New Series Alert: Mzansi Magic Presents Ha Molefi, A New Drama About A Father And Son Overcoming Grief And More

This June, Mzansi Magic will premiere Ha Molefi, a drama about a father and son grieving the loss of a Mother and Wife, forcing them to deal directly with the complexities of their relationship.

Thabang Molefi (TJ Mokhuane) is a queer teenager from Pimville, Soweto, who has just lost his mother, Mam’ Linda, and is on a journey of healing and self-discovery. He lives with his father Ntate Molefi (Dingaan Khumalo/DSK) who is also grieving the loss of his wife, and together they set off on a journey of discovery that lays bare their fears and hopes while honoring Mam’Linda’s memory.

Thabang dreams of winning the all-round category at the annual Ballroom/Vogue Nights and he draws inspiration from his late mother, who was a musical sensation in the 90’s, and who always encouraged Thabang to live his truth and follow his dreams. 

Ntate Molefi, on the other hand, loves his son and has accepted him as he is. However, the recently widowed father has to learn that he must go beyond just loving his son but also make the effort to open up to him.

“Ha Molefi is an emotional story about a relationship between a grieving father and son, focusing on the raw and honest emotional turmoil that both face, especially concerning the son’s identity,” says Shirley Adonisi, Director of Local Entertainment Channels.

“As the home of local, Mzansi Magic is proud to bring this inspirational story to our audiences and we hope that it will inspire. We hope viewers will recognise and appreciate how a parent’s love can manifest in fear and how that can either grow or destroy a relationship.”

Will Thabang realise his dream of celebrating his identity through Vogue/Ballroom while navigating this loving but tense relationship with his mourning father?

Watch this inspiring youthful drama when Ha Molefi premieres on Monday 17 June at 20:00, Mzansi Magic DStv channel 161.

10 TV Channels Exit DStv With More Closures Likely To Follow With Canal+ Acquisition Of MultiChoice

As some readers are aware, MultiChoice had removed 10 TV channels in under 5 months. This includes Deutsche Welle, Ginx TV, Emmanuel TV, B4U Movies, One Freestate Televisual, NWTV, 1Magic, People's Weather and Me with WildEarth to follow.

MultiChoice is in the midst of a possible takeover from French company Canal+ after garnering almost 37% hold of the company. With South African laws forcing them to obtain remaining shares and get approval from legislation or risk termination. 

If this deal goes forward, Canal+ and MultiChoice would be merging their stables with the acquirer Canal+ making some budget cuts. This is a norm when a company undergoes a takeover or merger but how much more turmoil can consumers put up with.

As discussed already, Canal+ assets clash with MultiChoice's current offering as the French company has bought up various properties in Africa. This includes ROK Studios who own the streaming service iROKO TV and linear ROK channels on DStv.

They're basically rivaling with M-Net's Africa Magic and unless Canal+ is looking to sell or restructure these brands they can't just "co-exist". Either ROK Studios will merge into Africa Magic or both will be unified to form another brand in the African market.

Same goes for their streaming services iROKO TV and MyCanal Afrique from Canal+ with DStv Stream and Showmax from MultiChoice. Unless there's no monthly fees attached, iROKO TV could be structured as a Showmax type streamer for Africa Magic.

Lastly, there's pay-tv platforms Canal+ offers to consumers within Francophone Africa while MultiChoice caters to English speaking countries. These serve as the most complicated of the pillar as Canal+ Afrique and DStv would be subjected to a merger.

These include a range of entertainment channels from both parties some of which will likely not form part of the merged packages. Canal+ has its own entertainment they can't just pay for duplicates unless it has appeal or originality in the mix.

Canal+ has stated that merging their assets with MultiChoice would give them a competitive advantage against NBCUniversal and Disney. These cutbacks are likely to hit all corners of DStv.

