This is another first for South African television history and is due to a massive mistake by the American 24-hour news channel.
The Fox News Channel on Friday showed live coverage of Arizona police chasing a suspect who've fled the scene.
The man then pulled out a handgun and committed suicide by shooting himself in the head - before the Fox News Channel could prevent the helicopter footage from being broadcast around the world. Fox News Channel anchor Shepard Smith shouted at the control booth to "get it off, get it off" as the Fox News Channel went to commercials.
Shepard Smith apologised on-air for the mistake in Studio B with Spehard Smith, saying that Fox News Channel failed to cut it in time.
"We messed up. And we're very sorry. That didn't belong on television. I personally apologize to you that that happened.
"We took every precaution to avoid any such live incident by putting the helicopter pictures on a five second delay," said Fox News' executive vice president of news editorial, Michael Clemente, in a statement. "Unfortunately, this mistake was the result of a severe human error and we apologize for what viewers ultimately saw on the screen."
TopTV didn't respond to a media enquiry made on Saturday about the suicide broadcast.
UPDATE Monday 1 October 2012 11:30 - TopTV has now responded with comment on Monday morning:
"The circumstances around this incident will be the subject of many debates and some may argue that such happenings are always possible when one covers live news," says Ian Woodrow, the vice president for channels of TopTV. "However it would not be appropriate for TopTV to add to any comment here especially when it is a development over which it has little or no control. TopTV would refer any concerned viewer to the public apology issued by Fox News."
