NBCUniversal abruptly removed the Nurses telenovela featuring a gay couple from Telemundo in Africa in June during Prime Month but MultiChoice says the series will be back.

by Thinus Ferreira

In June NBCUniversal International Networks abruptly removed the Spanish telenovela Nurses from its Telemundo (DStv 118) channel in Africa without explanation, with the decision to axe the show - featuring a gay couple - coming during Prime Month after Uganda's president signed into law draconian new anti-gay legislation.

Nurses is the latest TV content removed from DStv across Africa over the last few years by international channel distributors like Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount Global and NBCUniversal International Networks due to LGBTQ content or characters.

NBCUniversal International Networks has only one channel feed for Telemundo Africa for the entire continent so it's impossible to remove content for just one or two African countries. 

Operating on a lowest common denominator system, content banned in one country means it is removed on Telemundo's playout programming schedule for all countries, including South Africa.

NBCUniversal International Networks still issued highlights and programming synopses for Nurses for June and July although these episodes were pulled and never shown.

Nurses, filmed in Colombia and known as Enfermeras, is dubbed into English for DStv subscribers in South Africa and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa and has been shown since February 2022 but last month the show abruptly disappeared and was replaced by a rebroadcast of Decisions in prime time after NBCUniversal Networks stopped the telenovela that was in its fourth season.

Nurses includes a gay couple, Álvaro and Felipe, portrayed by Julián Trujillo and Miguel González.

After Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni signed into law new legislation that criminalises identifying as LGBTQIA+ or the "promotion" of homosexuality, Cameroon's government censorship body, the National Communication Council (NCC), issued a notification with the subject "Warning", threatening that TV channels will be suspended that broadcast "scenes of homosexuality".

The NCC said that it has noticed "the proliferation of programmes promoting homosexual practices", "generally broadcast by foreign editors" and that it "calls on the promoters of channels broadcasting programmes showing scenes of homosexuality in Cameroon to immediately withdraw these programmes, which violate the law, morality and customs of our country, on pain of the outright suspension of the media concerned".

In June, about the sudden removal of Nurses, NBCU International Networks said "We intend to comply with local broadcast regulations in each market where we broadcast and are adjusting the programming as necessary".

Now NBCU International Networks in response to a media query from TVwithThinus says that Nurses will return to the Telemundo schedule. It's however not clear whether episodes of Nurses are getting edited with a reversioned edition removing the gay characters of Álvaro and Felipe.

"Following an adjustment to the planned schedule, Telemundo viewers can now look forward to Nurses rejoining the schedule in September," NBCU International Networks says.

MultiChoice was asked about Telemundo's removal of Nurses during Pride Month because of gay content and how it aligns with MultiChoice support of the LGBTQ community, as well as what will happen when more African countries demand content removal which will mean that it disappears for subscribers in South Africa and elsewhere.

In a response, MultiChoice says "We do not have editorial control over the content of third-party channels or their content schedules".

"From 11 September season 4 of Nurses will return from its season break and air on Telemundo. We encourage viewers to explore some of the great content offered on the channel including other DStv channels such as Zee World and TLNovelas".

MultiChoice won't show any gay content to DStv subscribers in that country - and likely wider - after Uganda passes harsh latest anti-LGBTQ law.

by Thinus Ferreira

After Uganda's government on Monday passed one of the world's harshest anti-LGBTQ laws criminalising the so-called "promotion and abetting of homosexuality", MultiChoice says it won't be showing any gay content on DStv in the country - although censoring content for pay-TV for Uganda could mean it's kept away for multiple other countries too.

MultiChoice makes use of satellite transponders for instance covering the whole of South Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa and West Africa as multi-country regions - as opposed to a satellite used per specific country.

This means that keeping Uganda's government happy through keeping LGBTQ content away and off the programming schedules of DStv's channels as they're beamed down through Eutelsat's transponder, is in effect a lowest-common-denominator type of soft-censorship of certain content in East African countries where Uganda's anti-gay laws are not applicable.

Reuters reports that Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni on Monday signed one of the world's toughest anti-LGBTQ laws, including the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality" - laws that now decree a 20-year sentence for "promoting" homosexuality.

In response to Uganda's new anti-LGBTQ laws, MultiChoice, in response to a media query after being asked its view on this, said the pay-TV operator will adhere to Uganda's laws. It means content that could be considered "promoting" LGBTQ people won't be shown on DStv.

"MultiChoice takes into account all laws and regulations under which we are governed and aim to adhere by those set rules in the countries in which we operate," MultiChoice says.

"We are a business that enriches the lives of many people through film and television in our quest to remain Africa's best-loved storyteller."

MultiChoice was asked how it will keep any LGTBQ content away from just Uganda, considering that the satellite transponder covers more countries than just Uganda. 

MultiChoice was asked if it had already done content interventions, for instance censorship of certain content in Uganda and since when this has been done.

MultiChoice declined to answer these questions.

Shifting strategy

Instead of outright censoring LGBTQ content, MultiChoice over the past number of years has shifted its programming and content allocation approach in two very specific ways in response to growing anti-gay sentiment in parts of Africa.

Firstly, MultiChoice has shifted the responsibility to international channel providers to package their programming schedules for channels on DStv with content that doesn't feature overt LGBTQ characters or themes.

Overseas channel providers have been asked to pro-actively not schedule certain content, to prevent the situation of having to pull content and change schedules after complaints from DStv subscribers and regulators in anti-LGBTQ countries.

