The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards will be on M-Net on Monday but NBCUniversal dumps its Live red carpet coverage on E! for DStv subscribers before it.

by Thinus Ferreira

America's 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday will be broadcast live in South Africa on M-Net although pre-coverage of the ceremony’s red carpet arrivals won't be shown live on E!.
 
The 76th Primetime Emmy Awards is done from the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles with the father-son duo and Shitt's Creek co-stars Eugene Levy and Dan Levy and will be broadcast live on Monday morning 16 September at 02:00 in South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101). 

M-Net is doing a primetime broadcast of the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Monday night at 21:00.
 
NBCUniversal will again not show its traditional E! live red carpet coverage of the Emmys in the run-up to the ceremony as a live broadcast in South Africa. 
 
In past years, NBCUniversal showed DStv subscribers both the Live from E!: Countdown to the Emmys as a live broadcast block, followed by a live broadcast block of E! Live from the Red Carpet.
 
NBCUniversal is not showing Live from E!: Countdown to the Emmys with Zuri Hall, Zanna Roberts-Rassi and Christian Siriano to DStv subscribers this year at all, while Live from E!: Emmy After Party as a wrap-up show is also not on the schedule for E!'s DStv subscribers in South Africa.
 
NBCUniversal gave no explanation for pulling back on both the broadcast volume of its pre-programming of Emmy coverage on E! shown in South Africa, and for no longer showing the part of pre-programming that it will actually have of the Emmys, as a live broadcast.
 
Instead, DStv subscribers will only see the 2-hour E! Live from the Red Carpet: The 2024 Emmy Awards pre-show as a recorded show and long after the Emmys ceremony.
 
South Africa's DStv subscribers will see E! Live from the Red Carpet: The 2024 Emmy Awards for the first time as a recorded broadcast on Monday late afternoon at 17:00 on E! (DStv 124). 

This will be followed by repeats on Tuesday morning at 02:40 and 08:10.
 
Laverne Cox, Heather McMahan and Keltie Knight will the presenters of E! Live from the Red Carpet: The 2024 Emmy Awards, which is produced by Den of Thieves with Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan  Prager and Barb Bialkowski. 
 
Tuesday night's E! News at 22:00 on E! – the first original edition of this programme for the week – will then feature a wrap-up of Sunday's Emmy news and interviews.
 

Telkom to try and compete with MultiChoice's DStv - again - with a 'content mall' of bundled streaming curation.

by Thinus Ferreira

It might be a case of third time lucky for Telkom which plans to once again compete with MultiChoice's DStv by creating a curated, bundled video streaming offering through a "content mall" that's cheaper than subscribing to streamers directly, after attempts over the past decade to create its own satellite TV service and then its own streaming service both failed.

Lunga Siyo, Telkom consumer CEO, told the ITWeb On The Road podcast that the telecom is busy setting up its own "content mall" through which it wants to bundle various video streaming services at a bundled price that's cheaper that subscribing to each streamer individually.

Multiple American studios and streamers are currently exploring and working on the same idea of offering bundled streaming services similar to the traditional satellite pay-TV bundle, as the industry starts to consolidate and consumers are saying they no longer want to pay for a bunch of different streamers.

In this Telkom "content mall", Telkom customers would be able to subscribe to streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and others at a cheaper price than subscribing to those streaming services directly.

"Instead of investing in content and becoming a content producer, we've taken a position that we create a content mall. So we become the access. So in our own platform you're able to subscribe to these platforms, for a fee, which might be cheaper than if you were to go directly."

"So we will aggregate all of these services, and offer it you it to you as a bundle," Siyo said.

"They bring their own content, we bring our own platform."

Telkom's latest plan might be easier said than done. 

Not only has MultiChoice stalled in its own plan three years after announcing that it was creating a "one-stop shop" for streaming services through its DStv platform, but Telkom has struggled and gave up on both its previous tries to create a traditional and streaming video service.

In 2006 Telkom was one of the few successful bidders for new satellite TV service licences in South Africa and set up Telkom Media into which hundreds of millions of rand was poured with executives appointed and international content agreement signed.

