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I can reveal that Mzansi Magic (DStv 107) is getting ready to drop Kuli Roberts and swing the axe on her weekly Headline show and that it will be announced tomorrow, various sources inside the broadcaster are telling me.
Early today I reached out to M-Net as well as Mzansi Magic for comment about how the broadcaster and the channel perceives Kuli Roberts, the damage to the ongoing future relationship with her in the wake of her atrocious remarks in her now-axed newspaper column, and whether she will continue to represent the channel on television after writing that coloured women ''breed as if on a mission'' and expressing even worse sentiments about coloured women.
M-Net promised a response and Mzansi Magic said the channel will get back with a quickly response. M-Net passed the buck to Mzansi Magic, and by the end of today Mzansi Magic told me over the phone the channel has no comment.
I can reveal however that Mzansi Magic will definitely make a announcement regarding Kuli Roberts tomorrow on Wednesday and that high-level discussions took place today debating Kuli Roberts' future with Mzansi Magic, according to various insider sources. According to my sources, Mzansi Magic is thisclose to ending Kuli Roberts' Headline show that started last year when the channel launched and Mzansi Magic will be making the announcement regarding the axing of the show tomorrow. Barring the show not getting canceled - and chances are apparently very slim - Mzansi Magic will strongly distance itself from Kuli Roberts' caustic and toxic hate rant on coloured women that has exploded as a national topic.
ALSO READ: OPINION - Why M-Net and Mzansi magic need to distance themselves from Kuli Roberts and end her Headline show immediately.
UPDATE Tuesday 1 March 2011 22:00 - I've now spoken with more insider sources for more context around Kuli Roberts' Headline show on Mzansi Magic. Sources are talking about Jub Jub, Headline production, Mzansi Magic's big dilemma and the feeling inside M-Net.
For all of that click on READ MORE below.
I've reached out to even more sources who are telling me that just like Mara Louw's unwelcome and unhelpful race comments, and the Survivor SA Jub Jub explosion, that M-Net top brass is not happy with how Kuli Robert's newspaper column remarks is now reflecting and creating difficulties for the pay broadcaster. ''M-Net is not happy with Kuli Roberts right now,'' says one. ''Anything that any on-air personality does that creates a negative impression is not a good thing. Kuli didn't do anything in her show, but will this firestorm that she's ignited around her, attract more viewers or detract viewers?''
Another source suddenly brought up Survivor SA contestant Jub Jub who a year ago literally crashed and burned while the reality show was on. ''It's very difficult. Very. M-Net and Mzansi Magic are premium brands. You can't really deal with people who are in any sense alienating people about your brand - in this case your viewers who are also your subscribers.''
''It's also difficult,'' says another source, ''because TV is more difficult to make than other mediums. Kuli Roberts' newspaper column is canceled and it will quickly be filled with something else but if Headline is canceled now, M-Net and Mzansi Magic will lose money. That's a big thing. They'll be losing money for a show they've already paid for. Decisions to commission and produce shows are months' long projects. It's extremely costly to suddenly stop a train on full-speed. What do you replace Headline suddenly with? More episodes of Redi? It's all intricate and difficult decisions.''
Another insider tells me that Headline ''is usually shot on a Wednesday for broadcast on a Thursday which is most probably also why an announcement is going to be made tomorrow [Wednesday] whether the show continues or not.''
