SABC COO Bessie Tugwana on why 7de Laan was moved to 6pm on SABC2: Now viewers 'can see it before anything else'.

The SABC told parliament it moved the popular Afrikaans soap 7de Laan on SABC2 to several different timeslots and now to 18:00 since this month so that now viewers can "see it before anything else" - despite the fact that millions of viewers are not home at that time to watch it.

Meanwhile TV executives are buzzing with several of them now openly wondering whether "the SABC is now trying to kill 7de Laan".

In the ongoing furore about SABC2's latest controversial schedule changes, the channel dumped the 7de Laan omnibus repeats on weekends three weeks ago without telling viewers in advance.

On Sunday afternoons 7de Laan lured around 1.1 million viewers - and its axing in terms of ratings is basically the same as if the SABC cancelled the soap Isidingo on SABC3 that gets 1.3 million viewers.

The SABC said viewers who have the luxury of the internet and broadband data can watch the show on YouTube.

Viewers also continue to blast the SABC for moving the Danie Odendaal Productions show to a new timeslot yet again after changing its timeslot just 7 months ago.

So far SABC2 has chosen to remain silent and ignore viewers' complaints, with the channel that isn't responding to any of the comments from the flood of viewers begging SABC2 to bring the 7de Laan Sunday omnibus back.

Ironically SABC2 channel head Gerhard Pretorius said on SABC2 at the beginning of February that the channel always listens to viewers and wants to hear from them.

On Tuesday, the Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Veronica van Dyk in the sitting of the portfolio committee on communications asked the SABC why it moved 7de Laan to 18:00 and to explain why it's not considering viewers, why it removed the omnibus on Sundays. and how viewers are supposed to catch up who can't see it at 18:00.

The SABC's acting CEO James Aguma said he can't answer the question.

The SABC's current acting chief operating officer (COO) Bessie Tugwana said 7de Laan was scheduled at 18:30 "which we subsequently moved to 17:00 and now its sitting at 18:00".

"7de Laan for the past year, we realised that it was declining audiences," Bessie Tugwana told parliament.

She declined to mention that it was the SABC's moves that caused the 7de Laan ratings collapse since mid-2016. The show's monthly viewership erosion in -mid2016 started and continued when the SABC first decided to tamper with its timeslot.

"7de Laan is a pillar for SABC. It's a programme that's viewed by many people who speak Afrikaans, black or white or coloured. Therefore we protect it."

"So the move was not to kill it. The move was to protect it. So at 6pm currently, there isn't much aggressive competition, first. Secondly, there was a concern that it was not in prime time.That is not so. Prime time is defined as between 18:00 and 22:00," said Bessie Tugwana.

"So it's still at prime time. What we've done, its something that audiences see before anything else. In prime time at 18:00."

'We will constantly be vigilant in terms of how its performing," she said.

In America, the world's most advanced TV market, prime time is actually defined as starting at 19:00.

Bessie Tugwana didn't explain why SABC2 doesn't want a 7de Laan omnibus repeat on weekends and took it away from viewers on Sundays.


Is the SABC trying to kill 7de Laan?
TV insiders - channel executives and executive producers of shows at channels and programmes competing with the SABC, SABC2 and 7de Laan - are now openly and in amazement wondering what SABC2's plan is with 7de Laan and wondering out loud "if the SABC is trying to kill 7de Laan?"

"What is their strategy? Why on earth would they be doing something like this?" asked a longtime Afrikaans TV programming executive.

"Is the SABC trying to kill off 7de Laan?" wondered one executive attached to a weekday Afrikaans soap. "Why the bad treatment?"

Viewers are vocal in their unhappiness.

So where exactly do your viewers belong? On YouTube?" asks SABC2 viewer Margaret van Tonder. "I hope you are taking note of how many people are disappointed in you, SABC2!"

This 6pm timeslot is just not working out!" says Neofabulous Ramafoko. "We've just come home from work, sorting dinner out, getting kids to bath, etc. 1pm we are at work so we can't see the repeat. As if that isn't enough: no omnibus!"

"The SABC is taking its viewers for granted," said Roberta Maluleka.

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 28 February 2017.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read, and that you should too:

■ Nigerians want to ban more DStv television for the whole of Africa.

Censorship hungry Nigerians now wants MultiChoice's Big Brother Naija for everyone; starts a petition.

■ Security beefed up at DStv Nigeria.
Nigerian police deploy anti-riot policemen at MultiChoice Nigeria's headquarters to protect the pay-TV operator from any further attacks like the trash smash in which MTN Nigeria was looted, robbed and vandalised.

■ Palestinians delighted over Arab Idol win.
Palestinian Yaqoub Shaheen wins Dubai's version filmed in Beirut as people in Gaza and the occupied West Bank rave over the TV reality show victory.

■ Does bad TV hair mean that it's a better show?
Too many American female characters on television have too great hair that doesn't fit in with the story, says this female writer in The New York Times style supplement.

■ Bundled pay-TV as it is now is the "great white whale".
Will it eventually be unbundled leaving only sport content as the last remaining pay-TV service?

■ Netflix will hit 100 million subscribers worldwide soon.
Half will come from international markets outside of America.

■ Oscars fiasco spells problems for PwC
PricewaterhouseCoopers did lasting damage to their credibility and brand in the Oscars 2017 fiasco with accounting competitors like Ernst & Young, Deloitte and KPMG that could take over its Oscars work as well as cash in on other opportunities using PwC's public scandal to their advantage.
- And the PricewaterhouseCoopers brand takes a massive hit.

■ Why small pay-TV channels are going extinct.
Niche pay-TV channels are on their last legs and are quickly gong to start disappearing as pay-TV operators continue to cull channels from their channel line-ups.

■ The battle of two presidents...
The one between American president Donald Trump and CNN International (DStv 401)'s Jeff Zucker - both of whom love a good spectacle.

Why E! Entertainment on DStv isn't doing live coverage from the red carpet at the 2017 Oscars or interviewing stars live for the last hour before the annual Academy Awards.

It's something that E! Entertainment (DStv 124) doesn't want to draw attention to and much less wants to explain, but the channel that promises live red carpet coverage from the Oscars every year, has actually stopped providing it to viewers for a full hour before the Oscars ceremony is set to start - doing neither coverage from the actual red carpet, nor live red carpet coverage.

But why?

Viewers who tune in and look carefully (it also happened last year) will notice that the entertainment TV channel from NBCUniversal International Networks stops providing actual live red carpet reporting, live interviews and any live video shots of stars' arrival for the hour before The 89th Annual Academy Awards 2017 starts.

E! was also blocked last year, unable to actually be next to the red carpet and reporting live during the last hour.

