True TRASH TV: How rivals SuperSport and StarTimes fought behind the scenes.
- First the truly trashy Sam Keengu Nyamweya, the president of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) signed a sponsorship deal with StarTimes as new media partner, then alleging that StarTimes will now show a soccer match between Kenya and Ethiopia in Nairobi.
- The only problem was that SuperSport had the rights to show it on DStv.
- Yet StarTimes blocked SuperSport from the stadium with armed police, and the former SuperSport executive and now StarTimes sport boss Gary Rathbone blatantly lied and said StarTimes would show the match. Gary Rathbone kept lying on social media to fans. The trashy Chinese StarTimes even bought full-page newspaper ads advertising they will show the match.
- Then SportFive, the sole marketing agent, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) got involved, blatantly telling StarTimes to back off, since SuperSport has the exclusive broadcasting rights, and threatening Kenya with expulsion from CHAN.
- And finally FKF and StarTimes backed off after having lied to subscribers with a trashy apology of suddenly "the CHAN rights are held by CAF as opposed to FKF".
- Now StarTimes wants to renegotiate its contract with FKF because "the integrity of the partnership is now compromised".
Truly TV trash you can't make up.
Can Frans Matlala, the new SABC CEO, save the SABC?
- "I was a bit worried about hearing media reports of him saying 'yes, we're going to broadcast the truth but we want to balance that'. How do you balance the truth?" Listen to the whole CapeTalk interview here with Kate Skinner from the SOS Coalition.
- Interestingly, the SABC's controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng is holding the hand of Frans Matlala and is accompanying him to media interviews, asserting his control, like to an interview on 702 radio. Is that really necessary?
- Hlaudi Motsoeneng continues his awkward statements at the SABC's announcement of Frans Matlala as new SABC CEO.
Botched on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) renewed.
The reality series about Hollywood plastic surgeons trying to fix horrific plastic surgery mistakes renewed fir a 3rd season.
It's 25 years since Star Trek The Next Generation's "The Best of Both Worlds" cliffhanger.
A fascinating behind-the-scenes oral history of how the cliffhanger changed the show forever, and other interesting facts you never knew.
And Forbes reveals the intricate shared rights issues and complex rights problems which is keeping a new TV series of Star Trek off the air - while next year will be its 50th anniversary.
The BBC will fire more than 1 000 people.
Dramatic cuts on the cards in massive restructuring at the British public broadcaster.
The TV industry "is hideously middle-class," says British TV producer.
One of Britain's leading TV executives from Endemol Shine laments the lack of diversity.
SACP wants the scrapping of the controversial MultiChoice and SABC archives deal.
The South African Communist Party (SACP) and the ANC political parties are against the "privatisation" of the "country's national archives". Also worrying signs that these political parties want to clamp down on media regulation in South Africa.
M-Net's new Zambezi Magic TV channel on DStv just South African soapies.
The new Southern African DStv channel is so far a channel "for archive South African soapies".
Africa's TV and film industry needs to stop making mediocre productions, says producer, and improve the quality.
South Africa's Connie and Shona Ferguson also went to the Zambezi Magic launch and also said producers need to up their game.
TV isn't dead. It's just evolving.
The consumer is in charge and the TV industry needs to evolve, and the pay-TV business model is changing.
Viacom is having a midlife crisis.
Bloomberg looks at why nobody wants their MTV (DStv 130) anyomore.
Some problem with MultiChoice's set-top boxes in Zambia.
Zambia's broadcasting authority is warning of "sanctions" if the problem with defective decoders isn't solved soon.
New Pay-TV player Siyaya TV and the SAFA fighting.
More sports rights drama behind the scenes as Siyaya TV and the South African Football Association (SAFA) are sparring despite a 10-year Bafana Bafana sports rights deal.
How television won the internet.
The New York Times on how television as a "tired" technology is taking over the internet and how its TV which is making people willing to pay for digital content online.
Soon you'll be able to to build your own Game of Thrones.
The fantasy drama series on M-Net Edge (DStv 102) is coming out with its own amazing construction sets - from the Iron Throne room to Attack on the Wall, and even a Mother of Dragons set.
