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Cape Town - DStv announced on Tuesday that the Saffron channel will be dropped from the Indian bouquet after the channel announced its closure.
From 1 September 2013, Saffron TV (DStv channel 195) will cease broadcasting and will as result no longer be available on the DStv Indian package.
Saffron TV - a locally produced channel - launched on DStv in September 2008. It offered a platform for the South African Indian community to showcase its cultural events and to tell its stories through projects like the African Indian Odyssey that commemorated 150 years of the Indian community in South Africa.
The channel also featured great local television talent like Shalandra Bunseelal as the host of Star Attraction and Yudhika Sujanani as the glamorous chef behind a number of food shows.
'Ongoing losses'
"Unfortunately we were not able to secure the necessary advertising support to make the channel economically viable," said Andrew Gill, Deputy MD of Media at Times Media, whose Ochre Moving Pictures subsidiary produced the channel.
"The Times Media Group continued to support the channel despite ongoing losses. The decision to close the channel has been a difficult one and has been taken after much consideration.”
Robyn Smith, content manager, MultiChoice South Africa commented the channel's closure: "Saffron TV was a good addition on the DStv Indian package and it's sad that the channel will close.
"We can assure our loyal customers in the Indian community that we will continue to offer them great entertainment through our specialised Indian packages."
From 1 September 2013, Saffron TV (DStv channel 195) will cease broadcasting and will as result no longer be available on the DStv Indian package.
Saffron TV - a locally produced channel - launched on DStv in September 2008. It offered a platform for the South African Indian community to showcase its cultural events and to tell its stories through projects like the African Indian Odyssey that commemorated 150 years of the Indian community in South Africa.
The channel also featured great local television talent like Shalandra Bunseelal as the host of Star Attraction and Yudhika Sujanani as the glamorous chef behind a number of food shows.
'Ongoing losses'
"Unfortunately we were not able to secure the necessary advertising support to make the channel economically viable," said Andrew Gill, Deputy MD of Media at Times Media, whose Ochre Moving Pictures subsidiary produced the channel.
"The Times Media Group continued to support the channel despite ongoing losses. The decision to close the channel has been a difficult one and has been taken after much consideration.”
Robyn Smith, content manager, MultiChoice South Africa commented the channel's closure: "Saffron TV was a good addition on the DStv Indian package and it's sad that the channel will close.
"We can assure our loyal customers in the Indian community that we will continue to offer them great entertainment through our specialised Indian packages."
