An open letter from Andre Crawford-Brunt - WildEarth Chairman, investor and CEO - please read - it's a classic underdog story!

An open letter to our dedicated viewers, Explorers, social media followers, all the staff at WildEarth. To all of you who have walked this road with us - signed the petitions, donated and supported us unwaveringly.

The gloves came off last week when, having given Multichoice multiple opportunities to do “the right thing”, WildEarth made the difficult decision to come off channel 183 on DSTV at the end of April.

We have been begging Multichoice for over a year to support us. We have made the case that not paying us anything for our content is unsustainable for us - although great for them. We have also repeatedly highlighted the important role we play in education, conservation and tourism.

We told them we have a large and passionate viewership, long viewing times, and that we represent everything positive about South Africa. We reminded them that we are the largest producer of local content in the country.

We know our audience because we focus closely on our viewers. We have conducted multiple surveys to understand your viewing habits - we appreciate you. You write to us daily, telling us what we mean to you - and when we get it wrong. We regularly monitor the myriad Facebook fan pages and chats across our social media where 1.5 million of you provide daily evidence of how committed you are.

We know you love our daily live Safaris so much that many of you launched petitions last week in response to our announcement of coming off DSTV. Well over 12,000 of you have signed thus far, all appealing to Multichoice to do “the right thing”. You are the same viewers who also generously donated more than R5 million in less than 72 hours to help increase our “runway”. This will give us time to find a corporate sponsor and partner to see us onto a more sustainable footing.

Multichoice, and their potentially soon to be new owners Canal Plus, should read the thousands of comments on the petition and social media. Many of you are the same people who pay monthly DSTV subscriptions, and indirectly their salaries. Many of you have reiterated that the only reason you pay your subscriptions is for WildEarth.

WildEarth represents everything Multichoice proclaims to champion. Our stories are created by South Africans - shot, edited, broadcast, produced, directed - not large multinational conglomerates who send crews out here to shoot African stories and then sell them back to Africa.

WildEarth’s struggle is a mirror held up to Multichoice, reflecting the image of a lumbering giant who has fallen foul of the times. Purchasing African wildlife content from American media giants, in dollars, while shunning local production, does not represent “unwavering commitment to uplifting and showcasing local content, talent, and industries”.

The WildEarth vs. Multichoice standoff is not simply a quest for compensation. It highlights values that have been forgotten in the rush for expansion and acquisition. It also represents how broadcasters have sought to offload all risks and costs associated with production to the content producers while they reap the rewards for themselves. WildEarth, with its dedicated army of viewers, stands as a testament to the power of local content and the importance of supporting the Davids of the industry.

As this saga unfolds, one thing is for certain: the African wilderness - and its broadcasting counterpart - is full of surprises, and this underdog's tale is far from over. Perhaps, just maybe, it will teach us all to listen more closely to the whispered stories of the wild and the channels that bring them to our screens.

This is a story about the very essence of what it means to have a meaningful mission as a business and whether you are prepared to align your actions and words. It comes at a time when our human need for nature connection has never been more eroded or more important. It is about taking a stand and refusing to be bullied, regardless of the odds. Our decision to stand up for ourselves may kill us or it may cause someone to realise how big, important and valuable our movement is to them as a corporate or a brand wanting to be associated with everything good.

Ultimately, WildEarth and Multichoice should be lock and key partners - our missions are, on paper, perfectly aligned. Something has been lost on the way - let’s hope we can find it before it's too late.

André Crawford-Brunt

WildEarth Chairman

Contact: [email protected]

Link to the petition - https://t.co/PNDAMEEMKi

Link to donate - wildearth.tv/donate