After planning to invest over R7 billion, Telkom then abruptly decided to pivot Telkom Media which never launched, into an IPTV service instead of traditional satellite pay-TV and, two years later in 2008 slashed its funding.

After another year, Telkom dumped Telkom Media in 2009 which was sold off to Shenzhen Media Group which never launched and shuttered.

In November 2020 Telkom tried for a second time with launching its own video service when TelkomONE was launched into which Telkom again poured hundreds of millions of rand.

Barely two years later in November 2022 Telkom decided to get rid of TelkomONE and abruptly shuttered it and sold it off to the SABC for the South African public broadcaster to create its SABC+ streamer.

Streaming bundling future

MultiChoice had the same idea as Telkom a few years ago but MultiChoice's attempt has not fully come to fruition - although in America studios, broadcasters and video service providers are realising they need to aggregate streamers and are trying to come up with new consumer bundling approaches and offerings.

Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice CEO, in 2021 said the traditional satellite pay-TV service would work to become a "one-stop shop" and a "super aggregator" for video entertainment services like streamers. 

Over the past three years MultiChoice has added third-party streaming apps through DStv like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and the recently shuttered BritBox but that's where its efforts stalled. 

Warner Bros. Discovery's Max isn't available in South Africa yet, and Paramount added its Paramount+ not as a stand-alone streamer in South Africa like elsewhere in the world but as a studio tile folded for free into MultiChoice's own Showmax streamer with a limited Paramount+ title offering.

Other global streamers like Apple TV+ and local streaming services are also not available on, or through DStv. 

In the United States, consumers who have had to subscribe to four or five different streaming services are cutting back as streamers from Netflix to Disney+ are aggressively hiking subscription fees, adding ads, and making it much more expensive to be a subscriber than when they launched.

Media companies, legacy pay-TV services and content providers like Disney are trying to figure out how to offer bundled streaming services where they don't cannibalise other offerings but provide consumer value in a way where they can drive sustained subscriber growth and profitability, while it also makes sense as a bundle.

Earlier this year Warner Bros. Discovery, Disney with its ESPN and Fox announced they would start a joint sports streaming service Venu which has quickly become mired in a court battle.

The South African public broadcaster says smart watches don't require a SABC TV Licence.

by Thinus Ferreira

The South African public broadcaster says smart watches don't require a SABC TV Licence.

The clarification comes after rumours spread online this week that the SABC now requires TV licences for smart watches.

After a similar online hoax spread in May 2023, the SABC stated that a SABC TV Licence is not required for a car radio. Now South Africans have been threatened that they need a licence to buy, wear and use a smart watch.

"The SABC can confirm its fake news and that a TV Licence has never been a requirement to purchase a smartwatch," Mmoni Seapolelo, SABC spokesperson, says in response to a media query.

A staggering 87% of South African TV households on the SABC's TV Licence register no longer bother to pay their annual SABC TV Licence fee of R265.

The South African government and the department of communications and digital technologies have been stalling for years to get rid of the SABC TV Licence system in its current form and to replace it with a better system.

France got rid of its TV licence in 2022 and the BBC in the United Kingdom is on track to end its TV licence fee in 2027.

A+E Networks rebrands as Hearst Networks EMEA.

by Thinus Ferreira

A+E Networks for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, known as A+E Networks EMEA, has rebranded as Hearst Networks EMEA which is fully owned by Hearst.

The international broadcaster which operates across the United Kingdom, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, is fully owned by Hearst and will now operate under the new name of Hearst Networks EMEA.

Hearst Networks EMEA will continue to be comprised of four unique companies: Hearst Networks UK, a long-standing joint venture with Sky operating across the UK, Nordics, Benelux, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; Hearst Networks Germany, Hearst Networks Italia, and COSMO Spain, each of which is wholly owned by Hearst.

Dean Possenniskie, Hearst Networks EMEA managing director, says in a statement "We are proud to unveil our new company name as we continue to provide the best in quality factual entertainment and share important stories with audiences throughout EMEA".

