Recap To The Decade: SABC Encore Revival Is Still In Development For The Openview Platform

SABC is gearing up for the launch of their second news channel, SABC eKhaya. It will serve as the 7th TV channel by the public broadcaster and it will also be a regional spinoff to the current SABC News brand viewed on MultiChoice's DStv, SABC's DTT and SABC+.

It will debut in the second quarter of the year exclusively on SABC's DTT and SABC+ offering news in all 11 South African languages. A format which was once seen on the current SABC News but abandoned following the brand's expansion to the rest of Africa.

As seen these past years, SABC has been behind on expanding their linear presence. In 2021, they formalised a partnership with eMedia Investments for 3 additional channels including SABC Sport and now we are in 2023 and we're still awaiting updates on the 2 channels.

From what was gathered, these two channels would leverage content from SABC's archives and just like SABC Sport. The plan was to offer something unique and not available on SABC 1-3 as more households tune into these stations and their content.

Although, we have yet to get an update on the supposed channels. SABC eKhaya isn't the only channel the public broadcaster might be looking to introduce in the coming future but likely a revival to the controversial SABC Encore now referred to Intelsat as SABC 1.

For almost 2 years, the public broadcaster had been working on this supposed channel under SABC Entertainment, SABC Children and SABC Encore. What had me more convinced about Encore was the time since it left DStv which is when these tests were underway.

One of the brand names, SABC Entertainment was initially meant to be the name for SABC Encore before those plans were scrapped while as the connection with SABC Children may have to do with the fact that both channels exist to leverage from SABC 1-3.

The public broadcaster had marketed SABC Encore on numerous occasions particularly for live matches or memorial services alongside talked on a revival. On top of that, SABC 1 had been spotted with the SABC Encore tag.

If anything, I do wonder how this brand would be any different to the version viewed on DStv. The channel was opened on numerous occasions for rebroadcasts of live matches on top of that memorial service and with SABC restructuring repeats on SABC 1-3.

It wouldn't be shocking if SABC Encore returned in a similar form to M-Net's SWITCH channels or eMedia's Power UP as SABC 1-3 won't be leveraging repeats from the other. Considering it was somewhat relevant, I can see the 80s/90s version of the channel remain intact.

Recap To The Decade: SABC Children's Future As Linear Channel Likely On Openview Alongside The Possible Revival To SABC Encore Remains Quo

SABC Children is the name of the public broadcaster's kids division that offers a mixture of local and international programming for kids aged 2-12. It was also intended to be a preschool spinoff for the educational channel, SABC Education.

SABC Children was added as an online channel on Tuluntulu alongside SABC Education and this was before SABC Education was eventually added to SABC's DTT and SABC+. The channel served content (mostly repeats) in multiple languages including English.

In 2021, the public broadcaster began experimenting on a potential cable counterpart to the current SABC Children as seen with SABC Education in 2020.

Numerous tests were conducted at the time which included the likes of SABC Encore and SABC Entertainment. Basically, these channels were funneled under one tile and it was only last year were there was any mention of its outlet or in this case Openview.

It's no secret that the public broadcaster is expanding their linear presence on the platform. In 2021, they added 19 radio stations alongside SABC Sport and promised consumers two channels a few months after but never launched them as intended.

SABC Children was listed as a potential new channel even before the platform was mentioned. Since 2022, the channel has been using the placeholder SABC 1 for which the actual channel was actually spotted in 2022 using the tag, SABC Encore.

It's not clear whether SABC Children will launch separately or under SABC Encore. But for one tile to be using three brands and out of all one has an identity of its own, SABC Children seems like a possibility maybe this one tile is being used for multiple channels.

As to when the public broadcaster will unveil these two channels or provide an official update it's likely to rollout after SABC eKhaya. A brand which might not be made available to Openview consumers but pay-tv platforms such as DStv and StarSat.

Conspiracy Theory: Openview Consumers Might Miss Out On Yet Another New Channel By The Public Broadcaster

The public broadcaster is gearing up for the rollout of their second news division, SABC eKhaya (formerly SABC Parliament). A multilingual news platform offering news in your language and also a spinoff to the current SABC News channel seen on the DStv platform.

Prior to that, the public broadcaster was working on another TV channel under the placeholder SABC 1 for the Openview platform. It is believed to be SABC Encore as consumers had spotted it on the programme guide of SABC back in 2022.

Following the expansion of SABC Sport and SABC's 19 radio stations, the public broadcaster was looking to the idea of launching a second sports channel on top of a potential revival to the defunct and controversial SABC Encore once viewed on DStv.

As mentioned prior to the testing of SABC Parliament, SABC was working on another TV channel under the placeholder SABC 1. Compared to most experiments this is the only channel to mention it's platform as others like SABC eKhaya were currently being tested for DTT.

With that in mind, it's possible SABC eKhaya alongside SABC Education might not be one of the two channels expected for Openview customers. If anything, the multilingual news channel might be something the public broadcaster is looking to get on pay-tv platforms.

