About
E! (formally known as E! Entertainment) is a pan-African version of the American satellite television channel broadcast exclusively on the DStv network which features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.
AVAILABILITY
DStv: Channel 124 (originally Channel 41)
Bouquet: Premium, Compact Plus, Compact (from 14 April, 2020), Access (from 7 September, 2023)
PICTURE FORMAT
576i (SDTV, 16:9)
720p (HDTV, 16:9) - since 18 January, 2018
SLOGAN
"Pop of Culture"
ABOUT
E! began life in South Africa in the 1990s when M-Net purchased a syndicated feed from the American broadcaster of its news programme E! News Daily. When free-to-air broadcaster e.tv launched in 1998 it was awarded the first-run rights to E! News Daily.
In December 2004 the African version of E! Entertainment launched in South Africa on the DStv platform, with exclusive broadcast rights. Although officially launched on 1 December, the channel actually began broadcasting on the evening of Tuesday 30 November. One of the first shows to air on that first night was the reality series Dr. 90210, which was broadcast at 22h00.
In 2012 the international broadcaster changed its name from E!: Entertainment Television to simply E!, with this change arriving in South Africa a few months later.
The channel went HD (720p) on 18 January, 2018.
E! positions itself as "a front row seat for the latest Hollywood glitz and scandal as you get the low-down on glamorous celebrities, and privileged access to Tinsel town's hottest award shows, movie premieres and live events".
Programming includes E! core franchises E! News (the forerunner of which was E! News Daily), The Soup, Chelsea Lately, Fashion Police and True Hollywood Story, as well as the docu-series Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Khloé & Lamar, Kourtney and Kim Take New York, Ice Loves Coco and Kendra.
Reality programs that have previously aired on E! include The Anna Nicole Show, Sunset Tan, Gastineau Girls, Girls of the Playboy Mansion, also known as The Girls Next Door (which itself spawned two spinoffs: Holly's World and Kendra), The Spin Crowd, Married to Rock and Dirty Soap.
Additionally, E!'s Live from the Red Carpet signature events keep fans connected to their favourite stars on Hollywood's biggest nights.
E! is a network of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience.