South Africa News

New black-owned news channel to replace Afro Worldview: MultiChoice

This is after Multichoice last week pulled the plug on Afro Worldview – the television channel formerly owned by the Gupta brothers under the name ANN7 – which until August 20 had been aired on DStv 405.

Multichoice chief executive Calvo Mawela will on Tuesday announce the successful bidder of the new black-owned 24-hour news channel on DStv.

Afro Worldview

Earlier in January, Mawela said “mistakes” were made in contractual negotiations with the formerly Gupta-owned 24-hour news channel ANN7 after Multichoice inexplicably paid R25 million to the Gupta-owned channel and had increased its annual carriage fee from R50 million to R141 million.

At the time, Mawela said the agreement would be terminated when the deal expired on August 20, ending a five-year relationship after the channel started broadcasting in 2013.

The channel had changed ownership and name after Mzawanele Manyi’s Afrotone Media Holdings bought it for R300 million in vendor financing deal from the Guptas Infinity Media.

Staff at the Afro Worldview were informed not to report for work from August 21.

Source: IOL News

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