by Thinus Ferreira
e.tv is getting rid of its well-rated weekday TV news bulletin, the News @ 8 with anchor Melanie Rice from 19 January 2026, without giving any explanation for this, which forms part of an e.tv primetime schedule shake-up that will see the remaining episodes of the cancelled Scandal! moved into its 20:00-timeslot.
The News @ 8 which has done quite well for e.tv for years in its 20:00 berth, is getting pulled from this timeslot from 19 January 2026, with e.tv moving its TV news bulletin that will likely be renamed, to 18:30.
Tshegofatso Kolotse, e.tv publicist, didn't respond with an explanation when e.tv was asked on Wednesday why the well-rated TV bulletin is being moved out of 20:00.
In announcing the primetime change, e.tv said in a general press release that it "represents a complete rethinking of how storytelling flows throughout the evening, aimed at enhancing prime-time TV for South African households".
It's unclear how e.tv wants to enhance prime-time for South African households by moving a cancelled local TV soap to 20:00 just months before its end, instead of doing a schedule change later in 2026 once Scandal!'s remaining episodes are over.
It also looks unlikely that e.tv will replace Scandal! with a new weekday soap, since eMedia in its annual financial year report noted that it was getting rid of one of its local telenovelas/soaps just before it announced the demise of the long-running Oche Media produced show.
According to e.tv, the schedule change is a "strategic revamp that reinforces e.tv's position as South Africa's leading free-to-air entertainment destination".
The latest e.tv schedule change comes less than a year after e.tv altered the channel's schedule in March this yearin March this year.
The Afrikaans telenovela Kelders van Geheime in its second season at 18:30 will now move to 19:00 from 19 January 2026.
House of Zwide which was at 19:00, moves to 19:30, and the cancelled Scandal! that is at 19:30, moves to 20:00. Isitha: The Enemy which was at 21:3,0 moves earlier to 20:30.
Smoke & Mirrors which is at 21:00, remains in its timeslot, followed by rebroadcasts of the old Gold Diggers at 22:00, Ashes to Ashes and Uzozisola.
Helga Palmer, eMedia Investments' group head of content development and strategy, in a prepared quote, says "This move marks an exciting evolution for our prime-time block".
"We've lined
up our
biggest, boldest shows to create a seamless viewing experience that
keeps audiences engaged from early evening into late night. Our viewers
value strong, meaningful stories, and this new schedule is designed to
deliver exactly that."