In June 2022 Warner Bros. Discovery which ran a Pride Month content line-up on its TLC channel in South Africa for instance, self-censored and kept this content away from the TLC channel version running across MultiChoice's other satellite transponders so that it wouldn't air in anti-LGBTQ countries like Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria.

Warner Bros. Discovery told TVwithThinus last year that it is "aware of the sensitivities in these regions and therefore TLC Pride isn't scheduled to air in these countries". 

In October 2015 Discovery Networks International was forced to pull the reality series I Am Jazz about a transgendered teen's struggle and life journey from TLC across Africa just before it was to begin broadcast following government censorship in Nigeria that impacted its screening across the entire continent.

In May 2016 NBCUniversal was forced to pull the second season of I Am Cait, a reality show about the transgender Caitlyn Jenner – formerly known as Bruce Jenner - from E! in Africa after complaints and a DStv TV-ban in Nigeria.

In July 2016, Viacom International Media Networks Africa, now Paramount Global, said it would be censoring an episode of The Loud House on Nickelodeon and won't be broadcasting it on its linear channel on DStv in Africa since it featured animated gay dads.

In June 2017 Kenya's Film Classification Board (KFCB) banned 7 kids cartoon for bogus reasons like saying one character "has a dick for a head", and that in another two characters of the same gender went on an (unseen) "implied romantic vacation", ordering MultiChoice Africa to remove Loud House, The Legend of Korra, Hey Arnold, Clarence, Steven Universe, Adventure Time and Star vs the Forces of Evil from DStv because of "homosexual themes".

In November 2017 Kenya banned the Disney Channel show Andi Mack because it featured a gay teenager, keeping it off television for the entire Africa, including South Africa.

Secondly, M-Net has also adapted its approach with its self-packaged M-Net, Africa Magic and Maisha Magic channel sets seen outside of South Africa.

M-Net (DStv 101) which has different regionalised channel feeds for South, East and West Africa is pro-actively keeping certain content away from DStv subscribers in East and West Africa which are shown in South Africa without any complaints, where the same timeslot on the DStv guide is filled with other shows.

In March this year eMedia launched Openview Ultra as a pay-TV add-on for its fast-growing Openview free-to-air satellite TV service in South Africa, and started with a gay bouquet consisting of the OUTtv and Fuse TV channels at a subscription fee of R75 per month.

Warner Bros. Discovery's TLC channel does gay pride content in June 2022 but just for South Africa.

by Thinus Ferreira

Warner Bros. Discovery will be celebrating Pride month with a line-up of gay-related content from today until 26 June for its TLC channel (DStv 135) in Africa carried on MultiChoice's DStv but just shown in South Africa.

Following complaints from governments in other African countries in previous years, Warner Bros. Discovery is self-censoring, with the LGBTQIA+ related programming on TLC only shown in South Africa, and kept away from DStv subscribers in homophobic African nations like Kenya, Nigeria and others with replacement programming.

Warner Bros. Discovery says it's "celebrating the channel's diverse talent with a rainbow of TLC favourites, new shows and specials, highlighting lesbian, gay and transgender voices". While the content will be accessible to DStv subscribers in South Africa, it won't be seen by viewers watching TLC in other African countries.

When asked if Warner Bros. Discovery has concerns that there might be complaints about the gay-related content being shown on TLC in countries like Kenya and Nigeria, Warner Bros. Discovery told TVwithThinus in response to a media query that it is "aware of the sensitivities in these regions and therefore TLC Pride isn't scheduled to air in these countries".

In October 2015 Discovery Networks International was forced to pull the reality series I Am Jazz about a transgendered teen's struggle and life journey from TLC across Africa just before it was to begin broadcast following government censorship in Nigeria that impacted its screening across the entire continent.

In May 2016 NBCUniversal International Networks was forced to pull the second season of I Am Cait, a reality show about the transgender Caitlyn Jenner – formerly known as Bruce Jenner - from E! in Africa after complaints and a DStv TV-ban in Nigeria.

In July 2016, Viacom International Media Networks Africa, now Paramount, said it would be censoring an episode of The Loud House on Nickelodeon and won't be broadcasting it on its linear channel on DStv in Africa since it featured animated gay dads.

In June 2017 Kenya's Film Classification Board (KFCB) banned 7 kids cartoon for bogus reasons like saying one character "has a dick for a head", and that in another two characters of the same gender went on an (unseen) "implied romantic vacation", ordering MultiChoice Africa to remove Loud House, The Legend of Korra, Hey Arnold, Clarence, Steven Universe, Adventure Time and Star vs the Forces of Evil from DStv because of "homosexual themes".

In November 2017 Kenya banned the Disney Channel show Andi Mack because it featured a gay teenager, keeping it off television for the entire Africa, including South Africa.

M-Net (DStv 101) which has different regionalised channel feeds for South, East and West Africa has also kept certain internationally acquired content away over the last decade from DStv subscribers and more conservative audiences in East and West Africa, like American Gods and the transsexual model agency reality series Strut shown to viewers in South Africa without complaints.

About its Pride June programming stunt, Warner Bros. Discovery says "from 13 till 26 June, viewers can enjoy brand new shows like Kenny and Armando: Love is Love, showing the love story of 90 Day Fiancé couple Kenny and Armando so far; and My Pregnant Husband, which shows how couples experience the joy – and challenges - of a transgender pregnancy".

"Viewers can also tune in for a selection from one of TLC's most well-loved shows, Say Yes To The Dress; a show that celebrates love in all forms, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation".

