News Day on the eNews Channel (DStv 403) brings a credible touch of class to television news during weekday afternoons – and not just because senior anchor Andrew Barnes holds a silver tip fountain pen between his thumb and index finger while he deftly co-anchors the quality afternoon broadcast with Scheherazade Safla.
The superb News Day (weekdays between 13:00 and 16:00 on the eNews Channel, DStv 403; weekdays 13:00 to 13:30 on e.tv) with executive producer Sabiya Parkar is an informative, incisive and dynamic show – by all accounts the best afternoon news programme in South Africa. News Day with Andrew Barnes, joined by Scheherazade Safla since January when she replaced Robyn Smith, is a terrific oasis of the latest breaking news and analysis, sports news, weather and business news. The show speaks intelligently, and in style, to viewers in a usually discarded day part where the biggest rival broadcasters feed South African viewers a diet of American talk shows and soaps.
News Day, originating from Studio 201 at e.tv's Longkloof Studios in Cape Town is a wonderful example of what's actually possible for television news during the day when a production team – well-versed in news production behind the scenes – coupled with a dynamic and telegenic anchor-duo who works great together, decides to speaks up, instead of down, to viewers.
Behind the blue and white set with a glimmer of red inside Studio 201 Andrew Barnes and Scheherazade Safla don't just read the news – they actually read it. During breaks when the next stack of scripts and notes are quickly sent to the desk, they make lightning fast changes. Adjust. Read up. And yes, check Twitter and Facebook. There's also fast bathroom breaks. ''We refer to this as the pee sweep,'' laughs Scheherazade Safla, her laugh trailing behind her down the corridor at 14:25 as she quickly whisks out when nature calls.
A constant conversation is going on not just between the two of them, but also with the control room. With a flowing rhythm as every-changing as the new day's headlines, it's palpable that the News Day team is resolute in their consistent approach to not just report the news but also advance the news agenda. The News Day studio is filled with talk of breaking news stories, backlinks, sound checks and a dizzy array of production hand signals – a secret ''love'' code between the Type A co-anchors and the control room trying to create the best news show possible.
''Script? … No script,'' deadpans Scheherazade Safla seconds before the red light on one of the three studio cameras come on. Then, live and immaculate, she steals some lines meant for her co-host as she brings another story to afternoon viewers.
''Minus 5 house points,'' remarks Andrew Barnes in the studio while the video feed of the news story plays out. What after all is a news day at News Day without some good-natured line-envy rivalry. ''I'll just go home and you can do the whole thing,'' he jokes with a mock getting-up-out-of-his-chair movement. The Schez gently appeases, as she pulls him back down. ''Okay, okay. You can do the next one.'' Then she tilts her head to the side, opens her eyes wider and whispers as she smiles. ''Make sure that you write that I love him.''
It's what happens during one of the breaks when Andrew Barnes gets linked-up with a reporter on the Swaziland border that's a tell-tale sign behind the scenes of exactly why News Day is the best place for daytime TV news in South Africa – it truly tries to take the day's breaking news and provide a sense of real understanding. ''Okay Cathy,'' says Andrew Barnes as that silver fountain pen scribbles some more before camera two's red light comes on. ''Stay on the line. We'll come to you shortly right after the break and try to make sense of this all.''
News Day, weekdays, eNews Channel (DStv 403), 13:00 – 16:00
