BREAKING. Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) now investigating e.tv's pornographic Naked News.

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) is now investigating e.tv's pornographic show Naked News that the broadcaster added to its schedule last month and that sees women taking all their clothes off and standing naked on the telly.

I told you last month RIGHT HERE about e.tv's new porno programme. Several groups and viewers have since complained to the BCCSA, that is now investigating the show.

Naked News is another ad supported show, or as the TV biz refer to it, an advertiser-funded production (AFP) - meaning that the advertiser or sponsor actually pays the broadcaster for the overall airtime and then uses and leverages it against what is usually product placement or tie-in commercial content. AFP's often land broadcaster in trouble because they relinquish control in a sense. AFP's have often - as now again - landed South African broadcasters in hot water, and it's usually e.tv and SABC3 who create problems for themselves by their continued dabbling with AFP's.

With e.tv first of all agreeing to the decision to broadcast Naked News and then actually showing it, e.tv is once again, incredulously, doing major harm to its reputation as a South African free-to-air broadcaster; doing incredible damage to its brand as a TV channel; and is pro-actively and deliberately destroying its remaining brand credibility as a reputable (even family friendly?) broadcaster. And just to make money.

Is it Bronwyn-Keene Young as e.tv's COO, or whoever at e.tv finally signed off on Naked News, saying: ''We'll gladly broadcast your product showing woman undressing and stripping naked on a public television channel irrespective on how it's impacting on our image as a TV channel, as long as you just pay us and give us money"?
[UPDATE Tuesday 10 May 16:36 - This question and quote is a rhetorical question - hence the question mark. It's a question asked by me, speculating on the motives behind e.tv management for possibly considering Naked News as on-air programming. It's my quote and shouldn't be taken to refer to anybody and is asking: is this what e.tv is thinking?]

Is e.tv really so desperate for cash that it can't make money without turning itself into an on-air stripper club? E.tv seems unperturbed and seemingly doesn't realize that broadcasting something like Naked News impacts on everything else it does - the credibility of its e.News division, the whole rest of e.tv's programming offering that immediately seems less wholesome, and the the perceived tasteless level to which the broadcaster would go to put lowbrow programming on-air just to make money. The e.tv executives who okay these decisions are not building the broadcaster's brand. They're stripping it of name as a credible South African broadcaster.

ALSO READ: Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) says e.tv isn't contravening regulations with Naked News.

BREAKING. Outrage growing against e.tv's Naked News as viewers now plan a national boycott of e.tv advertisers to send a message to all broadcasters.

Outrage is growing against e.tv's highly controversial Naked News with a concerted group of viewers now planning to boycott all e.tv advertisers who run TV commercials before, during or after ''pornographic content on e.tv''.

In a press statement released late this afternoon the Family Policy Institute - referring to e.tv's Naked News in which women strip and stand naked while reading the news - says more than 8,5 million members from  3 500 churches support the view that ''the broadcasting of nudity and sexually explicit content on national free-to-air television degrades and objectifies women and exposes children to harmful content''.

According to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) the South African watchdog authority has received five complaints per day since e.tv started showing Naked News on 22 April. The Family Policy Institute says that as a result of e.tv's ''anti-family programming policies'' its now moving to the next phase in the ''e.tv Mass Switch Off'' campaign that entail a targeted, national boycott against all businesses associating themselves with this content.

According to the Family Policy Insititute businesses who advertise on e.tv before, during or after pornographic content will be targeted for national boycott action. The organisation says in the statement it will be asking viewers to continue witl boycott action ''until it [e.tv] cancels the controversial Naked News programme and all other pornographic content from its broadcasting schedule''.

''This campaign aims to send a clear message not only to e.tv, but also the SABC, DStv and TopTV that Christian viewers will not tolerate smut on national television," said Family Policy Institute director Errol Naidoo.

ALSO READ: Why e.tv is damaging its credibility and hurting its reputation and brand by broadcasting Naked News.
ALSO READ: The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) says e.tv is not contravening broadcasting regulations with Naked News.

NAKED NEWS. A naked Giuliana Rancic on E! News censored by E! Entertainment as part of a comedy skit with Joan Rivers.

E! Entertainment (DStv 124) censored a naked Giuliana Rancic Friday night on E! News on the channel's daily news broadcast with a big black block covering her body and the words "censored" over it, when the E! News co-host went au naturel following a dare from comedienne Joan Rivers who's celebrating her 80th birthday on E! this week.

Giuliana Rancic who wasn't really naked but hammed it up for a comedy sketch towards the end of the E! News broadcast shown on Friday night on DStv in South Africa, took her cue from Joan Rivers who gave Giuliana Rancic some unsoliticed wardrobe advice.

"I've seen nuns looking sexier," Joan Rivers told Giuliana Rancic about her wardrobe on E! News. "This is 2013, Giuliana, 2013! It's a whole different world. People want you to look a little trampy when you present the news," said Joan Rivers. "Two words. You want ratings? Naked news."

E! News then blacked out Giuliana Rancic's body next to co-presenter Jason Kennedy. "The network stuck this censored thing before me," said Giuliana Rancic.

The "censored" joke on E! News and E! Entertainment is highly ironic within the context of E! Entertainment as it's seen on MultiChoice's DStv platform in South Africa and across Africa where E! Entertainment it is in reality, the most censored and visually lobotimised TV channel out of the entire DStv bouquet.

E! News' editorial news content is constantly censored through blurring, blocking and muting in every episode, diminishing and tarnishing the editorial integrity and relevance of the show supposed to be about news from the popular culture sphere.

