MultiChoice Delays The Launch Of KIX And PBS Kids On Lower Bouquets

MultiChoice was scheduled to launch the martial arts movie channel KIX on DStv Access bouquets while the educational brand PBS Kids would be added to Easyview. At the same time, e.tv's 4 channels were scheduled for termination and new prices take into effect.

From April 1st, viewers were overjoyed to see the 4 e.tv channels haven't been removed as planned as the channels were extended for another 2 months delaying the launches of PBS Kids and KIX.

eMedia Investments is taking MultiChoice to the Competition Tribunal in regard to their agreement for the 4 channels currently seen on DStv. The brand demands for more money and obviously MultiChoice refused which led to the axing of their channels from the brand by June.

 

eMedia Investments was asked in a recent interview about the possibility of MultiChoice returning the soon-to-be axed channels eToonz, eMovies, eMovies Extra and eExtra and here's their statement:

It will be up to them. Our strategy is that our channels are free-to-air channels and should be available wherever people access channels. So that's their decision, there's no regulation that they need to carry the channels. Our view is that they should.

 

The worst part to all of this consumers will have to wait likely until the current agreement ends in May to know the outcome with both parties.

Just by analysing this situation, MultiChoice seems affirmed with their decision of scrapping the 4 channels as they already launched DreamWorks and plan to add another movie channel in the near future.

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New Series Alert For Zee World, Zee One And eExtra (Pending): Mehek + Begusarai + Kindred Hearts + Bridal Material + Fragmented Family + The Diligent Daughter + The Jinxed

If there's anything these 3 stations have in common is their dedication for Zee TV while StarPlus has only 1 channel for their English audience Zee TV has 3 but things get complicated depending on the platform you're viewing them.

Take for instance DStv, eExtra is creating competition for Zee World as most of their offering end up on their station such as Piyaa Albela, These Streets (Yeh Teri Galiyan) and I Do (Qubooi Hai) and vice versa with Dare To Love and The Heir.

Although Zee World may not be accessible on Openview, the duplicate channel Zee One is regarded as a TCM while eExtra is a modern. So it's only a matter of time till consumers refer to the channel as eExtra+.

 

Speaking of eExtra, their Afrikaans block gets a standalone channel known as ePlesier in the coming weeks. Would it surprise anyone if the same was done with their Bollywood offering especially on a platform where Zee One exists.

Getting back to Zee TV, 8 of their shows have been picked up for which 1 (Mehek) goes to Zee One, 2 (Kindred Hearts and Begusarai) for eExtra and the rest (Bridal Material, Fragmented Family, The Diligent Daughter and The Jinxed) obviously for Zee World.

Description
- Mehek (Zindagi Mehek) - Tells the story of a young and positive girl, Mehek who has a special gift for cooking. The show takes on her journey and life with the talent she possesses. The series starred Samiksha Jaiswal and Karan Vohra.
- Kindred Hearts (Woh Apna Sa) - Revolves around the lives of 3 people, Aditya, Nisha and Jhanvi will redefine the status of Woh, and make people think whether she is the one who breaks the relationships or gives a new hope to relationships. The series starred Sudeep Sahir, Disha Parmar, Ridhi Dogra, Manasi Salvi and Kunal Karan Kapoor.
 

- Bullets And Blood (Begusarai) - Set in the land of Bihar, the series focuses on the Takur family where bullets speak louder than words. The series starred Vishal Aditya Singh, Shweta Tiwari, Shivangi Joshi, and Sartaj Gill in lead roles.
- Bridal Material (Keleerein) - Follows the lives of Meera Dhingra is a free-spirited, independent woman who does not want to be well-groomed for her future husband and Vivaan is a rich business man from London in search for his mother. Both having different perspectives on marriage they colllide bringing out the worst in each other. The series starred Arjit Taneja and Aditi Sharma.
- Fragmented Family (Kyun Rishton Mein Katti Batti) - The show will depict the world of 2 children who try to bring their parents together and rekindle their happy family. The series starred Siddhaanth Vir Surryavanshi and Neha Marda.
- The Diligent Daughter (Apna Time Bhi Aayega) - Revolves around a young and aspirational middle class girl who after father dies has to take up her father's position at his workplace where he works for a rich family. The series starred Fahman Khan, Megha Ray and Vivana Singh in the lead roles.
- The Jinxed (Kaala Teeka) - Tells the story of Gauri and her father who was on a quest to keep his only daughter safe and protected. He discovers an abandoned baby girl can save his daughter from a familial curse, and he adopts her, naming her Kaali and making her Gauri's "Kaala Teeka". The series starred Simran Pareenja, Sukirti Kandpal, Karan Sharma and Fenil Umrigar.

