Both previous FOX bosses in South Africa, Hannelie Bekker and Ratna Siriah, respectively lasted only 5 months and 4 months and left without a word from FOX.
It means that Gary Alfonso, a former CNBC Africa (DStv 410) and BusinessDayTV (DStv 412) executive, will break the record if he manages to make it to January 2017 in his new position.
Gary Alfonso who has more than 3 decades of TV broadcasting experience, joins FOX from the Nigerian broadcaster Gotel Communications, where he was the chief operating officer (COO).
It was quite an embarrassment for FOX Africa and the FOX Networks Group (previously FOX International Channels until January 2016) in June when FOX and MultiChoice teamed up for an Empire and DStv media blitz for stars Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard to South Africa and had no local top executive.
Gobsmacked TV critics and media suddenly had to hear from Adam Theiler, the executive vice president for FOX Networks Group for Europe and Africa at the official Empire and DStv press conference who flew in for the occasion since Ratna Siriah dropped FOX after just 4 months and went back to Zee Entertainment.
Now, after a FOX Africa management vacuum of 5 months with no permanent head, Gary Alfonso is taking over as general manager of FOX Networks Group's restructured African business that includes the various FOX supplied TV channels and National Geographic Partners.
Gary Alfonso will report to Adam Theiler.
The FOX Networks Group runs channels like FOX, National Geographic and Nat Geo Wild on MultiChoice's DStv; FX, Nat Geo Gold, BabyTV and Fox Sports on StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat; and FOX Crime on both operators that's reportedly soon going to be replaced with the FOX Life channel.
FOX Networks Group has meanwhile promoted Nami Patel in London from vice president for business development in Europe and Africa, to chief financial officer (CFO) based in the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile the FOX Networks Group's South African based marketing manager Khosi Khanyile has been promoted to director of sales and marketing.
"Our genre defining brands are market leaders in Africa, delivering year on year growth over the past three years," says Adam Theiler in a statement announcing the appointment of Gary Alfonso.
"Gary Alfonso's 29 years of leading industry experience will continue to drive our success, evolving our businesses to meet the changing media landscape as we bring the best in entertainment, factual and sports programming to audiences across the continent".
In the statement Gary Alfonso says: "Working with the highly talented team in the FNG Africa office, I look forward to helping the business increase its regional footprint, in a challenging and dynamic media environment".