The ongoing blurring, bleeping, blacking, muting and censorship on E! Entertainment is highly distracting and idiosyncraticlly non-sensical. In January E! Entertainment explained to TV with Thinus somewhat why.

Adding insult to injury is E! Entertainment's insane approach of censoring the news but broadcasting unvarnished to its mostly female skewed TV audience expletive and cuss laced trash such as the low-class reality show Playing with Fire filled with swearing and filthy language - none of which are censored but are supposed to, instead of something like E! News.

BREAKING. e.tv is back to broadcasting porn; added strip show Naked News to its late night schedule since Friday.

News flesh! The free-to-air broadcaster e.tv is back to broadcasting pornography and has added the titillating show Naked News to its late night schedule.

Naked News in which news presenters slowly strip and expose their naked bodies as they read the news does not appear on the e.tv programming schedule, but the broadcaster started showing it on Friday.

The broadcaster ended it showing of soft core pornographic films on Fridays and Saturdays a while ago, citing negative viewership feedback but is now returning to this format genre with Naked News.

BREAKING. Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) says e.tv's Naked News isn't contravening regulations.

Mere hours after I told you this morning RIGHT HERE that the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) is investigating e.tv's controversial Naked News, the BCCSA is now saying that it has received 5 complaints per day since 22 April, but that e.tv is not in contravention of South African broadcasting regulations.

According to the BCCSA e.tv provides an age restriction of 18 with  an ''N'' for nudity that remains throughout Naked News in which women strip completely naked as they read the news and do interviews.

ALSO READ: How e.tv is damaging its credibility and reputation as a South African broadcaster by showing Naked News.

BREAKING. SABC executives, news and channel bosses and colleagues honour Riaan Cruywagen and bid him farewell.

SABC executives, SABC news bosses, channel bosses and colleagues honoured the venerable SABC news reader Riaan Cruywagen today.

Riaan Cruywagen attended a special brunch this morning in Sandton to thank him for this decades long contribution and to bid him farewell.

Riaan Cruywagen read his final news bulletin this evening on SABC2 in the Nuus om 7, ending his illustrious career as the person holding an unequaled and unrivaled record as the South African TV personality who've been on television the longest.

He read his last bulletin exactly 37 years after he first started in 1976 with the advent of television news in South Africa.

At the farewell brunch (which South Africa's national TV critics and journalists who cover television based outside of Johannesburg were not bothered to be told of, nor been invited to) the SABC presented Riaan Cruywagen with a special plaque.

Prof. Pippa Green, SABC board member said: "Riaan thank you for all of your years of loyalty, support and service to a public broadcaster which is not always the easiest place to be but is probably one of the most important places."

Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the SABC's acting chief operating officer (COO) said: "I think you have done a wonderful job for the SABC. The way you dress, the way you talk to people - you're a human being. You lead by example."

Jimi Matthews, the acting head of news and current affairs at the SABC said: "I think the Afrikaans community must be quite 'change fatigued'. If you think of how the country has changed in the last 20 years. But the one thing which has remained constant - one thing significant thing that's remained constant in their lives is Riaan Cruywagen. They know that when they switch on the TV to watch the news, there is Riaan Cruywagen to assure them that everything is fine. And now we're going to have to get used to South African television news without Riaan Cruywagen. And it's quite a strange notion; quite a strange feeling actually."

"His contribution to broadcasting, not only to the SABC, but to broadcasting in general has been immense. Riaan's legacy is the news room will always be his commitment to his craft, his dedication, his professionalism. And for me I think it was a huge honour to work alongside someone like Riaan," said Jimi Matthews.

Kenneth Makatees, the executive director for Afrikaans TV news on SABC2 said: "Riaan is one of those South Africans who really crossed borders in this country."

Sandy Macdonald, the editor for Afrikaans TV news on SABC2 said: "I think he played an enormous role to make Afrikaans cool again."

Peet van Staden, the executive producer for Afrikaans TV news on SABC2 said: "He has the exceptional capacity to remain calm under pressure, maybe more so than anybody else. He also has the ability to laugh and to be freaked out."

Bessie Tugwana, SABC2 channel head, said: "For SABC2 I want to express our pride and profound gratitude that he has stayed this long. And not just staying long, he has brought professionalism to the news reading and some kind of believability."

"As you know there are three bulletins at 19:00, every day except weekends. Those bulletins are English on SABC3, English on e.tv, but the Afrikaans bulletin has always attracted more audiences. That for us is testimony that he sustained that in his community. I think as a channel he has also given the channel, the brand SABC2, credibility," said Bessie Tugwana.

Chriselda Lewis, SABC TV reporter said: "Riaan keeps looking the same way that he did so many yers ago. I still need to find out how he achieved that. He doesn't have any gray hair. When you try and look for wrinkles on his face you can barely find them."

"He appeals to so many people across the colour line," said Chriselda Lewis. "That is just amazing."

"I always remained a career broadcaster," said Riaan Cruywagen at the brunch. "No matter who was in charge of government or at the SABC, I remained true to my profession and nothing else. I never became involved in politics - neither external nor internal - and I made it my duty to present the news in an unbiased, non-partisan and objective, credible and authoritative way."

"Tonight, after 37 years, I say goodbye to South Africa. I have really mixed feelings. I'll miss the news reader  role I've fulfilled for so many years, very much. But I have the greatest and indescribable appreciation for the kindness so many viewers allowed me to bring the news every evening into their living rooms. Over the past few weeks I have received hundreds of emails from viewers wishing me the very best with my retirement."

