The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) that presents that ''annual'' shamfest called the South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) is desperately scurrying around trying to find a broadcaster to pick up at least the second part of its suddenly two-parter awards show this year.
The NFVF that's as bad and utterly incompetent with starting in time to find a broadcaster as it constantly is in failing to keep to a strict timetable for judging the categories, and in producing any semblance of an actual awards show, is now battling to find a broadcaster to show the 5th Saftas. The first part of the two part awards show will happen within weeks on 20 February and 27 February. According to my sources negotiations between the NFVF and the SABC to broadcast the awards on SABC2 (on which it was shown in the past) continued into late this past week. An SABC2 source told me towards the end of this week that ''they [NFVF and the SABC] are still talking but it's a drawn-out thing.'' That's why SABC2 won't yet officially talk about the Saftas. My insiders couldn't give me a final cut-off date for talks ''since the situation is so already past cut-off yet still continuing because the NFVF started so late talking about broadcasting the event.''
The NFVF also approached the new Mzansi Magic (DStv 107) channel, but so late in the game, that they were immediately shown the door, insiders tell me. I'm told M-Net is open to discussions to possibly run the Saftas on the Mzansi Magic channel from next year. However the NFVF will have to drop the ''amateurism'' and make some guarantees about standards and practices around the awards that's openly considered a joke within the South African television industry at large.
ALSO READ: The Safta Awards: An amateurly run, badly organized, utter disgrace devoid of credibility, judicious thought, substance or fairness.