New Channel Alert: BOING Extends Its Reach To StarTimes And Possible StarSat Platforms Across Africa

Yesterday, it was reported that Warner Bros. Discovery and StarTimes had reached a new agreement which would see Investigation Discovery and TLC relaunch on the platform with Discovery Channel set to rollout as a new addition to the platform.

Now it has been revealed by sources that StarTimes will be rolling out their 6th TV channel from the brand, Boing.

Boing is a children's channel which takes up the DNA of Nicktoons by featuring various archived material and content viewed on Cartoon Network and Cartoonito. Some shows to have been seen on the channel include Ben 10 (2005), Dexter's Laboratory and Adventure Time.

The channel formed part of a showcase which saw one of Warner's classic brands Boomerang get reimagined as Cartoonito. It was also outlined at the time that Boing had seen a rise in popularity despite not being added to DStv had fan favorites like Clarence and Uncle Grandpa.

It is set to go live alongside the other Warner channels later today on channels 301/354 and it's currently unknown if the channel would be added in South Africa as StarSat hadn't mentioned anything. But as seen in ROA, Boing might be replacing Nickelodeon in the regions.

#BoycottingTeenAfricaTV: Can Teen Africa TV Fill Up The Void Left By Da Vinci Kids On Both DStv And GOtv?

During the week, it was reported that Da Vinci Kids exited both DStv and GOtv platforms in some parts of Africa by August as the channel continues to be broadcast on StarSat. Prior to that, MultiChoice added Teen Africa TV as a new youth oriented channel on the platforms.

Teen Africa TV is Africa's first dedicated TV channel for teenagers and their families featuring locally produced shows such as the Nigerian adaptation to the UK game show The Voice Kids, live tween show Teen Breakfast Live and lifestyle shows Fashionista and Culture Connect.

Da Vinci Kids was a factual based children's channel which like carried animated shows like Wild Kratts, Mily Miss Questions and Pincode alongside live-action shows like Operation Ouch, Horrible Histories and Odd Squad. It was described as the Curiosity Channel of children's television.

The minor setback with Teen Africa TV would be the programming despite catering for the same demographic none of the content match to that of History, BBC Earth or National Geographic but to that of Africa Magic and Ebonylife seeing as other youth channels don't offer local content.

In short, if you wish to view the content from Da Vinci Kids then you need StarSat and a similar offering can be found on as mentioned National Geographic and BBC Earth. Teen Africa TV is just a random channel which basically competes against itself.

News Shorts: Nickelodeon Silently Rebrands The Nick Jr. Instagram Page To Nick Family, Annekan Die Swa Kry Takes Up Primetime On eExtra Amidst Season 2 Debut On e.tv And Comedy Central Unveils Its Festive Lineup For Fans Across Africa

Another brand bites the dust

During the week, Nickelodeon rebranded it's Nick Jr. Instagram page as Nickelodeon Family (stylised as Nick Family). Following the move, any attempts a user makes with the handle @nickjr will lead consumers to "sorry, this page isn't available" message.

The company also operate Nickelodeon Parents, the network's resource website that features activities and information for kids, families and teachers. That too had been folded under the Nick Family brand with the domain NickFamily.com being redirected to NickelodeonParents.com.

Another Kuiertyd rebroadcast for eExtra

Last year, eMedia Investments had cutback on their Bollywood primetime offering leaving consumers to repeats of Twist Of Fate, Blue Venom Girl and The Heir while the Asian and Turkish section of the channel continued to bolster their offering on Openview.

In the coming weeks, those roles are going to be reversed but with the Asian offering taking a dump on primetime as the Korean drama Home For Summer reaches its climax on eExtra from 13 November at 17:10 it's timeslot will be allocated by Annekan Die Swa Kry.

Which begs the question, could Annekan Die Swa Kry be moving to eExtra as well as seen with Roekeloos Dade as both shows were initially slated for the channel before heading to e.tv or are plans still underway to replace Home For Summer with another Korean drama.

