The Nation Newspaper

Tag: DStv

  • DSTV celebrates Mandela at 100 with pop-up channel

    Were he to still be alive, global icon and father of modern Souh Africa, Nelson Mandela, would have be 100 years old on Wednesday, July 18, 2018.

    However, in recognition of the statesman and Nobel Peace Prize winner, DSTV will launch a special five-day long pop-up channel available to all customers to celebrate and honour the life and legacy of Tata Madiba on the 18th of July.

    Starting on Madiba’s birthday, July 18, at 6 pm, the channel will feature a mix of films, documentaries and archive footage.

    “Around the globe, Nelson Mandela is revered as a hero of the struggle and as the man who led South Africa to democracy,” said Yolisa Phahle, General Entertainment CEO, MultiChoice.

    “While striving for justice and freedom and shaping a nation, he also changed the world with his humility and indomitable spirit. We are immensely proud to dedicate a unique pop-up channel to celebrate the life and legacy of this beacon of selflessness and reconciliation, who gave hope to millions.”

    Each night at 7 pm – from July 18 to July 21 – viewers can watch a director’s cut of a four-part miniseries of the movie, ‘The Long Walk to Freedom (2013)’, based on Mandela’s autobiography which focuses on his early life and 27 years in prison. The movie stars Idris Elba.

    Also showing would be Invictus (2009), the Hollywood blockbuster directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon as Springbok rugby captain Francois Pienaar.

    Other highlights to watch out for include ‘The Face of Unity,’ a documentary with previously unscreened footage and tributes from former US President Barack Obama; golf legend Jack Nicklaus; musical genius Ray Charles, and Hollywood luminaries Samuel L. Jackson and George Lucas.

    In the Name of Mandela, War and Peace – a summary of the political history of South Africa from the time of the discovery of gold in 1886 up to the election of Nelson Mandela as President in 1994.

    Mandela’s Unsung Heroes – an account of the Rivonia trial in which some of Nelson Mandela’s fellow accused in the trial, that led to his incarceration on Robben Island, share their memories.

    Countdown to Freedom – an independent documentary chronicles narrated by James Earl Jones and Alfre Woodard, this independent documentary chronicles the behind-the-scenes lead up to the rebirth of a nation and Nelson Mandela’s triumph in South Africa’s first free elections.

  • ‘Why subscribers can’t pick channels on DSTV’

    Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice, Calvo Mawela, has explained that the wish of subscribers to pick only the channels they want to watch from the packages on offer will attract considerably higher costs if the model is adopted.

    Speaking on SABC News, Mawela explained that the model desired by subscribers “does just not work” and it is the reason why MultiChoice bundles television packages in a few bouquets.

    Mawela explained that Canada went through a lengthy regulation change, which compelled pay-television operators to adopt an a la carte model. The model, however, has failed because subscribers ended up paying more for the same number of channels they have available to them.

    “Guess what? Today, there is no uptake because consumers end up paying more for the same number of TV channels they are getting today.

    “So, it came up to a zero-zero sum where they went through this whole process. What consumers don’t understand is that we look at our research across the market and then what we do is that we bring everybody together with different tastes of content.

    “In that way, we attract a much larger audience and then prices come down. That’s how we do our packaging in order to ensure that we keep the prices down. That will attract a bigger audience because we’ve got children, we’ve got sport, you’ve got movies and all other content that we have,” he explained.

  • Toure, Okocha, Yorke for SuperSport World Cup broadcast on DStv, GOtv

    Some of football’s biggest names have been secured by SuperSport to underpin this year’s broadcast of the 2018 FIFA World Cup on DStv and GOtv.

    Yaya Touré, one of the most celebrated African players of the past decade, will be joined by straight-talking Jay-Jay Okocha, Dwight Yorke (one half of the deadly duo which spearheaded Manchester United’s charge to a historic treble in 1999) plus former Manchester United and Everton fullback Phil Neville and Italian maestro Gianfranco Zola, one of Chelsea’s greatest players.

    Other African guests doing SuperSport duty include Samson Siasia, Shaun Bartlett, Gavin Hunt, Andre Arendse and Benni McCarthy.

    The presenters will be made up of the experienced foursome of Robert Marawa, Carol Tshabalala, Neil Andrews and Andy Townsend.

    The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicks off on Thursday, June 14 with the opening ceremony at 2 pm and the first match between Russia and Saudi Arabia at 4 pm. DStv customers can catch the action live on SS3, SS13 and SS14, while GOtv customers on SS Select 1 and SS Select 4.

