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==History== {{more citations needed section|date=September 2014}} ===1980s=== The idea of a pay-TV network in South Africa came to life as early as 1982, when [[Nasionale Pers]] ([[Naspers]]) – headed by executive [[Koos Bekker]] — started to promote the idea to the country's other three largest media corporations: Times Media Ltd (now [[Avusa]]/BDFM), Argus (now the Independent Group) and Perskor (which is now defunct).<ref name="early">{{cite web | work=financialmail.co.za | title=How pay-TV in SA was started |url=http://secure.financialmail.co.za/08/0801/cover/coverstoryc.htm| access-date=6 August 2008 }}</ref> The initial project by Ton Vosloo in 1982 suggested that the new channel would restore the revenue of its newspapers.<ref name="SatelliteHarvest">"Africa ripe for the satellite harvest", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 1, July–September 1993</ref> The newspapers and magazines published by Naspers had lost a lot of advertising revenue to the [[SABC]] after the [[Television in South Africa#Slow introduction|arrival of television]] and for this reason, according to some sources, the [[National Party (South Africa)|National Party]] government wanted Naspers to run its own television network.<ref name="early"/> Initially, the plan was for M-Net to be jointly owned by the four media corporations, with the ''[[Natal Witness]]'' also having a small share in the station. However, as time went on, the project became that of Naspers only. On 27 November 1984, Foreign Affairs minister [[Pik Botha]] suggested the creation of a feasibility study for the subscription network, assisted by a working group.<ref name="SatelliteHarvest" /> On 25 April 1985, the press consortium won the bid, over 39 other applicants. Naspers would hold 26%, the three other groups 23% each and the two independent newspapers 5% each. The new service would have a set of guidelines: no news or political coverage, no exclusive sports screenings, no more than nine hours on air per day and no advertising. The format would emulate that of SABC's TV4, which ran on its black networks ([[SABC1|TV2 and TV3]]) from 9pm to closedown.<ref name="SatelliteHarvest" /> In October 1986, they started broadcasting for 12 hours a day, to about 500 households who had bought decoders. (Their aim at that stage was to sell 9,000 decoders per month.)<ref name="early"/> The service used the [[Oak Orion]] scrambling system, and the decoders were manufactured in South Africa by the local affiliate of [[Panasonic|Matsushita Electric]].<ref name="green">{{cite thesis |last=Green |first=David Robert |date=1989 |title=M-Net Decoder Production, A Technical Analysis |publisher=Cape Technikon |url=http://etd.cput.ac.za/handle/20.500.11838/1130}}</ref> That small start finally broke the TV monopoly by SABC. Although it was subscription-based, the Broadcasting Authority granted them a one-hour time slot each day, in which the channel could broadcast unencrypted, free-to-air content, in order to promote itself and attract potential subscribers. In 1987, the Cabinet also approved an arrangement under which the SABC was required to make its TV4 channel available to M-Net between 6 and 7pm.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=NcQZ1D366t8C&dq=%22M-Net%22+%22South+Africa%22&pg=PA125 ''Communication and Democratic Reform in South Africa''], Robert B. Horwitz, Cambridge University Press, 2001, page 125</ref> This time slot became known as ''Open Time''; though it was only meant to be temporary — M-Net was supposed to close ''Open Time'' immediately when it had 150,000 subscribers – it remained.<ref name="Broa940325">{{Cite news|title=South Africa: Viewers fall into the net|work=Broadcast|date=25 March 1994|first=Andy|last=Fry|page=20|id={{pq|1705162805}} }}</ref> At the end of its first year, they recorded a loss of R37 million.<ref name="early"/> However, it pushed forward and eventually, the public started taking notice. After two years, the loss was turned into a R20 million profit.<ref name="early"/> In 1988, the channel launched ''[[Carte Blanche (TV series)|Carte Blanche]]'', a multi-award-winning actuality program hosted by Derek Watts and Ruda Landman. In only a few years, ''Carte Blanche'' became famous for its investigative journalism. In the process, the show also uncovered many of South Africa's most famous scandals of human rights abuse, corruption and consumer affairs. 1989 saw the launch of [[SuperSport (South African broadcaster)|M-Net SuperSport]], which went on to become South Africa's (and Sub-Saharan Africa's) first dedicated sports channel which spawned into sports-specific channels from 2003 onward. It was the year they adopted a new slogan – ''We Won't Stop the Magic'', backed by a massive ad campaign. ===1990s=== 1990 was the first year that they made a profit<ref name="K-TV">{{cite web | work=beeld.com | title=Kinder-TV 'n groot hupstoot vir M-Net (Afrikaans)|url=http://152.111.1.88/argief/berigte/beeld/1990/05/16/1/6.html|access-date=6 September 2010}}</ref> and also the year that saw a few major changes for the channel. It launched [[K-T.V.|K-TV]], a daily time slot specialising in kids' entertainment, and in July 1991<ref>{{cite web |title=The Simpsons promo - July 1991 on M-Net Open Time - South Africa |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur4wQR-RLZo |access-date=12 April 2025 |date=30 July 2024}}</ref> Open Time was expanded from the initial one hour per day, to two. They applied for a licence to broadcast news and the application was granted in December 1990. (Former State President P.W. Botha once claimed that "M-Net would not broadcast news as long as he was State President."