"We look forward to building on our success at Hearst and shaping a positive future for all our premium services."

Hearst Networks EMEA operates channels like The History Channel (DStv 186) which is carried on MultiChoice's DStv, and other channels like Crime + Investigation which used to be on DStv.

MultiChoice's Showmax to carry SuperSport's PSL content on its mobile-only package.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice's video streaming service Showmax will carry SuperSport's Premier Soccer League (PSL) content on Showmax's mobile-only plan.

According to Showmax, all upcoming PSL matches - 380 in total - will be available on the Showmax Premier League package which is mobile only. 

All PSL matches will be streamed live on Showmax's mobile-only plan - including major cup competitions such as the Carling Knockout Cup, MTN8, and Nedbank Cup.

The PSL's Betway Premiership kicks off on Saturday 14 September with 16 clubs competing.

Mato Madlala, acting PSL CEO, in a statement says "This is a game-changer for South African football. Bringing Premier Soccer League football to Showmax is a huge win for the PSL and our supporters. This partnership opens new doors for fans to enjoy the sport they love, wherever they are".

Marc Jury, Showmax CEO, says "We’re thrilled to offer South Africa's most popular football league to our customers. The combination of the Premier League and the PSL on our powerful live-streaming platform represents extraordinary value".

Paramount Africa refuses to explain anything as BET Africa's cash-crashed Queendom from Clive Morris Productions restarts filming after shutdown and payment failure scandal.

by Thinus Ferreira

Paramount Africa's cash-crashed telenovela Queendom on BET Africa which was forced to shutter at the end of May has lurched back into filming while Paramount executives and producers refuse to come clean about the behind-the-scenes upheaval that left the telenovela's cast and crew unpaid for months.

Paramount Africa was forced to switch to repeats of Queendom from 22 July, just four months after its debut on BET Africa (DStv 129)  after Clive Morris Productions ran out of money to film and even to pay cast and crew.

New episodes of Queendom will now start on 23 September with no explanation from Paramount Africa or Clive Morris Productions where the money came from to restart the embattled production that saw cast and crew forced to sell possessions to buy food while a crew member couldn't pay for a parent's funeral after a funeral policy lapsed due to non-payment.

Paramount Africa and BET Africa boss Monde Twala are remaining silent on the unpaid crew and cast production scandal of Clive Morris Productions' Queendom.

Monde Twala, Paramount Africa senior vice president and general manager and BET International lead, didn't respond to an interview request made a week ago through Paramount's South African PR firm Total Exposure. 

A media query with questions to Paramount Africa, also made last Wednesday through Total Exposure has also been ignored.

Clarity was sought from Paramount Africa on when filming for Queendom restarted and until when filming will continue, where the bridge financing now came from, who sourced the financing, how many more episodes will be produced, as well as how many of the former and original cast and crew have been able to return and who are no longer available.

Natalie Mdladla, Paramount senior director of communications, likewise ignored a media query in August seeking answers on why Paramount Africa allowed filming to start on a production before the money to make a show for BET Africa was 100% secured. 

She was also asked who at Paramount authorised pre-production and principal photography to start, and why Paramount again worked with CMP after the same cash issue caused a shutdown of ISONO.

According to Paramount Africa "Queendom makes a regal return on 23 September at 18:30 with a royal showdown as Prince Andile finally confronts his brother King Banzi about the throne". 

The show that has been airing reruns in the timeslot will resume with four new episodes weekly from 23 September from Mondays to Thursdays.

Linda Mtoba in the role of Ntando is one of the cast returning to the show, noting in a press statement that she is "thrilled that Queendom is returning to screens this September, taking the drama and intrigue to a whole new level, and I can't wait for fans to see how these powerful storylines unfold."

Other crew and actors have quit and left like Sindi Dlathu and Themba Ndaba who signed up for e.tv's Isipetho produced by Black Brain Pictures, while Queendom cast and crew have still not been paid in full the overdue money they're owed. 

