You're reading it here first.
I can reveal that the new local South African TV channel, Mzansi Magic (DStv 107) is beset by programming problems behind the scenes, causing havoc with the new TV upstart's schedule and creating some major frustration.
Mzansi Magic, aimed at a black viewership and that launched mid-July is plagued by a myriad of schedule changes, last-minute replacements and is inundated by a flood of originally scheduled programmes that Mzansi Magic cannot broadcast for a multitude of reasons - mostly because of tapes being of bad quality - in shorthand ''non-TX''.
Mzansi Magic planned to ''go low'' by bringing the shoddy-yet-endearing ''bubblegum cinema'' to television - referring to the uniquely low budget South African film genre - but that has now proved to become a major headache for the broadcaster. Even its premiere show, the weekly talk show Redi with Redi Direko has been beset by broadcasting problems.
After making a big hoo-haa for its 3rd episode of Redi, Mzansi Magic quietly backed down replacing the would-be topic and studio guests at the last minute because of behind-the-scenes production problems. Not one month old yet and already Mzansi Magic is also chopping and changing several properties because the tapes are simply not broadcastable. The Foreigner, Jozi Pipe Dreams and Blue Sky, The Cool Crooners of Bulawayo are some of the titles Mzansi Magic already had to replace by necessity.
