Monday, June 29, 2015

BREAKING. FOX Movies channel and its time-shifted channel FOX Movies+2 removed from On Digital Media's StarSat.


FOX Movies and its time-shifted channel FOX Movies+2 from FOX International Channels Africa (FIC Africa) are the latest TV channels getting dumped from On Digital Media (ODM) and China's StarTimes Media SA's satellite pay-TV platform.

FOX Movies and FOX Movies+2 were added to StarSat just a year ago, in June 2014.

FOX Movies and FOX Movies+2 will be gone within days - apparently getting dropped by 5 July from StarSat.

No word on it from StarSat yet, which says a press release about it is on the way.

So far also no word from FOX International Channels Africa.

FIC Africa provides channels such as FOX, FX, FOX Crime, FUEL, BabyTV, Setanta Africa, Setanta Action and Nat Geo Gold to StarSat.

More news and this story will update as StarSat and FIC Africa respond to media enquiries with press statements.

UPDATE 12:40 Monday 29 June - FOX International Channels Africa (FIC Africa) confirms FOX Movies is gone from StarSat from 5 July.

FIC Africa tells TV with Thinus that the axed FOX Movies (which was added just a year ago to StarSat) will be gone by 5 July.

"It is in keeping with the company's global strategy to have a strong reference brand - FOX - ready for a future with multiple choices".


UPDATE 16:20 Monday 29 June - StarSat is issuing a press statement regarding the shuttering of FOX Movies saying FOX International Channels is to blame for the loss of the channel, and that StarSat regrets the loss of the channel.

"StarSat has been informed that as from 6 July 2015, FOX Movies will no longer feature on the StarSat platform. The decision to close down the channel was made by the supplier."

"In the world of pay-TV, the adding and removing of channels is part of the industry," says Ian Woodrow, the head of content at StarSat.

"We regret the removal of FOX Movies, but we are constantly looking at new channels and programmes to add to our various packages."

"We remain committed to bringing high quality and affordable content to our valued subscribers," says Ian Woodrow.