In the statement, Monde Twala, who was seen hosting a cocktail party for producers last week at the MIP Africa 2024 TV market in Cape Town, only notes that "Local content is an important pillar for our audiences and we are committed to meeting this demand with impactful storytelling that resonates on a global scale".

Cascade failure explained

After the Queendom implosion, MultiChoice has also taken away Empini – done for its Showmax video streaming service by Clive Morris Productions – where crew members also went unpaid and reassigned it to Crystal Pics and Nomusa Mzima to complete the 52-episode series.

Queendom started out as a co-production, with BET responsible for half of the investment, which was fulfilled by BET Africa and Clive Morris Productions responsible for the other 50%.

According to CMP, a backer pulled out that would have paid its 50% towards the production costs, but it's unclear why pre-production and filming started before the funding was fully paid over.

Insiders told TVwithThinus that the trifecta of MultiChoice, Paramount Africa and Clive Morris Productions (CMP) should all share the blame for what happened to Queendom and the dire and shocking financial situation it plunged the show's committed cast and crew into.

According to them, the Queendom cascade implosion happened like this: MultiChoice placed tremendous pressure on Paramount Africa to maintain a contractual local content quota for BET Africa whereby Paramount must produce and air a number of local hours per year on the channel.

Paramount Africa, under pressure to adhere to its local content contract with MultiChoice or face stiff penalities, went ahead to strip local hours of Queendom which it allowed CMP to start producing, even though CMP didn't have all the money for the production in the bank.

Clive Morris Productions, which wanted to retain a stake in the ownership of Queendom, started filming the series despite not having its share of co-funding in the bank account, after which a funder suddenly decided to no longer invest in the show.

This derailed and collapsed production of Queendom when Clive Morris Productions, after filming had already started, failed to get the money required when the investor no longer wanted to pay.

In mid-April – by which time Paramount Africa was well aware that CMP had funding issues, that Queendom was struggling and that the cast and crew were not getting the paid – Paramount Africa and BET went ahead to launch Queendom with a splashy media event at Kings Kraal in Bryanston, Johannesburg for some media. 

Behind-the-scenes however, the Queendom cast and crew who were putting up a brave face, were already angry and distraught over the impossible production conditions, delayed payments, as well as Clive Morris Productions' ongoing promises that they would get paid.

"Typically shows like telenovelas and soaps are commissioned by TV channels and financed 100% by the channel. Queendom wasn't," a producer on the show explained.

"Clive Morris Productions entered into a deal where an onus was on them to raise a significant portion of the production costs, which are far too onerous for most producers. Very few production companies, if any, would be able to raise that capital for a show of this size like Queendom."

"I had never heard of such an arrangement in the context of a telenovela. They exist for films or a very short miniseries. Prior to any minute of any footage being filmed all the money should have been in the bank. That wasn't the case, hence we find ourselves in the position we're in."

ALSO READ: Paramount Africa's Queendom on BET shut down with cast and crew unpaid by Clive Morris Productions as MultiChoice's Showmax also gives Empini to another producer.

ALSO READ: Paramount Africa silent over unpaid Queendom crew and cast and why BET signed off for filming to start on Clive Morris Production show that didn't have production money fully in the bank.

Former SABC COO Ian Plaatjes fights 'hidden agenda' firing over SABC+, reveals conflict with CEO.

by Thinus Ferreira

The former SABC COO Ian Plaatjes is fighting his firing after he was axed in June over a controversial and secretive ad revenue share agreement with an external provider for the SABC+ streaming service.

Ian Plaatjes claims he was let go on fabricated charges by the broadcaster "to get rid of executives like myself".

He now reveals that as SABC COO, he and the former SABC CEO have been involved in in-fighting with Madoda Mxakwe who conducted "numerous unlawful forensic investigations" against him, which led to Plaatjes filing a grievance case against Mxakwe.

