M-Net axes Idols after 19 seasons.

by Thinus Ferreira

M-Net has cancelled the long-running Idols with the upcoming 19th season on its Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel which will be the last for the [SIC] Entertainment-produced reality singing competition show following viewership fatigue and a massive plunge in ratings.

M-Net is calling the upcoming 19th season of Idols on Mzansi Magic - with Gavin Wratten as director and executive producer, along with Anneke de Ridder and host ProVerb (Tebogo Thekisho) as co-producers - its "farewell season", meaning that with South Africans will have one last chance to enter and audition for the show."

"After 18 successful seasons on air, Mzansi Magic and M-Net local entertainment channels confirm the decision to give Idols SA its final curtain call," says Shirley Adonisi, M-Net director for local entertainment channels, in a statement to TVwithThinus.

" The international format talent search competition has been a stage of opportunities where many careers were launched and we would like to thank the crew, on-air talent and sponsors for their contribution to its success over the years."

"We look forward to an epic final season and will continue to secure and produce the best content which Mzansi Magic viewers have come to enjoy."

Idols started 21 years ago in 2002 on the M-Net channel. 

It became a simulcast show on M-Net and Mzansi Magic in 2013 from the 9th season, and a Mzansi Magic only show in 2016 from season 12 onwards after M-Net decided to migrate the show to open it up to a bigger DStv audience on lower-tiered packages. 

The cancellation of the South African version of the Fremantle format follows after a dramatic ratings plunge for Idols in season 17 that coincided with a relationship scandal involving Idols judge Somizi Mhlongo after his ex Mohale Motaung made serious allegations of emotional and physical abuse.

While Idols started off its 17th season in South Africa in July 2021 with 1 018 607 viewers as the 4th most-watched show on all of DStv for the month, it suddenly plunged to 10th place on DStv's most-watched list with 693 760 viewers at most in August 2021, shedding 32% or a third of its viewers. 

In October 2021 Idols fell to a season-low of just 683 814 viewers, and finished the season in November 2021 with 753 367 viewers at most.

After the very large drop in viewers and in an effort to revitalise Idols, M-Net's general entertainment channels division and [SIC] Entertainment decided to retain Somizi Mhlongo for 2022's 18th season and axed judges Randall Abrahams and Unathi Nkayi whose contracts were not renewed and were replaced by artists Thembi Seete and rapper-producer JR Bogopa.

About Idols' revamp attempt to lure DStv subscribers back, Nomsa Philiso, MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment, told TVwithThinus ahead of the 18th season last year that "To have such longevity in such a fast-changing industry is no small feat, and we're proud to keep giving our viewers what they love. One of the key components in having staying power is evolution, and our new-look panel is part of that".

Asked whether the changes in judges for the 18th season were done to try and reverse the show's declining viewership, Nomsa Philiso said that "In part it is to get the ratings back and also to attract new audiences, right. So, you would know that from around 2017 we started seeing some level of fatigue - some level of viewer fatigue in terms of Idols".

"Part of us refreshing the judges is also us trying to say that we're going to give you guys a much bigger and better Idols".

When the 18th season started, Idols ratings on Sunday evenings fell further, far off from the over a million viewers it managed to pull in years past for season debuts, reaching a meagre 743 516 viewers during July last year. 

Last year's Idols season ended with 739 426 viewers at most during November. The winner's recording contract was also quietly reduced from an album to just an EP.

Following the conclusion of Idols' 18th season, Shirley Adonisi, M-Net director of local entertainment channels, said that "Idols is a brand that we believe in and is a brand that connects us to our youth in the country. It promotes nationalism and healthy competition while it gives young people a stage to showcase their talent".

ALSO READ: Judges juggling unable to stem Idols South Africa's ratings slide on Mzansi Magic.

ALSO READ: Recording contract of Mzansi Magic's Idols winner reduced from album to just an EP.

ALSO READ: As Mzansi Magic's ratings of Idols season 18 cratered in 2022 and its DStv viewership tanked so did MultiChoice's promises to improve media relations and communication around the show.

