Arena Holdings

Arena Holdings

Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Media
Predecessor	Johncom, Avusa, Tiso Blackstar Group
Founded	2012
Headquarters	Johannesburg , South Africa
Key people	Prakash Desai (CEO)
Products	Publishing, entertainment, retail
Parent	Lebashe Investment Group
Divisions	Picasso Headline, Hirt & Carter, Nu Metro Cinemas (sold), and Exclusive Books.
Website	arena.africa

Arena Holdings, formerly known as Tiso Blackstar Group, Johnnic Communications, Avusa and Times Media Group, is a media company in South Africa. Avusa means "to rouse feelings, to revive and evoke action". The name was changed in 2007 in order to avoid confusion between Johnnic Communications and Johnnic Holdings.^[1] The name was changed again (to Tiso Blackstar) in 2017.^[2] Currently, they are facing restructures of the company.^[3][4]

History

In 2012, Avusa was acquired by a unit of Mvelaphanda Group and renamed Times Media Group, which was then relisted on the JSE.^[5] In 2013, Times Media Group acquired the remaining 50% of BDFM from Pearson.^[6]

In 2019, Tiso Blackstar Group sold its print, broadcasting and content assets to Lebashe Investment Group for R 1.05 billion. It was then announced that the assets would form a new company called Arena Holdings.^[7]

Publications and services

Magazines

• avocado (closed^[8])
• Computing SA
• Elle
• Financial Mail
• Home Owner
• Longevity (sold^[9])
• SA Mining
• Soccerlife
• Top Huis

Newspapers

• Business Day
• Daily Dispatch
• The Herald
• Saturday Dispatch
• The Sowetan
• The Sunday Times
• Sunday World
• The Times
• Weekend Post
• Times Media community newspapers
  • Algoa Sun
  • Go! & Express
  • Our Times
  • The Rep
  • Talk of the Town

Retailers

• Exclusive Books (sold)
• Nu Metro Cinemas (sold)

Publishers

• New Holland Publishers
• Mediaguide
• Picasso Headline (pty) Ltd.

Digital

Avusa created a network of its own websites, named Times Media Live, in 2010. In 2011 this network began to expand from three sites to 21 in 2014, made up mostly of disparate websites within the Group (Times Live,^[10] Sowetan Live,^[11] BDLIVE, Financial Mail, HeraldLive and more) including the African representation of The Daily Telegraph. In doing so, Times Media Live became the second-largest publisher network and thereafter, Times Live the second largest website in South Africa. Times Media Live was the first large media-owned publisher to reach profitability in the 2013 financial year. In 2014 The Rand Daily Mail was resuscitated as an online-only brand.

Picasso Headline currently publishes:

• African Leader — Quarterly magazine published on behalf of the Black Management Forum (BMF)
• SA Schools and Tertiary Collection — An annual directory of SA schools and tertiary institutions
• Rock, Surf and Deep RSD — A monthly on-shelf salt water fishing magazine, including African Angling Destinations Guides
• Voice of Local Government — Quarterly magazine published on behalf of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA)
• Digest of SA Architecture — Annual magazine showcasing projects of the year, published on behalf of the SA Institute of Architects (SAIA), primarily for its members
• Architecture SA — Alternate monthly magazine published on behalf of the SA Institute of Architects (SAIA), primarily for its members
• New Agenda — A quarterly magazine published on behalf of the Institute for African Alternatives. This publication is the South African Journal of Social and Economic Policy.
• SA Banker — Quarterly magazine published on behalf of the Banking Association of South Africa (BASA) and the Institute of Bankers (IOB)
• Ochre Media — A film and television production company since 1999 who have produced Scandal!

In April 2019, Tiso Blacksar relaunched Vrye Weekblad.

Music

• Gallo Record Company

Controversies

Accusations of fake news

On 27 November 2016, The Sunday Times published a story claiming that South African radio and television personality, and former Idols SA judge, Gareth Cliff had "admitted to giving fellow Idols SA judge Marah Louw the spiked drink that led to her notorious slurring and swearing on live TV", with further suggestions made that the incident had resulted in Louw's contract not being renewed.^[12] As a result of the article, Gareth Cliff was the victim of many insults on social media, before releasing a statement on Facebook confronting the false allegations printed in the Sunday Times. Susan Smuts, Managing Editor of the Times, responded to Cliff's lawyer, admitting that there had been "misinterpretations". Cliff, via his lawyer, demanded an unreserved apology from the Times.^[13]

See also

• List of South African media
• Naspers
• Independent News and Media
• Caxton/CTP

References

External links

• Official website