MK was a mostly

Afrikaans Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...

music channel, launched in mid-2005, as MK89, that is part of the DStv bouquet of satellite channels owned by

MultiChoice MultiChoice is a South African company that operates DStv, a major satellite television service in Sub-Saharan Africa and GOtv, a minor service operating in over 9 countries of this area and Showmax service. MultiChoice was formed out of the sub ...

M-Net M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...

, based in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

. MK is for ''Musiek Kanaal'' (Music Channel) and 89 was the original channel number on DStv satellite decoders. When the channel number was changed to 324, the channel was renamed to MK. At the end of July 2013 DSTV cancelled the channel and opted to move it to its audio bouquet due to lack of viewers. MK maintained an active online presence on their YouTube Channel, Facebook Page and Website. Even though the channel does not feature exclusively

music, it has seen a tremendous boost for the resurging

music scene, especially "

indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Gaming *Independent video game development, video games created without financial backing from large companies *Indie game, any game (board ...

" type of music. The coincidence of the channel's launch with a resurgence in South African filmmaking has helped stimulate the creation of high quality music videos, which has driven the look of the channel to a level that few could have anticipated at launch. While the MTV influence in MK is apparent, it has managed to create an identity that is generally preferred compared to the international nature of the big music channels. MK ceased to exist on the linear platform and is now trying to compete in a digital way on an international platform.

Shows on the channel

*"Hoordosis" (A wordplay on the word ''oordosis'' which means overdose, and ''hoor'' means hear in

). This show has the most airtime as it is a random collection of music videos. *"MyMK". A viewer's choice show, where one viewer's selection is played, international or South African. *"Studio 1" A show broadcast live, featuring local musicians and airing the most recent music charts both local and international. *"MK Skole" (

for school). A Show presented by scholars around South-Africa, featuring their top 10 songs. *"Ondergrond" (

"onder" - under; "grond" - ground). An hour-long segment each week dedicated to the metal-heads. This show features South African bands as well as international. *"Kraakvars" (

expression directly translates to "fresh"). This show features the most recent music videos musicians have to offer. Previous shows *"Mullets" (''Mullet'' referring to the hair- and lifestyle). A show started by an ex-member of the "AF" team where two hilbilly-like characters tour the country, supposedly myth busting, but in fact just disguising AF-style stunts as myths. *"Jol24" (''Jol'' is

for fun or partying). A reality show where a viewer is given a video camera and a R1000 for 24 hours to document his/her day as he/she parties and socializes. *"Fliekfix". A show that highlights the latest movies on the South African circuit. *"X". A show featuring only international videos. Three choices, from members of the public, are played at the end. *"Draadloos" (

for wireless). An unplugged studio session featuring established as well as new music artists. *"Hoenner" (

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-g ...

for chicken). Another group of young people doing silly stunts. The stunts sometimes involve assembly of elaborate contraptions. There is a rumored rivalry with the "Af" cast members. *"Petrolkop" (

for petrolhead). Presented by local star '' Snotkop'', a.k.a. ''Lekgoa'', this show featured celebrities driving racing cars in time trials against each other. *"Wys my jou Huis" (''Show me your House'' in

). A South African version of Cribs, where the homes of local musicians are shown. The differences between the two shows are apparent, as the South African music industry is much less lucrative in comparison to the American music industry. *"Susters" (''Sisters'' in

). With a somewhat playfully prudish title, this show features all kinds of female interests, from make-up tips to hot rock stars to tattoo artists. *"ID" (In

the sound of these letters corresponds to the word ''idea''). This is a makeover show featuring ''Fanie'' as well as ''Adele''. Aimed at a female audience, this show is popular in both gender groups. *"Hip-hop". A magazine show focused on the South African hip-hop scene, and includes international hip-hop music videos. *"MKchat". A show with a studio guest which chat in real time with viewers on an Internet chat room while a DJ plays in the background. The chat thread is displayed onscreen with a corner insert of the guest. *"Jip". Based on a weekly newspaper insert, this show is a general magazine program which includes interviews and articles. The show is older than the channel and was migrated to MK89 by

as it is a better fit here than on the previous, English only, channel " Go". It is renowned for its parodic inserts, some of the best film-making on the channel. *"Stook" (

for stoke or burn). A lifestyle magazine show featuring reviews of movies, albums and videogames. The presenter has a celebrity guest to help him with reviews, and includes informal interviewing. *"Amp". A show where an interviewer follows an artist/group around for a typical day in their lives, with snippets of the featured artist/group's music videos thrown in. *"Gons" (

for buzz or hum). This is a studio based interview show with an artist/group or actor. The guests are asked to choose a music video at the end of the show. This show is the most formal show on the channel. *"Af" (

for "Off" in the context of not being correct). A show that features a set group of nicknamed students, doing silly (but almost always hurtful) stunts, annoying the unsuspecting public or just indulging in general strange behaviour. This show closely copies MTV’s " Jackass". The show’s main cast member presents the show in Ashton Kutcher’s style in MTV’s "

Punk’d ''Punk'd'' is an American hidden camera–practical joke reality television series that first aired on MTV in 2003. It was created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, with Kutcher serving as producer and host. It bears a resemblance to both the ...

" (Black and white monologues with an all white background. The camera angles are face and profiles shots while he is talking, and switches randomly). The ''Vuilhonne'' (

for dirty dogs), as the group call themselves, have become celebrities, even featuring on national magazine covers. "AF" is by far the most popular programme on the channel, across gender and racial groups. *"Matrix" (In

with parts in English). A

n reality show in which eight girls, who have just finished school, are given a

Matric Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now ...

Rage (also known as Matric Rave) holiday (the South African equivalent of

Schoolies week Schoolies or schoolies week (also known as leavers' or leavers' week in Queensland and Western Australia and coasties in the Australian Capital Territory) refers to the Australian tradition of high-school graduates (also known as "schoolies" or ...

). All the young adults who have just finished school migrate to the coastal towns to celebrate. The show documents the girls going to a house in Keurbooms Strand,

Plettenberg Bay Plettenberg Bay, nicknamed Plet or Plett, is the primary town of the Bitou Local Municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. As of the census of 2001, there were 29,149 population. It was originally named Bahia Formosa ("beautifu ...

which is part of

Garden Route The Garden Route (Afrikaans: ''Tuinroete'') is a stretch of the south-eastern coast of South Africa which extends from Witsand in the Western Cape Province, Western Cape to the border of Tsitsikamma Storms River in the Eastern Cape. The name com ...

. The girls entered this reality show, which boasts a sum of money as a prize, with their best friend. There are multiple occurrences during this holiday that challenge the girls, including dealing with problems in the area relating to a flood which occurred in the area days before their arrival, such as there being no running water for a number of days. The girls vote for a winner each episode and then an overall winner is picked from a final count of the votes at the end of the show.

External links

* {{Official website, http://mk.dstv.com/ Television stations in South Africa Television channels and stations established in 2005 Television channels and stations disestablished in 2013 Defunct mass media in South Africa