May 2024 On The Home Channel | New Series Alert: Rochelle Humes Interior Designer in the Making | Returning Shows Including Home Of The Year Ireland And Open Homes | More

Show Title and Season: Rochelle Humes: Interior Designer in the Making

Season 1

Starting Date: Monday, 13 May 2024 at 15:00

End Date: Sunday, 21 July 2024

Broadcast Times: Mon 20:00 & Wed 19:00 | Mon 15:00 | Tue 08:00 | Wed 12:00 | Thu 16:00 & 22:00 | Fri 11:00 | Sat 08:30 | Sun 07:00

The popstar takes her personal passion for all things interior décor into the world of professional interior design. She helps deserving families transform their homes with a life-enhancing makeover that is fit for the 

post pandemic world. Rochelle designs an open-plan kitchen and living space for newly-weds Rob 

and Amie then she helps Jade and Matty come up with a gorgeous scheme that banishes the clutter and chaos of family life. Next, Rochelle turns a rental into a family home as well as designs a master bedroom for Helen and Matt and so much more!

Show Title and Season: Mark Moriarty: Off Duty Chef Season 2

Starting Date: Monday, 6 May 2024 at 12:00

End Date: Sunday, 16 June 2024

Broadcast Times: Tues 18:00 | Mon 11:00 & 22:00 Wed 23:00 | Thu 10:00 | Fri 14:00 | Sat 07:30 & 

20:30 | Sun 14:00 

Award winning and world-renowned chef, Mark Moriarty, is the host of this brand-new TV series. When he’s not working in some of the finest Michelin starred restaurants in Ireland, Mark loves nothing more than cooking everyday meals in his own kitchen. And now, Mark wants to re-ignite a passion for cooking good food at home. For

each episode, Mark will produce a collection of easy-to-follow recipes based around a single food group. Whether it's all about meat one week, or pasta the next, each recipe is simple yet mouth-watering. The best thing is that each recipe features some of those staple ingredients you all have hidden in your kitchen cupboards, making cooking at home as easy as it will ever be.

Show Title and Season: Open Homes Season 5

Starting Date: Monday, 20 May 2024 at 16:30

End Date: Sunday, 28 July 2024

Broadcast Times: Wed 20:30 | Mon 16:30 | Tue 22:00 | Thu 15:30 | Fri 12:30 | Sat 17:30 & 00:30 | Sun 13:00 & 21:30

Take a tour through some of the most awe-inspiring properties you’ll ever see. Join expert designer hosts as they peek through homes with 

endless water views, restored historic mansions, life changing gardens and cutting-edge modern homes. If you’re renovating, building or just addicted to looking through stunning houses - you’re going to love ‘Open Homes’.

Show Title and Season: Home of the Year (Ireland) Season 9

Starting Date: Monday, 27 May 2024 at 10:30

End Date:  Friday, 21 June 2024

Broadcast Times: Mon 19:30 & Thur 18:30 | Mon 10:30 | Tue 14:30 & 22:30 | Wed 11:30 | Fri 23:30 | Sat 10:30 | Sun 09:00

What makes a house a home? Three judges view selected homes throughout Ireland, seeking in individuality, functionality & design in hopes of finding the 'home of the year’. Championing individuality, flair and commitment to design, Home of the Year features homeowners around Ireland who have done something extraordinary to the place they call home. Scoring the homes are design legend Hugh Wallace, award winning 

Architect, Amanda Bone, & award-winning interior designer, Sara Cosgrove winner.

Show Title and Season: Great British Gardens: Season by Season Season 2

Starting Date: Tuesday, 14 May 2024 at 18:30

End Date: Sunday, 1 September 2024

Broadcast Times: Tue 18:30 & 21:30 | Wed 23:30 | Thu 10:30 & 13:30 | Fri 14:30 & 17:30 | Sat 22:30 | Sun 11:00 & 19:30

Renowned horticulturist Carol Klein embarks on another season-by-season tour, visiting some of Great Britain’s favourite and most remarkable gardens, through a whole year. Each episode explores one inspiring garden: from the epic splendour of Arundel Castle Gardens, to the minutely tended borders of Coton Manor, or Wollerton Old Hall Gardens. And from the pioneering plantsmanship at Bressingham Hall and Beth Chatto Gardens, to two jewels in the crown of Wales’ horticultural heritage. Sharing her extensive knowledge, Carol meets the people who care for them, and learns the secrets of some of Britain’s most treasured outdoor spaces.

