You're reading it here first.
Neither MultiChoice's DStv or TopTV got the memo or if they did, are doing anything about it. But don't trust the on-screen EPG: There will be no News @ 7 tonight at 19:00 on SABC3, neither will there be an episode of The Good Wife at 20:30 on SABC3 and the entertainment magazine show Top Billing is moving an hour later to only start at 20:30. Cue the upset viewers, PVRs that's not non-dynamic with time-shift changes and no flagship daily news bulletin from the SABC - all just like that.
SABC3 changed the channel's programming line-up earlier today and will be doing a live crossing to the presidential address and meeting of the IOC at 19:00. As a result the News @ 7 daily bulletin on SABC3 gets dropped. Also gone is the episode of The Good Wife at 19:30. Top Billing that's usually at 19:30, will be going out at 20:30 in the timeslot of The Good Wife.
It doesn't make sense that the SABC and SABC News would sacrifice its main flagship bulletin of the day for coverage of a live event that (a) should be on SABC2 as the events channel (b) does not quality as an overly important event of national interest for South Africa to get an hour and a half of live primetime coverage (c) and if it does - why wasn't this organized then way in advance? None of it makes sense.
There's something else of particular concern: It stands to reason that one of the SABC's 3 TV channels is going to lose its entire commercial advertising revenue for an entire night's primetime block. Not a single one of the ads shown from 19:00 to 21:30 on SABC3 tonight will be going out at the times chosen by advertisers within the shows they've requested - if they are shown at all. It means that SABC3 (or the SABC's TV Airtime Sales division to be more specific) will have to do refunds to all of the advertisers affected by this massive programming change. Advertisers must get refunds or a ''free'' redo ad if the ad wasn't shown, or not shown at the right time or at the right time but not in the correct programme as agreed. Costly.
UPDATE 5 July 2011 19:16 - The News @ 7 happened but only until 19:15. ''Good evening and welcome to a shortened News @ 7,'' said news reader Mapaseka Mokwele. ''Tonight is the opening of the 123rd Olympic session. We cross live to the event in about 15 minutes.''
