Byron Allen Looking To Make MTV, Nickelodeon And Comedy Central "Cost Efficient", How Does This Impact Paramount Global's Linear Channels?

Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Global were reportedly in talks for a potential merger. Fast forward to the present, Shari Redstone is looking to sell her shares at Amusement Park with Skydance that has collaborated with the company on various films making their bid with Byron Allen topping them.

As reported sometime ago, Allen Media Group made a proposal to acquire Paramount Global for $30 billion (R562 billion) part of which helps them cover up pending debts. Should this deal move forward, they would keep TV channels and the Paramount+ streaming service intact while selling off film studios and other intellectual properties.

The impact on TV channels in the United States

Byron Allen, the founder of Allen Media Group is looking to make these brands cost effective. Selling off "film studios and other intellectual properties" is another way to minimise expenses. It's not really known whether Allen will look to retaining various content from Nickelodeon and MTV.

Similar to CW, it's likely that we'll be seeing Nickelodeon and MTV relying more on third party content and possibly distributing even lesser originals. As mentioned, he was looking to run them on a more "cost-efficient basis". Nickelodeon has garnered popularity for shows like SpongeBob SquarePants and The Loud House, MTV on the other features shows like Teen Mom and Ridiculousness.

The impact on TV channels on a wider spectrum

With Nickelodeon and MTV getting less content, Paramount will likely look into closing channels across the country. This was likely implied when they mentioned selling off "film studios and other intellectual properties" I mean the company in question doesn't have much international presence.

There's always chances that they could retain a portion of channels such as Comedy Central and BET while secondary networks like Nicktoons and MTV Base cease to exist as they won't be much content to supplement the existing line-up of channels.

But then again Sony once offered linear services across the country before closing down most feeds while a few such as the UK were put under different management. Disney had been reducing the carbon footprint for Disney Channel while it continues to operate in the United States.

The future of SpongeBob SquarePants and Ridiculousness

As mentioned, Allen is looking to sell their film studios and it's possible that they could retain the more relevant brands such as Nickelodeon Animation Studios and sell majority of Paramount Pictures. There's been various companies that had their eye on their studios such as Netflix, Skydance, Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney perhaps one of them could look into acquiring.

As for the content in general, Paramount's remaining offering could be licenced to various local broadcasters I mean should these channels not have much of a presence globally.

News Shorts: MultiChoice Silently Adds SuperSport La Liga To DStv Access Consumers, Eureka! Cancelled After One Season On Disney Junior And Telenovela Channel Phillipines To Close By The End Of February

SuperSport La Liga on Access

Home of the Spanish La Liga & UEFA Europa League while also showcasing overflow matches from the UEFA Champions League. Several DStv consumers had spotted the channel on their package alongside Zee World, Star Life, and various others.

In an enquiry to MultiChoice, they mention that SuperSport La Liga will be opened until further notice (likely permanent) while all other channels will remain temporarily. Taking to account that NWTV and One Freestate Televisual had closed these channels are probably a distraction.

MultiChoice will be announcing their new annual prices which will come into affect from April. With these recent closures of channels, one has to wonder if MultiChoice has more developments up their sleeves aside from cost adjustments.

Another bites the dust

Eureka! is an American-Irish animated children's television series produced by Brown Bag Films. It premiered on Disney Junior in the United States on June 22, 2022. Set in the Stone Age within the location of Rocky Falls, it followed the eponymous girl Eureka who enjoys going on adventures and building gadgets.

According to Disney TVA News, Eureka! had been quietly cancelled after one season at Disney Junior, many members of the crew moved to Robogobo and non-Disney shows at Brown Bag Films. It would join The Ghost And Molly McGee, Secret Of Sulphur Springs and Bunk'd as shows to have been axed by the network.

Disney is focusing on building out its multicam strategy and that includes prioritising shows that are based on Disney-owned IP, and creating global tentpole programming.

Telenovela Channel Phillipines to go dark

Telenovela Channel served as the first and only telenovela channel in the Phillipines in 2011. Owned by Beginnings at Twenty Plus, Inc. with the partnership of Grupo Televisa would broadcast various Mexican dramas viewed on TLNovelas including Sortilego, La Rosa De Guadalupe and Las Amazonas.

After 12 years, it was reported the channel's website that Telenovela Channel Phillipines will end transmission after 12 years by the end of February which would coincide with the closure of Disney Junior in the Nordic market as further content integrates with Disney Channel.

New Series Alert: Devoted Daughter Coming Soon To Zee One

Zee One, a Bollywood channel operated by Zee Entertainment Enterprises that distributes various English dubbed series and films from India is reported to be rolling out for the second new series for the year, Devoted Daughter (Ghar Ek Mandir - Kripa Agrasen Maharaj Ki).