This final hour outside the Dolby Theatre is the busiest and most premium red carpet period, the time during which the most high-profile celebrities and stars from the world of entertainment make their red carpet arrival.

The truth is that E! doesn't have the rights (and neither does a lot of other broadcasters and media) with E! that ends up "fooling" viewers in a sense through broadcasting a "reshow" to pad the time until the awards ceremony starts.

Since E! isn't allowed to show any live coverage or interviews from the actual red carpet during the final hour before the Oscars, E! Entertainment does a "red carpet rundown" with presenters discussing and showing clips and photos of stars who had already made an appearance up to that point for a full hour, as well as pre-recorded interviews and inserts.

For the 89th Annual Academy Awards it works like this: E! does E! Live from the Red Carpet: The 2017 Academy Awards from 00:30 - 02:30, then Oscars Red Carpet Rundown 2017 from 02:30 - 03:30.

The awards show starts at 03:30.

Notice that hour from 02:30 to 03:30 that isn't actual live red carpet coverage.

Viewers who look closely will see how Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic will again - like in 2016 - abruptly cease doing live red carpet coverage at 02:30 and throw to E!'s lesser-known presenters for an hour of padded talk.

On M-Net Movies Premiere (DStv 104) however that carries the official Oscars awards show as well as the official red carpet pre-show, this is where subscribers to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform actually get to see the little-publicised real red carpet coverage in the hour just before the Academy Awards.

The M-Net Movies Premiere channel shows Oscars Red Carpet Live (00:00 - 02:00), then the final hour of the real red carpet coverage with On the Red Carpet: The Arrivals 2017 (02:30 - 03:30), followed by The 89th Annual Academy Awards 2017 (03:30 - 07:40).

These red carpet pre-shows are done by America's ABC TV network, the same "official" network that in America has the rights and broadcast the Oscars as part of a multi-year deal.

ABC doesn't want E! and others to do competing, live red carpet coverage because ABC paid for the rights to the awards show and the official red carpet coverage pre-show.

The Los Angeles explains nicely why E! and others are being blocked from doing red carpet coverage during the most desired time: that final hour - and it all has to do with broadcasting rights and money.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has now started charging broadcasters and TV channels a massive fee to do red carpet coverage running to thousands of dollars and is also blocking the final hour so that ABC can have it (exclusively).

It means that E! and other media are effectively blocked from any interviews and live coverage with any of the really big stars (because they don't arrive early to stand around and do interviews for that long).

For many years it has been these media like E! since 1990 who helped to hype and build up the Oscars and award show red carpet coverage through their presence, and reporting from it, to what it is today.

Now they're being asked to pay to promote and publicise a media event, and are also blocked from the parts that have the most value.

E! doesn't really want to talk about this sensitive issue that's obviously quite problematic if your name and alphabet TV calling card letter is built on the presumption of providing actual red carpet coverage.

Adam Stotsky, president of E!, told The Los Angeles Times that asked about the issue only that E! is "an important vehicle to reach the millennial audience" and that being barred from the last hour of the red carpet wouldn't hamper E!'s Oscars red carpet coverage.

"E!'s preeminence on the red carpet, combined with Ryan's stature within the community, really makes E! a must-stop destination for marquee stars," said Adam Stotsky.

BBC Worldwide for Africa sells over 800 hours of programming to Naspers' ShowMax and China's StarTimes.

In the past few months the BBC has sold over 800 hours of programming to the African pay-to-play streamer ShowMax and pay-TV operator StarTimes.

BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, has sold over 250 hours of content to Naspers' ShowMax, and over 200 hours to China's StarTimes, MultiChoice's biggest pay-TV rival on the African continent.

In its second deal with ShowMax, the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service picked up shows like Absolutely Fabulous and War and Peace. StarTimes took shows like Luther, Doctor Who and Call the Midwife.

BBC Worldwide says Africa has become one of its "most flourishing markets" with a growing demand for quality BBC programming.

MultiChoice carries several BBC Worldwide channels on its DStv pay-TV platform across Africa, with South Africa that carries all five channels – BBC First, BBC Brit, BBC Earth, BBC Lifestyle and CBeebies. 

The BBC says "appetite for BBC content has expanded rapidly".

"It's an incredibly exciting time for the television industry in Africa," says Joel Churcher, BBC Worldwide vice president and general manager for Africa.

"There's an insatiable appetite for top-tier programmes and BBC Worldwide content, in particular our drama series, are cutting are cutting through the wealth of content available and being recognised as some of the most popular shows across the continent."

FOX on DStv and StarSat pulls shocking 4th episode of 24: Legacy from its schedule after using real-life Westgate Mall terror attack footage as entertainment.

FOX has pulled all scheduled repeats of the 4th episode of the shocking 24: Legacy that included footage of the horrific real-life Westgate Mall terrorism attack for terror-tainment purposes.

On Friday afternoon FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131), seen in South Africa and across Africa on MultiChoice's DStv and on China's StarTimes South Africa and On Digital Media's StarSat, rushed to scrub its schedule of the controversial 4th episode of the new 24: Legacy that used inserted real CCTV camera footage of terrorists attacking and killing people in Kenya's Westgate Mall.

24: Legacy, produced by 20th Century Fox Television, Imagine Television and Teakwood Lane Productions for FOX, used the Westgate terror attack as a fictional terrorism attack elsewhere in Africa for the episode entitled "3:00 PM – 4:00 PM".

In the Westgate terror attack in 2013 in Nairobi 67 people were killed and 175 people wounded.

Kenyan and African viewers immediately noticed the 10 seconds of included screen time in the drama, and reacted with shock and horror that the FOX show would use actual terrorism footage for an entertainment drama and then "redress" it for another fictional terror attack.

"This is the footage from Al-Jegrad market in Alexandria Egypt three years ago. The attack was planned and executed by Bin Khalid and his men," a character says while 24: Legacy showed the Westgate Mall attack in the latest episode that left African audiences shocked and angry.

FOX has now pulled the insensitive 4th episode of 24: Legacy deemed highly disrespectful to Kenya and the families of everyone who lost people in the real terrorism attack from all its Sunday and Monday's repeat slots for African and international viewers.

So far there's been no public statement from the FOX Networks Group and FOX Networks Group Africa general manager Gary Alfonso responsible for FOX and the set of Fox channels and content distributed by FNG Africa in South Africa and across Africa.

In a statement from the 24: Legacy executive producers, Evan Katz and Manny Coto says: "In episode 4 of 24: Legacy we regretfully included news footage of an attack in Nairobi. It will be removed from all future broadcasts and versions of the show. We apologize for any pain caused to the victims and their families and are deeply sorry."

The Kenya Film Classification Board in a statement calls FOX and 24: Legacy's use of the real-life footage "repulsive, insensitive and a reckless piece of art that heartlessly evokes the painful memories of the tragic terror attack".