I want to remind viewers that nobody's perfect; nobody's irreplaceable. I'd appreciate it immensely if you'd give my successors and my colleagues who are currently still there, Karlien and Terence, all the support you gave me. Let's work together as South Africa's to make this beautiful country of ours the best in the world," said Riaan Cruywagen.

ALSO READ: Riaan Cruywagen signs off with a simple goodbye and a hand salute after 37 years on television: 'For me it was an exceptional privilege.'

ALSO READ: SABC2 fails to communicate a single word in advance about a sudden one hour TV special paying tribute to Riaan Cruywagen.

ALSO READ: Is Riaan Cruywagen's next chapter to drop trou and read the news for Naked News on television?

ALSO READ: Riaan Cruywagen, in cartoon form, signing off after 37 years of doing South African television news.

ALSO READ: Riaan Cruywagen - a tribute.

FUNNY. Is Riaan Cruywagen's next chapter to drop trou and read the news for Naked News on television?

All TV personalities have a next chapter when they finish one thing and move on to the next - just ask Oprah.

So, where will Riaan Cruywagen pop up next after the venerable news man signed off earlier this evening on SABC2 reading his very last news bulletin exactly 37 years after he started on South African television?

Well, since e.tv introduced South Africa to Naked News - news readers who drop the clothes as they bring you breaking news about conflict in Iraq - could be an option. Riaan Cruywagen, always impeccably groomed and coiffed might consider showing South African TV viewers now a whole other side to him.


ALSO READ: Riaan Cruywagen, in cartoon form, signing off after 37 years as a news reader on South African television.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 6 November 2020.

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

■ A furious Donald Trump called Rupert Murdock and screamed over the 2020 American presidential election coverage on Fox News (StarSat 261).

- Rupert refused to tell Fox News staffers to change their coverage.

- Everyone eating hamburgers and chips in White House - then Rage after Donald Trump erupted at Fox News.

- What Murdoch gives, he can take away; signs that he is done with Donald Trump.

- "Fox News sucks!" - Donald Trump supporters suddenly turn on Fox News.

- TV Critics Conversation: America's 2020 election night TV struggled to capture the gravity of the moment.

■ A Million Little Things: On Thursday night SABC3 suddenly fails to broadcast the start of the first season of A Million Little Things because of unexplained "unforeseen circumstance".

■ Naked Attraction virgin in Britain walks off the set and must be consoled by crew after seeing vaginas and 6 women for the first time in his life.

- And more naked people in a TV commercial in Iceland which features "stark naked actors".

■ ESPN (DStv 218 / StarSat 248) to get rid of 300 workers,won't fill another 200 vacant positions.

- Getting rid of people to free up money for streaming and digital.

- "Tremendous disruption in how fans consume sports."

- Balancing its traditional pay-TV channel carriage role with video streaming efforts.

■ How does America's AT&T solve the problem of its DirecTV satellite pay-TV division that it no longer wants?

■ The BBC again doing an investigation into how Martin Bashir managed to get the explosive Princess Diana interview in 1995.

New evidence suggests that the reporter may have used forged bank statements and other unethical methods to convince Princess Diana to do an interview.

■ Instagram flags a social media post of Gareth Cliff of So What Now? on eNCA (Dstv 403), Gareth Cliff says "I have no respect for fact-checkers".

■ M-Net's Pearl Magic channel in Uganda turns 2.

MultiChoice says that in the past 2 years over 145 Ugandan movies have been broadcast on Pearl Magic, 2 of which have been produced by MultiChoice Talent Factory students.

■ The South African public broadcaster plans to appeal the Labour Court decision that found that the SABC's dismissal of SABC TV news presenter and producer Palesa Chubisi was unlawful and invalid.

■ eNCA (DStv 403) does a retraction and apologises for "Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer leaves the club" story; says headline and intro of the story were not accurate.

■ Why Dawson's Creek, in all its cringey glory, is the TV show that 90s kids need right now.

■ Barbra Streisand Effect: Netflix goes on the attack! Netflix suddenly starts filing takedown copyright claims against tweets that are critical of its own film, Cuties, when the public shares Netflix's own trailer.

■ Canal+ plans to expand its myCanal video streaming service into Africa.

■ South Africa's TV cricket commentators slammed by Cricket South Africa (CSA) for their lack of descriptive language use: "Blind people are watching too".

■ How Sky News Australia quietly became Australia's biggest news channel on social media.

■ How Mom, seen on M-Net (DStv 101) addressed the exit of Anna Faris.

BREAKING. Riaan Cruywagen signs off with a simple goodbye and hand salute after 37 years on TV: 'For me it was an exceptional privilege.'

With a simple hand salute and goodbye wave, a visibly slightly emotional Riaan Cruywagen - after 37 years the longest continuing presence on South African television and on TV news - signed off and said goodbye to millions of viewers on SABC2 at 19:00 during the Nuus om 7.

"My task is completed. Tonight, exactly 37 years after reading my first TV news bulletin, I'm retiring," said the dapper newsman, dressed in a black pinstripe suit with a red-and-white striped tie and matching red hankerchief; his hair as perfectly coiffed as ever.

"My heartfelt  appreciation goes to the Afrikaans news editorial staffs whom, over the decades, I've been privileged to work with - in the most recent times my bulletin editors Sandy Macdonald and Monica Ribbons, my executive director Kenneth Makatees and my pillar-of-support boss, Jimi Matthews."

