Is Top Billing, the weekly entertainment magazine show on SABC3 (Tuesdays, 20:00) degenerating into a sycophantic, thinly-disguised suck-up show pandering to the political elite and the SABC powers-that-be who are now entrenched as the well-heeled champagne crowd?
In my view the uncritical and severly pandering coverage of the over-the-top 40th birthday bash of South Africa's sports minister Fikile Mbalula on SABC3 on Flash! on Friday was already disgusting. Yet Top Billing took it to a whole new level on Tuesday night with a blanket praise vox pop, gratuitous gliterrati suck-ups and a shallow insert so lovingly loaded with political coverage and politians basking and purring in the soft glow of the glamour programme that you could have been forgiven for thinking you're watching a finely crafted political rally showreel.
When Top Billing, a show devoted to general entertainment, shows Julius Malema deliciously sipping champagne on an distant tropical island locale, and Floyd Shivambu giving effusive praise of a politician, something is majorly wrong. Keep in mind that the minister of sport is actual now a highly controversial figure and mired in a scandalous and salacious story due to an extra-marital affair and having allegedly bedded the Johannesburg model Joyce Molamu.
Yet the average viewer watching Tuesday's Top Billing would only have heard how wonderfully virtuous Fikile Mbalula is held to be - straight from the mouth of people ranging from a SABC board member Cawekazi Mahlati to the deputy president Kgalema Mothlanthe and a gaggle of glittering politicians. Not only was the coverage completely inappropriate, so was the timing of the insert, given the recent allegations.
To make matters worse, earlier in the episode Top Billing had another whole insert dedicated to David Mabilu's island wedding. South African politicians also featured prominently in that insert lavishly indulging themselves in Mauritius. Keep in mind that Top Billing and Flash! who both ran inserts are shows on the public broadcaster which is the SABC - not the Parliamentary Services channel.
It all creates the perception that Top Billing has secret (or perhaps more overt and blatant?) political aspirations; that it's no longer an innocent magazine show just focusing on pure entertainment, but wants to curry favour with the powers that be.
Top Billing's shocking coverage creates the impression that the show is turning into a glamorous showcase for South Africa's ruling champagne elite, ready to show them off in the best possible light. Why does Top Billing - both in the insert, both in the voice-over and both in on-screen indentifiers, tout the fact and talk about the sport minister and sing his glorious praises, if this was a private event that has nothing to do ith his capacity as sport minister?
Mentioning that Fikile Mbalula is the minister of sport once would be fine, but the blatant Top Billing puff-piece dripped with effusiveness and editorial like voice-overs such as what an ''effective leader'' he is and ''The minister's approach to sorting out sport has won him praise.'' Don't overlook Floyd Shivambu then given an open mic and an uncritical opportunity to talk ... politics!
Why does Top Billing do what is tantamount to political coverage even within the thinly-disguised context of entertainment? Why is the coverage so effusive? Why is the coverage so much? Why are there multiple politicians showing up in different inserts within the same episode (all from the same party)?
Here's the litmus test: will or does Top Billing give equal billing - equal on-air coverage - to other politicians and their private-yet-public events where politicians and high-flying dignitaries show up? My guess is the answer is ... no.