Here's a synopsis to season 2 episode 1 which airs 16 November at 17:00 on e.tv:

While Kadir is waiting with hope for the day when his innocence will be revealed behind bars and he will be reunited with his siblings, the siblings, who are scattered all over the place, are doing their best to get their brother out of prison. When Doruk learns the bitter truth about his father Akif, his life is shaken to a great extent, and his relationship with Asiye enters an irreversible path.

December on Comedy Central

Sunday Movie Nights 

Office Race - 3 December

Pretty Stoned - 10 December

Binged To Death - 17 December

Sundays at 22:00 CAT

South Park Holiday Stunt

18 - 25 December at 22:00 CAT

Watch all the South Park Christmas Classics during this South Park Stunt.

The Daily Show

1 - 15 December

Weekdays at midnight

The Daily Show (TDS) is an American late-night talk and satirical news, television program. The Daily Show draws its comedy and satire from recent news stories as well as political figures, media organisations, and often uses self referential humour.

Development Alert: StarTimes To Add Discovery Channel As A New Channel On The Platform, TLC And Investigation Discovery Relaunch On The Platform

After TNT was ripped away from StarTimes and StarSat customers across Africa in September, Warner Bros. Discovery and the pay-tv operator seem to a struck a new deal which would reinstate Investigation Discovery and also lead the additions of Discovery Channel and TLC.

Taking to account only Discovery Channel is the new addition while the latter Investigation Discovery and TLC had already been on the platform.

Discovery Channel is considered the male counterpart of TLC which pivots towards motors, speculative investigation and even wildlife. It features shows like Deadliest Catch, Shark Week, Naked And Afraid, Gold Rush, Mythbusters and Wheeler Dealers.

This is not only the male counterpart of TLC but the premium outtake of Discovery Family. Consumers are getting back the shows that were ripped away from them in 2021.

Investigation Discovery (ID) is a factual entertainment channel comprises of Hollywood crimes, murder and forensic investigation. It features shows like Evil Lives Here, Til Death Do Us Part, Homicide Hunters and People's Magazine Investigation.

This channel was ripped away in 2021 after Warner Bros. Discovery and StarTimes couldn't come to an agreement. Since then, the channel was supplemented with CBS Justice in a joint venture with Paramount Global and AMC International.

TLC is a female skewed channel which pivots their content to reality television focusing on lifestyle and personal stories. Some of the content to have aired include Sister Wives, 90 Day Fiance, 1000-lb Sisters, Doubling Down with the Derricos and My Big Fat Fabulous Life.

Interesting enough, the channel is being reinstated on the platform after the pay-tv platform lost rights to DStv due to Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Similar to Discovery Channel, consumers would be getting to see select shows from Real Time with the help of Investigation Discovery.

Which begs the question, how long will these channels stick around cause every year it's the same runaround with StarTimes one minute it's there next minute is gone, whose to say that CBS Reality and CBS Justice won't just get booted from these platforms.

These 3 channels are said to reside on the Smart package from 3 November and onwards: TLC Ch:165, ID Ch:223 and Discovery channel Ch: 224.

The Splat Is Back On DStv! As Nickelodeon Across Southern Africa Is Now In HD, Rebranding To The Nick Jr. And Nicktoons Channel To Follow Soon

DStv’s kids channel Nickelodeon has uncovered a new brand identity that calls back to its irreverent history. It includes a reimagined Splat logo, but with a modern feel for today’s kids & families. The rebrand is live on Nickelodeon and will be launching on Nick Jnr from November and on NickToons in 2024.

The new identity positions the brand Nickelodeon and its re-imagined splat as the ultimate “Portal to Fun” - a gateway to surprising experiences Nick kids of all ages will love. This new take on the brand’s classic look and feel demonstrates for kids just what can happen when you enter the splat world of Nickelodeon!

What’s more, this playful brand identity can be enjoyed in full High Definition by children and families across Africa from 1 November!

“For us at Nickelodeon, the reimagined splat logo brings our mission of making the world a more playful place come to life. We hope that kids and their families across the continent will enter the portal of fun and enjoy the new and exciting content we have in store” said Dillon Khan, Vice President for Nickelodeon in Africa. 

The new brand identity will work to demonstrate Nick’s energy and sensibility through the lens of our iconic characters (SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, PAW Patrol, Blue’s Clues, Baby Shark, Dora the Explorer, The Loud House and Monster High), punctuated with moments of quintessential Nickelodeon Slime. Now all in HD for African audiences.

