On Tuesday, 13 November DStv launches various new channels on both the Premium and Compact bouquets.
DStv Premium subscribers will get six new channels and a different VH1 channel which will be replaced by VH1 spin-off channel VH1 Classic.
DStv Compact will get the same six channels, with the extra addition of Nat Geo Wild which will be available on the bouquet for the first time. The channel's been available on Premium
since it's launch in 2008 and features National Geographic programming that has a more fierce roar than the National Geographic Channel.
The replacment of VH1 with VH1 Classic will give the channel a different focus. VH1 includes pop culture and reality shows whereas VH1 Classic focuses more on music videos, specifically from the 70's and 80's, with the 60' and 90's round the edges.
The six new channels include a martial arts channel and the Durban and PE community stations Bay TV and 1KZN, which has been on TopTV for about nine months. The channel's jumping ship and leaving TopTV to be on DStv instead.
There are also two music channel spin-offs of Mzansi Magic and kykNET called Mzansi Music and kykNET Musiek. Both have been created by M-Net and feature 24-hours of music.
The other new channel is a gospel channel called Dumisa TV. It's being produced by Urban Brew Studios, producers of ONE Gospel.
Here are more details on each of them with their channel numbers:
VH1 Classic: replaces VH1 on channel 323
KykNet Musiek - channel 146: an adult contemporary music channel featuring popular Afrikaans commercial artists and their music. Includes music blocks, various music request and chart shows as well as related magazine shows.
Mzansi Music - channel 321: a 24-hour music channel that devotes itself to those all-time local and international familiar music favourites, feel good, classic hits.
Nat Geo Wild - channel 182: a 24-hour channel from the National Geographic stable places the emphasis on wild and is dedicated to wildlife programming, the power of mother nature and the future of our planet.
Blackbelt - channel 129: a 24-hour martial arts television network airing martial arts fights, series, movies and animé.
Bay TV - channel 260: programming incorporates a diverse local culture and religion and highlights community issues in local languages. Other genres include education, entertainment, healthcare and environmental affairs. This channel is broadcast out of Port Elizabeth.
1KZN - channel 261: a channel that promotes local culture and showcases content from KZN. The channel broadcasts various children’s programming, youth, women, education, news & current affairs, sports, music & culture and gospel content.
Dumisa TV - channel 340: a channel that gives insight into South African church culture, featuring the most popular churches across the region. The channel seeks to define a space and platform for South African churches, especially more traditional and indigenous churches.
The content for the channel consists of: 70% preaching and ministries, 15% magazine-style programming and documentaries on church communities, and 15% music.
Shows include: Bokamoso - a youth show focusing on everyday issues affecting the youth, Meet Our Leaders - a talk show that deals with community issues and offers insight into different denominations, and I Believe - a show where
All of them launch at 10h00 on Tuesday, 13 November.