MultiChoice will launch a new channel called BBC UKTV on its satellite TV service DStv in mid-December, allowing customers access to various natural history, comedy, soap, and children’s shows.
The broadcaster said the new channel would be available on channel 134 for DStv Family, Access, and EasyView subscribers from Thursday, 15 December 2022.
“We have strengthened our partnerships, which has in turn strengthened our content offering, therefore, we are extremely excited to introduce BBC UKTV to our viewers,” MultiChoice’s executive head of general entertainment channels, Georginah Machiridza, said.
The addition of BBC UKTV marks the sixth BBC Studio channel made available on DStv, adding to its BBC Earth, BBC Brit, BBC Lifestyle, CBeebies, and BBC World News channels.
It will broadcast shows including the long-running sitcom My Family, the British hospital-based soap Doctors, and Top Gear.
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My Family will run on weekdays at 06:00 and 19:30, starting from season one, and season 22 of Doctors will air at 19:00 during the week.
Starting with season 19, BBC UKTV will broadcast Top Gear at 20:00 during the week and again at 18:30 on Sundays.
Viewers can also watch various BBC natural history shows every day at 09:00 and on weekdays at 15:00. Children’s programming for ages 0 to 12 will air every morning between 06:30 and 09:00.
DStv’s existing collection of BBC Studios channels will continue to run new programming, including Strictly Come Dancing, Frozen Planet II, Come Dine With Me South Africa, and Homegrown Tastes South Africa. Curiously, Openview announced that it would ADD BCC UKTV to its channel catalogue on 18 October 2022.
However, the eMedia-owned broadcaster postponed the launch at the last minute. “We confirm that we planned to launch the BBC UKTV channel on Openview on 18 October,” Openview told MyBroadband.
“We are disappointed to announce that the much-anticipated launch had to be postponed. We are working on finalizing details for the channel.”
SOURCE: My broadband
