On Friday afternoon M-Net (DStv 101) held a press screening of the debut episode of the upcoming 7th season of Survivor South Africa, entitled Survivor SA: Island of Secrets, for the media inside the cinema auditorium at MultiChoice City headquarters in Randburg, Johannesburg.
Survivor South Africa: Island of Secrets, produced by Afrokaans, will start on M-Net on 16 May at 19:00.
M-Net's press screening - with journalists and TV critics who had to sign the usual non-disclosure agreement (NDA) not to reveal or publish anything about what they've seen or to discuss any content or insider information about the show until the broadcasting date - was extremely professionally done, with a lot of care and attention.
M-Net literally rolled out the blue carpet for the media and the screening of the first episode - minus the tribal council vote and result of who gets eliminated.
The press screening was followed by a question-and-answer session in the auditorium with the M-Net executive, Kaye Ann Williams, M-Net's head of local productions; the Survivor SA host Nico Panagio, the show's executive producer Handrie Basson, as well as Leroux Botha who is the series director.
Jan du Plessis, director of M-Net channels, also gave his time and sat in and attended the press screening.
Afterwards, M-Net had beautiful, delicious, and extremely substantial finger-food for the media, including beverages and dessert.
Media received a goodie bag with the season's logo on it, containing a bag of rice complete with an embossed Survivor SA Island of Secrets logo on it as well, a Steers gift card and a Steers bottle of sauce.
Something that is however problematic and likely something that will have a negatively impact on the exposure of Survivor SA: Island of Secret this season and lead to the lower media interest and attention the season will probably get, is the fact that several journalists and publications are known to be rankled and to various degrees unhappy with the handling of media access for the Samoa-set season.
This has been triggered by two things - firstly M-Net's odd decision around how it decided which media to send to Samoa, with no island-access this time for the bulk of the dedicated media covering the show, and who have consistently covered the show in the past.
Only certain journalists were chosen with media outlets that couldn't motivate for a set visit opportunity.
Secondly, M-Net that earlier this year said all media will have equal access, gave the photos and information of castaways of Survivor SA: Island of Secrets to one print publication only that was published and became available on Thursday evening.
Journalists perceive that as preferential treatment by M-Net in terms of basic show information that should be made available without exclusivity and to all press at the same time. (The rest of the media were sent a press release on Thursday night containing 5 of the 21 contestants, after all 21 were already published in a magazine.)
By Saturday morning M-Net has still not shared the full photos and profiles contestants press pack of Survivor SA: Island of Secrets with the media, yet many journalists and media outlets were already aware by Friday before the screening that M-Net gave the information over a week ago and to one magazine that published it on Thursday.
It dramatically lessens the likelihood that other media will now do castaway reveal and bio articles (and later exit interviews) which shortchanges the show and the contestants.
TVwithThinus will do a review on the launch date of the broadcast on M-Net, as well as a news report, but the first episode of Survivor SA: Island of Secrets looks absolutely great, with the best editing, pacing and music soundtrack of any season of the South African version yet.
M-Net told the media that journalists interested in seeing what happened behind-the-scenes should watch Bravo! on kykNET (DStv 144) with Reynard Slabbert on the Sunday before Survivor SA: Island of Secrets starts, who did a set visit and of the Afrokaans production on the island.