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. Not supposed to Go Pro with 'season 19': M-Net's Mzansi Magic channel shocked after ProVerb announces a next season of Idols on DStv with nothing confirmed yet. 

NFVF's 16th South African Film and Television Awards going 'press-play-and-pray' again with virtual playout as SAFTAs jettison physical audience, media briefings.

by Thinus Ferreira

Flummoxed South Africa media are whispering about the National Film and Video Foundation's (NFVF) bizarre decision for the 2022's 16th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) which will once again be an audience-less, pre-recorded, virtual, press-play-and-pray production with a limited budget and no physical event.

Rankled media are also wondering about the NFVF and SAFTAs' lack of proper media engagement around the upcoming awards show this year, and their lack of basic media briefings which are not even happening virtually. 

The NFVF waited until this week - just days before the broadcast of the 16th SAFTAs - to finally tell the media wondering about media accreditation and having to lock down coverage plans and assign entertainment reporters for the weekend, that there won't be any physical awards show where Golden Horn trophies are handed out.

The Instinctif PR company repping the SAFTAs confirmed to TVwithThinus that "the awards are held virtually again this year and there won't be any physical attendance".

Neither the NFVF nor its publicists have set up any in-person or virtual media briefing for media to collectively ask questions either before the 16th SAFTAs of this weekend, nor any press conference afterwards.

On Tuesday evening, MultiChoice held its own 16th SAFTAS industry party to celebrate SAFTA-nominated shows, actors and crew since, according to an insider "the NFVF and SAFTAs decided to do nothing".

The 16th SAFTAs, which hasn't bothered with doing barely any media engagement as in previous years and also axed the in-person nominee announcement event that took place as an in-person event before Covid, is channelling its craft awards on Friday 2 September on the SAFTAs YouTube channel from 19:00.

That will be followed the next day with the so-called main show on 3 September which will be simulcast on MultiChoice and M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel, as well as the public broadcaster's SABC3 channel at 19:00.

A "red carpet special" - also without any of the country's media present as in years prior - will be shown at 18:30 on SABC3 and Mzansi Magic with Palesa Tembe and Lasizwe as presenters, serving as a lead-in to the playout of the 16th SAFTAs main awards show on Saturday evening.

Smash Afrika and Candice Modiselle will host Friday's 16th SAFTAs craft awards, while Ryle De Morny, Mpho Popps and Khutso Theledi will host Saturday's main awards show simulcast with the theme of "Frame the future".

The NFVF's bizarre and unaltered decision to make and keep the 16th SAFTAs as a virtual broadcast, comes as other awards shows internationally as well as locally in South Africa like MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic's DStv Mzansi Viewers Choice Awards, returned to in-person events months ago.

Anneke de Ridder, SAFTAs executive producer says in a statement the decision to do the 16th SAFTAs as a virtual production is because the NFVF made the decision and didn't change or update it to do a virtual awards show at the time the bid for tender as put out to production companies.

"At the time, SA was still under lockdown and the bid criteria was per 15th SAFTAs guidelines – no public event."

"Similarly, by the time the service provider Don't Look Down was appointed, the country was still under lockdown. Given the restrictions with government institutions when it comes to changing the merits of a tender bid, we had to continue hosting the ceremony virtually."

"While we do acknowledge that it would have been ideal to celebrate with the industry in-person, our production company have worked exceptionally hard to give industry practitioners the honour they deserve."

"Our motif ‘Frame the Future’ speaks to this as we hope to build on the reimagined execution, we delivered last year. Plans for the 17th SAFTAs though are already underway and we definitely will resume with an in-person celebration of the industry’s best."

Mzansi Magic abruptly axes Idols winner media briefing for season 17 after 19 years as ratings plunge.

by Thinus Ferreira

In a shocking decision MultiChoice and M-Net have decided to drop the post-finale Idols press conference for the 17th season that will conclude this evening on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) with neither Karabo Mathe nor Berry Trytsman who will be given an opportunity to appear before the media and answer questions as the winner kicks off her professional music career.