"You know, TV news is a massive team effort, and I was just the ears of the hippo which stuck out. To you, the TV news viewers, thank you that you, over so many years, allowed me into your homes. For me it was an exceptional privilege."

"And when I look back, it was all just grace. For the very last time, goodbye. Good day," he said as the venerable newsman lifted his right hand and made a goodbye wave and hand salute to viewers."

ALSO READ: SABC executives, news and channel bosses and colleagues honour Riaan Cruywagen and bid him farewell.

ALSO READ: SABC2 fails to communicate a single word in advance about a sudden one hour TV special paying tribute to Riaan Cruywagen.

ALSO READ: Is Riaan Cruywagen's next chapter to drop trou and read the news for Naked News on television?

ALSO READ: Riaan Cruywagen, in cartoon form, signing off after 37 years of doing South African television news.

ALSO READ: Riaan Cruywagen - a tribute.

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 15 February 2017.

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


■ The champagne is flowing (again) at the SABC.
The cash-strapped and loss-making SABC is again popping - and paying for - expensive Veuve Clicquot and Night Nectar Krone.

- The SABC1 event where it happened was filled with hiccups; media were milling about not knowing what to do for hours. Despite the SABC's champagne culture, no reports from media of what SABC executives actually said. TVwithThinus has a report.


■ Parliament slams acting SABC CEO James Aguma and SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago.
Parliament says there seems to be no good faith from James Aguma and Kaizer Kganyago - "they treat this committee with contempt". Parliament asked "Why should James Aguma and Kaizer Kganyago make such terrible decisions on behalf of the SABC?"


■ Science fiction series The Expanse isn't just great TV - it's transforming TV.
Like Game of Thrones on M-Net Edge and A Series of Unfortunate Events on Netflix based on books and having the author involved and part of the writing team, The Expanse is now part of growing the trend of making television based on books better by consulting the original writer.


 ■ First look at the second season of the BBC's Top Gear has viewers divided.
After yet another shake-up of the presenters of the British magazine car show, viewers are wondering if Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris and Rory Reid will work and gel this time.

■ "Please tell me that is not your penis".
New Zealand TV soap Shortland Street ended with this cliffhanger at the end of Friday's episode.

■ Zambia's government keeps saying ZNBC hasn't been bought by the Chinese.
While China's StarTimes took 60% shareholding in the digital terrestrial television (DTT) venture of Zambia's state-run broadcaster. Zambian government spin tsar foams at the mouth and blames the media for lies about the private take-over deal of the country's national broadcaster.

■ Indian films can again be shown in Pakistan on private pay-TV channels.
After a Pakistan court overturns a ban.

■ Canadian film and TV producers are worried ...
that government regulations about local Canadian content and productions could be eased, leading to an influx of more American talent into Canada's series and films.

■ Venezuela blocks out and censors a Hugo Chavez TV series.
Biographical show blacked out across the country because Venezuela can't "risk losing years of indoctrination of the people by allowing them to watch the show".


■ Deborah Turness is out as president of NBC News
Replaced by Noah Oppenheim. Deborah Turness will be placed in charge of creating the new NBC News International news channel out of euronews as a new rival for CNN International (DStv 401). euronews is going to be renamed euronews NBC.
euronews NBC has a long way to go before it can be and compete with CNN International and BBC World News.


■ Efe Obioma quits after 3 years as GOtv Nigeria's PR manager.
Where will the MultiChoice marketing executive resurface?


■ Lovely long read: The Apprentice at the Donald Trump White House - "whose up, whose down?"
South African viewers can't see Saturday Night Live (SNL) that used to be on Comedy Central (DStv 122) but that neither Comedy Central in Africa or CNBC Africa (DStv 410) are interested in showing.

With it's best (meaning funniest) season in years - and SNL ratings also the highest in years thanks to Alec Baldwin and Melissa McCarthy - Donald Trump is very upset with the portrayal of Stephen K. Bannon as the Grim Reaper.

Donald Trump's White House staffers are constantly secretly buzzing about "who is up and who is down" and the unflattering portrayals on Saturday Night Live.


■ John Oliver (jokingly) blames Oprah for Donald Trump.
Because he thought he was powerful, he became powerful, just like when Oprah told people lectured people on the book The Secret.

■ See the BBC's Planet Earth II in glorious 4K ...
... if you're in America. In South Africa the best you can see the natural history series on BBC Earth (DStv 184) is maximum 1080i.

■ Britshow looking for naked TV contestants.
In the Naked Attraction dating game show, contestants appear naked full frontal and people are picked by potential lovers based on their naked bodies.

■ Netflix is making its own Game of Thrones.
The new animated series is based on the Castlevania game show.

■ Facebook is coming to TV.
Will launch a stand-alone app soon for Apple TV, Samsung's Smart TV and Amazon Fire TV.

■ Wendy Williams on BET (DStv 129) says she doesn't care if celebrities like her.
Keeps bringing heat to daytime TV with her no-prisoners approach to celebrity culture commentary.

Bloomberg TV dumps Charlie Rose's The Charlie Rose Show after lurid sexual harassment allegations from several women of groping, lewd calls and walking around naked.

Bloomberg Television (DStv 411 / StarSat 264) has dumped Charlie Rose's The Charlie Rose Show and CBS News has suspended Charlie Rose where he's one of the three co-hosts on the morning show CBS This Morning after lurid sexual harassment allegations from multiple women saying he walked around naked in front of them, made lewd phone calls and groped their breasts, buttocks or genital areas.

Bloomberg Television that record and broadcasts Charlie Rose, produced by Charlie Rose Inc., has pulled the show from the business news channel immediately.

