Lovers of Channel ‘O’ come the end of this month will not be able to watch their favorite music program as MultiChoice will be shutting it down just before its twenty-third birthday.
It seems like MultiChoice Africa has completed its plans to shut it down, well it has been rumored that the decision to shut down the music channel is to further entrench the company’s commitment to content localization.
This is what the statement says:
“To further entrench our commitment to content localisation, on 31 March 2015, Channel O Africa will stop airing on DStv channel 320 and GOtv channel 70. This will allow M-Net to invest further in content according to regional preferences on its existing Africa Magic brands, however Africa’s music talent will get ample space to shine on special programmes on these channels.
“This change is a further boost in M-Net’s investment in the creative television industry and will ensure that M-Net and Africa Magic remain at the forefront of African television trends and the biggest investor in original content made in Africa for Africa.
“M-Net will establish music blocs on Africa Magic World (GOtv channel 10 and DStv channel 155) where subscribers will be able to catch their favourite local music talent and videos. Music lovers can also continue to enjoy various local and international music genres on our other music channels on the DStv platform: MTV Base, Trace Urban, Afro Music Pop, Sound City, B4U Music and One Gospel and on the GOtv platform: MTV Base and One Gospel,” our source disclosed.
Even with this, Channel ‘O’ will still run in South Africa as a local channel with all it’s values and essences displayed to the country’s audience.
Channel ‘O’ was established by Multichoice Africa in the mid 90s to fill the void of African musical content on a dedicated music channel and reigned through till the late 2000s.
In 2003, the Channel O Africa Music Video Awards was created. Once known as Spirit of Africa Music Video Awards, the Pan-African music awards organised by first held in 2003 under the name Reel Music Video Awards. Since 2005 the awards have been held annually.