Gupta TV may be cut from DStv: report

Update: MultiChoice has said that the Sunday Times report that it is “considering pulling the plug” on ANN7 is untrue and incorrect.

Original article

The Sunday Times has reported that Gupta-owned news channel ANN7 is facing the chop on DStv, as it does not adhere to programming standards.

According to the report, MultiChoice received “a number of customer complaints”, which include the failure to communicate channel changes and not abiding by MultiChoice’s programming schedule.

The Sunday Times added that ANN7’s falling viewership is a further concern to MultiChoice.

ANN7 was launched on 21 August 2013, offering 24-hour African news coverage on channel 405 on DStv.

In April, Oakbay Investments told ANN7 employees it may not be able to pay their salaries following the closing of bank accounts.

“We are doing everything in our power to ensure this does not happen. We find it totally unacceptable that you, our employees, and your families, could potentially have to suffer as a result of the political campaign against us,” said CEO Nazeem Howa.

Following the announcement, the Communication Workers Union said it wanted business owners to take over ANN7.

“Let it be a South African-owned company. So we will be engaging with various business people to ensure that we save jobs at ANN7,” said union president Clyde Mervin.

The full report is available in the Sunday Times of 8 May 2016.

More on ANN7

Having ANN7 on your CV is a joke: employee

ANN7 employees told they might not be paid