"It flies in the face of basic considerations of human dignity, in total disregard of the feelings of the victims and their families. It is not only an inaccurate and false narrative of the Westgate terror attack, but also a callous piece of entertainment that demeans Africans and Kenyans in particular."

"We are disturbed that 24: Legacy chose to demean and indeed invade into the grief and painful emotions of the tragic Westgate attack. The board condemns in the strongest terms possible this irresponsible piece of entertainment and promises to get to the bottom of this matter as soon as possible".

On social media the topic started trending under #SomeoneTellFox.

I'm imagining what would happen if someone used 9/11 footage for entertainment just like @FOXTV has with #WestGate attack #SomeoneTellFox

— Gerald Cheruiyot (@Cheruiyot931) February 23, 2017

#SomeoneTellFox they ought have spent money & reenact the scenes.Using Westgate horror for entertainment purposes was just soo sad @FOXTV

— Keith (@Kachumbarikiasi) February 24, 2017

#SomeoneTellFox That it's insensitive to use that clip, Why not the '93 twin towers bombing?

— Sarah Richard (@SarahRi85339067) February 24, 2017

#SomeoneTellFox your actions are genuinely disgusting. The fact that shit like this was allowed to air is an insult to in human decency

— Theodore Ouya (@the_ouya) February 24, 2017

They thought we'd be too preoccupied with hunting and gathering to notice that clip is from Westgate. #SomeoneTellFox https://t.co/gCnGPfJvxx

— MUREGA (@TsarNjoroge) February 24, 2017

#SomeoneTellFox how would they feel if we used their school shootings footage in our shows.

— joyce kiki (@kuvisko) February 24, 2017

#SomeoneTellFox .....This is the only fox we know...Using our tragedy for your legacy is an all time low! pic.twitter.com/KC09Xw9eYA

— ლ◉◞Mseto ◉ლ (@Kiptoo_Patricks) February 24, 2017

#SomeoneTellFox we no longer live in caves. We have TVs n know Kiefer Sutherland aka Jack Bauer could not have allowed such sh*t to happen!

— Geoffrey Mwangi (@geffmwangih) February 24, 2017

#SomeoneTellFox so Alexandria market have an elephant as their trade mark? I am black, I have eyes that see and a brain that works @FOXTV

— October The 28th (@Derny_el) February 24, 2017

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 24 February 2017.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read, and that you should too:

■ Nigerians on a rampage against MTN and MultiChoice.
Nigerians on Thursday threaten MultiChoice Nigeria and MTN Nigeria to leave the West African country within 48 hours.
Nigerians burnt the South African flag, and vandalise like animals; plundered MTN in Nigeria as they ripped TV sets off the wall, stole and destroyed property and even physically attack customers as they went on a looting rampage.
Nigerians now wants to "clear the madness with madness".
A week before M-Net's Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards 2017 (AMVCA 2017) taking place in Lagos, protesters say they will bring down MTN cellphone masts and target DStv Nigeria and Shoprite Nigeria. The MultiChoice Nigeria offices were protected by heavy security and police.

Only about 100 protestors showed up outside DStv and MTN offices in Nigeria.
Meanwhile 120 South African companies in Nigeria are now at risk of "attacks".


■ Meanwhile a Nigerian lawmaker wants MultiChoice Africa's "immoral" Big Brother Naija off the air.
Apparently the TV show filled with obscene displays that permeate the show does more damage that the trash looting and stealing in the streets.
- Nigeria's National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is asked to ban Big Brother Naija because of "obscenity, eroticism and idleness". The NBC is good with banning TV shows.
A Nigerian pastor has decided to put a curse on Big Brother Naija on DStv - honestly you can make this trash up even if you wanted to!
- Evicted housemate Cocolce is already stripping for a magazine, Gifty says she doesn't have a sex tape and people are wondering if Big Brother Naija is raising Africa's "stupid" index.
Is Big Brother Naija just an audition for "wannabe porns"?

■ MUST WATCH. Jimmy Fallon Donald Trump reveals the Trump News Network.
"Betsy, talk!"

James Bond pop-up channel from M-Net Movies starting today on DStv with all the 007 films in chronological order and 4 special documentaries.

The James Bond pop-up channel from M-Net Movies kicks off today on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform on DStv channel 109 for DStv Premium subscribers with all of the 007 films broadcast in chronological order.

The James Bond pop-up channel will run from today until 5 March, showing every film from 23 February, restarting on Monday 27 February and again from 3 March.

The 007 channel will carry 4 special documentaries, Now Pay Attention 007 (2000), Best Ever Bond (2002), Bond Girls are Forever (2012) and Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 (2012).

Thursday 23 February
10:10 Dr No (1963)
12:03 From Russia with Love (1964)
14:03 Goldfinger (1965)
15:53 Thunderball (1965)
18:03 You Only Live Twice (1967)
20:00 On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
22:21 Diamonds are Forever (1971)


Friday 24 February
09:35 Live and Let Die (1973)
11:37 The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
13:42 The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
15:47 Moonraker (1979)
17:53 For Your Eyes Only (1981)
20:00 Octopussy (1983)
22:10 Never Say Never Again (1983)
00:23 A View to a Kill (1985)


Saturday 25 February
10:35 Casino Royale (Peter Sellers Spoof TV movie) (1967)
11:30 The Living Daylights (1987)
13:40 Licence to Kill (1989)
15:52 GoldenEye (1995)
18:01 Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
20:00 The World is Not Enough (1999)
22:08 Die Another Day (2012)


Sunday 26 February
08:20 Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007
10:00 Bond Girls are Forever
10:50 Now Pay Attention 007!
11:45 Best Ever Bond
13:23 Casino Royale (2006)
15:52 Quantum of Solace (2008)
17:38 Skyfall (2012)
20:00 Spectre (2015)
21:27 Casino Royale (Peter Sellers Spoof TV movie) (1967)

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 23 February 2017.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read, and that you should too:

■ Nigerian "invasion" planned on South African companies MultiChoice and MTN on Thursday.
Public protests want to "stampede" MultiChoice Nigeria and MTN in Lagos on Thursday because of xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

■ Take a guess how many TV news channels there are in India?
Almost 400! And now a new TV news channel RepublicTV launching soon wants to enter the competition.

■ BBC will start a new TV channel for Scotland in 2018.
BBC Scotland will focus on drama and factual content and an hour-long news programme.


■ British mumbling mars BBC's latest TV series SS-GB.
Viewers are once again complaining that they can't hear properly. This time its the new alt-history series SS-GB starting soon on BBC First (DStv 119) in South Africa.
Is the problem new flat-screen TV sets?