It revolves around Genda, who is an ardent devotee of Agrasen Maharaj and belongs to a low-income family. She is married into a business family and faces a huge loss in their business after marriage. Meanwhile, Genda’s husband also suffers from epilepsy.

Produced under the banner Zee Studio, it premiered through &TV on 10 August 2021 and 139 episodes are reported to have been filmed soon so far. It starred Shrenu Parikh as Genda Agarwal, Akshay Mhatre as Varun Agarwal and Sameer Dharmadhikari as Agrasen Maharaj.

As reported through various media outlets, Devoted Wife will be making its freemium debut on Zee One after launching on Zee Family sometime in 2023.

Aside from Devoted Daughter, & TV had produced a number of productions to have been aired in Africa. That includes Begusarai, The Heir, Perfect Pati, Razia Sultan and Gangaa all of which are made available to Zee World and Zee One with Dayan, Destructive Beauty on eExtra.

New Series Alert: Get Ready For A Rollercoaster Of Laughter With CN Challengers Go!

Straight from the heart of South Africa, Cartoon Network Africa's newest YouTube series, CN Challengers Go!, is bound to keep you entertained at any time of the day! Hosted by the laugh-out-loud dynamic duo of Ryan and Wilsy, each episode unfolds with the spin of the challenge wheel unveiling their next crazy mission. From unexpected and fun activities like bagpipe-playing antics and rocket launches to testing fans' Cartoon Network knowledge and the suspenseful 'doughnut lottery,' where mustard may replace custard for one lucky (or unlucky) participant – expect nothing less than a whirlwind of weird, wacky, and wild moments. 

 

Ana González, Editorial Lead Southern Europe and Africa, Warner Bros. Discovery, shares her excitement, "CN Challengers Go! is a fresh take for our brand, and we're confident it'll be a smash hit with kids across the continent. We're thrilled to bring a South African-produced show with new local talent and fun  challenges to our audience." 

 

Crafted by South African filmmaker and content creator Howard James Fyvie, CN Challengers Go! is led by two dynamic local hosts. They will take turns spinning the crazy CN Challengers Go! Wheel and tackle three to four challenges every episode. Ryan Dube, a 15-year-old student from Brooklyn, Cape Town, brings his academic prowess and passion for acting, filming, and presenting to his breakout role. Wilsy Kituku, also known as 'Where's Wilsy,' is a 20-year-old creative and social media performer who effortlessly combines his love for comedy with the rhythmic beats of hip-hop music, injects his optimistic outlook and love for film, animation, and comedy into the mix.  

 

“Wilsy and Ryan had briefly met before and hit it off immediately during the auditions, becoming friends during the casting. You can see this great older brother and younger brother synergy between them on screen. They're hilarious,” reveals Howard.  

The first episode of this exciting new series is set to premiere on the @CartoonNetworkAfrica YouTube channel on Friday, 9 February, with a new instalment released every other week after that. González emphasises, "This series is all about bringing the fun directly to your screens – it's local, it's big, it's bold, and it perfectly embodies the spirit of our channel: laughter, adventure, energy, and a touch of wackiness!" 

Channel Termination: One Freestate Televisual And NWTV No Longer Available On DStv

One Freestate Televisual was a community channel based in Bloemfontein embracing the culture of the Free State while NWTV catered for the North West and Southern Africa. Both channels featured a variety of programs ranging from news, reality shows and drama series.

As seen this past week, MultiChoice has opted to discontinue carriage of One Freestate Televisual (channel 264) and NWTV (channel 266) after residing on the platform for less than 3 months. Both channels had shared different statements regarding their removal.

Statement from NWTV

Good day, NWTV viewers and supporters.

It is with sadness that we announce that DStv/Multichoice has opted to switch NWTV off. We thank you for your support, and we're honoured to have served you for this short time.

Basically, producers and other crew members will be left unemployed and MultiChoice doesn't mention what will happen to existing local content viewed on NWTV. If we had to guess, the latter might surface on existing community channels particularly Soweto TV as seen with Faith Cooking.

Statement from One Freestate Televisual

According to One Freestate Televisual, they're currently having a carriage dispute with MultiChoice. They hope to resolve the matter and return to the platform soon but as of right now the channel can only be found on StarSat.

One Freestate Televisual and NWTV closures comes a few days after B4U Movies had left the platform following its troubleshooting issues last year. This would be the third and fourth TV channel to have exited the platform in under a month with Emmanuel TV being the first.

MultiChoice doesn't outline a reason for the sudden closures of NWTV or One Freestate Televisual. Prior to this, MultiChoice had planned to axe two other channels from their platforms, 1Magic and Me. 

