I can exclusively reveal that major drama has erupted behind the scenes at SABC3 that will in all likelihood be forced to postpone the scheduled start tomorrow of the highly anticipated 25th and final ''farewell season'' of The Oprah Winfrey Show due to the non-arrival of tapes.
The broadcaster that has finally scheduled the new season and is planning 5 new episodes per week and no Friday repeats in order to catch up with America is in a complete flatspin according to multiple insider sources about most probably having to announce a postponement, and having to come up with a schedule replacement and alternative emergency programming strategy.
I'm told by sources that SABC3 top management have been in a meeting all day ''and they've been there since this morning,'' says one. SABC3 programming acceptance that gets and clears overseas TV content haven't received any new Oprah Winfrey Show video cassettes I'm told by sources - the second show within two months not arriving at the broadcaster in time after Survivor Gabon didn't make it to Auckland Park headquarters in time late in December and forced the show to be postponed by a week.
This morning RIGHT HERE I told you that severe snow in America has forced the non-arrival of video cassettes for M-Net I Get That a Lot which has not started last week and will now only be 2 episodes in duration starting this week, and that SABC3 was/is on tender hook about Oprah tapes which also haven't arrived yet. Now there's blind panic at SABC3 who will have to announce a late ''schedule change'' imminently.
No official word on any of this yet from the broadcaster.
ALSO READ: Snow in America delays delivery of video tapes to M-Net for I Get That a Lot and SABC3 for the final Oprah season set to start tomorrow.
ALSO READ: Morning Joe on MSNBC snags Oprah Winfrey for a ''rare live interview'' that will be broadcast this Friday afternoon in South Africa.
ALSO READ: Video tapes? Really? Why broadcasters still use (and prefer) and system of video cassettes to play out shows.
