The simply terrible CNBC Africa (DStv 410) remains the so-called "business" TV channel that's not the place to turn to for breaking financial news; it remains a TV channel which in my opinion viewers in South Africa and Africa simply cannot depend on to have and cover the big international news when it really matters.
Oh. And besides that, CNBC Africa apparently has problems spelling. CNBC Africa wants to be in the "broardcast" business but can't even spell "broardcast".
With Google's massive nose-dive on the American markets after the accidental too-early release of its third quarter earnings, CNBC Africa gave viewers ... The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and a repeat "broardcast" episode at that.
Breaking, real news in the world of finance wasn't just interrupted and broken away from by CNBC Africa for inane, lame banter, it did so for a repeat "broardcast" of that.
Breaking business news, and the analysis and information and background and perspective, is what late-night traders and business news viewers tune in for, hoping to get the relevant right information on massive stories before the early start of the new trading day. South African and African viewers didn't get that on Thursday night from CNBC Africa. Instead they got Christina Aguilera talking to Jay Leno about the third season of The Voice.
US Closing Bell with Maria Bartiromo listened in on Google's live conference call from 22:30 on CNBC Africa. That was great and what CNBC Africa should give to viewers. It was to be followed by the Q&A of the Google conference call happening from past 23:00 (South African time), as well as other news and perspective on exactly what happened with Google today. Then at 23:00 viewers got The Tonight Show.
Something like Google's stock price plunge should be for CNBC Africa like a tsunami is for CNN International. Viewers want to know they can tune to a specific channel or brand to get instant news on just that subject and topic and news story, and in detail, and some place which will stay on that news until the news wave is over.
While Sky News (DStv 402) and CNN International (DStv 401) didn't stay on Google constantly but did intermittent stories, updates, interviews and reporting (because they're general news channels), Anna Botting on Sky and Becky Anderson on CNN both ended up giving viewers a much better and ongoing sense of the developing news around Google because CNBC Africa failed to do what its value proposition promises: to cover breaking business news.
CNBC Africa is clearly not doing that for business news. This is not the first time just this year that CNBC Africa exposes exactly how ill-prepared it is to adapt to late breaking big financial news happening from America which drives the global market.
It's terrible that CNBC Africa can't spell. It's even more terrible that CNBC Africa has no real plan to adapt its schedule and coverage to cover breaking news which happens globally. CNBC Africa should have crossed over to CNBC Europe or should have gone with the CNBC original feed in America to stay on the Google story for a few hours more.
That's where the value lies; that's why viewers in South Africa and Africa would have gone to channel 410 on DStv on Thursday night and would have stayed there. Not for a repeat "broardcast" of Christina Aguilera talking about her vocal range.