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Embark On Magical Adventures With Cartoon Network’s Original New Series, We Baby Bears, Premiering On 17 April

Get ready to fall in love with We Baby Bears, a spin-off of Cartoon Network Studios’ all-time favourite animated series, We Bare Bears. The enchanted journey follows three bear siblings, Grizz, Panda and Ice Bear – as their younger baby selves – travelling up, up and far away in a magical box to fantastic new worlds in search of a place to call home. Along the way, they meet new friends, learn a few lessons, and discover that ‘home’ can be wherever they are, as long as they’re together.

From Grizz, the leader and life of the party, to Panda, whose heart is as big as his love for his phone, and Ice Bear, the mega-talented and youngest of the bunch, each of the bear bros has a funny and bold personality. And, they are always there for one another when things get … a little crazy!

 

We Bare Bears director, Manny Hernandez, returns as executive producer to bring his creative vision to life in the newest iteration of the sibling cubs’ arrival. “Manny’s admiration for anime and music comes to life in this fresh, new expansion of a beloved franchise,” said Tom Ascheim, President, Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics (GKYAC). “The spectacular landscapes and musical inspirations transform this new series into an unforgettable journey for all We Bare Bears’ fans and beyond”.

The new series will roll out across Cartoon Network Africa with an Easter Weekend special featuring your favourite bear bros, big and small. Starting on Friday the 15th at 10:10 CAT, we follow the story of the brother bears in We Bare Bears: The Movie. Saturday the 16th and Sunday the 17th bring special We Bare Bears episodes featuring the baby bears. To conclude this exciting weekend, the first two episodes of We Baby Bears will premiere on Sunday at 11:00 CAT. Fans can then tune in every weekday from Monday, 18 April at 16:35 CAT for more We Baby Bears fantasy, fun and adventure.

So, join the baby bears on their colourful and exciting escapades every weekday from Monday, 18 April @ 16:35 CAT as they party with piñatas, sail the seas with pirates and teleport back to the medieval age to live like kings.

NOTES:

Easter Weekend Stunt

We Bare Bears: The Movie (2020): Friday 15/04 @ 10:10 CAT

We Bare Bears special episodes featuring the baby bears: Saturday 16/04 and Sunday 17/04 @ 10:10 CAT

We Baby Bears tune in details

We Baby Bears premiere: Sunday 17/04 @ 11:00 CAT

Tune in: Mondays to Fridays @ 16:35 CAT starting 18/04

 

Meet the Characters
GRIZZ is the eldest brother. He's a puppy-like go-getter with a heart of gold and a brain of impulsive choices. He's a natural-born leader who is totally ready to face any problem head-on, even if it gets him and his brothers into trouble. Grizz is not shy or quiet; he's a big-time extrovert. Grizz is open, warm, and positive. The only thing he loves more than adventure are his brothers.

PANDA may look cute and soft on the outside, but he's even MORE cute and soft on the inside, and he knows it! Panda is the middle child, making him a bit of an attention-seeking diva. He loves all things shiny, sparkly, and hip, especially his cell phone. Although he can be a bit melodramatic, he's always ready to step up and help his brothers when things get rough.

ICE BEAR is the youngest and certifiably the coolest. He can kick butt, speak ten different languages, and cook a gourmet dinner for three. Ice Bear remains modest despite his many skills and doesn't like to be the centre of attention. He loves his brothers, and he's always there to get them out of a tricky situation, even if he has to break the rules of animation to do so.