"We are deeply disturbed to learn of these allegations and are immediately suspending the show from airing on Bloomberg TV and radio," Bloomberg said in a statement.

Charlie Rose has also been suspended from CBS, where he co-hosted CBS This Morning since 2012.

"Charlie Rose is suspended immediately while we look into this matter. These allegations are extremely disturbing and we take them very seriously," CBS News said in a statement.

Eight women, who were either employees or prospective employees of Charlie Rose, told The Washington Post that he sexually harassed them, made unwanted sexual advances toward them, made lwed phone calls, walked around naked in front of them, and groped their breasts, buttocks or genital areas.

Charlie Rose in a statement says he apologises "for my inappropriate behaviour".

"I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realise I was mistaken."

Charlie Rose's longtime executive producer, Yvette Vega admitted that she had been told several times of his inappropriate behaviour, and acknowledged that she failed and deeply regrets not helping women who complained about his behaviour.

UPDATE Monday 21 November 2017 19:35 - CBS News has fired Charlie Rose.

CBS News president David Rhodes says Charlie Rose is fired.

"A short time ago we terminated Charlie Rose’s employment with CBS News, effective immediately. This followed the revelation yesterday of extremely disturbing and intolerable behaviour."

"There is absolutely nothing more important, in this or any organisation, than ensuring a safe, professional workplace - a supportive environment where people feel they can do their best work. We need to be such a place."

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 5 August 2020.

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


■ "Feasting on the adulation of others" - we're all Norma Desmond now.

■ Are you able to guess what FOX News (StarSat 261) in the United States and Netflix have in common?

■ South African mine worker turned Los Angeles reality TV director Reinhardt Vermeulen:
"When I was working underground in the mines, I never in a million years would have thought that I would be here today."

■ Exiting MSNBC (StarSat 263) producer writes a scathing letter: America's TV ratings model for news channels "Blocks diversity of thought and content", "incentive is to amplify fringe voices and events", calls TV news "a cancer".

■ Staffers working for China's CGTN (DStv 409 / StarSat 266) say the TV channel struggles to be effective because it's trying to do too much at once and lacks the ability to discern the type of news and presentation of stories that appeal to international audiences.

■ "Television can be a brutal business."
Fired Australian TV news anchor speaks (subscription required).

■ Brown voices matter - but not to New Zealand's TVNZ.

■ See how the damage looks and the wreckage of the Beirut bureau of CNN International (DStv 401) after Tuesday's blast.

■ Ghana's Cyber Crime Unit arrest the managers of 2 Ghana TV stations - AB TV and Amen TV - over fraud.
- News anchor Selikem Acolatse leaves Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) after 13 years.

■ Look at these 5 reality TV mansions: Which Real Housewives home would you buy?

■ Sunrise Surprise: A naked man interrupts the shot of WABC reporter in New York City.


■ Who's the Boss? reboot sequel planned at Sony Pictures Television with Tony Danza and Alyssa Milano.
Sequel will take place 30 years after the events of the original with Samantha Micelli now living as a single mother in the house the original series was set in.


■ MultiChoice adds Radio Luanda Antena Comercial (LAC) to DStv in Angola.

■ Judge Judy is back in court, promises to eat a contract with cream cheese if it can be produced in a new dispute.

■ Ellen Pompeio says she would probably have left Grey's Anatomy seen on M-Net (DStv 101) after the 6th season but decided to go after money and stability and not chase film roles and a career.

■ The MUST READ non-TV story of the day: Our society's largest attempt to communicate across the abyss of time:
How to warn humans - or those who come after us - about our bunker storage of our nuclear waste - with a message that could survive 10 000 years.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV reports and articles to read - 24 February 2021.

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

■ Netflix has an elite team of 23 insider executives, known as the "L-staff" who make the biggest decisions at the video streaming service.

■  Apple's biggest mistake was not buying Netflix.

■ Independent Media's Debashine Thangevelo will now do a weekly column on Sundays, "Remote Access", in the new Insider supplement, looking at what's happening on TV.

■ The Black News Channel is looking to mark a mark in America's competitive TV news channels landscape while looking at news through the lens of black Americans.

■ Al Jazeera (DStv 406 / StarSat 257) is launching a new rightwing news platform, Rightly, that will be led by a former Fox News journalist.

- Al Jazeera staff dismayed at the Rightly launch.

■ A new Netflix hack understands your TV obsessions even more than you do.

■ The showrunner of The Walking Dead on FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131) reveals how the show filled the extra 6 episodes.

■ This is why Star is Disney's next big salvo in its Disney+ streaming war with Netflix.

■ Video streamers are looking outside the lines:

As subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services have become all the rage in America and are damaging traditional pay-TV services, for many - especially smaller services - the real money is to be made internationally.

■ So-called "cord-cutting" in America - consumers who abandon and cancel their traditional pay-TV subscription - has almost doubled in 2020.

- The worst of cord-cutting is over?

■ How The Bachelor reality show in America missed an opportunity for representation.

- Why Chris Harrison's benching from The Bachelor should be made permanent.

■ Disney, Discovery Inc., WarnerMedia and all of the others are fixated on the subscriber numbers for their new streaming services but the big question is their content spend and whether they're going to keep it up and invest even more to keep pace with the near-bottomless wallets of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+.

■ Ultraviolet television helps us understand how animals see the world.

■ Will Facebook become a revenue stream for TV news?

■ Ireland struggles with the same collection problems as South Africa's SABC TV Licence.

