DStv Updates: The Future Of eAfrica, The Launches Of INX Prime and Movie Room + More For Neighbouring Countries

South Africa has been seeing some love this past week following the launches of INX Prime and Movie Room on the DStv platform alongside the return of e.tv's 4 channels. In this section, we'll be not only discussing some of the aspects but recapping to the developments occurred.

South African consumers lost an estimated amount of 9 channels of which 4 were restored for the time being reducing it to 5 while as the rest of Africa from what I understand lost between 5-7 channels including Russia Today, Lifetime, fliekNET and Tellytrack.

MultiChoice had boasted about having transponder constraints but I don't want to discuss that but look at some brands that are known globally but unfortunately not in South Africa, China Movie Channel (CMC) and Zhejiang TV apparently they were axed with viewers directed to CCTV and KIX for similar content.

Amidst these terminations, MultiChoice has been increasing their focus in the African market with the launches of Hilaal TV and Racing240 which are said to be surpassing predecessors ITV Networks and Tellytrack in terms of viewership.

Other additions that have also managed to rollout in the year include the news station News Central, local channels ZTN Prime and 3Ktv, kids brand DreamWorks Channel and news station NHK World-Japan.

In regard to the recent additions to the DStv platform, INX Prime and Movie Room the channels are rumoured to launch exclusively in South Africa thereafter rollout in the rest of Africa as they go through a trial in the region before negotiations can occur.

This is a norm with MultiChoice not adding channels at the same time as other regions point being made these channels will be added. They're likely looking at viewer's feedback on the channel before taking any action but from my perspective I wouldn't be shocked if it launched regardless.

eMedia Investments had a deal with MultiChoice Africa for eAfrica and as seen earlier in the year. They took the pay-tv company to court now this wasn't for eAfrica but it's sister channels residing in South Africa so in regard to whether they'll return, MultiChoice stated diligently that it's not coming back so viewers will have to find other means to view their shows.

Recap: The State Of Warner Bros Discovery Including Series Cancellations, Merger Of HBO Max And Discovery+ And Cartoon Network's Dismal Offering

During the week, Warner Bros. Discovery cancelled several original productions like Scoob: Holiday Haunt, Batgirl and Little Ellen but here's the thing out of three two had finished production all that was left was distribution with the last being Little Ellen which was renewed ahead of time but recent changes suffered the same effects as the others.

Later today, Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to address these changes alongside unveil more details in regard to the merger of HBO Max and Discovery+.

News broke out about the merger started around the time prior to the time WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc. functioned seperately and were on the verge of becoming Warner Bros. Discovery as seen with these recent cancellations the streamer is said to hold more Discovery than HBO.

The news has seen immense backlash for not only HBO Max fans but also Discovery has not a lot of consumers are accustomed to Cake Boss or Dr. Pimple Popper.

But if you look at the cutbacks from a clearer perspective, it actually helps a streamer like Disney+ which has been lacking in adult entertainment overseas.

HBO Max and Discovery+ have their 50% but if you look on Discovery there's reality, lifestyle, wildlife, factual, decor, motor, food and homegrown programming which is a lot you can do with a measly 50% while HBO had mostly dramas and movies before I can expand further some of Discovery+ content can be slotted under general entertainment which is where HBO Max sits.

Not that I'm happy about the downfall of HBO Max but if you kind of look at this merger just evens out the content as seen on Netflix the only brand I'm more curious about at this point is Cartoon Network alongside Cartoonito which has established linear presence internationally.

As it is there has been I wouldn't say cutbacks as seen with TNT, TBS and The CW but production is very slow as most shows have gone through development hell while others are ending soon and I wouldn't be shocked if Adult Swim got caught into the mix following the cancellation of Close Enough.

Is Boomerang Becoming Another Disney XD?

Boomerang is a subscription kids based channel operated by Warner Bros. Discovery. At the time, it served as a complimentary channel to Cartoon Network's preschool and family offering and since the existence of Cartoonito things haven't been going so well for the iconic brand.