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Could SABC 1-3 Undergo Some Lineup Changes On DStv Following New Regulation Set By ICASA?

ICASA published amendments to the so-called “must-carry” regulations on Thursday, in which it reiterated that satellite broadcasters (or at least those that offer more than 29 channels) must carry the television programmes of the public broadcasting service.

Until now, the regulations have allowed MultiChoice and other pay-TV operators to carry the SABC public service channels at no cost. Under the amended regulations, the parties will have to negotiate a contract deemed fair to both parties.

Since last year, MultiChoice (through SuperSport) held free-to-air rights for PSL broadcasting them exclusively on their platforms through the SABC channels while other outlets that carried these brands got a different game playing on the same channel.

Theory 1:

Although the public broadcaster is celebrating their success a little too soon, every agreement has a loophole and it won't be long till MultiChoice finds that dark hole and buries them.

The public broadcaster is probably hoping MultiChoice will pay them based on production costs and all other expenses when the truth is they'll likely look at the costs to distribute each station besides that the quality differs from Mzansi Magic.

Theory 2:
This new regulation although granting SABC more revenue could increase the amount of exclusivity/management on their channels not only targeting sports but other aspects of the public broadcaster including general entertainment and news.

Instead of taking away Uzalo, what if this new deal grows the number of SABC channels instead in the process.

What if MultiChoice decided to distribute a seperate feed of the SABC Sport channel which didn't disrupt the lineup of the 3 SABC channels and broadcast games restricted from platforms like TelkomOne and Openview.

NEW CHANNEL ALERT: ePlesier Coming Soon To Openview

Rewind and News And Sport went off air today with content such as Impact and EPL now on eReality while other content will be made available on the existing offering managed by eMedia Investments as well as the new channel, Xposed.

Xposed is set to go live next week Monday and eMedia Investments couldn't contain their excitement with the launch of another new channel, ePlesier.

ePlesier is basically another Rewind but dedicated mostly to the Turkish offering available on e.tv, eExtra and eVOD. Series set to launch on the channel include Voëlvry, Bittersoet, Deur Dik En Dun, Gebroke Harte.

 

The launch of ePlesier brings joy to Kuiertyd fans across South Africa but also creates a lot of complications amongst eMedia's portfolio.

e.tv has a large stack of Kuiertyd programs so I wouldn't be surprised if that was reduced to meet to keep ePlesier afloat and eVOD has an Afrikaans section for this content and this channel just saves consumers data and give them time to view other content.

The news of ePlesier is not as bad as it appears to be, Rewind was used to air the programs on Kuiertyd but now the channel will relaunch as Xposed which doesn't seem interested in Kuiertyd's offering so the idea of this channel doesn't seem far fetched.

 

MultiChoice has a set of ePlesiers available on their platform including Novela Magic, kykNET Lekker, Nicktoons, Mzansi Wethu, Pearl Magic Prime, Me and Maisha Magic POA. Point is channels like ePlesier aren't going anywhere for the near future.

Turkish shows have been in high demand in South Africa and MultiChoice opted not to include one on the platform but eMedia Investments thought ahead.

ePlesier will occupy on channel 112 from 18 April if I had to guess the focus now is on Xposed which explains the timing.

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New Series Alerts: Dokter Ali S2 + Elif S3 + Doodsondes S4 + Die Binnekring (Linear) + Verdeelde Liefde Coming Soon To eExtra And eVOD Respectively

By the time these developments take place, eExtra would have already been discontinued on DStv alongside eMovies, eMovies Extra and eToonz but viewers can catch-up on some of the content through e.tv with the rest on eVOD.

On the Turkish front, eMedia managed to ramp up five projects for their brands which include three returning series such as Elif, Dokter Ali and Doodsondes alongside new series Verdeelde Liefde and recently launched Die Binnekring.