Development Alert: AMC Networks To Rebrand UK Channels, What Fate Awaits The CBS Channels Across Africa?

AMC Networks International has announced a rebrand of its portfolio of UK channels and streaming services owned by the CBS AMC Networks UK Channels Partnership with Paramount Global.

The rebrand, taking place on 22 November will retain the familiar colouring of the channel brands, which will be brought together by a ‘signature open box branding’.

CBS Reality, which has been the UK’s number 1 factual entertainment channel amongst adult women since 2016 and has been airing popular original, expert-led true crime programming, will be renamed to True Crime, and streaming brand True Crime from CBS Reality will change from to True Crime UK. The FAST channel is available through multiple platforms including Amazon Freevee, Rakuten TV and Samsung TV + services initially, with more major platforms rolling out shortly.

Entertainment channel Legend, which features action, sci-fi, adventure and western series and movies, and which was renamed from Horror Channel in 2022, will also go through a brand transformation.

On-demand content from both the True Crime and Legend channel brands are available currently on free on-demand player CBS Catch Up Channels UK which will become Watch UK. Watch Free UK is accessible directly via Freeview, Freesat and Youview, and downloadable via IOS, Android, and all major device and manufacturer stores.

Other channels in the portfolio to rebrand include Legend Xtra and True Crime Xtra, and time-shift versions Legend XTRA +1 and True Crime +1.

Sam Rowden, VP, Content Group said, “With such a vast array of content available across so many platforms, we wanted to elevate our UK portfolio to be more easily recognisable and accessible, and to clearly reflect our content offering. This rebrand closely aligns with our aim to provide carefully curated services catering to both existing and new audiences, wherever they choose to watch our programmes.”

The new look was developed with Second Home Studios alongside AMCNI UK’s in-house creative team led by Creative, Marketing and Communications Director Matt Stott, and the updated identity is supported by a marketing campaign including on air and digital media elements.

CBS Reality's demise in the UK means that the CBS brand name on linear TV has come to an end and similar to CBS Justice these would continue to function in Africa and other parts of Europe which begs the question as to what fate awaits these channels.

CBS Reality has been a crime filtered channel in the UK so the switch to True Crime makes sense. These channels had felt more AMC than Paramount so the names kind of makes sense which begs the question on the fate of its international counterparts.

Considering True Crime seems more permanent my guess is that CBS Justice in Africa will likely fold under that brand name and CBS Reality considering there's been not much put out there in terms of branding my guess would be, True Entertainment or True Television or weirdly enough True Reality.

Seeing as AMC International UK also manage the feeds seen across EMEA this rebrand is likely to be duplicated elsewhere.

Development Alert: Teen Africa TV Added In The West And Eastern Parts Of Africa On DStv And GOtv, Could Play Room Follow In Southern Africa?

Last month, it was reported that Da Vinci Kids would be exiting the DStv platform in November. In place of the TV channel would be a new children's channel by Ngwato Nkosi Group, Play Room.

From what we've heard, the channel would be exclusive to consumers in South Africa similar to eToonz. But unlike free-to-air children's channel operated by eMedia Investments, MultiChoice seems to have added a test card for Play Room under VUZU in Southern Africa.

It's currently unknown whether Play Room could be seen in other parts of Africa particularly Southern Africa but it wouldn't be shocking if it did launch considering that MultiChoice's last addition Zee Zonke can also be viewed by these consumers in the region.

The question would have to be whether these consumers would get it at the same time as South Africa as there's been no mention of the channel on their website as seen in South Africa.

Teen Africa TV extends its reach

As mentioned earlier, Da Vinci Kids would exiting the DStv and GOtv platforms in various African markets in November. We were told by some consumers in the region that the channel went dark by 31 August 2023 in some regions which coincides with the expansion of Teen Africa TV.

Teen Africa TV is Africa's first television channel for

teenagers, running for 24 hours daily across African countries and targeting first line audiences of pre teens, teenagers aged 13 to 19 as well as young adults and family. The channel was founded by Nigerian filmmaker Charles Novia.

