by Thinus Ferreira
As the Covid-19 novel coronavirus spreads globally and has started to impact South Africa's TV and film industry, MultiChoice is warning DStv subscribers that the TV programming they get to see are being impacted, especially live sport.
International broadcasters, studios and production companies in the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and elsewhere have been shutting down production with India's entire TV and film industry known as Bollywood that will be shutting down between 19 and 31 March.
Meanwhile an ongoing cascade of cancellations and postponements has rocked the global sports world with SuperSport holding the broadcasting licensing rights to those, with multiple sporting codes cancelling events and tournaments that means the loss of live TV sports broadcasts.
Mark Rayner, MultiChoice SA CEO, says that the satellite pay-TV service has "not yet had a single incident within our organisation" and is "working hard to ensure that we keep our employees, suppliers and customers as safe as we can. We are implementing the recommended measures to assess and minimise potential risk of transmission of the coronavirus in our facilities".
He is now warning DStv subscribers that the coronavirus is forcing adjustments that must be made to programming.
"We are starting to see the effect of the pandemic, with a number of sports and international programming events being impacted. This has affected our programming, particularly live sport."
"Many sporting disciplines including football, motorsport, rugby and tennis, have had events either postponed or cancelled by their respective sporting federations. In this instance, as a broadcaster we are subject to their decisions."
"As a result, we have plans in place that will keep you well entertained," says Mark Rayner. "This includes the best live sport available, as well as celebrating some of the classic sporting moments and documentaries. We will also continue to bring you the very best series, kids entertainment and movies. Showmax, Box Office and DStv Now will continue to keep you entertained, anytime, anywhere."
The SABC has several local weekday soaps filming daily episodes for its SABC1 and SABC2 channels with casts and crews bigger than 100 people including its just-revived SABC1 YO.TV youth afternoon block; with the same happening for e.tv that runs Scandal! and Rhythm City.
Meanwhile MultiChoice and M-Net have several big ensemble casts in shows as well for its Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) and kykNET (DStv 144) channels.
The majority if not all of these local South African weekday soaps are likely to hit the shutdown button this week in order to protect casts and crews, although all of them have some week's padding with about a month's episodes already in the can as a reserve.
M-Net (DStv 101) will very likely have to postpone the filming and change the island location of its upcoming 8th Survivor SA: Immunity Island season, produced by Afrokaans, that was set to broadcast in September, while Rapid Blue will likely implement changes for the second season finale and "Women Tell All" episodes of The Bachelor SA.
Questions are swirling around the latest 16th season of Idols, produced by [SIC] Entertainment, and how it will continue given that the show has a contestant and crew complement of over 100 people.
SABC and Danie Odendaal Productions will likely be forced to cancel the upcoming 20th anniversary celebrations and viewers' competition for its longrunning 7de Laan Afrikaans weekday soap.
On Monday the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) announced that it's cancelling the 14th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) that was set to take place on 27 and 28 March 2020.