Show Title and Season: The Home Team

Season 5

Starting Date: Monday, 20 May 2024 at 18:30

End Date: Sunday, 2 June 2024

Broadcast Times: Mon 18:30 & Tue 20:30 | Tue 11:30 & | Wed 10:30 & 15:30 | Thu 14:30 | Fri 16:30 | Sat 10:00 & 20:00 | Sun 08:30

Have you ever wondered how to renovate your bathroom, or how to plant a veggie garden? Do you love seeing DIY projects and before and after reveals? Join Leah and Anthony as they will inspire you with affordable and creative ways to make your home stylish, cozy and sustainable. DIY enthusiasts Anthony and Leah have creative ideas to build the home of your dreams on any budget. Whether it’s getting into the garden for some landscaping or transforming a kitchen in dire need of a rejuvenating, The Home Team have you covered.

Skydance Reportedly Looking To Merge Paramount+ With Another Streaming Service

Last week, merger talks for Paramount Global heated up, with reports that the media company that produces and controls the Star Trek franchise had entered into exclusive talks with Skydance Media. One of the big questions has been how such a deal would impact Paramount+, home to original Star Trek programming. Now a picture of a possible future for the streaming service is starting to emerge.

Skydance wants to keep Paramount+

When the first reports about Paramount Global potentially being sold or merged started in December, industry analysts suggested Paramount+ might not survive the corporate shake-up. While Paramount has seen consistent growth with its streaming service, it has yet to turn a profit. However, now that Skydance Media is in exclusive talks to take over Paramount, they are apparently planning on keeping Paramount+, but will make some changes. The New York Times reports “The plan calls for Skydance to supercharge Paramount’s streaming capabilities, improving personalization with better algorithmic recommendations and making it more efficient through better deals with data providers.”

According to the same report, the post-Skydance/Paramount merger plan would call for teaming up with another major media company for a streaming joint venture in the USA. A new report in Bloomberg confirms Skydance wants to “preserve the Paramount+ streaming service and explore merging it with a peer, such as Peacock or Max.” A deal with Amazon Prime Video has also been considered, according to Bloomberg. Earlier this year, it was reported that Paramount had opened up discussions with Comcast to merge Paramount+ with their Peacock streaming service. The companies already operate the SkyShowtime joint venture in several markets in Europe.

A merged Paramount+/Peacock streaming service could be a winner, according to new consumer research reported today by Variety, 45% of US consumers say they would be interested in such a bundle. Analysis from consulting firm FTI Delta estimates a bundled service could bring in $1 Billion more than the current combined annual revenue of both services.

So if the deal with Skydance happens, it looks like some version of Paramount+ will survive. This would likely continue to be the primary home for original Star Trek television. Being part of a larger service could help ensure funding for more seasons and new Trek series and streaming movies as well.

Of course, none of this is finalized. The first step is for Skydance and Paramount Global to agree to a deal, and any such deal would have to be approved by the board. This can get tricky as the Skydance deal being contemplated is a rather complicated 2-step process, and current Paramount Global investors are expressing concerns over the deal structure being favorable to Shari Redstone, but not regular shareholders. There would also be scrutiny from regulators as well.

OUTtv Rebrands UK Service And Expands In Nordics With Allente Deal

The service, which will operate as OUTflix from 11 April, has also launched across the Nordics via a deal with a Allente that covers Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.

OUTflix is also a commissioner of original UK content, recently greenlighting queer comedy series Stand Up Specials London (5 x 45-minute), featuring sets from emerging comedians including James Barr, Heleana Blackwell, David Ian, Kat Nip and Vix Leyton.

Other UK original content on the service includes Live At The Queer Comedy Club, and a series of short films from The Iris Prize festival selected titles.

In addition, two projects developed through the documentary film financing fund for emerging British LGBTQ+ filmmakers that OUTtv funds alongside The Iris Prize and Aberystwth University are hosted on OUTflix: Somina Fombo’s Some Girls Hate Dresses, which follows the lives of Black British tomboys from the 1990s, and the forthcoming Bender Defenders from director Ira Putilova, highlighting five queer, non-binary and transgender people at a queer Muay Thai club in East London.