This is TLC's Pride programming line-up:

Say Yes To The Dress, 13 - 24 June weekdays, 12:00
Kleinfeld Bridal, a Manhattan-based salon that is arguably the world’s finest, is celebrating love in all forms, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. Over 250 consultants do their best to cater to the brides’ wishes in preparation for one of the most memorable days of their lives.

I Am Jazz, 13 - 24 June, weekdays, 22:55
Although assigned male at birth, Jazz is a transgender female and has been living as a girl since kindergarten. Jazz's parents, Jeanette and Greg, and siblings Ari, Griffen and Sander have stood side-by-side with Jazz as she's battled discrimination, hate speech, online bullying and other misconceptions associated with what it means to be transgender.

Nate & Jeremiah: By Design, Wednesday 15 & 22 19 June, 9:25

Balancing their roles as design experts and dads, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent show how to turn a money pit into a masterpiece. The designer husbands help clients learn from their mistakes by rescuing them from renovation nightmares.

Dragnificent! | 17 - 24 June, weekdays, 19:00
Alexis Michelle, Bebe Zahara Benet, Jujubee and Thorgy Thor, four of America's favourite drag queens, come to the rescue of those in need of a major change for an upcoming life milestone. The queens help people reimagine themselves inside and out and reveal their transformations in time for a special day.

90 Day Journey: Stephanie & Erika, Sunday 19 June, 18:00
After four months of dating online, YouTuber Stephanie travels to Australia to finally meet photographer Erika. They hope to deepen their connection in person, but things are complicated by the fact that neither woman has come out to her family.

My Pregnant Husband, Sunday 19 June, 19:00
Ari and Caitlin and Myles and Precious experience the joy of a transgender pregnancy when Ari and Myles, the men in their relationships, become pregnant. The couples must conquer unique obstacles when the person carrying and birthing their child is a man.

Kenny and Armando: Love is Love, Sunday 26 June, 18:00

Kenny and Armando, well-known from the hit-series 90 Day Fiancé, met on an online support group for fathers. Kenny has decided to leave his family behind and move south of the border to be with him. Being a gay couple in Mexico, however, could pose a much bigger challenge than Kenny could imagine. Kenny and Armando: Love is Love shows their love story so far.

As African governments try to cut off the internet don't count out the tenacity of Africa's rising social media stars.

by Thinus Ferreira

There's plentiful irony insta-baked into a social media star from Zimbabwe winning the continent's category as African Social Star 2021 at E!'s 2021 People's Choice Awards, as social media influencers continue to struggle as they try to carve out businesses and amass clout while African governments do the opposite with wholesale switch-offs of the internet as soon as they come under pressure.

From Zimbabwe to Ethiopia, from Zambia and Uganda, to Tunisia, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria and a string of other African nations like Togo, Benin, Gabon, Burundi, Chad, Mali, Malawi, Mauritania, Guinea, Eritrea, Liberia and Tanzania, dictatorial African leaders are becoming brazenly shameless in cutting off the internet in their countries when they're trying to block and mute what the public is saying.

Imitating countries like social media censorship rife China, African countries - trying to stifle public discourse and social media communication - are more and more prone to do wholesale cut-offs of the internet when the citizenry rise up online to say things they don't like and that threaten their power.

Cue NBCUniversal International Networks that again returned the African Social Star of the year category to the 2021 People's Choice Awards, with Africans - and indeed E! (DStv 124) viewers worldwide, who got to vote in 40 categories for their favourites.

For the third time in the history of the People's Choice Awards since it switched to E!, the competition specifically included an African Social Star, with Zimbabwe's Tyra Chikocho (known as Madam Boss) who won, and with Kenya's Azziad Nasenya second and the South African TikTokker Witney Ramabulana coming in third place.

The Harare-born Tyra Chikocho who began her entertainment career as a gospel singer before her comedy skits started going viral on social media became the first Zimbabwean comedian to pass 1-million followers on Facebook and is well on her way to the same milestone on Instagram.

What do these African social media trailblazers on the African continent make of African governments and countries simply switching off the internet willy-nilly, and in the process damaging public discourse but also businesses, livelihoods, and economies?  

TVwithThinus asked during a recent virtual media press conference that had to be submitted as a written question on Zoom for E!'s African Social Star 2021 in the People's Choice Awards and was promised an answer during the session, but none were ever forthcoming.

What is clear, although they don't really seem to yet quite fathom why, African governments switching off or restricting internet access won't end well - for them. 

While internet service providers (ISPs) dutifully cut access when ordered to millions of users in African countries that are struggling to uphold basic democratic values like freedom of expression and freedom of speech, it's clear that draconian African governments trying to stifle free speech will eventually find themselves on the wrong side of history.

It's futile to try and mute or control public comment and discussion, and as Africa rises, so does its social media users, internet consumers and social media stars who - if gagged - will find other ways to give expression to their voices.

As Africa gives rise to more social media stars across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok - conversations and online mass communication relationships grow exponentially. It's expanding, not contracting.

Even if African governments and despot rulers and ruling parties don't understand it, trying to dam up and stop a river doesn't stop its flow. 

The 2021 People’s Choice Awards will be broadcast on Tuesday 7 December 2021, starting with the 2021 People’s Choice Awards: Live From E! at 02:00 and the ceremony at 04:00 on E! (DStv 124). 

The ceremony will be repeated the following day on Wednesday 8 December at 20:00.

Kenya bans another yet another gay film as its censorship board calls Peter Murimi's I Am Samuel documentary 'blasphemous' for showing two men kissing.

by Thinus Ferreira

Kenya's censorship body has once again banned yet another gay film in a move that will inflict further damage on the country's struggling film and TV industry with the documentary film from Peter Murimi, I Am Samuel, that has been banned in the East African nation and slammed as "blasphemous" for featuring two men kissing.