For the past 19 years M-Net has held an Idols post-finale press conference with the national media from across South Africa in attendance for every single season of the Fremantle format singing reality competition show dating back to the conclusion of the first season in mid-2002 with Heinz Winckler.

Idols press conferences with national, regional and community journalists from Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth working at newspapers, TV, radio and online took place when the show was on M-Net, continuing the tradition when the series switched to being a joint M-Net and Mzansi Magic show and eventually crossing over to a Mzansi Magic channel only show.

For the 18th season in 2020, M-Net and MultiChoice held the Idols post-show season finale press conference that had become institutional, with Mzansi Magic, the production company[SIC] Entertainment, as well as the winner and runner-up on the stage of the State Theatre in Pretoria.

It took place virtually on Zoom, with MultiChoice and M-Net that put in special effort and broadcast it to media across South Africa on DStv channel 196 as well with the TV channel that was unencoded for an hour specifically for journalists who wanted to watch it on their TV screens and submitted submit typed questions to the panel.

By Saturday South Africa's media got not notification or advisory from M-Net about Sunday's press conference for season 17. 

Philly Khubheka, M-Net publicity manager for Mzansi Magic, on Saturday confirmed to TVwithThinus that the Idols press conference has abruptly been dumped without any notification to media.

Tonight either Karabo Mathe from Hebron in the North-West, or Berry (Berenike Trytsman) from Cape Town will be crowned the winner of Idols' season 17 on Mzansi Magic, with a next season - in this case season 18 for 2022 - usually announced as the winner readies their Christmas album debut as part of a record deal with Kalawa Jazmee Records.

The live Sunday shows of the 17th season of Idols - with director and executive producer Gavin Wratten and co-producers Anneke de Ridder and ProVerb (Tebogo Thekisho) who is also the presenter - switched to Urban Brew Studios this year and a triangular stage, with Vodacom, Old Mutual, Truworths, Darling and Yamaha as the various sponsors this season.

For close to almost two decades the country's media would ask the winner and runner-up various questions at the Idols post-finale press briefing and their next plans, where the producers and M-Net would also field questions about aspects from the show, and with M-Net officially congratulating the winner before the media.

It would be followed by an official prize handover ceremony from the various sponsors in front of the media.

Philly Khubheka told TVwithThinus in response to a media query that M-Net decided to axe the Idols press conference because media allegedly prefer one-on-one interviews.

"Based on the take-up and feedback last year, our assessment is that most media prefer one-on-one interviews. Our anticipation is that post-Covid we will revert to the traditional in-person press conference set-up," she said.

She said M-Net's decision to dump the Idols media briefing is part of "a different approach and media are still an integral part of our process".

On a question of how M-Net will make up for the winner's loss of exposure and earned media derived from the collective big-buzz Idols press briefing to help launch their careers, Philly Khubheka said that "there are still opportunities to interview cast, crew and winners. We have already set up these for other media houses".

Asked if the Idols sponsors were told that there won't be a press conference with media and a prize handover before media following the end of the season where they get exposure, Philly Khubheka said that "our partners are aligned with our revised process".

Besides MultiChoice and M-Net axing the media briefing Idols suddenly appears to be in sharp decline with ratings that precipitously fell this season by hundreds of thousands of viewers as DStv subscribers tuned out.

While Idols previously reigned supreme as the most-watched or second most-watched show on DStv during a season's run with over a million viewers, the show suddenly shed hundreds of thousands of viewers this year and lost a shocking third of its usual viewing audience.

Idols started off season 17 with 1 018 607 viewers on Mzansi Magic in July as usual, as the 4th most-watched show on all of DStv for the month.

Instead of climbing and the usual ratings increase as interest would build, Idols suddenly plunged following a scandal that saw choreographer judge Somizi Mhlongo exit the show under a cloud of physical assault allegations. 