■ TV's tech war: TV-set makers are increasingly pitting the rival technologies of LED and OLED against each other. The result: Better screens for customers.

■ Riverdale seen on M-Net (DStv 101) leaves viewers gasping as Archie and Betty strips naked for steamy shower sex scene.

- Why British TV viewers no longer complain about sex.

■ Study: Too much TV or mobile screen time can trigger suicidal thoughts in teenagers.

■ New Chinese crime drama TV series, Hunting, filming in Nairobi, Kenya.

■ The former South African YO.TV presenter Jeza gets 6 matric distinctions.

■ From Sex and the City, to Succession and all of the new shows and new seasons: Will TV confront Covid-19 or ignore it?

Political analyst Dumisani Hlophe's appointment as SABC political editor slammed as 'a step backwards' for the South African public broadcaster over his bias towards the media and political parties.

The appointment of the political analyst Dumisani Hlophe, who isn't a journalist, as the SABC's new political editor at SABC News is being criticised as a step backwards for the South African public broadcaster.

Dumisani Hlophe is being slammed as "bad news" for the SABC by the Democratic Alliance political party over his media bias, his patriarchal comments and his comments on photos of half-naked women.

"The SABC's decision to appoint Dumisani Hlophe as political editor is deeply puzzling and worrying," says Phumzile Van Damme, the DA member of parliament and the party's shadow minister of communications, about the appointment the SABC announced on late Friday afternoon.

Dumisani Hlophe will take over as SABC political editor from Monday 3 September. The caustic and so-called Hlaudi Motsoeneng enforcer, Sophie Mokoena, was acting SABC political editor until she quit in July.

Dumisani Hlophe previously made appearances as political analyst on SABC News (DStv 404), eNCA (DStv 403) and the now shuttered Gupta-news" channel ANN7 (DStv 405) (rebranded Afro Worldview).

"Dumisani Hlophe is not a practising journalist, his only experience with broadcasting is as a 'political analyst' on the SABC with 'commentary' often odd and thumb-sucked," says the DA in a statement.

"There are many talented practicing journalists the SABC could have chosen from, who would have been a far better choice. Dumisani Hlophe does not inspire confidence at all. He is bad news".

According to Dumisani Hlophe's Twitter account, he appears to be a patriarch with tweets proclaiming men as heads of the family and commenting on pgotos of half-naked women, says the political party, noting that Dumisani Hlophe has shown "special loathing for the Democratic Alliance.

Dumisani Hlophe has tweeted things like:

 "The irony is: whilst @MYANC is keen to demilitarize and weaken the Left; it always leaves the Right to strengthen itself. It castrated @_cosatu;  @SACP1921 and now targets @EFFSouthAfrica nut it has no plan to weaken the right wing agenda led by @Our_DA."

"Where are the DA Headquarters? I am in Cape Town and I want to march there and demand the reintegration of Cape Town into South Africa."

"Maimane to stand for DA's parliamentary leader. Another darkie Zille project. Just where society will see a fake de racialised DA."

"The media dubs criticism of Thuli Madonsela as an attack on the Public Protector - interesting indeed. I think she is soft on the DA."


Dumisani Hlophe has also attacked South Africa's media:

"@pinkykhoabane in the quest to be ANC critic, the media overlapped to be an addition to ANC opposition. Hence, they contain DA journalists."

"The mainstream liberal media is a key player in South Africa’s politics. It is not an independent observer."

"No Bruce. That’s a mere bourgeoisie spin. Absolute liberal self-serving propaganda. The fact is: this shows a clear collusion between senior politicians in public office and business sector in advancing their mutual interests."


The Democratic Alliance says "we truly hope Dumisani Hlophe will prove our misgivings about him wrong and fulfill the SABC's mandate to be impartial, independent and provide a reasonable, balanced opportunity for the public to receive a variety of points of view on matters of public concern, especially during an election year."

"His appointment is a step backwards for the SABC, and is discouraging given the excellent appointments it has made of late."

WHEN TANYA MET TARZAN: Tanya Nefdt of the eNews Channel finds something really big in the forest.

Every major TV news conglom needs a Tally Atwater like in the movie Up, Close & Personal. Someone with heart to remind TV viewers that there's more than war in Afghanistan, destitute people doing drugs, and Soweto orphans (unless its about hugs for those orphans of course).

South Africa's Tally is definitely Tanya - Tanya Nefdt of the eNews Channel (DStv 403) who today met Tarzan.

And where Tanya goes, there goes a happy time of one or two minutes of  television news that's a welcome upbeat tonic in an ocean of otherwise mostly dreary and terrible TV tales.

Whether covering Christmas trees that's recycleable, interviewing a female car mechanic, or hanging out at social events for the entertainment scoop, Tanya Nefdt is adept at covering the lifestyle and more lighter stories, just like Tally. If CNN has the quirky and offeat Jeanne Moos, the eNews Channel has the rinky-dink awesome Tanya Nefdt.

Always tilting her head ever so slighty to her right hand side like a happy hamster that first wants to ascertain a certain sound that it heard a little bit better, Tanya Nefdt then pirouettes and zooms in on her subject to bring a truly heartwarming story to the nation. And as viewers we are grateful. Really.

Today, lost in the jungle (okay, it was foresty George which is 4 hours' drive outside of Cape Town - but what real dedication) the delightful Tanya Nefdt found herself literally face to face with an almost-orange urang-utang half-naked man who has dreams of become a Hollywood star.