In 2021, Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled some original productions for their brands and Boomerang wasn't mentioned in this list of developments as Cartoonito was hogging most of the spotlight with Cartoon Network's revamped offering.

Four years prior, The Walt Disney Company took the same path with Disney XD by cancelling most of their original productions while moving remaining shows to Disney Channel and Disney+ with the brand being used as a catch-up as carriage for the channel declines internationally.

There may not any immediate plans to close the family brand but there's indicators hinting to its demise. Take for instance, the load of existing content from Cartoon Network such as Looney Tunes Cartoons and Lamput while remaining shows are classified as Cartoonito.

Although these development aren't applicable to Africa (yet), Boomerang hasn't gotten any new programs aside from what's introduced by Cartoonito and I know some would be say Akissi and Legend Of Spark but that's considered Cartoonito elsewhere.

Cartoonito has been speculated to replace the channel for a while now and I'm not sure if this is gonna be the case now as there's been a lot of changes within Warner Bros. Discovery that has even led me to even believe Boomerang could close before any of this could even take affect.

With these cancellations of shows you just have to wonder if they'll be any left for for more than one channel.

Cartoon Network Is In Shambles, Is A Recovery Plan Underway?

On Thursday, Warner Bros. Discovery is expected to make some shocking announcement that will have the media to its core as if there wasn't enough of it following the cancellation of original content through TNT, The CW and likely HBO Max.

WarnerMedia has been in trouble for a while which was part of the reason this merger with Discovery Inc. came to the equation. There's been a lot of mismanagement with some of their brands and it seems if the cat is finally getting out of the bag for one of their channels, Cartoon Network.

Cartoon Network has been a top priority for me as a kid as I didn't have much alternatives at the time. I remember when I would just leave my TV on and watch classics like Time Squad, Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, Megas XLR, Sheep In The Big City and The Grim Adventures Of Billy And Mandy.

Cartoon Network was my sanctuary but over the years that had changed trust me when I say the brand hasn't stopped being a top priority for me as I struggle to find the same essence on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel not that they don't have anything interesting but the channel was like a new addition to the family

Through puberty that all changed as they had all the options at their fingertips like Mighty Magiswords, Steven Universe, OK K.O. Let's Be Heroes, Victor And Valentino, Infinity Train and Adventure Time but struggled to balance all these shows out.

Treat it like high school, there was that subject everyone loved (Teen Titans GO!), that subject you'd consider a liability (Mao Mao: Heroes Of Pure Heart) and those that are there for some logical reason (The Amazing World Of Gumball or D.C. Superhero Girls).

As the pupil tries to juggle life sees their expectations go down the drainage pipe which was the case for Cartoon Network. I don't remember the last time I watched Cartoon Network as I'd rather what's on the channel but from what I remembered last 3 shows made up their whole schedule.

Believe or not, this led to most of their efforts such as Summer Camp Island to go off unnoticed. Oh sure, there's not much homework going onto the table but why should it matter as it is part of the syllabus.

Point is this led to a decline in viewers and if it wasn't for Redraw Your World who knows where the channel could have ended up. As the brand starts rebuilding a new identity a lot happens behind the scene.

Most of the homework goes missing or is shelved or on the verge of being shelved. On top of the missing homework, the child now studies less subjects as the school experience a shortage in staff which just leads to further cutbacks.

As of this moment, Cartoon Network only has 3 current original series Teen Titans GO!, Craig Of The Creek and We Baby Bears everything else from Victor And Valentino to Elliot From Earth is either cancelled or going through hiatus.

As it is the channel has greenlit several shows like My Adventures With Superman, Batman: Caped Crusader and Invincible Fight Girl but as seen with the recent management of Warner Bros. Discovery the SCOOB sequel had been canned as things were wrapping up while Infinity Train is seen on a rival brand, Netflix.

