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New kid on the box
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May 4, 2009
By Lara de Matos
The face of television is changing at a rapid rate. And networks that fail to take heed of this fact will soon find themselves falling by the wayside. Confronted with the reality of ever-evolving developments in technology, coupled with the need to cater for audiences who are increasingly calling for greater variety, DStv is revamping part of its platform.
It's out with the old and in with the new, as the tween, teen and early twentysomethings market maps out the route into fresh frontiers. Come July 1, the GO channel will fade into the sunset, while a more contemporary youth station struts into television town.
Much like its predecessor, Vuzu will be aimed at technically savvy 18-to-24-year-olds with a predilection for engaging viewing, combined with audience interactivity centred round MXit, MMS, SMS and the internet.
"Television remains a big part of this demographics' lifestyle and, ultimately, this channel will provide a continental platform for young people to have access to the best and most relevant entertainment on their phones, PCs and TV sets," says channel director, Yolisa Phahle.
Fans of Vuzu's forerunner will also be happy to learn much of the core programming on GO will make the journey across to the new network, consisting of shows such as Gossip Girl, Entourage, The Simpsons, Kyle XY and South Park.
But, given the glaring similarities between the current and in-coming youth channel, the obvious question to ask is whether Vuzu can, in fact, be regarded as an altogether novel station or if it would be better described as a revamp of the original GO?
"No, Vuzu will be a (completely) new channel, hence the new name," explains Phahle. "It will contain much more first and exclusive international content …" She added that, unlike GO, Vuzu will be managed as a comprehensive lifestyle brand, rather than a run-of-the-mill programming station. It will also feature up to twice as much local content, including The Verge (a show devoted to all things hi-tech and gaming-related), V Entertainment (a daily round-up of the local and global showbiz news) and Street Cam, a fly-on-the-wall dating series headed by a sassy female host, who patrols the city streets in search of unsuspecting "victims".
Are poor performance ratings then to blame for GO's termination? The answer is, in a word, no.
According to Phahle "we are looking to build a local celebrity culture and we will use our daily live entertainment show (on Vuzu) to do so".
This means the interactive element (which presently spans two hours on GO) will be extended from 17.00 to 23.00 throughout the week when Vuzu's signal is officially switched on.
Vuzu will comprise the second phase of M-Net's two-part youth programming overhaul. The first - a dedicated children's channel, Koowee, aimed at preschoolers between the ages of one and six - was rolled out on April 6. Phahle indicated audience reception to Koowee thus far "has been great", adding "we can't predict the response (to Vuzu), but we are hoping (audiences) will voice their opinions and give us feedback".
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