Since launching in the UK in 2020 as a DTC offering, the service has also grown its partnerships to include OUTtv Proud, a FAST channel now available via Channelbox on Freeview, Plex and Netgem.

Brad Danks, CEO of OMG and OUTtv, said: “We are unifying the brand as we expand across Europe and beyond, so we’re thrilled to be launching OUTflix alongside our partnership with Allente across the Nordics – and look forward to many more viewers discovering the treasure trove of LGBTQI+ content we continue to grow.”

Development Alert: My Secret To Make African Debut On TLNovelas + Release Date

During the year, TLNovelas had hit a repetitive slot as seen with rival broadcaster Telemundo as not much new content had been reported except for Thinking Of You. Now the channel is gearing up rollout its next show by June titled My Secret (Mí Secreto).

Synopsis for My Secret:

Valeria is forced to take the identity of her best friend Natalia, whom she believes to be dead, in order to avoid going to jail for a crime she did not commit. As she assumes her new reality, Valeria suffers constantly from the fear of being discovered.

It starred Diego Klein as Mateo Miranda, Macarena García as Valeria Bernal, Karyme Lozano as Daniela Estrada, Arturo Peniche as Ernesto Lascuráin and Isidora Vives as Natalia Ugarte Moncada. 

Based on the 1974 telenovela Ha llegado Una Intrusa, My Secret debuted on Mexican broadcaster Las Estrellas from 12 September 2022 to 24 February 2023. 120 episodes had been filmed each with a duration of 45 minutes. 

My Secret will start 10 June on TLNovelas replacing Thinking Of You. Prior to this, a rebroadcast of Timeless Love launches on the channel in place of Shadows From The Past which had been delayed.

Openview Channel Changes From 01 January 2023 To 31 March 2024

Unlike MultiChoice, 2023 was anything but productive for eMedia Investments free-to-air households. Several developments had occurred during the financial period but it's safe to say that part of these wasn't the most noteworthy with consumers. 

Last year, eMedia Investments had launched its rival offering to MultiChoice's DStv, Ultraview. Similar to the AddMovies format, it would consist of two bouquets one Spice TV is home to Bollywood favourites while the other EDGE serves a younger demographic. 

eMedia Investments has yet to share how many of their current Openview consumers had added Ultraview to their current subscription. Through an open window, it's evident that Spice TV is getting the most attention which consists of Zee Family and Star Select.

Outside of these endeavors, there was barely much to report for their non-paying consumers. eMedia Investments had rebranded one of their current TV channels eXposed to eSeries and also added two radio stations, Jacaranda FM and East Coast Radio.

LM Radio and BOK Radio were axed in favor of the these two stations while as Glow TV's lineup was supplemented by existing entertainment viewed on Star Life and Zee One.

eMedia Investments had promised to launch a few more TV channels none of which came to pass. Although consumers saw an increase in content investment with the addition of WildEarth on People's Weather both off which were formerly seen on MultiChoice's DStv. 

New channels 

OUTtv - Ultra

FUSE - Ultra

Star Select - Ultra

Zee Family - Ultra

Jacaranda FM - Free

East Coast Radio - Free 

Terminations 

Glow TV 

LM Radio

BOK Radio

Recap To The Week: Canal+ Raises Offer For MultiChoice, Plans JSE Listing

Canal+ has substantially increased its offer for the MultiChoice Group to about R37.7 billion from R31.7bn after the local broadcaster said in February that the initial offer was too low.

MultiChoice’s share price increased 4.16% to R117 yesterday morning after the improved offer was announced. The share later closed the day 4.99% higher at R117.93.

Meanwhile, should Canal+’s own planned European listing proceed, there would be an opportunity for South African investors to become shareholders of the combined entity, as part of a secondary inward listing on the JSE, the companies announced yesterday.

Vivendi, the parent of Canal+, is currently doing a feasibility study to split the company into several separately listed entities. Canal + has 26.4 million subscribers, 17 million of which are outside France. MultiChoice claims 23.5 million subscribers.

The two groups said they had reached an agreement on proceeding and cooperating with the Canal+ takeover bid, that was formally announced on February 1, 2024, following talks between them of over a year.

Canal+’s stake in MultiChoice amounted to 35.01% by February 5, and this stake amounted to 36.6% on April 5.