AFP reports that the Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) on Thursday banned the "unacceptable" documentary, I Am Samuel, with the KFCB noting that "any attempt to exhibit, distribute, broadcast or possess the restricted film within the Republic of Kenya shall, therefore, be met with the full force of the law."

According to the film description of the 52-minute long I Am Samuel documentary, director Peter Murimi, chronicles the story of how "Samuel, a gay Kenyan man, balances duty to his family with his love for his partner, Alex, in a country where their love is criminalised".

In April 2018 Kenya banned Rafiki from filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu shortly before its Cannes Film Festival debut because the lesbian story contained kissing scenes.

In June 2017 the KFCB – citing bogus reasons culled from conspiracy theory websites – banned The Loud House, Legend of Korra and Hey Arnold from ViacomCBS' Nickelodeon (DStv 305) channel, Star vs the Forces of Evil and Gravity Falls from Disney XD, as well as Adventure Time and Steven Universe from WarnerMedia's Cartoon Network (DStv 301) because of "gay" content. 

In November 2017 it banned the teenage show Andi Mack from the Disney Channel (DStv 303) because one of the characters is gay.

In a statement the Kenya Film Classification Board CEO Christopher Wambua says the KFCB is banning I Am Samuel since the film is "a clear and deliberate attempt by the producer to promote same-sex marriage as an acceptable way of life".

"This attempt is evident through the repeated confessions by the gay couple that what they feel for each other is normal and should be embraced as a way of life, as well as the character's body language, including scenes of kissing of two male lovers."

"The documentary ultimately features marriage marriage of two men, and concludes with the dedication of the film to the gay community." 

Christopher Wambua says that I Am Samuel "tries to influence the viewer into believing that the older generation that was once against LGBTQ+ is slowly buying into the practice and accepting same-sex marriage as a normal way of life".

"Worse still, the production is demeaning of Christianity as two gay men in the film purport to conduct a religious marriage invoking the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit" with the KFCB noting that it finds the "the documentary not only blasphemous but also an attempt to use religion to advocate for same-sex marriage".   

The Kenya Film Classification Board added that it "welcomes local and foreign support to our budding local film industry, such funding should focus on production of content that is aligned with the laws of the country. Films that advocate same-sex marriage, homosexuality, or any outlawed practices shall not be allowed for exhibition, broadcast or distribution within the country".

I Am Samuel was already screened at several film festivals. 

In October 2020  Peter Murimi told AFP in an interview that the film is "very nuanced, it's very balanced; it's a story about a family that is struggling with this issue, having a gay son. So we'll just try our best and hopefully Kenyans will see it".

ALSO READ: Kenya abruptly bans Rafiki film from Wanuri Kahiu shortly before its Cannes Film Festival debut because the lesbian story contains kissing scenes.  

SANEF seeks meeting over claims that 'ghost of censorship is back at eNCA'.

Thinus Ferreira

South Africa’s National Editors’ Forum wants to meet with eNCA after unhappy and angry editorial staff at the eMedia Investments-run TV news channel are once again sounding the alarm over alleged censorship in their newsroom over coverage, citing a blackout order of a press conference of former president Jacob Zuma and saying that "the ghost of censorship is back in the eNCA newsroom".

This is the second time that SANEF wants to meet with eNCA management and staff, following shocking allegations of racism and newsroom censorship in late-2019 when Kanthan Pillay, founder of the Capitalist Party of South Africa (ZACP), was first hired and then fired in a senior news management position at eNCA (DStv 403).

Nothing came of SANEF call at the time for an investigation into how a politician was appointed as eNCA's director of news inside eNCA. 

The TV news channel was plunged into a credibility and reputation crisis following newsroom palace intrigued after reporter Samkele Maseko and others staff left and with Kantan who called them "rats" who are going to a "sinking ship", meaning the SABC.

eNCA has been battered by a constant exit of on-screen and behind-the-scenes talent over the past three years with multiple staffers exiting to the SABC and growing rival Newzroom Africa (DStv 405), with Thembekile Mrototo who became the latest to leave eNCA and is now appearing on Newzroom Afrika in a weekend slot since July.

Now furious editorial staffers at eNCA are once again accusing the TV news channel of censorship and bias in news coverage decisions after it failed to cover the press conference on 4 July of former president Jacob Zuma who is now behind bars.

eNCA didn't respond to a media enquiry on Friday seeming comment.

SANEF told TVwithThinus that it "has seen a letter by eNCA journalists complaining about censorship in their newsroom".

"We have contacted the news management at eNCA to request a meeting. While we await a response, news media should always strive to reflect the multiplicity of views within codes set out by the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BRCCSA) and the Press Code."

In an internal memo to eNCA management, staff claim that eNCA is once again practising censorship in an email headlined "The ghost of censorship is back in the eNCA Newsroom".

eNCA staff are demanding an open and transparent investigation into why Jacob Zuma's press conference on 4 July was allegedly censored at eNCA and are also demanding the appointment of an independent body to look into eNCA staffers' concerns about editorial newsroom interference – similar to what was done at the South African public broadcaster's SABC News division a few years ago.

eNCA staff say that they are once again compelled to "collectively" raise their voices "as loudly, as forcefully and as resoundingly as we can muster, in rejection of censorship in the eNCA newsroom."

"Our observation and experience is that this tendency has been creeping in gradually, and arguably quite insidiously, over a period of time; an incident here, an incident there, an inexplicable decision here, an inexplicable decision there."

