_logo.webp){kind=logo} | |
| Country | South Africa |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Sub Saharan Africa |
| Network | M-Net Series (formerly) |
| Affiliates | M-Net |
| Headquarters | Johannesburg |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV (downscaled to16:9576i for theSDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | MultiChoice |
| Sister channels | |
| History | |
| Launched | 1 April 1998; 27 years ago (1998-04-01) |
| Replaced | Vuzu (merge) |
| Closed | 31 March 2024; 19 months ago (2024-03-31)[1] |
| Former names |
|
| Links | |
| Website | Official website |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| DStv | Channel 115 |
| Streaming media | |
| DStv App | |
M-Net Essentials,[a] branded on-air asME CHANNELwas a originally launched byM-Net on 9 July 2013 asM-Net Series Zone, one of three channels from the parentM-Net Series channel.
It rebranded asM-Net City in 2015 and asMe in 2021, the latter from a merger withVuzu. It currently broadcasts onsatellite television serviceDStv on channel 115.
The channel began on 1 April 1998 asThe Series Channel, eventually rebranded asM-Net Series to align with the parent M-Net channel in 2005.
On 9 July 2013, the channel broke into a three-channel network consisting of M-Net Series Showcase,[2] M-Net Series Reality and M-Net Series Zone. M-Net Series Showcase was touted by M-Net as "its main network for the launch of current serial programming, M-Net Series Reality airingreality television programming and M-Net Series Zone (this channel's adopted name) airing delayed programming from M-Net. However, within a year of launch, the channel formats of M-Net Series Showcase and M-Net Series Reality failed and got respectively rebranded as Vuzu Amp andM-Net Edge on 13 and 20 October 2014.[3]
On 6 April 2015, M-Net Series Zone was rebranded asM-Net City #115,[4] the channel number suffix getting dropped the following year.
Typically, M-Net City featured reruns of international television serial programming previously aired on parent channelM-Net along with some homegrown shows, the formerM-Net Edge, and sister channel1Magic (rebranded from Vuzu Amp on 1 March 2018) andMzansi Magic.
On 1 October 2021, M-Net announced thatVuzu would be merged into M-Net City and be rebranded asMe effective from 1 November.[5]
M-Net City signed off the air after 29 October for a 2-day channel reel promoting the premiere of its successor, along with Vuzu, with the successor assuming its channel run 3 days later at 16:00CAT. As of 23 June 2023, the channel's official website designates the channel asM-Net Essentials whiles still maintaining itsMe on-air branding.
The channel ceased operations on 31 March 2024, along with1Magic.