Ian Plaatjes and Merlin Naicker, the public broadcaster's former head of video entertainment, were both fired in June this year after they were found guilty in a disciplinary hearing of withholding information about an advertising revenue sharing agreement with Discover Digital that runs SABC+ on the public broadcaster's behalf.

Ian Plaatjes has now taken the SABC to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) over his June dismissal, saying he was fired because of SABC "hidden agendas" to get rid of executives like himself.

Unknown publicly until now, there had been executive in-fighting between the SABC COO and SABC CEO, with Ian Plaatjes who filed grievance charges against former SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe.

Ian Plaatjes now reveals that "The grievance which I had initiated against Madoda Mxakwe in 2023 was never properly finalised or communicated to me" and that his "grievance related to the numerous unlawful forensic investigations that were conducted against me".

"It points to the motivation for the fabricated charges which were brought against only Merlin Naicker and me and which directly resulted in our dismissal."

Mmoni Seapolelo, SABC spokesperson, told TVwithThinus in response to a media query "The SABC can confirm that this matter is before the CCMA and will allow the CCMA process to take its course and for an appropriate finding to be made under the auspices of the CCMA".

Ian Plaatjes says he has "full confidence that the CCMA process will vindicate my conduct" as SABC COO and will "overturn the findings of the disciplinary hearing and show that charges brought against me were fabricated by the employed, motivated as they were by nefarious objectives".

According to Ian Plaatjes, his CCMA hearing on 12 September will be shown online and will be "an opportunity for the public and the media to get to the truth in the contract between the SABC and Discover Digital, and the actual reasons why the SABC wanted to get rid of executives, including myself".

"Merlin Naicker and I had sought agreement with the SABC on two occasions for the disciplinary hearing to be open to the media, as we have nothing to hide and we believe that it is in the public's interest to have access to the facts of the matter. The SABC opposed our request and the chairperson of the hearing, Prof Takalani Madima subsequently ruled against our request".

Ian Plaatjes says Prof Takalani Madima "accepted the SABC's version and found that I was guilty on one count each of gross dishonestly, failure to act in the best interests of the SABC and of violating the conditions of my suspension by communicating with the media". 

"At the heart of this matter, which will now be adjudicated by the CCMA, is whether or not I submitted a business plan regarding SABC+ which did not disclose a 7.5% share of the advertising revenue that would be garnered from the plan, between the SABC and Discover Digital".

Ian Plaatjes says that the costs were "transparent and known to all SABC executive committee members "prior to the approval of the SABC+ business plan on 10 October 2022 and a revised business plan on 7 November 2022 - including Lungile Binza, the SABC's head of technology who is currently the SABC acting COO.

"He was also personally responsible for validating these costs. All the SABC witnesses testified to this in the disciplinary hearing - evidence which was ignored."

He says "The 7.5% cost was also contained to the cost of the digital advert that was replaced and not the total cost of the revenue generated from SABC+."

Ian Plaatjes notes that "For the duration of the Discovery Digital agreement, ending in November 2023, the Castoola software was never used and therefore no costs were incurred and paid to Discover Digital related to the 7.5% clause. The SABC's charges against me are therefore not based on any facts and the reality of what occurred, but a fabricated scenario which never occurred".

Ian Plaatjes says that the SABC's disciplinary hearing against him and Merlin Naicker came "at a time that the public broadcaster is technically bankrupt. The taxpayer cannot foot the bill for the SABC's wasteful decisions with hidden agendas".

Ian Plaatjes reveals "There were numerous forensic investigations conducted against me.  None of these had the SABC board's approval nor were they conducted by independent forensic auditors".

"Madoda Mxakwe merely instructed Katlego Mpepu [SABC group executive for internal audit] and Fhatuwani Sibanda [then SABC forensic investigations manager] to conduct numerous unjustified forensic investigations against Merlin Naicker, Reggie Nxumalo [SABC ad sales boss] former and myself".

"These baseless investigations amount to irregular expenditure as well as fruitless and wasteful expenditure."

"My grievance against Madoda Mxakwe was submitted to the SABC board on 19 May 2023 and was conducted by an external legal firm on 24 June 2023. However, the outcome report was never shared with me, despite my numerous requests, including on the day of my suspension, 7 February 2024."