Just as the channel starts to regain consciousness, it's put back in the ICU is there any hope for the time will tell.

Roundups #80: The Purges Of HBO Max

In the last several months, Warner Bros. Discovery has been making headlines for the bulk of cutbacks seen on HBO Max and today we give a roundup of some of the most shocking news that makes us believe that the Netflix giant is becoming a vegetable.

1. Gordita Chronicles ends its run after one season as streamer steps back from live-action for family and kids

“Live-action kids and family programming will not be part of our programming focus in the immediate future, and as a result, we’ve had to make the very difficult decision to end Gordita Chronicles at HBO Max,” the statement reads. “The series earned critical acclaim and a loyal following, and we are proud to have worked with creator Claudia Forestieri and our two powerhouse executive producers, Eva Longoria (who also masterfully directed the pilot) and Zoe Saldaña, to bring Cucu’s journey to the screen. We thank them and the talented cast and crew for creating such a heartfelt, groundbreaking show that connected deeply with a very important demographic.”

For more info: click here

2. Scoob sequel had been shelved

Scoob! was a CG-animated prequel story that told the origin of Mystery, Inc., including the first meeting of Scooby-Doo and Shaggy, while also introducing various other members of the Hanna-Barbera universe, like Falcon and Captain Caveman, who made their theatrical feature film debut. In the movie, Scooby and the gang face their most challenging mystery ever: a plot to unleash the ghost dog Cerberus upon the world. As they race to stop this dogpocalypse, the gang discovers that Scooby has an epic destiny greater than anyone imagined.

The first look at Scoob!: Holiday Haunt was shown during an HBO Max teaser at the end of 2021. Scoob! director Tony Cervone confirmed a sequel was in the works, sharing his excitement for the project. "Actually, we are kicking the tires on a follow-up to Scoob! " Cervone revealed to Comic Book Movie . "It hasn't been announced yet, but it's something we're all excited about. The whole creative team that made the first movie is still around and back and working on something new. It was neat to create this Hanna-Barbera Cinematic Universe, and it's exciting to return to it.

3. Batgirl movie had been shelved despite post production

Warner Bros. Discovery will not release “Batgirl,” either theatrically or on HBO MAX, the media has learned. The $90 million project is effectively dead.

“The decision to not release Batgirl reflects our leadership’s strategic shift as it relates to the DC universe and HBO Max. Leslie Grace is an incredibly talented actor and this decision is not a reflection of her performance. We are incredibly grateful to the filmmakers of Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt and their respective casts and we hope to collaborate with everyone again in the near future,” according to Warner Bros. Picture Spokesperson.

Made under a previous regime, “Batgirl” was initially designed to be an HBO Max release, and then was being considered for theatrical distribution. Due to COVID issues and shutdowns, the budget ballooned to $90 million.

The movie stars “In the Heights” breakout star Leslie Grace in the title role of Barbara Gordon.

4. HBO Max halts original production in major parts of Europe

As the media conglomerate looks to recalibrate its streaming priorities, it will no longer produce originals for HBO Max in the Nordics (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland), Central Europe, the Netherlands and Turkey, and will also remove some content from its platform in order to free up licensing deals elsewhere.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery said:

“As we continue to work on combining HBO Max and discovery+ into one global streaming service showcasing the breadth of content across Warner Bros. Discovery, we are reviewing our current content proposition on the existing services. As part of this process, we have decided to remove a limited amount of original programming from HBO Max, as well as ceasing our original programming efforts for HBO Max in the Nordics and Central Europe. We have also ceased our nascent development activities in the newer territories of Netherlands and Turkey, which had commenced over the past year.

“Our commitment to these markets has not changed,” the statement continues. “We will continue to commission local content for Warner Bros. Discovery’s linear networks in these regions and we remain substantial acquirers of local third-party content for use on our streaming services.”