Meanwhile SS-GB has "cliched, clunky, dialogue delivered at a snail's pace".
The BBC says it will again look at what's wrong after all of the sound complaints.
More than 1.5million viewers of the 7 million who started watching the drama series that used the wrong model of Spitfire,  tuned away amidst the BBC "mumbling row".
The TV is hard to hear, says The Wall Street Journal, but you can fix that.


■ Spanish TV gossip shows
violated the rights of a singer by discussing her sex life on the private TV channels, the European Court of Human Rights finds.

■ This is Us is now American television's biggest hit.
Yet its nowhere in South Africa, not on M-Net (DStv 101), not on DStv, e.tv or anywhere else. Vanity Fair has the story on how the great emoti-drama in which "nice people really like each other" dethroned The Big Bang Theory.

■ Pakistan TV drama in trouble over the lesbians.
Pakistan's media regulator tells Hum TV the "topic of homosexuality is against our values" after two women are shown being in a relationship.

■ Turkish TV dramas are slowly conquering the world.
The Turkish delights are apparently even responsible for a less fighting in Gaza during the afternoons.

■ Something for 7de Laan?
Perhaps an idea for SABC2's viewership shedding soap? Australia's soap Home and Away sees rating spikes with stories about hunks caring for babies.

■ China's relaunched CGTN (DStv 409 / StarSat 266) apologises for wrong Somaliland map.
"Terribly sorry" for Somalia map bungle, says wrong Africa map "was a mistake by one of our editors and does not in any way reflect the standpoint of the Chinese government".

■ Shock in Brazil as TV channel reveals dancer will have to wear clothes
for the first time in 26 years on TV Globo's coverage of upcoming Rio Carnival.

■ American pay-TV boss warns:
Pay-TV subscribers are going to continue to flee if traditional pay-TV services "continue to raise prices and continue to have 16 to 18 minutes of advertising per hour".

■ Don't cry for the laugh track.
Inside the morbid secret of one of the classic TV sitcom's most annoying tools.

■ Study finds millennial men are abandoning pay-TV in droves.
Young guys are not just no longer paying for television, they're simply quitting watching TV.

■ An American rightwinger says he has "tapes" about CNN and will release it on Thursday.
Says he has a "few hundreds hours" of material recorded inside CNN that he will release as "CNN Leaks".

■ A whopping number of pay-TV channels - 127 - in India are showing too much ads.
Who knew a rule capping ads on a pay-TV channel to 12 minutes per hour existed somewhere in the world?
Several Indian TV channels also seen in South Africa went way over the prescribed 12 minute cap, like B4U Movies, SUN TV, Star Plus, Colors, SET Max.

'Unexplained' sound problems mar VIA's episode of Bobby & Karlien: In Jou Skoene on Wednesday night; viewers asked to watch repeats.

Sound problems marred VIA (DStv 147) and the show Bobby & Karlien: In Jou Skoene on Wednesday night.

The Afrikaans lifestyle channel from Media24 on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform told viewers that they will have to watch a repeat of the episode at 22:00 after the technical sound problems have been fixed.

An unexplained sound crisis marred the 7th episode of Bobby & Karlien: In Jou Skoene. "We have an unexplained problem," said Izelle Venter, VIA channel head.

VIA apologised to viewers and asked them to tune in at 22:00 on Wednesday night, Thursday at 17:00 and 19:00 and on Sunday at 18:30 for repeat broadcasts of the specific Bobby & Karlien: In Jou Skoene episode.

In the episode the M-Net (DStv 101) The Voice SA coach Bobby van Jaarsveld joins an anti-rhino poaching unit.

On social media VIA told viewers that the week's episode has an "unexplained sound problem. The team is working to fix it. We humbly apologise. The programme went through all the usual processes. We will keep you up to date".

The episode at 20:30 was broadcast without sound. After 20 minutes it was replaced by a rebroadcast of the previous week's episode.

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 22 February 2017.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read, and that you should too:

■ "The SABC's coverage of Jacob Zuma's State of the Nation 2017 address analysed.
Media show The Listening Post on Al Jazeera (DStv 406 / StarSat 257) looks at how the SABC and the Guptas The New Age Breakfast Briefing on SABC2's Morning Live the day after the speech was covered.

For instance: Al Jazeera finds that Leanne Manas throws president Jacob Zuma softball questions - that is until the show switches away from SABC2 (viewers) and continues to only be broadcast on MultiChoice's DStv on the SABC News (DStv 404) channel catering to pay-TV audiences.

Now suddenly "Peter Ndoro asks much tougher questions" when a much smaller TV audience is watching.


■ Television graveyard.
Millions of old TV sets are dumped and abandoned in massive warehouses across America - and the hard manual labour involved to break down and destroy or recycle old TV sets.

■ Second season of Showtime's Billions getting "a big promotional push" as if it's a new show.
In South Africa on DStv, not so much.

■ Lovely.
Matt LeBlanc eats horse penis in the new upcoming season of Top Gear starting on 8 March at 20:00 on BBC Brit (DStv 120).


■ Alberton school furious over eNCA (DStv 403) story it slams as a false report.
Marais Viljoen High School (MVHS) considering taking eNCA and eNuus on kykNET (DStv 144) to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) after unsubstantiated, slanderous report and the apparent failure to ask the right people for comment.


■ Russia's president Vladimir Putin is obsessed with television.
Specifically in watching to see how different TV channels cover him.


■ Court papers reveal how Botswana Television (BTV) got rid of its head of news in an election year.
Koketso Joshua Ntopolelang wants his job as head of TV news and current affairs at Botswana's state broadcaster back; shows court how he was allegedly purged from BTV and moved to another government department because he could allegedly "not be trusted" during an election year in Botswana.


■ New Zealand TV is trashing up current affairs in prime time.
Strange and trashy chit-chat as actuality programming instead of news.

■ Sky News (DStv 402) anchor Dermot Murnaghan warns
that the TV news at 22:00 on British television can't survive due to falling viewership.

■ Cameroon viewers treated to TV fight.
After last week's Egypt on-set brouhaha, in Cameroon on Sunday novelist Calixthe Beyala created an "incident close to barbarism and savagery" in an on-set clash.

■ CNBC Africa (DStv 410) opens a new studio in Rwanda.
Who knew? Apparently the ABN Group running the business TV channel on MultiChoice's DStv platform opened a new studio in Rwanda's Kigali Convention Centre. Of course there wasn't even a basic press release or statement to the media.

■ Japan gives money to improve Malawi television.
Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) gets millions from Japan to improve its MBCTV broadcasting equipment in Blantyre.

■ Unnamed Indian TV anchor caught as a prostitute.
Allegedly used her good looks to become involved in prostitution at a guest house in Hyderabad; police reprimanded her for illegal activities and "advised her to pursue her anchoring career professionally".