    With a 24-hour World Cup channel already on air, the broadcast offering has been supplemented with another 24-hour High Definition World Cup channel on DStv (SS3) that will run from June 1 until July 15 that will include pre-World Cup friendlies.

    There will be build-ups for all matches with top analysis and insights from some of the sharpest minds in the game, plus world-class graphics and technology to enhance coverage in the brand-new High Definition studio that launches in June. Post-match wraps will also feature, guaranteeing the most in-depth coverage.

  • Ajene, Okarike win DSTV awards  

    Miss Elah Ajene of Nigeria Tulip International School, Abuja; and Prosper Okarike of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, have been named as in-country winners of the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards competition for 2017.

    The awards are part of efforts by MultiChoice to promote science and technology education in Nigeria. The winners were announced after a two-day adjudication process. Ajene emerged winner in the essay category, Okarike emerged winner in the poster category.

    Speaking after the judges confirmed the winners, John Ugbe, Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, said the DStv Eutelsat Star Awards are designed to identify and create awareness on satellite technology and its applications within the society. “MultiChoice, by this award, is encouraging the young ones to challenge themselves and come up with ideas and innovation that will eventually propel our country to desired greatness,” he said.

    Mr. Ugbe further explained that the award is meant to inspire innovative thinking among secondary school students in Africa to create awareness on how science and technology can be applied to everyday life and to showcase the many ways that satellites already impact on the development of the African continent.

    Dr. Aderonke Bello, CEO Innovative Technology Literacy Services Limited (ITLSL) and lead judge for the 2017 DStv Eutelsat Star Awards, commended the winners for their efforts and zeal.

    ”We were thorough with the judging procedure. There were many quality entries, but the ones that made it to the top were those that satisfied all the specified criteria which are understanding and demonstration of satellite technology and its application to everyday life, coherence in the manner of presentation and flow,” she said.

    The annual awards, which received a total of 213 entries, including 187 essays and 26 posters this year, takes the form of a competition open to students between the ages of 14-19 years old.

    The award was established in 2011 by MultiChoice Africa in collaboration with Eutelsat, leading satellite operator for broadcasting, broadband, and data services.

  • Oscar’s pop-up channel berths on DStv

    Oscar’s pop-up channel berths on DStv

    M-Net Movies on DStv is about to celebrate some of the Hollywood’s finest movies which were part of the Oscar line-up.

    Screening on a pop-up channel for the month of February 2018, the new offering comes handy for movie buffs who may have missed film festivals where some of the Oscar nominated films got their first screenings.

    The package includes 115 Academy Award-winning films; 757 Oscar nominations and 306 golden statuettes on Channel 109 on the pay TV Premium bouquet, showing six films per day, beginning from Thursday February 1 until Wednesday February 28.

    Management of the broadcast company says the special showcase is leading up to this year’s 90th annual Academy Awards taking place at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Monday 5 March.

    The movies are expected to showcase a long list of magical movies that caught the eyes of critics and sparkled at Oscar ceremonies over the years.

    While the spotlight will shine on all the Hollywood films from last year’s Oscars, many of the cinematic gems that raked in the most awards since the inception of the awards will also make their way onto channel 109.

    Some of the films in the line-up include classics like ‘Gone With The Wind’ and the original 1959 ‘Ben Hur’ to 2017’s Best Picture winner ‘Moonlight’ along with last year’s Best Animated Feature ‘Zootropolis’.

    This pop-up channel will also honour Oscar winners by screening the acclaimed movies they’ve appeared in.  Academy favourites like Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Cate Blanchett, Leonardo DiCaprio and South Africa’s own Charlize Theron will once again transport viewers into the heart of their characters’ stories, desires, fears and wonders.

    The 90th edition of the Academy Awards will broadcast live on M-Net Movies Premiere at 2:30 am on Monday, 5 March and M-Net 108/101 on the same day, at 8:30 pm, and later on DStv Catch Up via the DStv Explora.

    The schedules are illustrated on mnet.tv/oscarspopup and DStv.com under printable schedules as well as on the EPG (Electronic Programming Guide) on the decoder.

  • TV: Why repeats are welcome

    TV: Why repeats are welcome

    I love weddings. Weddings are supposed to be one of the happiest days in a lifetime of a new couple and I look forward to a fairy tale wedding even though they are rare.

    One of the most glamourous wedding events in recent times was the wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Bankole Wellington. We all looked forward to this occasion because besides being a fan of the Wellingtons, Banky and his beautiful bride, Adesua are a symbol of class and panache. But again, not everyone had the opportunity to get an invite to this near fairy tale wedding.

