e.tv will broadcast the documentary, entitled ''The Price of Denial'' tonight at 21:30 in the channel's award-winning investigative magazine show, 3rd Degree.
The channel just told me that ''e.tv is broadcasting this documentary this evening because it's a powerful program that looks at the issue of 10 years of HIV/Aids in the country. E.tv has worked with the producers over the past month to put the final touches to the show and has offered all parties the opportunity to respond. Some declined.''
E.tv is very gracious here. I will decode and say what the channel politely says between the lines and doesn't want to spell out:
(1) The original documentary, as the producers gave it to the SABC was a work in progress and not finished yet. The SABC turned down the documentary without really allowing the producers to complete the TV project.
(2) Of course e.tv and 3rd Degree gave all sides the opportunity to respond with fair comment. Some people just didn't want to.
MY OWN OPINION:
Wider than just this once-off documentary being declined for whatever reason, is the SABC's trend this year of visibly sterring clear of any politically sensitive editorial or news material.
Zapiro's ZNews is now a big hit on the internet, that languished in SABC development hell as well.