DStv subscribers were no longer interested in watching Idols following the scandal and the show plunged to 10th place on DStv's most-watched list with 693 760 viewers at most in August.

In September Idols stayed flat at 9th place on DStv with 709 655 viewers. 

In October Idols sagged even further to a season-low of 13th position with just 683 814 viewers. It's far off from where Idols used to rank during the live Sunday live spectacular phase of the show.

ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. Why lazy M-Net's lackadaisical decision to drop the Idols winner Mzansi Magic media briefing damages DStv, Idols and South Africa's entertainment press.

ALSO READ: Season 17 of South Africa's Idols on Mzansi Magic makes history with an all-female top trio.

ALSO READ: Idols on Mzansi Magic sheds a third of its audience in a shocking ratings plunge after Somizi Mhlongo scandal.

ALSO READ: Season 17 of Idols on Mzansi Magic switching to weekly guest judges after exit of Somizi Mhlongo.

ALSO READ: As Somizi Mhlongo abuse allegations swirl, Mzansi Magic doesn't tell DStv viewers on-screen about his upcoming absence as Idols judge; Mohale Motaung insists he 'experienced abuse both physical and psychological'. 

15th South African Film and Television Awards executive producer Anneke de Ridder on 2021's SAFTAs show: 'Tune in for a surprise or two'.

by Thinus Ferreira

The main award show of the 15th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) on Saturday evening will be the first-ever simulcast on the SABC's S3 channel and M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) on DStv - during a Covid-pandemic year.

Anneke de Ridder, executive producer, talks about the challenges the production team faced this year in bringing the socially distanced, hybrid-show to stage and to broadcast this year, this year's theme of "still shining", the task of fitting everything in, and the "surprise or two" waiting tonight.

What are some of the big challenges in producing this year's 15th SAFTAs?

Anneke de Ridder:  One of the biggest challenges for any award show overall is that you've got so many stakeholders. Even though we're honoured and very excited about the fact that it's a simulcast on S3 and Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) it does complicate things a little bit just from an audience perspective.

An award show is an award show but the moment you put it on TV it's also an entertainment show and you've got to make sure that you give the audience what they want - it needs to be entertaining but you also need to be true to the industry and you need to give the industry something that they also enjoy.

That's probably one of the biggest challenges that there are so many different parties involved that you need to keep happy.

And how is the Covid-pandemic adding another dimension? In 2020 the SAFTAs was already a virtual event streamed online. This year it's a hybrid one.

Anneke de Ridder: This year is a hybrid as you say. We've watched all of the award shows since Covid and looked at what they did. Our biggest challenge I think is how to bring the people into the room without bringing the people into the room.

We had to think long and hard about it and I think we came up with some pretty good alternatives - a lot of it is pre-recorded - every single nominee had to pre-record an acceptance speech for instance in case they win - so that's a lot of work.

We also had a Whatsapp line for the public and invited them, and we're also pre-recording them and putting them into the award show, just to give a bit of life and to make sure that it's not just presenters announcing winners all the time.

Covid has forced us to think outside of the box and that's a very good thing, but yes, it's different to how we used to work. We have to keep numbers on set small. 

The other thing with Covid is when we plan we want to finalise what will be on the SAFTAs stage in May and you don't know what the status by that time will be. So you basically have to plan with a worst-case scenario in mind.

The last thing you want is where you've got some live elements and all of a sudden there's a national lockdown again and then the SAFTAs basically can't happen. So you have to plan out a worst-case scenario.

The theme this year is "Still Shining". How will this theme be worked into the 15th SAFTAs broadcast in terms of the colours and atmosphere and what viewers will see on screen?

Anneke de Ridder: The executive producer's job on the SAFTAs is a freelance job and I also produce Idols on Mzansi Magic. And having done Idols for so many years - last year was the hardest one I've ever had to do, working in the industry with Covid.

I think every single person working anywhere, but specifically in South Africa's film and TV industry and who made it through the past year and a half, deserves the title of "still shining" because the boundaries of everything kept changing and it was difficult. It was also a first in terms of circumstances.