■ A second golden age for TV news channels in America?
Viewership soars thanks to The Lorax Donald Trump.

■ The SABC has now implemented the Scisys' dira! and MusicMaster systems.
New production and playout systems used by 19 of the SABC's radio stations. Of course it's hopefully not being held together by sticky tape in the rundown SABC studios.

■ Script for final episode of The Vampire Diaries is so brutal ...
it made actor Paul Wesley cry.

A GREAT DAY IN SALEM. Days of Our Lives on SABC3 renewed for a 52nd season in America.

The American weekday soap Days of Our Lives broadcast in South Africa on the SABC's SABC3 at late night has been renewed for a 52nd season.

In January this year Days of Our Lives passed 13 000 episodes and is produced by Corday Productions Inc. in association with Sony Pictures Television.

"It's a great day in Salem!," says Ken Corday, Days of Our Lives executive producer in a statement, announcing the renewal.

"We're pleased to announce that after more than 51 years in the hearts and homes of our amazing fans, Days of our Lives will continue".

We are grateful to our incredible network and longstanding partner Sony for their continued support, and we look forward to what the future will bring under the new creative direction of the show. I'm especially proud to be able to shepherd Days of Our Lives into the new season, continuing my parents dream and the show's legacy."

Jennifer Salke, NBC Entertainment president says "We feel so privileged to be able to continue the remarkable legacy of Days of our Lives. We thank Ken Corday and his team for their incredible accomplishments and look forward to all the stories from Salem that will continue to unfold".

Steve Kent, Sony Pictures Television senior executive vice president for programming says: "Days of Our Lives Lives has a legacy of rich storytelling that has traveled across generations".

"Ken Corday and the cast and crew continue to deliver dynamic storylines and unforgettable performances, and we are proud to continue to bring this award-winning series to audiences both in America and around the world."

OBJECTified become a 10-episode series on FOX News Channel later in the year with Harvey Levin touring celebrities' homes.

FOX News Channel (StarSat 261) has picked up the once-off special OBJECTified that was broadcast in November 2016 as a new 10-episode series that will be shown on Fox News later in 2017 with Harvey Levin touring American celebrities' home as they talk about objects that hold special meaning for them.

OBJECTified on FOX News will be broadcast on Fridays later in 2017, and comes after the TV special that Harvey Levin did with now American president Donald Trump in his gilded Trump Towers in New York.

In the show newsmakers and celebrities will tell their life stories through their personal items.

"The OBJECTified special presented on Fox News exceeded our expectations, so we're thrilled to continue working with Harvey Levin and his talented team of producers on this new series," says Sharri Berg, the Fox News senior vice president of news operations.

"What I  love about the show is that it's a different way of telling a life story, and it's relatable to anyone who watches," says Harvey Levin.

"Everyone keeps stuff that means something to them, and when you start probing what the objects mean to you, what was going on in your life at the time, they can unlock the story of who you are today."

OBJECTified will be produced by Harvey Levin Productions in association with Telepictures.

AWKWARD. SABC loses the revived Come Dine with me South Africa on SABC3 after Rapid Blue withdraws the offer to make a 4th local season for the SABC.

The slush bucket filled with unending awful at the SABC continues:

After the SABC announced that it will be taking over and doing a new season of Come Dine with Me South Africa, the embattled South African public broadcaster on Tuesday afternoon was suddenly forced to issued a terse statement saying it won't anymore - and that the show has been taken away from it.

Sources told TVwithThinus on Tuesday evening that it's fully the SABC's own fault and that the public broadcaster lost the opportunity due to failure and "non-delivery of the contract".

TVwithThinus reported two weeks ago that Come Dine with Me SA would be back for a fourth season, and this time revived on SABC3.

The format rights holder, the production company Rapid Blue, who made the previous three seasons, was ready and willing to do a version for SABC3.

It was a win-win-win-win: the production company got to make another season, ITV Studios got a new localised season of its show in a country where viewers are desperate to see more of it, SABC3 got a great quality show to improve its schedule, and viewers got to participate in a show that ended prematurely and has a lot of life and ratings potential left to it.

The SABC has been running on-air promos on SABC3 for two weeks already, asking viewers living in Gauteng in and around Johannesburg to enter Come Dine With Me SA.

The SABC said Come Dine with Me SA would start in July on SABC3 and would be broadcast for 13 weeks - only it's not.

Now it's hella-awkward for the SABC - once again looking amateurish and as if the public broadcaster doesn't know how television works, how to professionally go about it and how to properly do local commissioning deals.

It's not clear why the SABC would promote a show - a local version of the ITV Studios format - and then suddenly two weeks later not have it and why the SABC would announce a show if at the time it didn't have a signed contract.

The awkward public backtracking makes the SABC look like a cat whose milk has turned sour.

Rapid Blue - who previously did Come Dine with Me South Africa for BBC Worldwide's BBC Lifestyle channel on MultiChoice's DStv - took the show away from the SABC just two weeks after the public broadcaster announced it.

The SABC says Rapid Blue has withdrawn its offer to make the show.

The SABC in a statement says "The SABC has been in negotiations with the rights holder, production house Rapid Blue, to showcase Come Dine With Me South Africa. However the Corporation was informed by the production company that they have subsequently withdrawn their offer for us to produce the show."

"The SABC would like to apologise to all South Africans who adhered to the call to action in anticipation that we would be producing the show."

"The SABC strives to have the best local television formats and will continue to pursue bringing you the best of local premium content. Further announcements of the show's replacement will follow."

Rapid Blue in a statement says "Although we will not be moving ahead with SABC3 on this occasions, we remain committed to the Come Dine with Me format and are exploring how best to bring a new series of the show to South African viewers".

The news at the beginning of February that SABC3 would be taking over Come Dine with Me South Africa was met with positive reaction, with South African TV industry insiders welcoming the move and saying that it possibly signaled the start of a turn-around for the ratings-starved and content-struggling SABC3.

Come Dine with Me SA that got glowing reviews during its three seasons on BBC Lifestyle was seen as the start of a commitment by SABC3 to return to quality programming and to steer away from terrible shows like Divas of Jozi, Top Chef South Africa and Arthur Mafokate's awful A Date with Arthur (filmed in his real-life living room) none of which got ratings or acclaim.

CNBC Africa opens a second TV studio with an adjacent lounge in Rwanda's capital of Kigali at the city's convention centre.

CNBC Africa (DStv 410) that turns a decade old on 1 June this year, has opened a second TV studio - with an adjacent lounge - in Rwanda at the Kigali Convention Centre in the African country's capital of Kigali.