    Just last week though, I got a text message from a friend that the #BAAD 2017 wedding (that was what the couple hash tagged their wedding) will be aired on DStv on Saturday. I was so excited but then again my excitement quickly faded when I remembered that I would not be home to watch the show as I had an important assignment at work and even worse, I couldn’t for now afford one of those decoders that gave you access to record programmes.

    Then again I was so excited when the following day, Sunday, the same wedding programme I missed was repeated on AfricaMagic channel 151. Wow! it was so exciting; the two-hour programme got me glued to my seat from start to finish. I was never a fan of repeats on TV. However, for those of us with tight schedules who also can’t afford to get a decoder that can record TV programmes, we are now fans of programmes repeats.

    I found out recently that repeats are part of the pay TV programming structure around the world and that the reason programmes are repeated are twofold or even more.

    The first and more popular reason is to increase the opportunity for more people to catch programmes they may have missed on its first airing. Sometimes a movie is shown at night on a certain day, then at daytime the next day or a few days later as occurred with the AfricaMagic airing of The Wellingtons wedding. Another reason repeats happen is sometimes directed by the content owner. When entering into a contract to lease or purchase content, the content owner has the right to stipulate that the programme is shown a certain number of times, what time of the day and so on.

    Additionally, I recently read that there are only about 600 new movies produced annually. If this is true, it means that television broadcast times for these movies will be just 1200 hours of movies and if a single channel broadcasting 24 hours a day needs 8760 hours of content annually, it’s a clear indication that programme repeats cannot be ruled out as you only have so many movie hours to fit in.

    Until I can afford a decoder that records TV programmes like the DStv Explora, I beg DStv to help repeat interesting programmes that I missed out on as I have become an advocate of TV programme repeats.

  • New lease of life for Toyin Subair

    It is harder to find a more poignant modern version of the hero-to-zero tale than the case of Toyin Subair. He is the enterprising dude who emerged from nowhere with indigenous pay TV company, HiTV, which became an overnight sensation and almost sent its major competitor, DSTV, to the morgue. Sadly, the romance was not to last, as the company soon sank without a trace in a sea of debt.

    Following the incident, Toyin, who was once the toast of event organisers and blue chip companies, vanished into thin air, leaving broken hearts and out-of-work staff in his wake.

    The handsome dude has since resurfaced in London where he is said to be putting the pieces of his life together again. At a time where a new local pay TV outfit, TSTV, has appeared on the scene to a cacophony of controversy, its operators would do well to learn from the tale of Subair and HiTV whose rise and fall were both unexpected and ultimately tragic.

  • Multichoice: Easy to install decoder app unveiled

    Multichoice: Easy to install decoder app unveiled

    Nigeria’s foremost Pay TV provider, Multichoice, on Wednesday unveiled an application to ease the problem of installing its devices.

    Speaking on the sidelines of the launch on Wednesday in Lagos, the Manager, Project and Field Service, Multichoice, Mr Ekong Esong, said that the application was also for troubleshooting when the decoder might be experiencing any fault.

    Esong said that the application was designed to complement other help service application.

    According to him, the application will handle the installation of DStv decoder from the process of the point of sale to when the customer can watch it.

    “The customer can now buy the decoder and the application takes over the process, the customer can now sit back and the next thing is for him to watch the decoder with ease.

    “It sounds simple, but what the application does between those times is to assign an installer, notifies the customer who that installer is and agrees on the time to set his TV up.

    “The application can also relay signal feedback to the installer all the delay pictures. It shoulders the responsibilities,” he said.

    Esong said that the application could be used by both new and existing customers of the Pay TV.

    “The application takes the stress off the customers. They can easily call in for the fault and within a short time have it rectified.

    ”It is a user friendly application with little steps to follow, just like a phone application,” he said.

