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Talk about a false note! Pathetic, sad and completely inappropriate is the exploitative ONE Gospel (DStv 331) entry process for its upcoming new Shine gospel-star-seeking reality show, forcing would-be entrants to not only PAY to enter . . . but pay TWICE!
Last month I told you RIGHT HERE about ONE GOSPEL's first attempt at a local reality show. Since then TV with Thinus readers begged for more information - especially more specific venue and time details since ONE GOSPEL only released dates and cities. First off, there's no problem with having media partner(s) for your TV show once its being broadcast, but its morally reprehensible to have contestants for your show having to pay to get the basic entry information for that show. That is exactly what ONE GOSPEL has gone and done, putting a serious dent in its halo. Interested contestants first have to buy one of two specific newspapers who are media partners, to get hold of a printed SMS number. Then contestants have to pay again by sending an SMS to register for Shine. ''Everyone who would like to enter need to register,'' ONE Gospel tells me. Thus, unlike how reality TV shows in South Africa usually works, you can't just show up or enter without first paying. TWICE.
The initial entry information for people entering TV talent competitions should be made freely available and the Christian oriented ONE Gospel is hitting a big time falsetto in this case. Keep in mind that whatever the TV show is, they make their money when the show is eventually broadcast. Why do you want contestants to first support your media partners and then pay to register? Ludicrous. Not Idols, Big Brother Africa, Popstars, Survivor SA, SA's Got Talent or any of the other current South African reality shows are doing that. It's fine to get viewers watching the show to interact later and then make them pay for the on-screen entertainment, but that a whole other matter.)
To add insult to injury by making contestants fork out money to become part of a reality show such as ONE Gospel's Shine, you then trot the selected ones out like show ponies during the broadcast. Its really not what should be happening. Actors and on-air talent don't pay (TWICE!) to be on TV shows, in adverts or in movies and neither should reality TV contestants. ONE Gospel and production house Urban Brew should really know better and do better if they really want to . . . shine.
UPDATE (Tuesday 17 Aug 16:00): ONE Gospel tells me that ''the entry mechanism was developed to manage the number of people who enter the competition''. The channel says that contestants who want to enter can email shine@onegospel.com ''or watch the channel''.