 

Returning Series:
- Elif - told the story of a 6 year old girl who was seperated from her mother. Since it's inception, viewers got to see the ups and downs in her everyday live as well as those around her. In the third season, the Emiroğlu family face financial difficulties. Kenan and Tuğçe die when Arzu sets the house on fire, though Melek and Elif survive. With the death of Kenan, Selim becomes the head of the family-owned business. Gonca marries Serdar, who seeks to bring the Emiroğlu family to ruin.
- Dokter Ali (Mucize Doktor) - tells the story of a man with savant syndrome, who grew up in orphanages, graduated from the faculty of medicine with first degree. Then he starts to work in a private hospital as an assistant surgeon. In season 2, Ali is shown in a courtroom being trialled for the alleged murder of his patient. Then, the show flashes back to 15 days prior, breaking down what actually happened and setting the tone for the rest of the thrilling episode.
- Doodsondes - In the new season, Halit's regaining his former power was welcomed with joy by everyone and the Argun family returned to their old order. Halit's goal is to regain Yildiz, who supported him a lot in his difficult days, and to remarry with her. However, Yildiz is confused because of Kerim and she doesn't know what to do. She has to make the right decision quickly.

 

New Series:
- Die Binnekring (Halka) - brings two different young people from different places stand side by side and fight against a conspiracy. They go after a past that doesn't leave behind. They bring to account of old notebooks, dirty cases, big and small lies. They're in a life with the Mafia, money, intrigue. They face against Halka, the terrifying face of which they have yet to know. The series began in 2019 featuring Serkan Çayoglu, Hande Erçel, Kaan Yildirim, Hazal Subasi, Nazan Kesal, Ahmet Mümtaz Taylan, Burak Sergen.
- Verdeelde Liefde (Doğduğun Ev Kaderindir) - Caught between two families, Zeynep was born in the slums and raised by a rich family. Living in bad conditions, her family give her up for adoption in exchange for money. In the mist of her struggles she meets Mehdi. The action packed series is based on a true story and adapted from the novel by Gulseren Budayicioglu titled Girl Behind The Glass (Camdaki Kiz) which stars Demet Özdemir currently seen on e.tv's afternoon Turkish drama Droomvelore will be taking the lead alongside Ibrahim Çelikkol from Begeertes.

 

Both Elif and Dokter Ali are expected to return from April 18th at 18:30 and 20:30 respectively on eExtra alongside Die Binnekring and Doodsondes which is set to replace Die Put and possibly Dokter Ali S2 later in the year while Verdeelde Liefde airs on eVOD from April 11th.

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Update: eMedia Investments Take MultiChoice To Court For Their 4 Channels On DStv

Last month, eMedia Investments confirmed that their 4 channels currently seen on MultiChoice's DStv: eToonz, eExtra, eMovies and eMovies Extra would remain on the platform but didn't want to confirm it publicly without getting the full details.

MultiChoice was only able to confirm these details a few days after but enlightened the media about the new agreement for these channels and just as predicted consumers were celebrating a bit too early.

Apparently, the channels will only stay on the platform for another two months as a eMedia Investments has gone to the Competition Tribunal, seeking to force MultiChoice to keep carrying eMovies, eMovies eExtra, eExtra and eToonz.

 

 

eMedia Investments was asked whether there's a possibility for MultiChoice to return the to-be-axed channels such as eMovies, eMovies Extra, eExtra and eToonz to DStv, or for eMedia to make a carriage deal with StarSat, or whether the door on pay-TV carriage for these channels are permanently closed.

"It will be up to them. Our strategy is that our channels are free-to-air channels and should be available wherever people access channels. So that's their decision, there's no regulation that they need to carry the channels. Our view is that they should."

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Roundups #36: Dark Side Of The Ring Is Now Available In South Africa Through Xposed, Taffy Renewed For A Third Season On Boomerang, SABC 3 Welcomes Mother Daughter Reality Series And Star Life To Introduce New Series Lost In Love

Get ready for Hollywood's best wrestling documentaries

Dark Side Of The Ring is a documentary series by Viceland which focuses on controversial subjects and events within the realm of professional wrestling. Some of the notable topics covered include Chris Benoit, Bruiser Body and Gino Hernandez.

eMedia Investments picked up the show for their new channel Xposed alongside other Viceland productions including States of Undress, F**K That’s Delicious and Most Expensivest by 2 Chainz.