For more info: click here

5. Several original films have been removed from the platform

Within the past few weeks, at least six Warner Bros. movies have been removed from HBO Max: “Moonshot ,” a sci-fi rom-com starring Lana Condor and Cole Sprouse; artificial-intelligence dystopia comedy “Superintelligence ,” starring Melissa McCarthy; Robert Zemeckis’ 2020 remake of “The Witches,” starring Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Stanley Tucci and Chris Rock; comedy “An American Pickle,” starring Seth Rogen as an immigrant who wakes up after being pickled for 100 years; Doug Liman heist pic “Locked Down” with Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor; and drama “Charm City Kings” from director Angel Manuel Soto.

All six of the films were labeled as “Max Originals.” The removals were noted by users on Reddit in a discussion of the Warner Bros. decision to nix plans to release “Batgirl” — in theaters, on HBO Max or via any other platform.

Meanwhile, the reboot of comedy classic “House Party,” from LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill, was previously slated to premiere July 28 on HBO Max but was scrubbed from the release calendar.

6. Warner Bros. Discovery to lay off more staff

Hollywood is abuzz with speculation approaching Warner Bros. Discovery’s first quarterly earnings since becoming the nation’s No. 2 entertainment giant on Thursday. Multiple insiders told sources they expect Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav to announce a major restructuring of marquee streaming platforms HBO Max and Discovery+ during its results or soon after.

The move will result in a gutting of HBO Max, significant layoffs for its executives and staff to minimize redundancies with HBO and a combined streaming service with Discovery+ with a harder line separation between the scripted and unscripted content operations.

New Series Alert: Hidden Passion Reportedly The Last Show To End Of 2022 On Telemundo Africa With "Popular Demand" Raining In During Meet The Family

Telemundo, the international channel owned by NBCUniversal which is home to various romance, action, mystery, adventure and real-life stories which has been localised with English dubs will be launching the much anticipated series, Hidden Passion (Pasión De Gavilanes).

Based on the 1994 telenovela Las Aguas Mansas, also written by Jiménez and produced by RTI. Telemundo did a remake with RTI Colombia back in 2003 titled Hidden Passion followed by another remake titled A Passion For Revenge (Tierra Del Reyes).

The sequel takes place 20 years after the first instalment, the Reyes and Elizondo family will face new challenges that threaten their family. The death of a teacher shakes the family as evidence points to one of the sons of one of the couples as the possible culprit, triggering a series of heartbreaking events that will, once again, put their love and loyalty to the test.

The season stars Danna García, Mario Cimarro, Juan Alfonso Baptista, Natasha Klauss, Paola Rey, and Zharick León, with Michel Brown in a guest role.

Hidden Passion is said to replace The Legend from September 26 at 9pm with Meet The Family scheduled to go off air the following later in October. It has been stated by several sources that popular demand will rain in by that timeslot which has been a norm during this period.

As upcoming attractions to the channel like Nurses Season 2 alongside Until Money Do Us Apart (Hasta Que La Plata Nos Separe, working title) will only be released by early 2023 and if you've browsed the channel's original slate overseas there's not much on offer.

Onto popular demands, the channel remains discreet in regards to that but if I had to guess perhaps Nurses will replace Meet The Family as it gives a better introduction to the second season while as Hidden Passion will be supplemented by Christmas Miracles.

Rumour: e.tv's 4 Channels To Go Live On The DStv Platform From Next Week

During this past week, it was reported that eMedia's 4 channels primarily eToonz, eExtra, eMovies and eMovies Extra would be reinstated onto the DStv platform following pending investigation by the Competition Tribunal which could take up to 6 months.

MultiChoice told the Competition Tribunal that it had satellite transponder constraints and that eMedia's channels didn't fit their 5 year strategy regardless the channels are scheduled to relaunch on DStv with consumers beyond ecstatic to view their favourite dramas and movies.

On top of that, MultiChoice already found suitors for the channels with DreamWorks replicating the offering on eToonz, kykNET ramping up its telenovela offering on kykNET & Kie and Movie Room curating a variety of local movies with different genres.

