Nickelodeon sets African safari
MultiChoice, MTV Int'l team for kids channel
MultiChoice CEO Nolo Letele and MTV Networks Africa senior VP-managing director Alex Okosi announced the multiyear distribution deal in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
Nickelodeon will launch as a 24-hour English-language channel on Johannesburg-based satcaster MultiChoice's DStv service, going out to subscribers in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The new channel will complement the Nickelodeon programming that already airs on M-Net children's channel K-All Day, also broadcasting on DStv, and Nickelodeon's regional consumer product business, said Okosi.
The channel will carry programming for preschool, primary school and tween-age kids, with dedicated programming block Nick Jr., where kids play to learn, and Nick at Nite, a primetime slot created for older kids.
The schedule will include "Dora the Explorer," "SpongeBob SquarePants," "Unfabulous" and "Drake & Josh."
Distribution and marketing for Nickelodeon in sub-Saharan Africa will be managed by Johannesburg-based MTV Networks Africa.
