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Cape Town – Another three TopTV TV channels have suddenly disappeared since midnight after TopTV abruptly ended Top Crime (TopTV 155) and Top History (TopTV 301) on On Digital Media’s (ODM) satellite pay-TV platform.
Meanwhile Top Learn (TopTV 319) was changed to Mindset TV.
With multiple big StarTimes changes afoot after the Chinese TV conglomerate bailed out the struggling ODM earlier this year which is in business rescue, it's now clear that StarTimes likely plans to rid the struggling Woodmead based South African satellite pay-TV operator of the "Top" name – at least insofar as TopTV's own original set of "Top" branded self-compiled TV channels are concerned.
It looks increasingly likely that even the "TopTV" name might be changed with the fast dwindling number of "Top" channels, several of which got cut the past year.
ODM confirmed to Channel24 what sources have been telling, which is that both Top Crime and Top History – two of TopTV's remaining self-compiled "Top" channels – would end Monday night at midnight.
Replacement channels
Channel 319 will continue but Top Learn got replaced by Mindset TV.
No specific reason is forthcoming about why Top Crime and Top History have been canned, but sources are saying that ODM will make replacement channels available, although sources say possible replacement channels will not necessarily be in the "crime" and "history" genres.
With the bulk of the previously yanked channels, TopTV has also said replacement channels will be provided although it has only happened over the past two years with a small number of TV channels. For the most part TopTV subscribers have been left waiting and wanting.
TopTV says ending Top Crime and Top History has “to do with the many changes that are currently taking place within TopTV while new plans are being put in place".
Meanwhile Top Learn (TopTV 319) was changed to Mindset TV.
With multiple big StarTimes changes afoot after the Chinese TV conglomerate bailed out the struggling ODM earlier this year which is in business rescue, it's now clear that StarTimes likely plans to rid the struggling Woodmead based South African satellite pay-TV operator of the "Top" name – at least insofar as TopTV's own original set of "Top" branded self-compiled TV channels are concerned.
It looks increasingly likely that even the "TopTV" name might be changed with the fast dwindling number of "Top" channels, several of which got cut the past year.
ODM confirmed to Channel24 what sources have been telling, which is that both Top Crime and Top History – two of TopTV's remaining self-compiled "Top" channels – would end Monday night at midnight.
Replacement channels
Channel 319 will continue but Top Learn got replaced by Mindset TV.
No specific reason is forthcoming about why Top Crime and Top History have been canned, but sources are saying that ODM will make replacement channels available, although sources say possible replacement channels will not necessarily be in the "crime" and "history" genres.
With the bulk of the previously yanked channels, TopTV has also said replacement channels will be provided although it has only happened over the past two years with a small number of TV channels. For the most part TopTV subscribers have been left waiting and wanting.
TopTV says ending Top Crime and Top History has “to do with the many changes that are currently taking place within TopTV while new plans are being put in place".