The series commences at 18:50 from Monday 4 April.

 

Taffy renewed for a third season on Boomerang

Cyber Group Studios and French kids broadcaster Gulli have announced the return of Taffy which has been renewed for a third season. Production is set to begin later in the year.

Season three of kids comedy Taffy will continue the capers of Bentley the dog, who is determined to show his owner that the cat she just took in is actually a raccoon. The format of the third season has not been finalized yet.

 

21 Again launches on SABC 3 this month

Five daughters send their mothers undercover as 21-year-olds. From dating to working to activism, the mums will be immersed in their world. Can the mums pull off being 21 Again?

Season 1 airs Tuesday, 5 April at 22:00.

 

Star Life to introduce Lost In Love

Last month, Star Life announced they will undergo some lineup changes by moving repeats to the afternoon slot and movies to weekends as they try to boost their primetime offering and launch the new series A New Life.

According to sources, the channel is said to air a Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Mein (Lost In Love) which is a remake of Bengali series Kusum Dola from Star Jalsha.

Virat, a young police officer, marries to honour the promise he made to his dying father. But when his former lover re-enters his life, he finds his heart pulled in both directions.

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Schedule: Cartoonito's Disastrous Return To Boomerang Africa

Cartoonito is set to go live on April 4th at 06:30 CAT on Boomerang and we didn't know how the schedule would look as WarnerMedia was trying to keep it on the down low but thanks to sources we now got an idea on how the schedule is constructed.

Cartoonito:
06:30 Dino Ranch
06:50 Thomas & Friends
07:15 Kingdom Force

Cartoonito's past carnation had at least 6 hours on weekdays but this new one has close to 2 hours on air. Worst of all, this format is carried out on weekends at the exact same time.

 

In the promo provided on Boomerang's YouTube channel, it seems like most of Cartoonito's existence will be based on the existing offering on the channel with some exceptions like Thomas And Friends and the upcoming series Lucas The Spider.

Boomerang remains intact but from what is seen on the schedule Masha, Grizzy, Tom and Taffy don't fall under Cartoonito as they're classified preschool. Theoretically, it is believed the block will replace the whole channel in future.

07:30 Masha And The Bear
08:00 Zig & Sharko
08:25 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series
09:10 Ninja Express
09:35 Zig & Sharko
09:55 Grizzy and The Lemmings
10:10 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series
10:55 Masha And The Bear
11:15 Zig & Sharko
11:40 Taffy
11:50 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series
12:10 Mr. Bean
12:35 Tom And Jerry In New York
12:50 Zig & Sharko
13:15 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series
14:00 Masha And The Bear
14:20 Zig & Sharko
 

14:45 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series
15:35 Taffy
15:50 Masha And The Bear
16:20 Ninja Express
16:35 Zig & Sharko
17:00 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series
17:20 Masha And The Bear
18:05 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series
18:50 Ninja Express
19:15 Looney Tunes Cartoons
19:35 The Tom And Jerry Show
20:00 Mr Magoo
20:20 Scooby-Doo And Guess Who?
20:45 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series
21:30 The Tom And Jerry Show
22:15 Masha And The Bear
23:00 New Looney Tunes
23:45 Zig & Sharko
00:30 Grizzy And The Lemmings
01:15 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series
02:00 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
02:45 The Tom And Jerry Show
03:30 Taffy
03:50 Moka's Fabulous Adventures
04:15 Grizzy And The Lemmings
04:35 Mr Magoo
05:00 Zig & Sharko
05:20 Taffy
05:40 Masha And The Bear
06:05 Mr. Bean: The Animated Series

 

Cartoonito sets out to not only offer preschool but family based programming so if Boomerang could exempt themselves from some shows such as Zig & Sharko, Ninja Express and Looney Tunes then you'd get an idea what the brand is about.

Cartoon Network hasn't confirmed whether they'll include the preschool brand in their lineup but they likely will as seen in most parts of Europe beside the fact that some content will be produced in their studios.

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