The business TV channel run by the ABN Group and carried by MultiChoice's DStv in South Africa and across Africa, as well as in Nigeria on StarTimes Nigeria since October 2016, was opened on Friday 17 February.

The ABN Group didn't want to tell the media about it and days later there's been no press release or statement issued by CNBC Africa to the media.

It's noteworthy since ABN and CNBC Africa in earlier years during its African expansion and opening of news bureaux did keep the media up to date about its opening of offices and studios and future bureau plans.

CNBC Africa wants to use the Kigali TV studio at the convention centre to tie in with events and conferences that's being held there.

On the CNBC Africa website Roberta Naicker, ABN Group managing director is quoted saying "This television studio in the Kigali Convention Centre marks yet another step towards our ongoing commitment to not only Rwanda, but East Africa, and in telling the African economic story from all corners of the continent."

"As the channel celebrates its 10th Anniversary on 1 June, we are excited to be able to add this important presence on the front line of one of the most high-tech convention center's to our content offering".

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 21 February 2017.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read, and that you should too:

■ The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) should polish its dismal programming.
After Zimbabwe's Reserve Bank last week criticised DStv subscribers in Zimbabwe for damaging the struggling country's economy, criticism is building about how bad Zimbabwe's television offering is.

■ Is StarTimes Kenya stealing from StarTimes subscribers?
StarTimes Kenya subscribers are furious about how they're constantly being cut off too early.


■ Why there's no NBA basketball on DStv anymore.
MultiChoice lost the rights to NBA broadcasts in sub-Saharan Africa to Kwesé Sports with the deal "that is a huge blow for SuperSport". Of course it was the NBA All-Stars and nobody in Africa could really watch.
- Making it even more bizarre is the NBA planning to return to South Africa. Hilarious considering that a dead brand for a barely there American sport doesn't want its actual content and matches shown on television in South Africa.


■ Dishing dirt on Awful Park:
The rot at the SABC is finally being exposed - choice quotes from parliament's ongoing SABC investigation.

■ Nigeria's Ndani TV has burnt down.
The online TV channel in Lagos, Nigeria saw its Ndani Studio go up in flames over the weekend, billions feared lost - including already filmed new seasons of shows, as well as back-up copies.

■ Complaints about OnAir who does direct marketing on behalf of MultiChoice continues.
More bad service and lies by OnAir according to DStv subscribers when it comes to upselling DStv subcribers in South Africa who are unhappy with how they're being lied to.


■ BEST TV story headline this year:
"Trolls worse than zombies," says The Walking Dead star.
Of course actor Josh McDermitt of The Walking Dead on FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131) is talking about internet and social media shamers.


■ The end of male audience focused linear TV channels?
With Esquire, Spike and others shut down, are channels catering to male viewers now in danger?

■ Tina Wamala hasn't been fired.
MultiChoice Uganda's publicist who was embroiled in controversy last month goes on NBS to talk about DStv in Uganda. Little actual news and information, but note the mention of "reshuffling" of content coming.

■ From a TV news anchor's lips to Donald Trump's ears and Sweden's disbelief.
Donald Trump watches TV at night, and then uses that in his tweets, speeches and interviews.

■ Italy's Roman Catholic church TV is sexy-ing up - complete with Colin Firth in wet shirt.
TV2000, a Roman Catholic owned TV channel, has bought its first content from BBC Worldwide, including racy dramas like Pride and Prejudice.

■ TV ratings system: Australia to become largest per capita people metered market in the world.
What is means is that Australia's ratings, or viewership measurement, will have the best "accuracy" in terms of how what is listed actually relates to what the whole nation is really watching.

■ Naspers' ShowMax launching new short-video series QHits on 1 March.
ShowMax, working with QYou, will launch the new series QHits in ShowMax in East Africa with presenter Rachel Marete.

Naspers' pay-to-play streamer ShowMax pulls 172 000 subscribers in Poland on its launch day, more than half of what Netflix did when it launched in Poland.

Last night in Sweden people listened to ABBA, but in Poland some most likely watched ShowMax: the service pulled in 172 000 subscribers on its launch day.

As expected, ShowMax launched in Poland last week with a monthly subscription of 5euro (R70.90) and a 14-day free trial.

ShowMax's development hub is based in the neighbouring Czech Republic, that made the jump to Poland the perfect choice as the springboard for ShowMax's European expansion aspirations.

According to reports, ShowMax signed up 172 000 subscribers sampling the service.

When Netflix launched in Poland in January 2016 it drew 337 600 subscribers with the service that offers a month-long free trial. By February 2017 Netflix had 80 000 subscribers, with 385 900 people who've used the service during 2016

Interestingly, Naspers' pay-to-play streamer with its launch last week managed to lure more than half of the number of Polish subscribers that Netflix did that has a much larger global brand awareness.

ShowMax, launched in August 2015 in South Africa, doesn't yet release subscriber numbers for South Africa or Africa but in mid-July 2016 said that the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service has racked up more than 10 million "views".

ShowMax said "the cumulative number of TV shows and movies watched by ShowMax customers exceeded 10 million. In total, more than five million hours of content have been viewed, the equivalent of more than 500 years if played back-to-back".

M-Net's Channel O hosting a massive open-air after-party this year at the Cape Town Carnival 2017's Green Point Fan Walk.

M-Net's Channel O (DStv 320) as a sponsor of the Cape Town Carnival 2017 this year will be doing an open-air after-party on Saturday 18 March on the Green Point Fan Walk.

The theme of Cape Town Carnival 2017 held annually during March, is "AMAZA - Ocean Odyssey" with up to 50 000 people expected to pour into the Mother City to watch the parade that's a project from the national department of arts and culture.

DJ Fresh and Euphonik will be taking the stage at the end of the Fan Walk and bring visitors of the Cape Town Carnival 2017 live music from a gigantic sea-urchin float. This float with an impressive array of lights and colour, will be surrounded by massive speakers.

"M-Net and Channel O are proud to be a part of this outstanding event," says Nkateko Mabaso, M-Net general manager for South Africa. "We pride ourselves on our local content offering and Channel O is the perfect brand to host the after-party which showcases the various local music genres we have in South Africa".

"We're very excited to be working with M-Net's Channel O this year, making the carnival a brilliant, all-round experience," says Jay Douwes, Cape Town Carnival CEO.

More than 50 community groups will bring the Green Point Fan Walk alive with spectacular floats, giant puppets and extravagant costumes with spectactors from across the world coverging along the 1.2 km parade route.

Black TV producer Shona Ferguson slams South Africa's TV industry; says 'you are disrespected'; 'white producers are never disrespected by black folks'.

The successful black TV producer Shona Ferguson has slammed South Africa's TV and film industry, saying black producers are "disrespected and ill-treated for doing good" and that "white producers are never disrespected by black folks".