  • Big Brother Nigeria returns

    Big Brother Nigeria returns

    Organisers have began preparations for the third edition of Big Brother Nigeria, BBN, with auditions to hold in six cities across Nigeria.
    MultiChoice Nigeria, the leading Pay TV operator in the country, announced the return of the reality television show, to be sponsored by Nigeria’s online store, Payporte.
    The return of Big Brother Nigeria, organisers say, follows the critical success of the second edition which saw aspiring hip-hop artiste Efe Ejeba winning the coveted N25 million prize money and SUV after almost three months of drama, intrigue, betrayal and entertainment in the Big Brother house.
    Speaking on Big Brother Nigeria’s return, the Regional Director, M-Net West Africa, Wangi Mba-Uzoukwu said: “Around the globe, the Big Brother format remains one of the most popular genres of entertainment and this is also the case in Nigeria. The  edition of Big Brother Nigeria was one of the most successful reality shows not just in Nigeria, but around the continent with a record number of votes and many of the housemates going on to pursue careers in entertainment. We are delighted to have the show return for a third edition and cannot wait for our audiences to once again tune in to experience all of the exciting entertainment that the show is sure to provide.”
    The third edition promises to be even bigger as auditions are scheduled to hold in six locations across Nigeria, an increase from the three audition locations from last year.
    The six audition venues include
    Lagos – West Town Hotel; 1, Ayeni Street, behind Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja;
    Port Harcourt – 5141, Aba Road, Port Harcourt; Abuja – MultiChoice Office,  Plot 1548, Ademola Adetokunbo Street, beside NEMA, adjacent Transcorp Hilton, Maitama;
    Enugu – Oakland Hotel and Park, Tunnel Crossing, Ogui Link Road, beside Etim Plaza, Enugu;
    Delta State – Deluxe Garden Suites, Bauchi Close, Shell Edjeba, Warri;
    Ibadan – Mauve 21 Events Centre, MKO Abiola Way, Ring Road, by Adeoyo Junction, Ibadan.
    Speaking further on the show’s return, the Managing Director, MultiChoice Nigeria, Mr. John Ugbe said: “At MultiChoice we take pride in providing the best entertainment available to viewers not just in Nigeria, but across Africa. The last Big Brother Nigeria was a tremendous success and prompted multiple queries about the show’s return. We are delighted to announce that the show is indeed returning for a third edition, on a bigger scale than ever before. The number of audition locations has increased and we expect that the third edition will deliver even more excitement, intrigue and round the clock entertainment that the Big Brother platform is globally renowned for.”
    For more information on Big Brother Nigeria, fans are urged to  visit www.dstv.com
  • Why we launched pay per day – StarTimes Boss

    Why we launched pay per day – StarTimes Boss

    On Wednesday, November 1, StarTimes officially commenced its much anticipated daily subscription plan tagged pay per day. In a brief chat with the media, the Chief Executive of the company, Mr Justin Zhang gave more insight into the birth of daily and weekly subscription in Nigeria.

    Q: When was the decision to launch the pay per day taken?

    Answer: We reached a decision to introduce pay per day in Nigeria late 2016. Although at that time, we were still testing the service in other African countries where we operate and in the South-West region in Nigeria.

    Q: Some people believe the pay per day service was introduced as a result of competition in the industry:

    Answer: That is not the case. Nigeria is our biggest market and so it would not be a wise business decision to launch a product or service without proper testing.

    The launch of our pay per day service had to be properly done so as not to cause any technical disruption, hence the need to test for months and make corrections where needed before rolling out a hitch-free service. Also, as a highly innovative company, we continually seek new ways to improve our customer experience and satisfaction and pay per day is one of such.

    Q: How was the service received by subscribers?

    Answer: Positively, as expected. Many of our subscribers have already started embracing the service. We get calls daily from customers seeking to get more information about pay per day so that they too can subscribe. I would say that this service has been much anticipated by Nigerians so we feel very happy to have pioneered the introduction of daily payments from as low as N60 in the pay-TV industry. Our aim is to ensure that we deliver digital entertainment to every Nigerian home at very affordable rates and we will ensure that this is done in the coming years.

    Related: TSTV vs DSTV: StarTimes pay per day, coincidence or strategy?

    Q: Is pay per view to be expected soon?

    Answer: I think many people misconstrue the pay-TV industry for the telecoms industry. Technologically speaking, for the pay tv industry, it is almost impossible to select individual channels based on customer preference and charge for each. While we are not ruling it out completely because things may change in the future, I know this may not be happening anytime soon given the technology on the ground.

    Q: What has StarTimes done recently to improve content?

    Answer: A lot. For example, we have upgraded our movie channels list and now have more safe channels for the kids to also enjoy. We also broadcast fairly recent new movies very new series from Hollywood. For our Nollywood fans, there are many channels dedicated to Nollywood movies and series now on StarTimes.

    Very worthy of note is that we will be broadcasting the Russia 2018 world cup live on StarTimes and this is in fulfilment of our promise to ensure than Digital entertainment is delivered to every home. All our subscribers will be enjoying live matches of the world cup from the comfort of their homes without putting a hole in their pockets come 2018.