"But nothing could have prepared us for the zero to a 100 full-force nature in which our concerns were to be dramatised and confirmed 'beyond a reasonable doubt' in the inexplicable, untenable and objectionable decision to censor the coverage of former president Jacob Zuma's speech to his supporters in Nkandla on Sunday 4 July 2021."

The memo continues to say that "There is clearly a chain of command that determines which voices are to be snuffed out of the airwaves at eNCA".

"And the chain of command, we submit, does not start even in the most senior position in our newsroom, albeit implementation of unethical instructions arguably gains momentum at this level of newsroom management."

"We submit that it is our reasonable suspicion that the chain of command involves players who ordinarily should be concerned with the running of the eMedia business, including eNCA, but not taking editorial decisions."

eNCA staff now demand that eNCA "investigates the circumstances that led to the censoring of former president Jacob Zuma's address to his supporters on Sunday 4 July 2021, a news event that undoubtedly in the public interest and which we had the full capacity to cover."

Staffers want eNCA to appoint "an independent body to investigate staff concerns about editorial interference from the board, eNCA establishes a system whereby major editorial instructions must be communicated in writing only, if they are to be of any force or effect [and that] eNCA provides clear editorial direction on the channel's stance on Jacob Zuma coverage, to which we will respond to."

"We consider these matters to be of extreme urgency, as each passing hour seems to sink us to new depths. We, therefore, call on management to consider these matters raised herein, and give a comprehensive response," the internal memo states. "The Nkandla field team is demotivated and the output and input teams are outraged given that they try their best to conquer audience demands."

ALSO READ: Outraged eNCA staffers say 'the ghost of censorship is back', demand an independent investigation into alleged newsroom bias after Jacob Zuma presser was censored.

Outraged eNCA staffers say 'the ghost of censorship is back', demand an independent investigation into alleged newsroom bias after Jacob Zuma presser was censored.

by Thinus Ferreira

Furious editorial staffers at eNCA (DStv 403) are once again accusing the eMedia Investments-run TV news channel of censorship and shocking bias in news coverage decisions after the South African channel failed to cover the press conference this past weekend of former president Jacob Zuma who is now behind bars.

In an internal memo to eNCA management, eNCA staffers claim that eNCA is once again practising censorship and is headlined "The ghost of censorship is back in the eNCA Newsroom! We reject censorship!".

eNCA staffers are demanding an open and transparent investigation into why Jacob Zuma's press conference was allegedly censored at eNCA, and are also demanding the appointment of an independent body to look into eNCA staffers' concerns about editorial newsroom interference - similar to what was done at the South African public broadcaster's SABC News division.

eNCA staffers say that they are once again compelled to "collectively" raise their voices "as loudly, as forcefully and as resoundingly as we can muster, in rejection of censorship in the eNCA newsroom."

"Our observation and experience is that this tendency has been creeping in gradually, and arguably quite insidiously, over a period of time; an incident here, an incident there, an inexplicable decision here, an inexplicable decision there."

"But nothing could have prepared us for the zero to a 100 full-force nature in which our concerns were to be dramatised and confirmed 'beyond a reasonable doubt' in the inexplicable, untenable and objectionable decision to censor the coverage of former president Jacob Zuma's speech to his supporters in Nkandla on Sunday."

"There is clearly a chain of command that determines which voices are to be snuffed out of the airwaves at eNCA"

"And the chain of command, we submit, does not start even in the most senior position in our newsroom, albeit implementation of unethical instructions arguably gains momentum at this level of newsroom management."

"We submit that it is our reasonable suspicion that the chain of command involves players who ordinarily should be concerned with the running of the eMedia business, including eNCA, but not taking editorial decisions."

"It is ironic that some of the decisions taken end up costing the channel significantly in viewership numbers, which invariably translates to pressure on desk, field, studio and on-air teams to account for plummeting numbers."

eNCA's editorial staffers say that "As we speak, we as a channel are still dealing with the albatross of the fateful 2019 decision to withdraw our crews from the EFF congress that December."

"To this day, we are unable to help at least that segment of the population that depends on us to receive or impart information and ideas around the third biggest political party in our country."

"To this day, we're viewed with a great deal of suspicion and our bona fides are questioned because of an impulsive, petulant, ideologically and fictionally-loaded decision taken by an individual who was in charge of our newsroom at the time."

eNCA staffers demand that eNCA "investigates the circumstances that led to the censoring of former president Jacob Zuma's address to his supporters on Sunday 4 July 2021, a news event that undoubtedly in the public interest and which we had the full capacity to cover."

Staffers want eNCA to appoint "an independent body to investigate staff concerns about editorial interference from the board, eNCA establishes a system whereby major editorial instructions must be communicated in writing only, if they are to be of any force or effect [and that] eNCA provides clear editorial direction on the channel's stance on Jacob Zuma coverage, to which we will respond to."

"We consider these matters to be of extreme urgency, as each passing hour seems to sink us to new depths. We therefore call on management to consider these matters raised herein, and give a comprehensive response," the internal memo states.

"The Nkandla field team is demotivated and the output and input teams are outraged given that they try their best to conquer audience demands."

eNCA didn't immediately respond to a media enquiry seeking comment on the new allegations of censorship at the TV news channel on Friday but will be added here if received.

eNCA has been battered by a constant exit of on-screen and behind-the-scenes talent over the past three years with multiple staffers exiting to the SABC and growing rival Newzroom Africa (DStv 405), with Thembekile Mrototo who became the latest to leave former eNCA-er now appearing on Newzroom Afrika in a weekend slot since July.