It's not clear what prompted the actor-producer's statement on Friday evening on social media.

Shona Ferguson's public lashing over the perceived disrespect that black TV producers endure, however comes exactly a day after all of the highly rated productions from Ferguson Films were completely snubbed by the 11th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) that's set to take place in March at Sun City.

The 2017 Saftas is once again being embroiled in a boycott by South African TV producers who slammed the awards show organised by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) for its apparent lack of transparency and problems with the judging process.

In addition, a very glaring snub is Ferguson Films whose top shows like The Queen, Rockville and Igazi on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) were all shut out.

While The Queen, Rockville and Igazi as premium locally produced programming draw huge ratings for MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform on the M-Net packaged channel - meaning they are shows that viewers love and watch in droves - none of these series, its crews or casts are included for any recognition this year in any of the nominee categories at the 2017 Saftas. 

In a series of tweets on Friday evening, with no indication as to why he's saying so, Shona Ferguson who co-own Ferguson Films with his actress-producer wife Connie Ferguson, highlighted race issues in South Africa's TV and film industry and perceived ill-treatment.

"Don't focus on the flash and think it's been an easy ride. In fact it gets harder every day. Being a black producer is not easy," said Shona Ferguson.

"You are disrespected and ill-treated for doing good, creating jobs and giving people opportunities to do what they love and earn a living.

"You work hard to contribute to the industry and grow it, but it's the very people that you give these opportunities to that spit in your face. White producers are never disrespected by black folks. It's sad that it's our brothers and sisters who wish you ill because you are doing well."

"It's about the work. Connie and I, through Ferguson Films, have been delivering A+, because we work hard. We love and appreciate what we do."

"We are very grateful. We are not asking for special treatment. All I ask is you give us the same respect you give the white producers."

"This is a very small industry. Be careful how you treat people and how you behave. When you are out of work tomorrow, just know it's all on you," said Shona Ferguson, adding that "I just want to make great TV and films".

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 20 February 2017.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read, and that you should too:

■ The SABC didn't want to and couldn't bother to broadcast gospel icon Lundi Tyamara's funeral - eNCA (DStv 403) did.
"Pity those who still depend on the SABC for information as it is no longer a public broadcaster. It's a broadcaster for the few," says this newspaper reader.

■ BBC America's boss on why the BBC's new Top Gear flopped.
Sarah Barnett says new presenters Matt LeBlanc, Rory Reed and Chris Harris are still developing their chemistry. And that nothing can withstand the scrutiny a show like Top Gear faced last year.

■ Nigerian TV executive slams Nigerians as hypocrites for watching and complaining about Big Brother Naija.
Says Nigerian viewers keep complaining about the MultiChoice Africa reality show but keep watching the "indiscriminate romance, drinking and vulgar talks by contestants".

- Meanwhile Cocolce's nipple failed to save her. Despite their sexual TV escapades, their sexual indulgences failed to save the housemates.

■ Are America's TV news anchors playing into Donald Trump's hands?
Donald Trump possibly wants to be seen as being in conflict with the media.

■ Thailand television slowly resumes its normal schedule.
After months of censorship and banning as part of a "mourning period" for the dead King Bhumibol, TV schedules will start to show other programming besides videos and photos of King Bhumibol.


■ Nigeria still hysterical over Big Brother Naija being filmed in South Africa.
Now it's Ralph Nwadike, president if Nigeria's Association of Movie Producers (AMP), foaming at the mouth in yet another newspaper hit-piece filled with hilarious lies about MultiChoice and saying: "No matter the monies and equipment they think they have, South Africa, in terms of production qualities and values, can never match up to Nigeria's standard".  Sure.
And another bombastic filmmaker, Dr Don-Pedro Obaseki also lies about MultiChoice and says Nigeria is DStv's biggest market.
- Here is a FACT CHECK of the numerous fake claims - courtesy of TVwithThinus.


■ Europe's stagnating TV channels now making shows for young people on the go.
Targeting millennials with short form content meant to watch on mobile devices.

■ $100 000 found inside an old TV set
that was sent to a recycling centre in Canada.

■ Trashy Venezuela government says its CNN ban isn't censorship.
Venezuelan government has the hilarious audacity to say pulling CNN off the air is just "ad administrative procedure".

■ Public protest after Togo government shuts down TV station.
Togo government muzzles freedom of the press as it shuts down LCF TV station.

■ Disney CEO Bob Iger points out the problem Disney has with the current state of television.
Too many commercials.

■ OSN plans to bring 4K video to subscribers later in 2017 before MultiChoice.
Will the pay-TV broadcaster covering North Africa be the first one giving the African continent 4K resolution?

■ Ecuador TV reporter sent a mail bomb.
Janet Hinostroza sent a bomb package with a detonator.

■ Is Star Wars Rebels on Disney XD (DStv 304) ending after the third season?
Star Wars Rebels usually got renewed in November of the previous year - and nothing so far. And then Disney and Star Wars are working on a new animation series. Is that where all the effort is now going?

■ Helios returns to the BBC Television Centre.
Famous bronze statue symbolizing television returned after repairs.

■ Australia's free-to-air TV broadcasters struggling.
Advertising is down and TV channels are begging the government to cut the broadcasting licence fees - the world's most expensive - that channels in Australia have to pay the government.
- Meanwhile Channel Seven's sex scandal is intensifying as boss Kerry Stokes lashes out with a "How dare you?" to a journalist asking what should be asked.

■ The next consumer product testing scandal?
TV sets from Samsung, LG and others are using a lot more electricity than what they do in consumer tests.


■ "Jer-ry, Jer-ry ... "
The sad reason why people, 26 seasons later, continue to appear on The Jerry Springer Show.
And Jerry explains (watch!) in his own words in this 5 minute interview as part of a TV talk show look-back series.
Here's red-rimmed glasses Sally Jesse Raphael (watch!), Geraldo's interview (watch!) and Maury Povich (watch!) and Montel Williams (watch!).
Where's Oprah? Visiting New Zealand where she's filming with Reese Witherspoon.

FACT CHECK. The real facts about MultiChoice's Big Brother Naija after Nigeria's The Guardian newspaper unleases a torrent of filmmakers' fake claims.

Nigeria's The Guardian newspaper, in an apparently sugar-high from drinking the fake-news Kool-Aid, published a loving hit-piece slamming MultiChoice for the ongoing controversy over Big Brother Naija being produced in South Africa instead of Nigeria.

The trash-piece published deserves comment, since journalists Omiko Awa and Margaret Mwantok and The Guardian editors apparently couldn't be bothered to actually fact check the various claims as the newspaper unleashed the mistake-filled criticism that reads more like a Donald Trump rant.

