In national student protest over fees, ANN7 on DStv reports that students are calling for the 'CRAPPING OF FEE HIKES'.

On Wednesday afternoon Infinity Media's ANN7 (DStv 405) reported that students, protesting nationally over tertiary education fees, are "calling for crapping of fee hikes".

The South African 24-hour TV news channel continues to have a problem with, and to embarrass itself, with on-air mistakes, amateur editing and other issues which make it difficult for ANN7's reporting to be taken seriously.

Just a few days ago ANN7 held its 2nd South African of the Year Awards 2015 which was embarrassing because of an American headline performer Jason Derulo asking South Africans if they can speak English.

ANN7 didn't invite media and TV critics to this year's event so I went out to visit friends on the Saturday night.

When I got back home and switched my TV on just before 22:00, the first thing I saw was Hugh Masekela getting the lifetime "achivement" award from ANN7, massively blasting "achivement" spelled wrong in the giant screen for all their invited guests and viewers to see.

Talk about awkward. But it was about to get worse.

When Hugh Masekela got on stage, ANN7 spelled his name wrong on the vanity cheque handed to him. The name of their lifetime achievement recipient.

To make things more cringe-worthy, Hugh Masekela called ANN7 out on it, on stage. "I don't think they'll change that cheque for me because you've spelled my name wrong," Hugh Masekela told ANN7 and the South African of the Year organisers.

"It's M A S E K E L A, not M E," said Hugh Masekela.

It wasn't the end. Immediately after that ANN7's bottom third banner went up, telling viewers that "Hugh Masikela" won the lifetime achievement award - the third major spelling oops in just the few minutes I watched.

I couldn't watch anymore and changed the channel. Besides Jason Derulo I don't know what else went wrong and was shown wrong by ANN7, possibly leading to embarrassment for the South African of the Year Awards.

Who are the people responsible for all these mistakes? Who is in charge of checking these things, or nobody? If somebody is checking these on-air "bloopers", why do they continue to happen and are people not competent, or fired, or trained or not senior enough to see mistakes?

I think ANN7 needs to invest in senior editors and news producers, or more of them, to lessen the constant on-air gaffes on the DStv news channel because viewers look and laugh at it instead of look and listen.

Christina Aguilera can't perform at ANN7's South African of the Year Awards on October because she's a judge on the 10th season next year and now already filming that.

Although initially announced as the headline act but then suddenly withdrawing, the American popstar Christina Aguilera can't perform at the upcoming South African of the Year Awards 2015 because although she's not a judge for the new season she is one on the next 10th season for next year which is already filming some parts for 2016.

The South African of the Year Awards 2015 is set for 17 October at the Ticketpro Dome in Randburg, Johannesburg.

The South African of the Year Awards 2015 will now continue to be a private event like the inaugural event first held last year by Infinity Media which runs ANN7.

"Christina Aguilera has had to withdrawn due to a change in scheduling of the top-rated show The Voice on which she is one of the judges," says ANN7 in a statement issued on 18 September.

"The schedule change requires her to be in the United States on the day of the South African of the Year Awards show."

The 9th season of The Voice just started and Christina Aguilera is not a judge. The judges were announced in July with Gwen Stefani replacing Christina Aguilera for Gwen Stefani's second season on the show.

The American TV channel NBC also didn't announce any schedule changes to the latest 9th season of The Voice which just started.

TV with Thinus asked ANN7 several times what it means, why ANN7 is saying Christina Aguilera is a judge on The Voice if she isn't one on the new season and why ANN7 said the TV show has had a schedule change when the episodes as listed it didn't.

ANN7 representatives Carlene Brown de Jongh and Haranath Gosh didn't responded with answers to the media enquiries seeking clarification.

Meanwhile Oakbay Investments did reach out to me. Oakbay Investments asked that I contact agent Robert Norman at the Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Marc Robbins at Azoff Music Management in Los Angeles.

Robert Norman at CAA didn't respond to an email media enquiry, but Marc Robbins very kindly did and explained that Christina Aguilera is not a judge on the 9th season but of The Voice but is on the 10th season for next year and that early sections are now being filmed for that season already:

"Christina is on the next season of The Voice. The Voice has an exclusivity agreement with all the judges. The Voice changed the schedule on shooting the "blind auditions", "coach post blind interviews" and "promo" from the beginning of October to 10 October through 20 October. The only days without a The Voice commitment was 13, 14 and 15 October".

Christina Aguilera heading to South Africa; will perform as headline act at ANN7's 2015 South African of the Year Awards on 17 October.

The American pop star Christina Aguilera is heading to South Africa and will perform as the headline act at ANN7’s (DStv 405) second South African of the Year Awards on 17 October.

The American singer Jason Derulo and several other local artists like AKA, The Soil and ChianoSky will also perform at the 24-hour TV news channel’s awards show honouring remarkable South Africans for their achievements.

