Starsat, South Africa's second, small pay tv provider is finally expanding into producing more local content.
At the moment, the only locally produced programming on Starsat's self compiled channels is the excellent Puppet Nation (which is given away for free on Youtube anyway and was launched way before Starsat), and before that they had a magazine show that was co-hosted by AKA, but was silently cancelled.
Their latest attempt into the local content market is in the form of four new shows, surprisingly all of which are scripted and not just cheap reality trash. The first, which the press release said is the "most popular," despite not havin any viewership data or buzz, is “David Kau’s House,” with comedian David Kau. The rest of the four are a sitcom (Wired), two dramas (Twisted and Sweetest Taboo).
What is the most admirable part in Starsat's local content venture is that all rights will remain the property of the producers and not the broadcaster, like other paytv providers we know. (Good example of this at issue would be when MNet launched The Wild. A Google search will tell you what I am referring to).
The press release also shows Starsat finally realising that local content has really become popular in the last few years as quality and choice has increased. This move by Starsat is likely going to compete with MNet's local interest brand, Mzansi Magic
In addition to this, Starsat is also launching two self-compiled music channels. The one, Star Times SA Music, will, as the name says, be about South African music and the other, Star Times Soul, is about soul music. (If there is one thing that Starsat can learn from DStv is that generic channels that lack a brand image do not work. This is evident in the recent closure of two channels that carried the MNet Series name but then relaunched as channels with better brand identities. This is especially needed in music channels where brands and trendiness is of particular importance)
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