He's jobless, of course. Only wears a loin cloth and has big, uhm, dreams. And, as she wanted to show later in her story, there's also something really big between his legs. All of it is of course Tanya's speciality who excels at profile pieces in under 3 minutes of screen time. Try doing that Oprah Winfrey!

A very surprised Tanya Nefdt found Tarzan (or the former security guard De Wet Du Toit) in the woods and was willing to let him grab her hand. She also put thought into it since she clearly dressed for the occasion. Green for green. Because this is a real forest people. Nothing is shot against green screen.

Then, after some lingering shots of the physique of the man flesh she travelled 4 hours to find (because its important to show the viewer everything you get - TV is a visual medium after all), Tanya Nefdt got on top behind her Tarzan and rode off on an elephant and into the sunset. A happy Tanya Nefdt got her package. Until tomorrow.

The end-run story or happy news package is often unappreciated, disregarded as fluff, and discarded by serious news organizations. But it's actually a pleasant respite from the rolling doom-and-gloom and often distressing hard news coverage of 24 hour information operations such as the eNews Channel.

The slighty ditzy, very-bubbly Tanya Nefdt and her always-interesting, although breezier, stories reminds the TV news viewer that there's more to life and news than just things that went wrong. There's Christmas trees made from old carton boxes, female car mechanics who dream of becoming engineers, and Tarzans with big dreams who are willing to swing in to your rescue.

PUBLIC EMBARRASSMENT. The terrible new Health Talk on SABC News is boob tube television in its most worst produced form.

It's so surrealistically bad it's hard to believe its real, but Health Talk started on the SABC's new SABC News (DStv 404) TV news channel as a new (unintentionally hilarious, superlatively bad) health talk show.

The terrible first episode featured breastfeeding HIV mothers who had babies with them in the studio - babies who screamed and made so much noise it was hard to hear as they drowned out the voices of their mothers. Babies who played with their mother's mics, and one even ripping the mom's mic off who simply continued talking.

Whoever produced this unintentionally hilarious hot mess of TV trash needs to fired.

The SABC issued no press material, press information, synopsis, weekly programme summary, publicity images, press release or programme profile about Health Talk to South African TV critics and writers before its debut on Saturday and didn't respond with information to requests the past week seeking basic publicity information about specific SABC News programming such as this show.

The first episode of Health Talk on SABC News was the lowest quality TV production I've seen on South African television in a long time.

What inexperienced producer in their right mind has babies on set and is clearly clueless as to the specialised production skills required for small children on set and the specialised sound, guest management, and other skill sets needed?

In the massive fail of Health Talk's astoundingly bad debut episode taking place on the set usually used for SABC2's Morning Live, viewers were "teated" to the one mother giving a boob to her baby and then breastfeeding during the show.

The interviews were marked with terrible sound quality due to babies drowning out their moms and one even ripping off the mom's mic and throwing it down.

The producers and host carried on without intervening or removing the show-and-tell babies which added nothing to the conversation or topic and instead completely detracted and derailed the intended discussion for viewers.

The unexpected file footage inserted as part of the discussion of half naked women sitting with their exposed breasts in hospital shown pumping milk out of their nipples and into glass containers was jarring.

Health Talk gave not the slightest kind of warning first to viewers. Or perhaps SABC News is of the opinion that none is needed for bare breasts squirting out milk on daytime television.

"Hello and welcome to the very first edition of Health Talk on SABC News. I am your host Pagamile Makamdela," said the jovial host dressed in a bad white (TV's biggest "no" colour!) collared shirt and tired brown jacket.

"Now this is a show that will inform and educate you about all aspects of your health,'' he said.

And informed and educated we were.

We were informed and educated that Portia's baby was more interested and saw the cameraman and floor manager and pointed to them when she was not making noises into her mother's mic.

The extremely animated Portia told viewers among other things about having had to terminate another baby and that she was never taught how to express milk from her breasts which left her with scars. It was all truly riveting in a Jerry Springer kinda way, but eventually the presenter finally decided to interrupt Portia and to move to Lindiwe.

We were also informed and educated that babies' like Lindiwe's little one will see and want to play with something like a sensitive lapel mic and will not stop - which is why babies and little children on set are not generally a good idea - something all experienced producers and presenters know.

We were also informed and educated that the combined baby noises of two babies can drown out the voices of three talking adults ("BA-BA-BA!").

Lindiwe's babe kept grabbing her mic, causing major sound interference and ongoing crackling and distortion. With the baby's mouth right in front of the mic, viewers of course also heard more (and louder) baby than Lindiwe.

The baby eventually pried the lapel mic loose as Lindiwe kept talking. After ripping off and swinging the lapel mic through the air a few times, the baby eventually threw it down. Lindiwe, mic-less, kept talking.

Lindiwe ended up breastfeeding her baby on the air later because when babies are hungry they must eat.

BREAKING. Icasa turns down TopTV's porn package application; pay TV operator denied permission to start hardcore porno channels.

You're reading it here first.

I can exclusively break the news that the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has refused TopTV's porn application for the pay TV operator to start a separate stand-alone, new hardcore pornographic package of channels.

It brings to an end an almost 3 month highly publicised battle during which the pay TV operator came under widespread criticism from wanting to introduce the Adult XXX, Playboy Europe and Private Spice channels in South Africa.

Icasa said it would provide reasons for denying TopTV's application within 30 days. TopTV's board indicated that it would accept Icasa's decision. Asked for comment, TopTV says the pay TV operator will ''wait for Icasa to provide their reasons for decling the channels. Until then we are unable to make any comments.''

