Saying she was honoured to have done 3rd Degree for 13 years for e.tv and for South African TV viewers and warning and reminding South Africans and the media and press of the importance of good investigative journalism and to keep shining a light to change the world, the indomitable TV news woman Debora Patta signed off as the anchor of 3rd Degree and ended the longrunning current affairs programme on e.tv she started.
"After 13 years on-air, 3rd Degree is coming to an end. It's been an incredible challenge and an absolute pleasure to have anchored this show," Debora Patta told viewers. "I have worked with some of the finest people in the business and I am honoured to have worked with every single one of you both on and off air."
Debora Patta had thanks for 3rd Degree viewers - and a message for all South Africans and the press about the importance of investigative journalism in her final e.tv on-air goodbye.
"Thank you to all the loyal 3rd Degree viewers. You remain our inspiration and we thank you for allowing us to tell your incredible stories. Good investigative journalism is crucial for the fabric of our democracy. I salute everyone who continues to speak truth to power, to shine a light, to get behind the official facade and to change the world, one story at a time. Goodbye."
The final episode of 3rd Degree looked back at the first moments of the first episode of 3rd Degree in May 2000 and highlights of the show over the years and the gamut of stories that was covered.
Last week e.tv shocked in a shoddy media-poor announcement saying that Debora Patta is leaving e.tv and that 3rd Degree is suddenly ending. It was as abrupt and unprofessional as it was perplexing.
Earlier today e.tv suddenly announced that the repeat broadcasts of 3rd Degree following after tonight's final episode is suddenly pulled off the schedule. e.tv didn't give a reason and didn't respond to a media enquiry asking why.
3rd Degree started on 11 May 2000 on the then fledgling e.tv, South Africa's first commercial free-to-air TV station which was in desperate need of gravitas local programming, buzz-making programming and some type of current affairs magazine show. Debora Patta stepped forward and brazenly and boldly led a team charting a new and unique current affairs type investigative magazine show.
From the outset 3rd Degree and Debora Patta knew that they couldn't be Carte Blanche - the premier investigative and current affairs show on M-Net - e.tv had neither the budget or willingness to support such a bold new venture and neither had eNews the experienced in-house journalists and production staff at that time.
So 3rd Degree molded itself out of its own new mould - a feisty and utterly fearless Debora Patta tackling stories with a team of producers in a take-no-prisoners approach, asking and demanding answers to tough questions.
A lot of viewers were startled by Debora Patta's form of no holds barred journalism but they came to realize quickly that she got answers and inside doors even when they were not opened.