In terms of bringing the "still shining" theme to the SAFTAs we went in our creative approach with neon lights and the idea is to put the industry and the names of South Africa's film and TV practitioners up in lights - and just to celebrate. 

For the set, we will stick to gold and "still shining" when we announce the winners and then when it comes to the various performances we will introduce a lot of other colours to break it up a little bit so that the entire show is not just gold.

With more of the 15th SAFTAs broadcast pre-recorded is it easier to map and time-track it out because there's always a time overrun? Does pre-recording make it easier to package it for television?

Anneke de Ridder: It definitely does because time is always a challenge. You also allocate seats to people and then you point the camera and then somebody else is sitting there - so that's often a little bit of a dilemma.

You tell the camera if this person wins you pick him or her up there and then they're not sitting in the right spot. And then all the "dead space" so to speak when people walk to stage to accept an award, and those type of things.

This year's 15th SAFTAs main broadcast on Saturday evening is a 2-hour show and not a 3-hour show as in the past, but we've managed to fit 33 nominations into the 2-hour show which I think is actually very good. You time it out to the tee. 

Hopefully we will come out exactly on 2 hours, that is what has been planned and we have been rehearsing it and it's going according to plan. There is always a surprise or two on the night, but hopefully it will be 2 hours but the pre-records definitely does make it a lot easier.

The SAFTAs is also a few months later this year than last year so the period spans longer than a year and with Covid more people passed away so you sit with more names in the In Memoriam segment and there are a few new categories that were added for the first time. How tricky or difficult is it to decide what goes into the telecast and how much time to give to segments?

Anneke de Ridder: Very! Ha ha ha. I think it's a debate that will live on for as long as the SAFTAs live on.

I think you go on what has been done previously but I will go out on a limb here and say that I think it's time that we relook the structure of the SAFTAs. 

And when I say that I mean is it a 2-night event, or is it maybe a 3-night event in terms of the number of categories that we have to cover but that's always a very tricky discussion that takes hours and hours to decide who goes into which night.

I don't think you'll ever be able to please everybody but we do have the different industry bodies and we sit with them and they also have input, as well as all the different roleplayers from the SABC to MultiChoice and e.tv and that's how we ultimately decide what goes where - by committee.

In building the puzzle for this year's 15th SAFTAs TV broadcast what about the production maybe surprised you?

Anneke de Ridder: I didn't think we'll be able to pre-record all of the nominees and we did. You're talking about over 300 people. When I first thought about it I just said "We have to do it" if this is the road we're going down on. And we actually got to do it. 

I also think that the turnaround time this year was quite tight because we only closed entries in January and you can plan an award show as much as you want but you only get really into it once you've got all of the nominees and it finally becomes real as a production. So the turnaround time was very tight. 

Don't Look Down who is handling the 15th SAFTAs production for us this year has been absolutely amazing and I'm really, really proud of the awards show broadcast that is going on air on Saturday.

Why should viewers tune in on Saturday evening to watch the 15th SAFTAs?

Anneke de Ridder: I think people will really want to watch the performances that we've chosen and incorporated into this year's award show.

The performances are live because we felt that there have been so many performances that have been pre-recorded. The energy of a live performance, done live on stage is very exciting. 

Then there's a little something-something with Mpho Popps as we go into the 15th SAFTAS as a show that I think is going to be very entertaining that people will love, so tune in.

The Night 2 main 15th SAFTAS award show is simulcast on Saturday on S3 and Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) from 19:00, preceded by a red carpet show from 18:30

Entries open for 15th South African Film and Television Awards set for May 2021 with Anneke de Ridder as executive producer, new Best Online Content category introduced as SAFTAs publicly calls for jury members for the first time ever.

by Thinus Ferreira

Entries have opened for the 15th South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) that will be held in May 2021 and is introducing a new category in the Best Online Content award, with the organisers who are for the first time ever publicly calling on the country's TV and film industry to nominate and submit people to form part of the SAFTAs jury.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) under the new leadership of Makhosazana Khanyile as NFVF CEO earlier this year started to right many of the mistakes and problems plaguing the annually panned awards ceremony.