"This sequence of events clearly violates the SABC's own HR disciplinary processes and procedures," he notes, adding that "the chairperson of the disciplinary hearing chose to totally ignore this issue".

MultiChoice Namibia to host inaugural MultiChoice Film Festival 2024 with panel sessions and content screenings.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice Namibia will host its inaugural MultiChoice Film Festival 2024 on 28 and 29 September at the Franco Namibian Cultural Centre (FNCC) bringing together filmmakers, industry professionals and cinema enthusiasts for panel sessions and content screenings in Windhoek.

The MultiChoice Film Festival 2024 is a first for Namibia and for MultiChoice. 

The MultiChoice Film Festival 2024 will showcase productions created under the MultiChoice Namibia local content banner - Ombura - and feature a line-up of screenings, discussions, workshops, networking opportunities, and interactive experiences.

The festival's Saturday line-up features various panel sessions offering insights into what it takes to create content in Namibia, ranging from "Nambia to the world: Building resilience and in local entertainment" to Ombura challenges, a film finance workshop, an info session on the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), and a conversation by SWIFT Namibia. 

Screenings range from Penda's Dilemma and Op Pad met my Potjie, to Okalila, The Funeral, The Goal, and a documentary entitled Walvis Tale.

"With a rich tapestry of diverse cultures and narratives, the festival promises to captivate audiences, while creating an exciting platform that not only tells Namibian stories but also celebrates productions from our local content project, which will be showcased on our DStv, GOtv and Showmax platforms this October," says Roger Gertze, MultiChoice Namibia managing director.

The Sunday will be an open day fun day filled with live music, fun activities, and an open-air film screening of a Namibian film.

"The MultiChoice Film Festival 2024 intends to nurture, develop, and empower the local industry, providing a seminal platform for seasoned and emerging filmmakers alike," Roger Gertze says.

"Alongside the premieres of the latest feature films, the MultiChoice Film Festival 2024 will showcase the work of young talent with a diverse series of productions made with the MultiChoice Namibia financial assistance and mentorship."

Pirate Waka TV wacked with another arrest as MultiChoice promises 'more raids on illegal resellers'.

by Thinus Ferreira

Another alleged pirate involved with the illegal streaming service Waka TV was arrested on Friday as part of a nationwide crackdown on internet streaming piracy in South Africa by the police and MultiChoice's anti-piracy department.

The person arrested on Friday in connection with the broader Waka TV piracy network, allegedly provided an illegal internet streaming device giving unauthorised access to SuperSport content.

In June MultiChoice and the police did a sting of the illegal Waka TV piracy network that the pay-TV operator said led "to the arrest "of a key suspect involved in one of the most extensive pirate operations in Africa".

Friday's suspect was arrested in Germiston on charges of theft, fraud, money laundering, and violations of South Africa's Cyber Crime Act 19 of 2021.

MultiChoice says the suspect has been identified as an alleged reseller connected to Waka TV, "one of the most notorious piracy rings currently operating across Africa".

"During the operation, the authorities seized various items, including an alleged illicit streaming device, banners advertising unauthorised sales of DStv Premium content, and a mobile phone containing the contact details of several individuals who allegedly paid for the illegal service."

The police also uncovered detailed financial records linking the suspect to another high-profile target. Investigators have now broadened the scope of the investigation, with authorities expecting further arrests related to this network."

The suspect has appeared in court with a bail hearing set for 16 September.

Frikkie Jonker, the director of broadcasting cybersecurity and anti-piracy at the MultiChoice-owned Irdeto, says more raids on resellers and outlets linked to Waka TV are imminent "as law enforcement intensifies efforts to dismantle the sprawling piracy operation".

"Friday's arrest marks another significant step in our ongoing battle against digital piracy in South Africa. We are actively tracking additional targets connected to Waka TV, and the message is clear: Those participating in this illegal network will be brought to justice," Jonker said.