In October 2019 TVwithThinus reported that Kanthan Pillay, the founder and leader of the Capitalist Party of South Africa (ZACP), known as the "Purple Cows" was appointed in a senior news management position at the eMedia TV channel but neither eNCA nor editor-in-chief Jeremy Maggs at the time responded to media enquiries as to why Kanthan Pillay was appointed in this position.

eNCA then fired Kanthan Pillay as eNCA's director of news following shocking allegations of racism and newsroom censorship after a scandal plunged the eMedia Investments' TV news channel in a massive credibility and reputation crisis.

Kanthan Pillay was fired after growing shock and public outrage after he suspended an eNCA and called Samkele Maseko and others leaving eNCA "rats" who are going to a "sinking ship" meaning the SABC.

In December 2019, after the firing of Kantan Pillay and with Jeremy Maggs who said that he regretted hiring Kanthan Pillay, the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF) welcomed the decision and said that it's calling for an investigation into how a politician was appointed to a senior position in a newsroom. Nothing happened.

ALSO READ: TV REVIEW. In their Zuma Arrest Watch coverage SABC News won the night as eNCA devolved into opinion-tainment and Newzroom Afrika faded; eNCA reporter Siphamandla Goge the most valuable player.

Jeremy Maggs gone from eNCA after 13 years 'with immediate effect' after resignation, eMedia's TV news channel says that it has 'nothing to add' after veteran anchor's years of service.

by Thinus Ferreira

Jeremy Maggs is abruptly gone from eNCA (DStv 403) with "immediate effect" following his resignation, with the eMedia Investments' TV news channel that says it has "nothing to add" when asked what it wants to say about the veteran anchor's 13 years of service at the channel.

Jeremy Maggs abruptly resigned with immediate effect from eNCA over reasons which are not yet know. eNCA also doesn't want to say any good about Jeremy Maggs or his exit, indicating possible acrimony behind-the-scenes that preceded his leaving. 

Jeremy Maggs' abrupt and unexplained exit from eNCA is the latest in an ongoing list of damaging public problems that have been impacting the channel's image, reputation and credibility extremely negatively.

Jeremy Maggs was one of the original staffers and anchors who helped to set up eNCA as the eNews Channel when e.tv launched on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform in February 2008.

Besides prime time anchoring of NewsNight that eventually morphed into SA Tonight, and also anchoring special coverage and overseeing election coverage management and anchoring, Jeremy Maggs in later years shifted to anchoring various daypart timeslots like News Day that morphed into Lunchtime.

Jeremy Maggs was also responsible for the long-running weekly marketing and media magazine show Maggs on Media over weekends on eNCA. Maggs on Media eventually ended but was again revived for special editions.

Jeremy Maggs' last eNCA timeslot was anchoring the LunchTime block on the channel.

Norman Munzhelele, eNCA managing director, in an internal email to eNCA staff, said that Jeremy Maggs had decided to resign.

eNCA on Friday evening, in response to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus, confirmed that Jeremy Maggs had resigned with immediate effect but didn't elaborate on any reasons and didn't want to say anything about his abrupt exit.

eNCA was asked if there's any statement from eNCA about Jeremy Maggs and his contribution to the channel over the years.

eNCA responded by saying: "eNCA can confirm that Jeremy Maggs has decided to resign. His resignation has been accepted, is effective immediately and we have nothing further to add".

There's been no statement from Jeremy Maggs so far either.

In March 2018 rumours floated that Jeremy Maggs might leave eNCA for the SABC at the time but it proved to be just that - rumours.

Just over a year ago in February 2020 Jeremy Maggs stepped down as eNCA's acting editor-in-chief citing stress, after he took over the editorial position after another editorial and internal censorship crisis engulfed eNCA.

Coronavirus: eNCA anchor of The Fix Karima Brown has died after losing her battle after weeks against Covid-19, called 'a constellation all of her own who could do things that other journalists simply can't'.

by Thinus Ferreira

eNCA (DStv 403) on Thursday morning calling it "shocking news" announced that its regularly used analyst and anchor of its weekly weekend programme The Fix, Karima Brown, has died from Covid-19. She was 53.

Karima Brown, born Karima Semaar in 1967, was admitted to hospital a few weeks ago and moved to an intensive care unit (ICU) where she has been fighting for her life against the coronavirus.

Karima Brown was placed on a ventilator but her condition steadily worsened and she passed away on Thursday morning.

The family in a statement said that "Karima will be laid to rest in a burial ceremony which will be held in accordance with Islamic rites and traditions. A small number of people will attend the funeral and all Covid-19 regulations will be observed".

"In due course an announcement will be made about a more public memorial service in honour of Karima's life."

Known for her often abrasive style of interviewing, Karima Brown appeared as an analyst on eNCA over several years before she was made the host of The Fix. 

"For a long time, Karima has been a robust voice in South Africa’s media landscape. Her years of activism preceded this," says Norman Munzhelele, eNCA managing director, in a brief statement.

"She had a big personality and didn’t shy away from voicing her opinions. Karima believed in hope. She was also a loving mother, a loyal friend and a committed colleague. Her death leaves a massive void for many."

eNCA on Thursday morning on-air paid tribute to Karima Brown saying she was "one of the stalwarts of journalism" and that "she really played a significant role in asking tough questions to those in power trying to get to details and trying to get to the bottom of many tough developments in this country".

eNCA said that Karima Brown was a "very widely respected political commentator and analyst" and that colleagues are shocked at the news. 

John Bailey, eNCA managing editor, told Newzroom Afrika in an interview about Karima Brown's death that "it is indeed a sad day for eNCA but also for the broader South African community".

