Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:
■ Communication minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams should try to help the SABC instead of censoring and undermining it.
The arrogant Stella has decided that she has the power to tell SABC journalists what they can and can't do.
■ Stella should be fired if the ANC is serious about democracy and freedom.
■ Auditor-General in Sierra Leone warns that members of the Sierra Leone Electricity and Water Regulatory Commission (SLEWRC) who got DStv for free for a year will have to pay the "fringe benefit" back out of their own salaries.
■ The BBC is fighting to try and prevent Netflix from poaching Sir David Attenborough.
■ "Everyone walks on eggshells around the NFL".
Surprise. You can't say too bad things about the sport you're covering. The relationship between American broadcast networks and ESPN, and its National Football League (NFL) echoes the relationship between SuperSport and South African Rugby.
■ In America the show Running with Bear Grylls seen on Discovery Channel (DStv 121) in South Africa and Africa, is moving to competitor National Geographic (DStv 181 / StarSat 220 / Cell C black 262).
■ Netflix. Showmax. Are video streaming shows really successful. Who knows?
Their refusal to release any real viewership figures makes it impossible to measure the true success.
■ Al Jazeera (DStv 406 / StarSat 257 / Cell C black 503) adds Bloomberg news content.
■ The March 2019 issue of Woman & Home SA covers South African TV newsers, SABC News' Francis Herd, eNCA's (DStv 403) Uveka Rangappa and M-Net's (DStv 101) Claire Mawisa of Carte Blanche.
■ Chef Nompumelelo Mqwebu claims contestants from My Kitchen Rules SA on M-Net (DStv 101) stole 2 recipes from her cookbook and that she demonstrated, that then in turn led to judge David Higgs be inspired to do a version in his book, Mile 8.
■ Where is Australia's "prestige" television?
■ Africa and Africans still grossly underrepresented in American television.
South Africa is one of just 5 African countries accounting for 49% of all mentions in American TV programming.
■ Sky's Property TV channel, the only one in the United Kingdom, is bankrupt.
■ Clueless and uninformed Nigerian complaining about pay-TV services like MultiChoice Nigeria and StarTimes Nigeria. Again.
■ Former M-Net commissioning editor Allison Triegaardt now of The Televisionaries discovered Netflix in December.
"In South Africa, people are saying that there isn't enough opportunity. But there's a move towards ad-funded productions now."
■ Netflix or Sex? New survey finds Americans would give up Sex for Netflix.
