New DStv news channel

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

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

In January, Mawela said “mistakes” were made in contractual negotiations with ANN7 after MultiChoice inexplicably paid R25 million to the Gupta-owned chan- nel 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.

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

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