel, Tabitha De Jager, Carl Trautman, Leigh Ann Fourie, Tène Minderon and Zöricke Snyman with guest appearances from Zoé Jacobs and Geraldine Pilay.

Die Fakuliteit was produced by Marno Koen and Michael Van Zyl of Coolerbox Brothers with George Van Rooyen serving as director. The crew have produced various content for M-Net and Via including Klankbank, Konings van Kitskos and Die Rusbank Sessies.

Die Fakulteit begins 14 April 2024 on eExtra replacing Ouma Sarie at 19:30. Prior to this, Chrysalis would be returning to the channel with season 2 from 8 April 2024 replacing Soos Dag En Nag at 20:00.

Details of a plot has yet to mentioned but this is what we've got about the show

Our school's coat of arms - At Hoërskool Oos we are proud to say that in terms of sports, academics and culture we are considered one of the most average schools in the East Rand. As our motto goes: we think, we know, "we can?"