Recap To The Week: Vivendi’s Canal+ Group Makes Move To Acquire African Entertainment Giant MultiChoice

Vivendi’s Canal+ Group has made an offer to take full control of African entertainment company The MultiChoice Group, in which it already holds a 31.7% stake.

“The Canal+ Group confirms that it has submitted to the board of directors of MultiChoice a letter containing a non-binding indicative offer with a view to acquiring all of the issued ordinary shares of MultiChoice that it does not yet hold, subject to obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals,” the Paris-based pay-TV giant said in statement on Thursday.

Canal+ said it has offered R105 per ordinary share, which was a 40% premium on their closing price of R75 on January 31.

The group emphasized that neither “the evolution” or “the conditions of a possible transaction” were “certain”, adding that any operation would comply with all laws and regulations related to the South African media sector and companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.

It remains to be seen whether the offer will gather steam given that South Africa currently has rules in place limiting foreign ownership of commercial South African broadcasters to 20%, although moves are underway to increase this to 49%.

The move to acquire MultiChoice outright comes a month after parent group Vivendi announced it was studying a project to split its activities into several entities.

“Canal+ is actively preparing its stock market listing following the announcement of the proposed split from its parent company Vivendi,” read Thursday’s Canal+ Group statement.

“This project would allow investors to benefit from the merger of Canal+ and MultiChoice, the ultimate objective of the Canal+ Group being to also obtain a listing in South Africa.”

The Canal+ Group, which started building a position in MultiChoice in 2020, said its aim was to create “a large-scale African media company capable of thriving in an increasingly competitive international market.”

“Canal+ is a long-term investor in MultiChoice and South Africa, and is proud to have been actively involved in the African media sector for 30 years. To accelerate MultiChoice’s development in Africa and beyond, it will need to adopt a strategy that will enable it to increase its size and strengthen its local and global footprint,” said Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada. 

“Our potential offer, if successful, will be an important step in enabling MultiChoice to realize its full potential. Combined with Canal+, MultiChoice would have the resources to gain scale and invest in local African talent and stories, and would have the necessary proprietary technology resources,” he continued.

“We are convinced that a merger of our two groups would enable the new entity to address the structural challenges facing the media sector, to develop authentic and ambitious African content, to support more local production companies, and to expand access to sport for its subscribers while investing in local sport.”

Created in the early 1980s, with backing from South African technology giant Naspers, MultiChoice currently has some 20 million subscribers across Africa.

TLC’s Brand-New Relationship Series ‘Love & Translation’ Premieres In Africa On Valentine’s Day

In TLC’s brand-new relationship series, LOVE & TRANSLATION, three American bachelors travel to paradise, where they will be joined by twelve women from nine different countries who don’t speak any English. Without a shared language or the use of a translator, this series explores how singles looking for love come together in an attempt to find a connection. In spending time together and focusing on getting to know one another, LOVE & TRANSLATION will showcase raw, genuine moments in a unique dating environment. LOVE & TRANSLATION premieres across Africa on Wednesday, 14 February @ 20:00 CAT on TLC Africa.

 

“As a leader in love and relationship series, we wanted to break outside the mould of our day-to-day and experiment in a new type of setting,” said Howard Lee, President of Discovery Networks & TLC. “LOVE & TRANSLATION will bring that rollercoaster of emotions our audience loves when genuine connections in unconventional relationships spark.”

 

With challenges that include utilising the five senses such as uninterrupted eye gazing and pheromone attraction tests, as well as adrenaline-pumping group date activities, these singles will try to learn about each other without the gift of language. And if the singles aren’t feeling that loving feeling with anyone, they can pack up their bags and look for love elsewhere. LOVE & TRANSLATION aims to discover what it takes to make a love connection when language is too foreign. Below are the singles who will be taking part in the new series:

American Singles from left to right: Kahlil (24) from Texas, Dylan (21) from Florida, Tripp (30) from California

International Singles top row from left to right: Sara (20) from Italy, Assia (21) from France, Jhenyfer (24) from Brazil, and Jin (32) from South Korea

International Singles middle row from left to right: Airi (20) from Japan, Tulay (25) from Germany, Jhuliana (23) from Bolivia, and Leidi (28) from Colombia

International Singles bottom row from left to right: Yam (29) from Mexico, Imane (21) from Morocco, Gisele (29) from Brazil, and Joceline (28) from France

 

LOVE & TRANSLATION is produced by Sharp Entertainment, a part of Sony Pictures Television – Nonfiction, for TLC.

News Shorts: Secrets Of Sulphur Springs Cancelled After Three Seasons On Disney Channel, A Rebroadcast Of The Chosen Granddaughter Launches On Telemundo Africa And Beavis And Butthead Returns With A New Season On Comedy Central Africa

Disney axes another show

There will be no fourth season for Disney Channel‘s Secrets of Sulpher Springs. The network has canceled the time-travel mystery-adventure series after three seasons, it had been confirmed.