The offer to MultiChoice shareholders was yesterday increased to R125 per share, from R105 cents when Canal+ first made the offer, which is “significantly above the minimum price of R105.00 required by the Takeover Regulations,” the companies said in a statement.

The new price represented a 66.66% premium to the R75 price on February 1, the last trading day prior to the offer first being made.

Meanwhile, should Canal+’s own planned European listing proceed, there would be an opportunity for South African investors to become shareholders of the combined entity, as part of a secondary inward listing on the JSE, the companies announced yesterday.

Vivendi, the parent of Canal+, is currently doing a feasibility study to split the company into several separately listed entities. Canal + has 26.4 million subscribers, 17 million of which are outside France. MultiChoice claims 23.5 million subscribers.

The two groups said they had reached an agreement on proceeding and cooperating with the Canal+ takeover bid, that was formally announced on February 1, 2024, following talks between them of over a year.

Canal+’s stake in MultiChoice amounted to 35.01% by February 5, and this stake amounted to 36.6% on April 5.

The offer to MultiChoice shareholders was yesterday increased to R125 per share, from R105 cents when Canal+ first made the offer, which is “significantly above the minimum price of R105.00 required by the Takeover Regulations,” the companies said in a statement.

The new price represented a 66.66% premium to the R75 price on February 1, the last trading day prior to the offer first being made.

It is also a 63.96% premium to the R76.24 30-day volume weighted average price on the last trading day, prior to the offer being delivered.

Canal+ has said that its aim is to build a global entertainment leader, with Africa at its heart, combining scale, complementary geographies, and international reach with strong local roots, that will support the development of Africa's sporting and cultural industries, and “take leading and authentic African stories to a global audience.”

Recognising South Africa’s black economic empowerment imperatives, it intends to support MultiChoice’s BBBEE initiatives and the transformation of its South African business.

Canal+ believes the offer would also provide MultiChoice shareholders with an opportunity to realise value at a significant premium, in cash.

“Canal+ believes the competitive landscape for Africa's media and entertainment industry will continue to undergo profound changes as the continent rapidly adopts broadband and mobile internet.”

This allowed international media companies and global OTT platforms (including Netflix, YouTube, Disney and Apple TV+), to use their scale and resources, to expand beyond their existing markets, increasing their focus on Africa and thereby challenging local rivals.

“A combined group would be better positioned to address key structural challenges and opportunities resulting from the progressive digitalisation and globalisation of the media and entertainment sector. This could have significant benefits for the African creative and sports ecosystems, for example, by enabling high-quality content created on the continent to be distributed to an international audience,” the companies said.

Also, through the combination with Canal+, in addition to operating in over 50 countries across Africa, MultiChoice would be part of a broader group, present across three continents: Africa, Europe and Asia. As a result, MultiChoice would benefit from the combined group's scale across its entire footprint.

Credits: IOL

New Channel Alert: ST Kids Plus Coming Soon To StarTimes And StarSat Platforms Across Africa

Last month,  StarTimes added ST Toons as a brand new children's channel to their platforms. Serving as a spinoff to the current ST Kids channel, ST Toons incorporates the Nicktoons format airing older shows from ST Kids with dubs in the mix.

Oddly enough, StarTimes looks to launch a third children's channel by April 15th, ST Kids Plus. From what we can gather most of the content already seen on both ST Kids and ST Toons will be added to the lineup with selection of content in local languages.

The languages include English, Swahili, Portuguese and French with the channel set to rollout in 30 African countries. It is looking to position itself as a multilingual children's channel offering high quality children's content for viewers aged 6-12.

ST Kids Plus will launch on April 15th on channel 352 on DTT and 311 on DTH to all Basic and Super customers. 

As some readers are aware, StarSat hasn't launched ST Toons for consumers in South Africa and from the looks of things ST Kids Plus. Considering that the ownership of StarSat in SA varies with other countries it wouldn't surprising if it didn't launch. 

StarTimes in ROA is packaged differently from South Africa this is due to the pay-tv companies voting rights being limited to 20%. In these markets, StarTimes whose rates match that of MultiChoice also offer a range of sport and premium entertainment.