Nigeria's The Guardian newspaper couldn't bother to actually seek and include comment from MultiChoice Africa, nor the actual producers in South Africa.

The biased article is filled with numerous inaccuracies, outright lies and some eye-rolling quotes from ill-informed and clearly clueless Nigerian filmmakers.

Since The Guardian isn't going to correct the record after this fountain of fake (and is probably not even capable of doing so), let me:

■ "seasoned professionals in film making and show business, noted that the job could perfectly have been handled in Nigeria."

FACT: No, as MultiChoice Africa stated, you need an uninterrupted electricity supply 24/7, people who don't come and switch off generators, and actual infrastructure, like studios, with a house that already exists and has been used for all of the other Big Brother Africa and other countries' versions.


■ Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, who granted the permission"

FACT: Nobody "granted permission" for a second season of Big Brother Naija, least of all Nigeria's broadcasting commission. The closest to "granting permission" anything, was M-Net and M-Net West Africa commissioning editors greenlighting the show.

■ "apart from being a rip-off on the economy."

FACT: Ironically all of the Nigerian DStv subscribers and GOtv subscribers paying to watch Big Brother Naija are collectively contributing more to Nigeria's economy through their monthly subscription fees than the single limited-run production's operating budget.

■ Ralph Nwadike, president of Nigeria's Association of Movie Producers: "South Africa, in terms of production qualities and values, can never match up to Nigeria's standard".

FACT: South Africa has the most advanced film and TV production sector on the African continent with the best equipment and production industry, including post-production.

In terms of content volume output (what is made), it would be correct to say that Nigeria has the world's second largest film industry after India. Keep in mind though that quantity doesn't equate to quality.


■ Ralph Nwadike, president of AMP: "They have the money to throw around because their banks believe in them".

FACT: This is an unsubstantiated lie.

Also, South African TV and film producers struggle as much to secure funding for productions and projects.

South Africa has better laws for direct foreign investment making it easier for productions wanting to film in South Africa - where Nigeria is driving companies and investors away (several multinationals from retail to airlines have been and are divesting from Nigeria).

South Africa has several regional film commissions, the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and others actively trying to lure and help overseas and local producers to complete projects.

■ Ralph Nwadike, president of AMP: "Nigerian producers are the best in the world. We are not among the best, but the best".

FACT: A false claim. Empirically American, British and European producers are the best and have been doing it for the longest. Other parts of the world are making strides, are not competing in a level playing field, but no developing country can make such a claim.


■ Ralph Nwadike, president of AMP: "some years back, a 30-minute soap opera in South Africa was worth $1 million".

FACT: More Donald Trump-ish inauguration crowd size verbosity. If true, everybody would be working in, or making television.


■ Ralph Nwadike, president president of AMP: "insolence from MultiChoice".

FACT: Insolence is more apt to describe the massive intellectual property theft and content piracy that's rife in Nigeria and not just hampering Nigeria's own film and TV industry but also scaring off prospective overseas producers.

■ Filmmaker, Chief Eddie Ugbomah: "described South Africans as ‘cunning and complex people’. He said the Big Brother show generates N5 million daily".

FACT: Generalisations are bad. Donald Trump for instance called Mexicans killers and rapists. That is not true and neither are a claim that South Africans are "cunning and complex people". South Africa isn't one type of people.

It's furthermore a lie that Big Brother Naija "generates N5 million daily. In fact, Big Brother Naija costs money. Money is spent to make something.

FACT: Big Brother Naija is actually more what would be called a (big word) "loss leader". A big part of Big Brother Naija reason for existence, as with Big Brother Africa previously, is not to make money as a show, but to drive DStv uptake, in other words, DStv subscriber growth.

The show has a bigger purpose that yields dividends over a longer term than just the short lifespan of the 11 week show. It also has a bigger scope than just Nigeria, it targets pan-Africa.

DStv and GOtv subscribers (in Nigeria, and in other countries) sign up to watch a daily show like Big Brother Naija and the TV show cultivates the habit (classic conditioning as described by Pavlov) of repeated viewing.

The show actually tries to change and influence viewing behaviour by forming a new habit. When Big Brother Naija ends, subscribers don't cancel but remain subscribers and now keep watching and migrate to other TV fare as part of this learned behaviour.

That is how MultiChoice Africa eventually really benefits and in a sense "makes" money; not in effect so much from a single season of Big Brother Naija.

■ Filmmaker, Chief Eddie Ugbomah: "Nigerian items, even food items, are not being patronised due to the dominance of South African products. I wish someone from the media would take this up. Unless the industry goes to see President Buhari and make him see reason to ban such productions, South Africans will always dominate."

FACT: Nigeria's president Muhammadu Buhari has been on an unexplained, extended overseas "holiday" for weeks. The film industry can't see him. And wherever he is, he's definitely not himself buying and eating Nigerian food.

■ Dr Don-Pedro Obaseki, filmmaker: "It is a total disgrace, considering Nigeria being DStv's biggest market".

FACT: Nigeria only has about 1.5 million DStv subscribers out of the 11 million pay-TV subscribers MultiChoice had by the end of September 2016.

At over 6 million subscribers, South Africa as DStv's biggest market has more DStv subscribers, and more than half, than the rest of Africa (including Nigeria) combined.




■ Dr Don-Pedro Obaseki, filmmaker: " It would boost their economy while exploiting Nigerians."

FACT: The only real "exploitation" happening is not in economic terms but of the contestants who forever lose their right to privacy, and to a lesser sense personal reputation - but all through their own choice.

■ Forster Ojehonmon, AMP secretary-general: "Production that is meant for Nigerians, about Nigeria and for Nigeria should not be shot elsewhere."

FACT: A large number of Nigerian music videos and Nigerian TV commercials the past two years right up until the end of 2016 have been done in South Africa, especially Cape Town. Should that all be stopped too?

Imagine American TV shows, from Sense8 to Black Sails and Preachers - because the primary audience is Americans - said they won't shoot in Kenya, South Africa and African countries because "production is meant for Americans".

M-Net and M-Net West Africa's Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards 2017 (AMVCA 2017) will take place in March, once again in Lagos, Nigeria as it has been for several years now.

By the same twisted logic, the AMVCAs - an African awards show and not a Nigerian awards show should then not be staged in Nigeria since it's not meant for Nigerians alone.

■ Forster Ojehonmon, AMP secretary-general: "Entertainment is the second or third largest revenue earner of any country."

FACT: Another lie and fake-out generalisation to bolster perceived self-importance.

Although growing, entertainment isn't by far one of the biggest, nor second or third revenue earner of any country.

It is not the case in Nigeria, where the entertainment industry is not the second or third biggest contributor to GDP by sector, and also not in South Africa.