While the first South African of the Year Awards was held at the Sandton Convention Centre last year, the 2015 SATYs will be taking place at the Ticketpro Dome (formerly the Coca-Cola Dome) in Northgate in Johannesburg on 17 October.

Moegsien Williams, editor-in-chief at ANN7 says securing Christina Aguilera was a coup.

"While we are celebrating all things South Africa, our intention is at the same time to market the couontry and showcase the wide array of talented, innovative, industrious, high-achieving and successful people in our land and within all spheres. This is why, strategically, we secure major international acts each year."

"The South African of the Year Awards is a prestigious event featuring and attended by the who's who of South Africa. We are therefore proud to have an artist as talented and socially responsible as Christina Aguilera," says Moegsien Williams.

In the run up to the South African of the Year Awards, ANN7 is broadcasting the I am South African magazine show from Mondays to Saturdays at 18:00 presented by Maps Maponyane and Avashnee Vandiar.

Why ANN7 dumped Pearl Thusi as a SATY 2015 nominee: Star didn't keep to signed agreement from her management to film her needed TV insert.

ANN7 (DStv 405) dumped Pearl Thusi as a nominee in the Trendsetter category for the upcoming ANN7 2015 South African of the Year Awards since the star made it impossible for the TV news channel to film what needed to be done for the made-for-TV campaign and which her representation agreed to.

Earlier the week Pearl Thusi revealed on Twitter that she "was" a nominee in the Trendsetter of the Year category for the second South African of the Year Awards set to take place on 17 October and which will be broadcast live.

In the run-up to the glitzy awards show which last year boasted high quality production values, ANN7 is broadcasting a second season of I Am South African at 18:00 presented by Maps Maponyane and Avashnee Vandiar.

I Am South African as a TV show needs visual content, and profiles the various personalities and nominees in 83 episodes in the run-up to the awards show.

Pearl Thusi tweeted that "I was removed because I refused to have my friends and family motivate for a video insert" and called the process of allowing friends and family on camera "degrading".

While true it's not the whole truth: Pearl Thusi's management who represent her actually signed and confirmed beforehand the acceptance letter and agreed to the stipulations of being a nominee for the South African of the Year Awards.

The SATY's are a made-for-TV production, as is companion show I Am South African and ANN7 therefore needs people nominated to grant access to themselves and those pivotal to the actual reason they're nominated to appear on camera.

ANN7 tells TV with Thinus the TV news channel tried several times to get time to film with Pearl Thusi to package her special episode and inserts but that it proved impossible.

"Following several attempts by the SATY team to secure time with nominee Pearl Thusi in order to package her episode insert for the I Am South African show, the committee has resolved that in the interest of both parties we recall Pearl Thusi's nomination," Fungayi Kanyuchi tells me in response to a media enquiry.

"Pearl Thusi and her management has not been able to fascilitate the key requirements of being a nominee which are stipulated on the acceptance letter that was signed by her team on her behalf," says ANN7.

ANN7 announces the 9 judges for the South African of the Year Awards 2015; awards show will again be broadcast live this year.

ANN7 (DStv 405) has announced the judges for the ANN7 South African of the Year Awards.

The SATY2015 judges are Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Kanthan Pillay, Yershen Pillay, Claudia Henkel, Khaya Dlanga, Neren Rau, Ashraf Garda, Carolyn Steyn and Colin Bell.

The second edition of the ANN7 South African of the Year Awards 2015 will be taking place later this year and the 24-hour TV news channel says the awards show will once again be broadcast in full and live on ANN7 on the night.

The categories for the SATY2015 include Trendsetting Celebrity of the Year, Campaign of the Year, Spirit of Humanity of the Year, Sportperson of the Year, Business Leader of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Young South African of the Year, Conservationist of the Year, and South African of the Year.

Entries open for ANN7's 2nd South African of the Year Awards 2015; award show honouring notable South Africans to take place on 26 September.

ANN7 (DStv 405) is returning its South African of the Year Awards it started last year, with the ANN7 South African of the Year 2015 Awards which will take place in September for a second time.

The 24-hour local TV news channel run by Infinity Media is now once again looking for South Africans to enter. ANN7 will add the I Am South African show as a daily stripped programme from July at 17:00 as a lead-up to the awards ceremony.

The ANN7 South African of the Year Awards 2015 will be broadcast live on ANN7 on 26 September, and like the daily show will focus on bringing viewers inspirational stories of notable South Africans who are making a positive difference in the country.

The awards ceremony in September will hand out awards in the categories of Trendsetting celebrity of the Year, Campaign of the Year, Sportsperson of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Spirit of Humanity Award, Young South African of the Year and South African of the Year.

Entries can be done through SMS (a SMS to 43043 costing R1.50 with SATY, category, name and surname and description) and email (to satynominations@ann7.com, with the category, nominee's name and surname, and a description).

The eligibility period is for work between June 2014 and July 2015 and for more enquiries people can call 011 542 1222. The closing date for entries is 30 April 2015.