The channels are rumoured to rollout on the DStv platform by August 8th I know quick rollout but that's how such cases go out as seen with Nismedia's Glow TV channel on the Openview platform.

The fact that these channels are returning to DStv doesn't guarantee that they'll have them onboard full-time as MultiChoice proved that they're more than ready to move away on from these channels especially now that they're transponder are met with constraints as they were only able to add 14 channels once e.tv's channels were removed.

What To Expect On DStv's New Entertainment Channel, INX Prime?

Coming soon to all DStv Premium, Compact+, Compact, Family, Access and Easyview customers basically all DStv packages on channel 345 is the Islamic TV Channel, INX Prime which is set to feature entertainment for the whole family for both Muslim and non-Muslim.

The channel is set to feature the following shows:

The Moulana Sulamaan Ravar Show
Genre: Talk
One of South Africa's most internationally renowned speakers and radio personalities discusses a variety of topics with his deep insight and thoughtful examples, so that we may ponder and reflect.

Finding Halaal
Genre: Lifestyle
Join Nasreen Chamda as she takes you on a culinary journey in finding the latest trendy Halaal restaurants from around the country.

Mail And Guardian News Week
Genre: News
South Africa's premier weekly newspaper The Mail And Guardian News bring us the weeks best news and interviews.

Julie Ali
Genre: Talk Show
Jullie Ally presents an interactive, weekly talk show with an array of guests.

Little Mosque On The Prairie
Genre: Comedy
A Muslim community settles in Mercy, a small town in the Canadian Prairie, and tries to find a way to co-exist with their Christian neighbours.

Muslim Gallery
Genre: Lifestyle
A lifestyle show anchored by Ayesha that seeks to showcase the talent and diversity of the Muslim community.

Game Show
Genre: Game Show
An exciting, interactive game show where viewers stand a chance to win an array of prizes.

Warner Bros. Discovery Updates (Rumour): HBO To Remain As A Premium Cable Channel And HBO Max To Fold Under Discovery+ With Scripted Programming Cancelled

Following the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery. The company has taken several drastic steps like making CNN a standalone company accompanied by the launch of the short-lived streaming service CNN+ and the sale of The CW which has seen most shows get scrapped.

Questions amounted to the plans Warner Bros. Discovery had for the future of the business and thanks to sources it seems as if we finally get our answer.

As reported last month, HBO Max will stop producing live-action shows for family and kids basically killing off Cartoon Network's future plans in that field and making the brand animation exclusive but things get worse as the streaming platform is said to no longer offer original content.

This is just a rumour but then would it be shocking if it was true as TNT, TBS and The CW all brands under the WarnerMedia portion of Warner Bros. Discovery no longer produce original content. Since then, these channels have been seen airing several Discovery shows which again was another rumour for HBO Max.

HBO Max is said to not only be shifting to unscripted programming but merging onto Discovery+ so there's no telling what will happen to productions like Hacks, Peacemakers and Gossip Girl but if I had to guess they'll likely form part of the premium HBO channel.

Compared to the Turner brands, HBO hasn't been phased by these changes and has seen more success with their original productions so I'm just saying it makes total sense to keep the channel and consolidate most if not all the scripted stuff under the channel if HBO Max will just be a mere tile what better way then with HBO.

I know most people are pissed off with the rise in Discovery and less WarnerMedia but if you look at it from a business perspective. Discovery Inc had more to offer on the table than WarnerMedia.

WarnerMedia's unscripted entertainment was big enough for two channels while as Discovery Inc. had enough stock over 10 channels. Internationally, you find brands like Discovery Max, Real Time and Discovery Science all supplying content from other stations.

But that's not what's got me curious about these changes but the whole branding of the business Warner Bros. Discovery if there's more Discovery than Warner wouldn't it make sense for the business to simply be known as Discovery if the closest anyone has to Warner is Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and HBO.