by Thinus Ferreira
M-Net on Tuesday announced that it's doing yet another South African crime drama series and yet another South African rhino poaching drama series but South Africa's film and TV industry and the wider public had to read that in American media, with M-Net's media liaison PR division that sent the press release of the general announcement about a South African show to South African media last.
South African media covering television had to read in Variety, an American publication, that M-Net is doing another crime drama series, Endangered, based on the South African crime writer Rudie van Rensburg's novel, Piranha.
Variety touted the information from the general press release that was given to it, as "exclusive".
M-Net and MultiChoice will produce Endangered - yet another rhino drama like its Trackers - together with Strong Studios, Convergent Media and ForLan Films.
From just a very quick check-in with various journalists and publications on Tuesday, many said they don't feel like reporting about Endangered or using M-Net's general press release.
Several noted immediately that they felt M-Net is disrespecting them and that M-Net shows through its actions that it doesn't value media relationships or want to build and properly maintain South African media relationships with journalists, editors and publications.
"We all have the internet. We have internet in Africa. We see what's happening," one person said.
I also asked M-Net why it only sent out the press release - a general show announcement - only after the press release had already been given to and published by Variety.
Nadine Moonsamy, M-Net publicist, confirmed that the press release was given to Variety as an exclusive. M-Net then sent the general press release to South African journalists after it was already published.
Nadine Moonsamy says M-Net was "only able to go live at 15:30". It's not clear why M-Net has apparently relegated South African media to second-tier status when general press releases about new South African shows are published in overseas media first.
Like Trackers which M-Net has already done, Endangered will also "explore controversial rhino poaching, the crime syndicates that control it and police and conservationists trying to stop it".
Endangered will be filmed in 2024.
Jake Riddell is the screenwriter of Endangered tracking veteran detective Kassie Kasselman, who aggressively pursues rhino poachers from the Cape ganglands to the Kruger national park and Pretoria, trying to stop a syndicate of criminal gangs and poachers.
Endangered is produced by ForLan Films' Steve Lanning and Jake Lanning, Advantage Entertainment's Vlokkie Gordon, Strong Global Entertainment's Kyle Cerminara, Strong Studios' David Ozer and Scott Weinstock; Convergent Media's Dan Reardon and Santosh Govindaraju, as well as M-Net's Nicola van Niekerk, and Wikus du Toit.
Georginah Machiridza, MultiChoice's head of general entertainment, in a supplied quote in the general press statement, says "Endangered represents a unique opportunity for MultiChoice to support a project that not only promises gripping storytelling but also addresses a pressing global concern. It's a testament to the power of storytelling to make a positive impact, and we're excited to share it with our audience."