"This is somebody who was completely committed to the cause of journalism and she saw it as a way of also continuing with the activism that she was involved in. She was fierce in her approach and she had strong opinions which obviously didn't sit well with some people, but Karima was that person that we needed in South Africa".

He described her as a "committed person and also a very loving mother to her son and also a good friend to us here at eNCA" and said that she was a mentor for many young and upcoming journalists in South Africa "to tell them to keep asking those difficult questions of those in power".

Besides eNCA the veteran journalist had also worked at Independent Media and Business Day where she often had the inside track and scoop with her deep contacts on the undercurrents and news within the ANC political party.

Her stint at Independent Newspapers under the Sekunjalo boss Iqbal Surve resulted in a fallout among some of her peers.

Kate Skinner, SANEF director, told eNCA that "Karima Brown was very brave and was very courageous in terms of asking the hard questions".

"It's not to say that she wasn't controversial. Some people didn't like her views and at times felt that she was too close to the ruling party - there were those kinds of issues."

Peter Bruce, former Business Day editor, said "many foreign correspondents would often remark how they read her first because she was the more reliable of all of the political correspondents".

He said Karima Brown "was a constellation all of her own. She could do things that other journalists can't do. She could actually call people that other journalists simply can't".

In her career Karima Brown also hosted programmes like Political Capital on CNBC Africa (DStv 410) and The Karima Brown Show on 702 talk radio. She later lodged a complaint accusing 702 of censorship and editorial interference and her contract wasn't renewed.

Several other eNCA workers and staffers working for eMedia Investments's TV channels and news outfits have already died from Covid-19.

In May 2020 the cameraman Lungile Tom who worked for eNCA and eNews died from Covid-19 related complications as the first South African media worker to die from this coronavirus. 

In July 2020 the longtime eNCA graphic designer Michael Wilson passed away from Covid-19.

Netflix SA replaces degayed Elton John biopic Rocketman version in South Africa with the original theatrical release after error.

by Thinus Ferreira

After users of Netflix South Africa noticed a censored version of the Elton John biopic Rocketman that deleted scenes like the kiss between actors Taron Egerton and Richard Madden portraying Elton John and his manager John Reid, Netflix has now replaced the degayed so-called "airline version" with the proper theatrical release in South Africa.

Netflix SA subscribers who watched the 2019 biographical musical film based on the life of the flamboyant British musician Elton John, realised that the film felt oddly different. 

They then discovered that the censored film, already carrying a 16+ age restriction on Netflix in South Africa, was scrubbed of several of the overt gay content, although Elton John's sexuality is interwoven in his life story.

A kiss in the closet between Elton John and his former manager is for instance cut from the film version Netflix made available to viewers in South Africa, with Taron Egerton and Richard Madden in Rocketman only seen walking out of a building and never locking lips. 

The Netflix SA version, therefore, has a shorter running time that its theatrical release and DVD release and when it was broadcast on M-Net (DStv 101) and on DStv BoxOffice, and also looks and feels different. 

After users asked this week about the discrepancy and apparent censorship of the LGBTQI content in the film version for South Africa, TVwithThinus made a media enquiry to Netflix where its licensing division discovered that a different, censored version of Rocketman was accidentally supplied and received from the studio and loaded on Netflix's catalogue.

Netflix SA doesn't have any official comment on the Rocketman mistake but according to insiders the video streaming service is grateful that subscribers spotted the mistake, with Netflix that has corrected and replaced the censored version with the original version of the film.

In 2019 after Rocketman's theatrical release, Shana Krochmal, at the time the digital director of Entertainment Weekly, noted on Twitter how America's Delta airline showed a version of the film that was "stripped of almost every gay reference".

The airline blogger The Points Guy in November 2019 noted how censored airline versions of films often differ from the theatrical release - and not just if its a film containing a scene of a plane crash in it.

According to Jovitah Toh, CEO of Hong Kong's Encore Inflight Limited, quoted in the article "Each airline will provide the distributors with their censorship guidelines and distributors work with them on the edits - for example, nudity, implicit sex scenes, religious representations, plane crashes, competitor airlines' logos, swear words and images or mention of pigs or pork for Muslim carriers are the general items that are edited".

As a distributor, Toh said "We offer the airlines the choice of a theatrical/broadcast version or an in-flight-edited version".

For some reason, such a censored "inflight" version of Rocketman was the version of the film that Netflix got and loaded.

This Netflix mistake is ironic since Elton John, who wrote in The Guardian newspaper in May 2019, noted how he had to fight with the producers to keep some scenes in the film in order to accurately portray his life's story.

"Some studios wanted to tone down the sex and drugs so the film would get a PG-13 rating. But I just haven’t led a PG-13 rated life."

"I didn’t want a film packed with drugs and sex, but equally, everyone knows I had quite a lot of both during the 70s and 80s, so there didn’t seem to be much point in making a movie that implied that after every gig, I’d quietly gone back to my hotel room with only a glass of warm milk and the Gideon’s Bible for company," Elton John wrote.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 12 November 2020.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:

■ Insiders at Fox News (StarSat 261) wonder what's next as they try to acknowledge Joe Biden's victory in America's 2020 presidential election without turning away Donald Trump viewers. (subscription required)

- Split screen: Fox News (StarSat 261) swings from refuting to hyping - when the sun is out Fox News calls Joe Biden the next American president; after dark conspiracy theories.

■ MSNBC (StarSat 263) cuts off crass correspondent Ken Dilanian who goes "s***" and "f***" on-air.

