A 15 year old viewer called Refiloe is distraught by Disney, Disney South Africa and MultiChoice's DStv, and took the time to write to me out of desperation a few weeks ago - 18 September - to complain and ask what is going on.
Refiloe's comments, and the questions of what is going on with The Disney Channel and Disney XD and Disney's TV product on South Africa DStv is fascinating and makes for must-read reading. Of course I decided to ask Disney and The Disney Channel (DStv 303) about what Refiloe told me - who have in more than half a month, not bothered to come up with any kind of answer.
If Disney can't even manage to respond to an adult who is a hardcore beat-specific journalist covering a specific industry and a longtime TV critic, it's sad to think that a child - only a consumer and ordinary viewer who has even less power or means to even get to and ask the right, relevant people for answers or to make concerns known - probably has even less chance of being heard or being helped.
Refiloe is clearly an astute viewer, loves television, and like me and possibly other viewers are far more clever, tuned in, aware and actually care about what and how things are shown on TV channels programmed by big corporates.
It begs the question: Does Disney and The Disney Channel actually care for their viewers, and does The Disney Channel actually know and watch what they're broadcasting on Disney for South Africa?
"I'm Refiloe and I'm 15," the very first email to me began on 18 September.
"I would like to express my disappointment in the Disney channels in South Africa as I'm a huge Disney Channel and the entire Disney brand fan."
"The Disney Channel idents that display which shows are next, are incorrect. Plus, the show's name that is put on a star's board is the logo rather than it being written down in writing; everything is just misplaced. You'll see what I mean if you search on YouTube and go back a few pages to see the channel idents adapted by the UK or search for Disney Channel UK 2012."
"Next is the promo for two shows that have been said to premiere this Saturday [20 September] at 08:45 and yet I know for a fact they are starting on 5 October! This is highly unethical, especially for a premium channel like Disney!"
"Another is that promos for other shows on The Disney Channel don't have the time written on them; they don't even have the show's name written in either! I mean, it's The Disney Channel, this should not be happening!" Refiloe wrote to me. "It's like we are perceived as a non-English speaking country; it's not fair."
"Next is Disney Junior (DStv 309) with which they don't even try at all, no time, all the time. They don't care for the viewer. Kind of mismanaged."
"I ask you Thinus, what is Christine Service doing? Isnt't she supposed to oversee the Disney brand in South Africa and the rest of Africa? Make
sure everything running according to plan? Mostly in television? Even Eastern
Europe is doing better than us."
"I've written this to you because I see no other way. Christine Service has really upset me and I'm certainly not the only one who feels like this, hopefully you show this to her so she can do something about this. Thanks for reading my ramblings as I hold you high on the podium of one of the best television bloggers in South Africa. Hopefully I'll get an update or response from you on this subject."
I've been in contact with Refiloe since, who wrote to me again on 25 September.
"Last week Disney XD played a promo for a movie that premiered on Sunday, but what makes it disappointing is that the ad was in another foreign language. I just feel like Disney South Africa is slacking off. I just feel you understand the plight of the ordinary viewer, where there's nowhere else to raise concerns over a channel's problems."
"The Disney Channel, a premium channel for that matter, seems as if it does not have the ethics of a regular channel operation. I loved that channel when it first came to South Africa - all the graphics, channel idents, showing the time for once. It was all perfect but now everything is just a mess. Even the website stinks, its all over the place with no sense of direction, not even a single site for the latest shows."
"Thank you for reading this, I really do appreciate you taking time from your schedule to read this, I also hope you can show Christine Service my emails to you, so she can see what every other child is seeing,including the incorrectly placed and used idents for shows and ones for the logo."
Well, of course I have asked Disney in South Africa for a response and answers to these issues. Weeks later - and I was told an answer has to come from Disney in the United Kingdom - no answer(s) has not been forthcoming from Disney South Africa.
MultiChoice in South Africa of course only broadcasts the channels on DStv as the channel feeds are received from there, so there is nothing they can really do about it. Disney who is responsible for what is actually shown on the channels and how it's shown, has not responded with any kind of answer.
ALSO READ: UPDATE Wednesday 10 October 14:00 - A day later, after having had weeks to respond, and after TV with Thinus finally published the letters from the 15 year old, Disney Channels responded. Here is Disney's response in full and as received on Wednesday.
ALSO READ: UPDATE Wednesday 10 October 14:00 - A day later, after having had weeks to respond, and after TV with Thinus finally published the letters from the 15 year old, Disney Channels responded. Here is Disney's response in full and as received on Wednesday.