It was exclusive to Nigeria on StarTimes channel 361, DStv channel 394 (before moving to 315) and GOtv channel 91. Now Teen Africa TV is broadcasting in 43 African countries excluding Southern Africa as Play Room might fill up the void in those regions.

Warner Bros. Discovery Is To Launch HGTV In The Dutch Market Early Next Year

The interior and lifestyle channel, which is already available in 93 countries, will make its debut on 15 January 2024.

Well-known HGTV programmes include Celebrity IOU, in which brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott work with celebrities to give houses a complete makeover and then surprise donate them to people who have meant something special to them, My Lottery Dream Home with David Bromstad, who helps lottery winners use their winnings to finally buy that big dream home, and House Hunters – now 205 seasons on – in which homebuyers are closely followed in their search for the new perfect home, carefully weighing up the pros and cons.

“We are delighted to add the channel HGTV to the Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio, bringing this beautiful brand to the Netherlands,” said Tatiana Lagewaard, Head of Content & Programming at Warner Bros. Discovery. “HGTV will also be a party that connects advertisers and commercial partners directly with a specific lifestyle target audience. Our goal with HGTV is to be a source of inspiration, but also a channel to relax with.”

Distribution has been secured with providers KPN, Ziggo and Odido, while most HGTV programming can also be seen on streaming service discovery+.

Play Room's Locally Curated Schedule Ahead Of It's Debut On DStv Access

A whole new world of learning and fun opens up for local kids on November 6 when new children’s channel Play Room launches on DStv Channel 300.

Play Room will combine education and entertainment in a uniquely local package carrying original South African and popular international content, including favourite animated titles dubbed into isiZulu.

"We are constantly looking to give our customers the best entertainment and by increasing our content offering we’re providing more viewing options to them. From a local content perspective, we’re excited to expand on local representation in the form of content being dubbed in local languages. The launch of Play Room is an enhancement that we believe parents and children will have a strong affinity to," says Georginah Machiridza, Executive Head of General Entertainment at MultiChoice Group.

Morning programming will focus on educational material for 4-6-year-olds. Afternoons will feature live action and a local live show with high entertainment value for tweens.

The afternoon live show will combine the world of television with social media to create an interactive and entertainment for teens and tweens. 

Learning and fun with a local flavour as Play Room launches on DStv Channel 300. It will be available to DStv Premium, Compact+, Compact, Family and Access customers.

PROGRAMMING & SCHEDULE

Bold for local/African

* for preschool

# for live-action

Weekdays

00:00 Oddbods*

00:30 CoComelon (isiZulu)*

00:45 Akili And Me*

01:15 Bino And Fino*

01:30 Animal Time*

01:45 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

02:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

02:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

03:00 Play Room Live#

04:00 Game Shakers#

04:30 Game Shakers#

04:55 Henry Danger#

05:25 Sanjay And Craig

06:00 Oddbods*

06:30 Cocoland*

06:40 Thomas & Friends*

06:55 Paw Patrol*

07:25 Jabu's Jungle*

08:00 CoComelon (isiZulu)*

08:15 Akili And Me*

08:45 Bino And Fino*

09:00 Animal Time*

09:15 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

09:30 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

10:00 Barbie: Magic Touch

10:30 Oddbods*

11:00 Thomas & Friends*

11:15 Animal Time*

11:30 Jabu's Jungle*

12:00 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

12:15 Akili And Me*

12:45 Bino And Fino*

13:00 Game Shakers#

13:30 Game Shakers#

14:00 Henry Danger#

14:30 Sanjay And Craig

15:00 Play Room Live#

16:00 Game Shakers#

16:30 Game Shakers#

17:00 Henry Danger#

17:30 Sanjay And Craig

18:00 Oddbods*

18:30 Cocoland*

18:40 Thomas & Friends*

18:55 Paw Patrol*

19:25 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

19:40 Akili And Me*

20:10 Jabu's Jungle*

20:35 Bino And Fino*

20:50 Cocoland*

21:00 Play Room Live#

22:00 Game Shakers#

22:30 Game Shakers#

23:00 Henry Danger#

23:30 Sanjay And Craig

Notes

• Game Shakers is the most aired show on the channel.