Created, written and executive produced by Tracey Thomson (The Young and the Restless), Secrets of Sulpher Springs followed 12-year-old Griffin Campbell (Preston Oliver), whose world had been upended by his father, Ben (Josh Braaten), after he moved the family from Chicago to take ownership of an abandoned hotel property, The Tremont. The family—which also includes Griffin’s mother, Sarah (Kelly Frye), and his younger twin siblings, Wyatt (Landon Gordon) and Zoey (Madeleine McGraw)—lived in The Tremont in hopes of restoring it to the lively vacation destination it once was. On his first day at his new school, Griffin heard rumors that the hotel was haunted by the ghost of Savannah (Elle Graham), a girl who disappeared decades ago. He soon meets and befriends Harper (Kyliegh Curran), a thrill-seeking classmate, and they discover a secret portal that allows them to travel back in time and uncover clues about the town mystery.

This is the second Disney Channel series to be canceled in less than a month. As we previously reported. Jessie spinoff Bunk’d is ending with the conclusion of its seventh season.

Telemundo hits the snooze button with The Chosen Granddaughter

The Chosen Granddaughter's storyline is about a young woman whose life is controlled by her father. He intends to use her to take revenge on a rival family. However, his plans come to an unexpected halt when her supposed grandmother becomes overly protective and caring towards her. She also meets a young man charmed by her beauty, and they immediately spark a romantic relationship.

The series replaces Cennet: The Power Of Destiny from February 15 making Game Of Lies the only primetime show. Season 3 of Queen Of The South is slated to air sometime in the year after it was delayed for the second time first due to changing legislation and second Game Of Lies.

Beavis And Butthead is coming to Comedy Central

 The triumphant return of Beavis and Butthead (both voiced by creator Mike Judge), two teenage boys who like things that are cool and don't like things that suck. The new season of Beavis And Butthead airs Fridays at 22:35 CAT. Joining the lineup is a Woman's Day stunt for South Park titled The Power Of Her: Celebrating Women In South Park from 4 to 8 March at 22:00 CAT.

Rumour: Paramount Global Could Soon Integrate MTV Latin America Within Europe, Middle East, Africa And Asia (EMEAA)

Following Paramount Global's strategy to centralize its cable signals, the next channel that could be affected is MTV for all of Latin America, according to the company's plans. It is expected that the administration of the signal will be carried out from Europe, following an approach similar to that adopted by Nickelodeon Latin America months ago.

In the case of MTV Brazil, the programming grids of the new European signal have already been loaded into the Paramount EMEAA (Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia) system, with a start date of Tuesday, February 20. 

Among the most notable differences for the new signal is the return of Ridiculousness to the programming, and the elimination of the MTV Hits block. Changes are also observed in the time distribution, such as the expansion of the Naninha MTV block, which will now be broadcast from 3:20 a.m. m. instead of 4 a.m. m., and the transfer of the Tudão MTV night block to the mornings, from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. m. to 9 a.m. m. 

At the same time, the absence of programs such as RuPaul's Drag Race, Drag Race Brasil and Tinder Apresenta - MTV Beija Sapo on the new European signal is striking. However, there is a possibility that these programs will eventually be reinstated, since programming grids are always subject to change.

Despite these slight modifications, the new signal largely retains MTV's current programmatic structure, maintaining a combination of music and reality blocks. The most obvious changes seem to focus more on technical aspects, since Paramount is migrating the operation of its channels to the Netherlands as part of its centralization strategy.

Thanks to the Paramount EMEAA system, we also know that the company plans the same fate for Comedy Central Spain in the near future. It should be noted that MTV in Brazil has already adopted the European schedule structure for some time, without round schedules, possibly preparing for the transition to the new signal without it being abrupt for viewers. 

It is important to clarify that, although there are already programming grids for this new signal in Brazil, the case of Nickelodeon's recent European signals must be considered, whose grids were loaded into the system several days before being officially placed on the air. 

For example, Nick Panregional began broadcasting in October, but its grids were first published in August. The same happened with Nick México, whose grids were loaded in October before its start of transmission in November. In this context, there is still no definitive date for the change in MTV Brazil. In addition, there is also information about a new European signal from MTV Latin America, for which grids have not yet been loaded. 

MTV carried out a reduction of feeds last year, when it began to have a single signal for all of Latin America, in addition to the Brazilian signal. In that process, Feed Sur, which previously offered 18 hours of music daily, was eliminated. Now, there is only the so-called Feed Norte, with a few hours of music in the morning, while the rest of the programming is mainly made up of series and reality shows such as Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, The Challenge and Acapulco Shore, among others.

Sources: TVLaint