TopTV ignited a massive firestorm when news broke that TopTV wanted to start a separate subscription porno package which dented the pay TV operator's brand reputation the past few months.

While the pay TV operator became imbroiled in a separate bitter fight with South Africa's broadcasting regulator over regulatory approval procedures, a massive public backlash battered the company with widespread criticism from the public, united Christian, Muslim and Hindu faith-based groups, as well as the Film and Publication Board, the trade union Cosatu, and TopTV investors voicing strong opposition to the plan. The majority of TopTV's board last week in a urgent meeting, became decidedly negative over the company's porn plans.

TopTV didn't give an oral presentation at its public hearing for its channels application convened by Icasa last Monday and was strangely silent, while the Film and Publication Board said that the Broadcasting Act clearly stipulates that the distribution of pornography can be done only through licensed stores and classified videos. The Film and Publication Board said that the sale of pornographic content is only allowed to be made to people over the age of 18 and that hardcore pornography can't be broadcast on television.

TopTV which initially wanted to start the porn package on 20 December over Christmas, then moved the date to 20 January, then was prevented to through an urgent court interdict granted to Icasa to prevent TopTV from doing so before the regulator gave a decision; is now going to pay the price in two ways.

Firstly their is the fallout from the reputational brand damage, but TopTV is also facing a financial loss stemming from the carriage agreements TopTV already signed in September with Playboy TV UK/Benelux Ltd. before it even knew if it would get regulatory approval for the porn package, as well as the financial investment TopTV already made in bringing the package to launch, which will now not be happening.

TopTV CEO Vino Govender who, at the launch of TopTV in May 2010, initially said TopTV will not be carrying pornographic channels and that TopTV ''don't want to poison the minds of the millions of South African children out there'', appears to have underestimated the sensibilities of the general South African television audience and have not fully taken note of specific tonalities of South Africa's TV market.

Both MultiChoice running the DStv pay TV service who conducted research into the possibility of starting a pornographic TV package, as well as e.tv broadcasting the salacious Naked News programme came in for similar and severe public criticism in the past. Ignoring past history, it didn't detract TopTV from also attempting a porn launch which ignited a furore and landed the pay TV operator in a public relations nightmare.

Why is E! Entertainment on DStv showing pornography with an age restriction of just 13? Naked breasts 'deemed appropriate' says E!

Why is E! Entertainment (DStv 124) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform showing pornography? A channel which isn't supposed to, and with only an age restriction of 13 for the programme, and with no prior warning to viewers that it contains nudity?

The E! Entertainment series Secret Societies of Hollywood contains visuals of bare breasted women, uncensored, with the DStv electronic programme guide (EPG) only indicating an age restriction of 13 for the episodes, wholly inadequate, and with no parental advisory.

It means that DStv subscribers could watch E! Entertainment or record the programme on a PVR and be shown inappropriate titellating content by MultiChoice on a channel that isn't supposed to do so, that they didn't want to see.

E! Entertainment ironically showing bare breasted women in seductive poses - unblurred and uncensored - is ironically done on the same channel which incessantly blur and censor its other content.

E! often - both visually, as well as the audio - blur, block and bleep content during its news show E! News which is reporting on news of television, style, celebrities and the products and other media platforms that news occur in.

TV with Thinus asked Universal Networks International (UNI) in London from where the E! Entertainment channel is supplied to MultiChoice's DStv in South Africa and Africa why E! is showing uncensored nudity - specifically female breasts, in more than one episode, in more than one scene in the series Secret Societies.

I asked E! why this the nudity is not censored, specifically in relation to E! censoring other content which do not contain any offensive material or references and why E! is not censoring breasts, but censoring and blurring other material.

Why does the E! programme not contain any warning, and why does E! deem a show with exposed female breasts to only have an age restriction of 13 when that is a violation of the Broadcasting Code of Conduct?

A spokesperson for Universal Networks International in London says in a response that E! Entertainment deems the naked breasts "appropriate" for broadcast on E! Entertainment on DStv, is silent on the issue regarding a 13 age restriction for it, and neither address the lack and absence of any parental warning or advisory before the start of episodes.

Although nudity in appears in more than one episode of the series, UNI responds as if it only appears in one episode.

Universal Networks International does say that they "take compliance of our channels very seriously and wish firstly to acknowledge the concern you have raised regarding nudity in certain episodes of this series".

"We have reviewed the series in order to identify the specific clip that you sent to us and checked the compliance notes and scheduling of the episode in question. This series generally exposes the harsher reality of life in Hollywood, focusing on the 'unvarnished' side to the glitz and glamour associated with the entertainment capital".

"The episode in question – “Deals and Dealers” – contains a segment centred on escorts, prostitutes and porn stars from which the clip you sent us is taken".

"The episode was duly complied by our compliance team and appropriately identified as an episode available for broadcast after 22:00. This is in line with broadcast compliance obligations applicable to the channel and deemed appropriate for a pay-TV channel at a time when children are not expected to be watching".

"The episode last aired on the channel on 27 July at 24:00 which is in line with our compliance procedure for this content".

Regarding the blurring and censoring of other E! Entertainment content, UNI says "as you mentioned, we do from time to time blur images and/or bleep sound on the channel".

"E! Entertainment , as broadcast in South Africa, is currently distributed on a pan-regional basis. This means we sometimes need to make compliance decisions based on regulatory obligations in other countries where the channel is also received".

"Whilst we do our best to minimise edits that appear as inconsistencies, we do acknowledge that there are occasions where this is unfortunately unavoidable given the number of countries receiving the channel," says the E! spokesperson.