Wednesday, June 19, 2013

FOX Crime on DStv: Dramas on the move between Fox channels; TopTV subscribers to lose series content they've followed.


The start of the new FOX Crime (DStv 126) channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform at 19:00 on 9 July has Fox International Channels Africa (FIC Africa) now shifting shows between Fox channels - with TopTV subscribers getting hurt in the process as they're set to lose content that is moving to the FOX Crime channel on DStv Premium's bouquet - a channel not available on TopTV.

FIC Africa plans to move the forensic crime series Criminal Minds from FOX, a channel available on both DStv and TopTV, to FOX Crime from 9 July.

The result is that TopTV subscribers will no longer be able to see Criminal Minds, although Fox still has the show. It's taken away from TopTV viewers.

Bones on FX (TopTV 110) is also moving off of that channel, but the drama is - luckily for TopTV subscribers - moving from FX to FOX. That means that TopTV subscribers will at least still be able to follow Bones as a series, although on a different channel from July.

FIC Africa explains in a statement about the moving shows hopping to different Fox channels, that "content will be shifted across channels to ensure that the content is a natural fit for the channel brand".

FIC Africa says its being done because FOX Crime as a new channel "affords Fox International Channels Africa the opportunity to focus programming to specific target audiences".