■ Study: A third (33%) of people sign up to a video streaming service just to watch 1 new show.

■ The churn is starting at Disney+ as free promotional periods ends after a year.

■ Will these ViacomCBS executives be able to save legacy pay-TV channel brands like MTV and Comedy Central revive them for the video streaming era?

■ Doctor Who that has completely dropped off from Showmax and disappeared from BBC Brit (DStv 120) starts filming on the new season.

■ After Donald Trump, American channels like Fox News (StarSat 261), CNN International (DStv 401) and MSNBC (StarSat 263) are all facing their own challenges when it comes to their audiences.

■ South Africa's current minister of communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, again says that the ANC-led government is against the bloated and overstaffed SABC's plan to get rid of workers.

■ The SiSwati and IsiNdebele TV drama Bukhosi promises royal intrigue.

■ Chicago Fire seen on M-Net (DStv 101) suspends production after multiple positive Covid-19 cases.

■ While Nigerian TV news channels insist that they're broadcasting #EndSARS footage from their own camera crews and not doing any false reporting, Nigeria's corrupt censorship body, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) again attacks the country's struggling broadcasters trying to do their job.

■ Netflix says it's actually just like a standard broadcaster when it comes to cancelling shows.

As the litany of shows cancelled by Netflix start to rack up, the streamer says it just makes "disproportionally" news when it cancels a show.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 17 October 2020.

 

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:  

■ "We followed his furled umbrella": The TV critic who dressed for success.

- British showbiz journalist and award-winning TV critic Herbert Kretzmer dead at 95.

■ The new American TV series made during and about the Covid-19 pandemic will be a fascinating first draft of American pop culture history - even if they have mixed results.

■ Heard the one of the NBC CNN lover who got whispered state secrets by her ambassador during their extra-marital affair?
Britain's former ambassador in America, Kim Darroch leaked to his secret lover, the former NBC CNN (DStv 403) Michelle Kosinski correspondent all kinds of government and White House secrets to the consternation of the United States.

- He quit his job in July 2019; she left CNN 5 months later.

■ HBO Max and Disney+ are fast catching up to Netflix in the video streaming service wars.

■ Ghana's government arrests journalist David Tamakloe with fake charges.

■ Don't expect answers or resolutions early in the new 4th season of The Good Doctor seen on M-Net (Dstv 101).

■ Rose McGowan responds after the starlet of the new Charmed reboot Sarah Jefferey called the original Charmed cast "pathetic": "I honestly had no idea who you were".

- Shannen Doherty, Alyssa Milano and Holly Marie Combs are responding as well.

■ The Witcher on Netflix added a bizarre plot so that it could be different from Harry Potter.

■ Disney+ now adds disclaimers before certain of its films to acknowledge racist stereotypes and the harmful impact it has.

■ Why TV's portrayal of Muslims still falls short.

■ With a male stripper in charge, this might be a bridge too far for even reality TV.

■ Why Netflix wants to try and compete with Disney in the animation genre.

■ Why TV series like Amazon Prime Video's The Boys is destroying you.

■ New Zealand TV critic Diana Wichtel about TV: IIt's still useful - and watched" (subscription required).

■ Tanzania's communications regulator is used as a government censorship hammer before elections to stifle the media.

■ Women now represent more than half of the creative roles in Australia's TV & film industry as the gender balance keeps shifting.

■ The non-TV story of the day: What you dream about as a kid - 12-year old finds a dinosaur skeleton that palaeontologists call a significant discovery.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 21 August 2020.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:



■ Covid-19: Say goodbye to sex on television: British screen director's association publishes helpful intimacy on-screen guidlines:
Bodies could be depicted "moving under bedclothes".
"Close a bedroom door аnd leаve the аction to the viewer’s imаginаtion."
- Directors should take inspiration from classic films when depiction of sex on screen was banned.


■ After massive backlash and petition Netflix apologises for "inappropriate" poster of Cuties sexualising 11-year old girls.
- Netflix's "disgusting" film a negative influence.

■ Tosh.0 on Comedy Central (DStv 122) cancelled after shocking reversal of 4 season renewal.

■ Netflix disappoints with Transformers: War for Cybertron after controversy over not using union voice talent and warnings that using cheap talent sets a dangerous precendent for the industry.

■ Nigeria's government continues to attack MultiChoice, once again summos MultiChoice Nigeria to appear over its DStv Nigeria subscription fee increase that came into effect on 1 June 2020.

■ The SABC and e.tv will have to urgently find ways to position themselves as broadcasters beyond their current business models or risk falling too far behind MultiChoice and streaming services like Netflix.

■ Discovery Inc. distances itself from the homophobic Homestead Rescue star Marty Raney.

■ MOZO TV launches in Zambia as a new TV channel to showcase Africa's lifestyle, politics and economics.

■ Netflix is testing a shuffle play button for viewers struggling to decide what to watch.

■ Amazon Prime Video commercial sparks a boycott in Japan.

■ Positive Covid-19 cases reported at Television City in Los Angeles where The Bold and the Beautiful restarted filming.


■ BBC News boss Fran Unsworth says some TV news bulletins might be cut.
"TV journalism will still be around because of the power of pictures to tell a story, but it won't necessarily be received in quite the forms it currently is."


■ Netflix cancels Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj as the streaming service struggles with topical talk shows.

■ Australian Broadcasting Corporation's chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici quits over ABC censorship claims.

■ Egypt's opposition TV channels are a rare phenomenon.

■ TV anchor Anjali Rao told she's "too brown" for commercial TV (subscription required).