Shrouded in secrecy and with its mysterious judging process in the past often criticised as one of the big reasons by production companies and TV channels for not entering and boycotting the SAFTAs, the organisers are taking the first meaningful step to make the awards and judging process more transparent.

This includes a public call from the NFVF for people to become jury members - something the organisers are doing for the first time in the awards' history. 

The SAFTAs judging process behind closed doors and its secret judges have been dogged by accusations of bias and claims of partisanship and conflicts of interest for years, which every year in recent years - including 2020 - have seen some of the biggest shows in the country and prominent production companies deliberately refuse to enter their shows, crew and on-screen talent for awards.

South Africa's TV and film industry now have until 10 January 2021 to nominate or submit individuals who will form part of the SAFTAs jury with judging that will be taking place during February and March 2021. 

The SAFTAs jury will be tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the integrity of the judging process, will have to ensure that judging is strictly conducted according to the rules, and will need to be "fully engaged" in the judging process to ensure that it is a credible process.

The NFVF says that each SAFTAs jury panel will be balanced with respect to age, gender, experience, ethnicity, and industry skills. An invitation will also be sent out to previous SAFTA winners and key industry specialists with a minimum 8-years' experience and specialised skill set to form part of the 2021 SAFTAS jury. 

Meanwhile, Anneke de Ridder has been appointed as the 2021 15th SAFTAs executive producer.

New category but no TikTok videos

Because of the devastating impact of the global Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic on South Africa's TV and film industry, the 2021 SAFTAs organisers are changing some of the rules pertaining to feature films to help "production houses and individuals that were affected by circumstances beyond their control".

"We have amended our criteria to reflect the changing nature of how audiences consumed visual content," says Khosi Khanyile.

"We believe that extending our submissions to incorporate digital platforms and events is not only fair, but it also recognises the pace at which our own sector was able to evolve during this time. We are thrilled at the 2021 edition of the SAFTAs will incorporate such future-forward categories within our established format."

Documentary feature films and short films that have only been screened online at virtual film festivals are eligible to enter for the 15th SAFTAs, and films that have only had a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) release, for instance on MultiChoice's DStv BoxOffice, Showmax or Netflix SA, are eligible to enter.

There is also a new category at the 15th SAFTAs in the Best Online Content award - but TikTok videos are specifically not eligible. 

For this category, the video content of between 5 and 90 minutes, must have been released on the internet or be part of a web TV or digital medium like YouTube, Facebook or Instagram but not any commercial or traditional platforms like Netflix SA or Showmax.

The award will be made to the director or producers for outstanding achievement "in the realisation, production and overall success of an online series or stand-alone content" which can be scripted or non-scripted.

15th SAFTAs to celebrate TV and film biz's perseverance

"After a challenging 2020, coloured by Covid-19 and a national lockdown, South Africa's film industry is ready to take on 2021 with renewed purpose and perspective," says the NFVF.

"This past year has been a tough one, with filmmakers, designers, actors and technicians suffering significant losses from halts in production and the postponement of events."

"In the midst of this, the SAFTAs are an opportunity to mark a moment unprecedented in history. It provides a platform to acknowledge with gratitude how the local film and television industry has stood together to continue to create stories that inspire viewers, amid a global pandemic".

Anneke de Ridder says "It is a tremendous honour to be tasked with bringing the industry and its supporters together to celebrate the great talent our country has to offer. South Africa's filmmakers best define what it means to keep it rolling despite the challenging delays that resulted from Covid-19"."

"The 15th SAFTAs will celebrate South Africa's golden talent, their perseverance and the sense of purpose that carried them through 2020 with such grace. We are ready to roll and determined to put on a spectacular show."

The deadline for entries for 2021's 15th SAFTAs is Friday 15 January 2021.