• Paw Patrol is the least aired preschool show on the channel.

• 32,73% of the schedule consists of locally or African produced shows.

• 72,73% of the schedule consists of animated shows.

• 45,45% of the schedule is dedicated to older children with Oddbods it takes it to 52,73% seeing as it also caters to "families".

Saturday

00:00 Oddbods*

00:30 Jabu's Jungle*

00:45 Akili And Me*

01:15 Bino And Fino*

01:30 Animal Time*

01:45 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

02:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

02:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

03:00 Play Room Live#

04:00 Game Shakers#

04:25 Game Shakers#

04:55 Henry Danger#

05:25 Sanjay And Craig

06:00 Akili And Me*

06:30 Akili And Me*

07:00 Akili And Me*

07:30 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

08:00 Cocoland*

08:05 Bino And Fino*

08:35 Jabu's Jungle*

09:00 Animal Time*

09:15 Thomas & Friends*

09:45 Thomas & Friends*

10:00 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

10:30 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

10:45 Oddbods*

11:15 Oddbods*

11:45 Oddbods*

12:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

12:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

13:00 Game Shakers#

13:30 Game Shakers#

14:00 Henry Danger#

14:30 Sanjay And Craig

15:00 Play Room Live

16:00 Max Steel: The Dawn Of Morphos

17:00 Sanjay And Craig

17:30 Animal Time*

17:45 Jabu's Jungle*

18:15 Jabu's Jungle*

18:45 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

19:15 CoComelon (isiZulu)*

19:30 Akili And Me*

20:00 Akili And Me*

20:30 Akili And Me*

21:00 Play Room Live#

22:00 Game Shakers#

22:30 Game Shakers#

23:00 Sanjay And Craig

23:30 Sanjay And Craig

Notes

• Max Steel: The Dawn Of Morphos and Cocoland get the least amount of airtime on Saturday while Paw Patrol is not viewable on this day.

• Akili And Me gets the most amount of time overall and Game Shakers follows by in the second spot with first spot for older content.

• 62% of the schedule consists of internationally produced shows (excluding CoComelon).

• 52% of the schedule caters to older children (excluding Oddbods).

• 80% of the schedule consists of animated shows.

Sunday

00:00 Oddbods*

00:30 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

00:45 Akili And Me*

01:15 Bino And Fino*

01:30 Animal Time*

01:45 Enchantimals Tales From Everwilde

02:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

02:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

03:00 Play Room Live#

04:00 Game Shakers#

04:30 Game Shakers#

05:00 Henry Danger#

05:30 Henry Danger#

06:00 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

06:30 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

06:45 Akili And Me*

07:15 Akili And Me*

07:45 Jabu's Jungle*

08:15 Cocoland*

08:35 Cocoland*

08:55 Cocoland*

09:00 Oddbods*

09:30 Oddbods*

10:00 Oddbods*

10:15 Animal Time*

10:45 Thomas & Friends*

11:15 Thomas & Friends*

11:30 Animal Time*

12:00 Barbie: Dreamhouse Adventures

12:30 Barbie: Magic Touch

13:00 Henry Danger#

13:30 Sanjay And Craig

14:00 Game Shakers#

14:30 Game Shakers#

15:00 Play Room Live#

16:00 The Lion And The Mouse*

16:30 Sanjay And Craig

17:00 Sanjay And Craig

17:30 Animal Time*

17:45 Jabu's Jungle*

18:15 Jabu's Jungle*

18:45 Thomas & Friends*

19:15 Akili And Me*

19:45 Akili And Me*

20:15 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

20:45 Cocomelon (IsiZulu)*

21:00 Play Room Live#

22:00 Game Shakers#

22:30 Game Shakers#

23:00 Sanjay And Craig

23:30 Sanjay And Craig

Notes

• Game Shakers is the most aired show on the channel with Sanjay And Craig being the most aired animated show for older children.

• Akili And Me and CoComelon are the most aired preschool shows on this day with Paw Patrol also not seen on this day.

• 33,33% of the schedule consists of locally produced shows.

• 74,51 of the schedule is dedicated to preschoolers (including Oddbods).

• 23,53% of the schedule consists of live-action shows.