If anything, the public broadcaster might as well be working on launching more TV channels in the coming future aside from the above-mentioned. Some channels the public broadcaster were looking to start up include a health and history channel.

Recap To The Decade: SABC Looking To Launch A Second Sports Channel And Reduce Sports Offering On SABC 1-3

eMedia Investments in partnership with the public broadcaster expanded their agreement in 2021 to include more content from the SABC on the Openview platform. SABC Sport serves as the only additional channel currently ranks as the top 10 watched channels.

Amidst that success, SABC had suggested the idea of launching a second sports channel which too would carry it's own content. As of this moment, it only remains a dream but considering they're launching another news channel - anything goes at this point.

From what was mentioned decades ago by the public broadcaster when implementing DTT. The idea for SABC Sport was not only to give consumers a strong competitor to SuperSport but to also lessen the blows of SABC 1-3's primetime offering.

In a briefing, they blamed the government's failed attempts at eradicating analogue signals that the SABC had to stay behind while eMedia Investments launched their own DTT platform which currently serves 3 million households in South Africa.

SuperSport limits some of their sporting rights to DStv, SABC's DTT and SABC+ thus causing some conflict amongst SABC 1-3 with the current SABC Sport channel as they have to exclude certain programs in order to cater for the consumers who can view them.

Analogue TV is said to be phased out in the coming future not putting my hopes on March 2023 and the public broadcaster will be undergoing even more changes particularly with SABC 1-3 which will have their primary shows airing on their respective brands.

Sports in this case hasn't been discussed in terms of phasing out I mean it's still in talks but no timeframe was given which kind of begs the question as to what happens the day SABC 1-3 limit the access.

Several DStv particularly Access and Easyview alongside StarSat rely on these channels and not much alternatives are available. As for Openview, SABC Sport is a wreck on top of limited alternatives there's repeats hovered inbetween.

Getting back to the topic of the second sports channel, is it possible they'll use this channel perhaps to remove the burden of primetime on SABC 1-3 and seeing as SuperSport controls part of their lineup. What if this sports channel didn't cater to the likes of Openview.

Recap To The Past Decade: The Public Broadcaster Looking To Rollout A Health And History Channel As Ninth And Tenth TV Channel

In the last decade, the public broadcaster has been going through a financial crisis and despite the current situation are still looking to add more channels to their DTT platform. Initially set to be 18 TV channels was downsized to possibly 9 channels.

SABC 1-3 made up part of that alongside SABC News which is currently seen on the DStv platform with the defunct SABC Encore making up the fifth TV channel. Other TV channels in talks at the time included a sports, health, history, education and parliament channel.

SABC Education was the sixth channel out of the nine to enter fruition after the pandemic. It was initially meant to be in partnership with the Department Of Education but with no luck is just a catch-up/archives channel for content viewed on SABC 1-3.

SABC Sport came as the seventh channel a year after on eMedia Investments' Openview platform. It currently ranks as the top 10 channels on the platform just like SABC Education it features rebroadcasts as well as delayed live matches apparently.

SABC Parliament came as the eighth and believe it or not they were in active development but somewhere along the line. The channel was retooled as a multilingual news channel which too features archived material, SABC eKhaya.

After taking the facts to consideration, it's possible that the public broadcaster might be turning to their 2018 DTT plans when discussing additional channels or possible the scrapped 2011 plans which included an interactive video service channel.

With that being added up, it's possible that the public broadcaster might introduce another 2 channels possibly a health and history channel. Although nothing is official yet the idea wouldn't seem far fetched at this point.

From my understanding with SABC Parliament, they lacked funding so they pursued something similar, SABC eKhaya. So health and history might as well be victims of similar circumstances although nothing concrete it wouldn't be shocking.

Recap To The Decade: SABC Education Remains As One Of The Long Awaited DTT Channels For DStv And StarSat

SABC Education is educational channel operated by the public broadcaster that is commonly used for content seen on SABC 1-3 alongside archived material. Some of the content includes Hectic Nine-9, Skeem Saam, Geleza Nathi and The Adventures Of Luna Belle.

The channel was made available on SABC's DTT platform in May 2020 and at the time negotiations were underway to get the channel on platforms such as DStv and StarSat. Similar to eMedia Investments, even these platforms are awaiting on new channels.

As of 2021, StarSat removed any mention of SABC Education on their website while MultiChoice removed any info from their programme guide. When asked whether SABC Education would be still be launching on the above-mentioned platforms.

Sources replied that plans are still underway to get the channel onto these platforms. Of course, three years is a long wait for just 1 channel you'd assume that they'd have some update the following year if not 2020 but things were still the same since then.

MultiChoice and SABC were beefing with one another in regards to the carriage agreement for SABC 1-3. So maybe that's what's causing the delay of these additional services nothing is certain for now as both parties look to address the matter in court soon.