<ref name="news">{{cite web | work=beeld.com | title=Die tyd is ryp vir M-Net-Nuus (Afrikaans) |url=http://152.111.1.88/argief/berigte/beeld/1989/10/3/4/4.html|access-date=6 September 2010}}</ref>) but during June 1991, they announced that they were putting their plans for news broadcasts aside and that, instead, more money would be invested in local productions, including South Africa's first local soap opera ''[[Egoli: Place of Gold|Egoli]]'', which started in May 1992 and ended in April 2010. However, they began re-broadcasting [[BBC World Service Television]] (now [[BBC World News]]) that same year. In addition to news, the channel started airing sporting events, per a January 1991 amendment.<ref name="SatelliteHarvest" /> In early 1994, M-Net started broadcasting to [[Nigeria]] in [[Lagos]].<ref>"Lagos gets M-Net", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 3, May 1994</ref> By 1995, the channel was also being carried in [[Uganda]] over VHF, [[Namibia]] over VHF and [[Lesotho]] using [[Lesotho Television]]'s network.<ref>"Lagos gets M-Net", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 5, February–March 1995</ref> M-Net SuperSport changed its name in 1994 to ''SuperSport'' only, to create a more recognizable brand. During that year it broadcast live coverage of South Africa's test cricket series in Australia for the first time. At the same time, [[Hugh Bladen]] and [[Naas Botha]] – two of the channel's most colourful rugby commentators — joined SuperSport. By that time, its sports coverage became very impressive, including the [[Masters Tournament|US Masters]], the [[FA Cup]] Finals, the [[Indy 500]], the [[PGA Championship|US PGA Championship]], [[The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon]], the [[Tour de France]], [[MotoGP]] and an ever-expanding rugby package. In 1995, SuperSport started broadcasting 24 hours per day on M-Net's spare channel, the Community Service Network, which paved the way for a 24-hour multi-channel sports network. When rugby became a full professional sport in 1995, most of the broadcasting rights in the Southern Hemisphere were sold to [[Rupert Murdoch]]'s [[News Corporation (1980–2013)|News Corporation]]. In response, they started negotiating with NewsCorp in August 1995 and in February the following year, SuperSport was granted sole broadcasting rights to both the Super 12 and [[Tri Nations (rugby union)|Tri Nations]] rugby tournaments.<ref name="rugby">{{cite web | work=beeld.com | title=M-Net slaan slag met rugby op TV (Afrikaans)|url=http://152.111.1.88/argief/berigte/beeld/1996/02/22/24/3.html|access-date=6 September 2010}}</ref> It was a major breakthrough for the channel as well as SuperSport, which had by then expanded to sports-and-leagues-specific TV channels on [[DStv]] and [[GOtv]], MultiChoice's [[satellite television|satellite TV]] services. As of 1999, M-Net was one of the three television networks in the world to have agreements with every major American film studio, having signed a contract with [[Warner Bros.]], in an exclusive deal that was snatched from upstart terrestrial broadcaster [[e.tv]]. Its content would appear on its channels effective 1 April 1999.<ref>"Warner/M-Net sign deal", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 20, February–April 1999</ref> On 1 November that year, M-Net expanded its Open Time slot to other African countries where the channel was relayed on terrestrial television.<ref>"M-Net's open time over Africa", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 24, February–April 2000</ref> ===2000s=== The channel rebranded again on 11 February 2001 with the new tagline "We Call it Magic". The new logo incorporated the iconic M symbol inside a square, representing the values of M-Net as a "brave, colourful and exciting channel", while also accommodating it with its sub-brands, and strengthening its ties with the wider network of M-Net sister channels. In addition, M-Net had secured the rights to the American reality show ''[[Temptation Island (TV series)|Temptation Island]]'', shot in [[Belize]].<ref>"M-Net: They call it Magic", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 24, May–July 2001</ref> The network also secured the rights to the smash hit reality format [[Big Brother (franchise)|Big Brother]], with the aim of producing a [[Big Brother (South African TV series)|localised version for South Africa]]. The first season alone was set to be the biggest production to date, with a record-breaking number of 120 jobs, the equivalent of three separate productions, created in its making.<ref>"M-Net scoops Big Brother", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 24, May–July 2001</ref> M-Net had plans to continue its growth strategy in 2002.<ref>"M-Net boosts its West African subscriptions", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 32, February–April 2002</ref> Following on from the success of Big Brother, the channel secured the rights to another groundbreaking international format, [[Idols South Africa|Idols]], which premiered on 10 March 2002.<ref>"M-Net secures top rated reality show for South Africa", ''Africa Film & TV Magazine'', nº. 32, February–April 2002</ref> ===High definition=== Delivery of high-definition content started with the launch of [[DStv]]'s first high definition decoder the HD PVR, XtraView and the first HD channel, M-Net HD. M-Net began broadcasting a 720p high definition channel in 2010, which is available for HD-PVR subscribers; the standard definition channel for non-HD-PVR subscribers is merely downscaled at the provider from the HD feed rather than having a devoted analog channel. In 2012, the original film/movie channels were expanded to 6 channels which grouped films according to genre/preference.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.multichoice.co.za/multichoice/content/en/page47786?oid=176152&sn=Detail+2009&pid=44227|title = Mnet movies| date=13 June 2023 }}</ref>
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