Yusuf Nabee appointed as A+E Networks UK's new general manager for Africa, based in Johannesburg to look after the History, Lifetime and C+I channels.

Yusuf Nabee is taking over responsibility for A+E Networks UK's TV channels in Africa as general manager.

A+E Networks UK says Anthea Petersen who was appointed as A+E Networks UK's regional director for Africa in February 2015 continues her relationship with A+E Networks UK as regional director, in a consultancy role.

Yusuf Nabee will now be A+E Networks UK's general manager for Africa based in Johannesburg, reporting directly to Nicolas Eglau as A+E Networks UK chief operating officer.

Yusuf Nabee, a former channel head of the the failed Glow TV channel that is now shutting down, also worked at the SABC as project manager on digital terrestrial television (DTT) and has now left Kagiso Media where he headed up special projects.

Yusuf Nabee will start as general manager for Africa for A+E Networks UK on 1 June where he will be responsible for building a full local team to drive the performance of A+E Networks' channels in Africa and to secure new distribution for channels.

A+E Networks UK currently supplies channels like History, Lifetime and Crime+Investigation to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, and has commissioned local format shows like Pawn Stars South Africa and Four Weddings SA.

"I'm very pleased to be joining the A+E Networks' family," says Yusuf Nabee in a statement. "I'm particularly excited at the opportunity to build on the base that A+E Networks has already established in Africa by expanding the company's presence across the continent and bringing more local flavour to its existing brands and content."

Nicolas Eglau says "Yusuf Nabee is [a] great addition to A+E Networks' senior team. We are confident that his proven track-record of launching new channels, commissioning content and increasing audience share in the competitive African TV landscape will enable A_E Networks to gain further scale in this exciting and important market."

What you don't know about the messy and called-off media day of A+E Networks UK in South Africa for Idris Alba and the History channel on DStv.

I know the rest of the press brigade have remained silent but I need to weigh in on A+E Networks UK and their Africa's office hysterical History hufflepuff with Idris Elba that set back relationships with the media and broke trust - something that I have no idea how long it will take to repair or build up again.

It's the second time (and the second time in a row) that a documentary made in South Africa and also specifically about Nelson Mandela for, and on, A+E Networks UK's History channel on MultiChoice's DStv ends up being more in the news for the scandal and drama around it, than for the actual programme and its contents.

It's no accident.

By now the media intelligentsia and every South African TV critic will know how Idris Elba was on his way to South Africa for work and a "secret" A+E Networks UK press junket for its South Africa office at the end of November to promote a documentary shown on History (DStv 186).

I say "secret" since A+E Networks UK's South African office and its PR company deliberately chose not to tell all the press who they do lip-service to as having a so-called real media relationship with, about it.

It wouldn't have been that big of a deal, but of course Idris Elba who didn't want to continue to do his/the work he agreed to as a professional artist, abruptly left Heathrow airport at the very last minute and went back home when he discovered his daughter wouldn't be allowed into the country without an unabridged birth certificate.

The turnaround, visit cancellation and scuppered press jaunt of course flung A+E Networks UK, A+E Networks' office in South Africa and Idris Elba into the national and international headlines - but for all the wrong reasons.

Dear Idris suddenly became the latest poster child of the South Africa's cause célèbre around the controversial visa regulations damaging tourism, travel, the economy and making overseas visitors no longer wanting to fly to South Africa.

It's presumably not the type of hard news, banner headline type stories A+E Networks UK, A+E Networks in Africa, the History channel or MultiChoice wanted to see their names and brands mentioned in who work hard to bring TV viewers entertainment.

What most people won't know is how A+E Networks UK, A+E Networks' South Africa office headed up by Anthea Petersen as regional director, and its PR agency JAG Communications actually damaged its standing, relationships and what trust there was with the South African media and TV critics because of this incident.

A+E Networks in Africa and JAG Communications didn't bother to tell all the journalists and TV critics they work with and supposedly have a relationship with, about the impending Idris Elba visit to Johannesburg and media day to screen the Mandela documentary and do interviews.

The irony in A+E Networks UK and JAG Communications' lack of proper and expected communication and media relations was however twofold.

Firstly a lot of media knew about it beforehand anyway even though they were not even shown the common courtesy of just being told (and they were miffed, felt dissed and decided to deliberately not give exposure to the programme and focus on other programming).

Secondly, while A+E Networks and JAG worked on "secretly" bringing press in to Johannesburg, almost all of South Africa's journalists and TV critics from Cape Town and Durban, but hilariously kept in the dark, were already in Johannesburg anyway for M-Net and Mzansi Magic's Idols finale on Sunday 22 November.

Since A+E Networks in South Africa and its PR company couldn't bother to reach out and talk and have conversations with the media beforehand (it's called having and building public relations), they were apparently clueless that press would and were already present, and that they knew about the impending Idris Alba presser. 

I can't repeat most of what the contingent of media from across South Africa - all together and waiting for the live finale of Idols - had to say for hours on Sunday afternoon when the news broke that the (selfish?) Idris Elba turned around at Heathrow and decided to no longer come and work in South Africa to promote a documentary film for History.

What I will say is that the sentiment was extremely negative, and I suppose still is: towards Idris Elba ("Why if his holiday plans are no longer working out does he not continue to come to South Africa to do his work?") - as well as towards the History channel and by implication A+E Networks in Africa.

"Silly" and "Why don't they properly communicate?" and "They [meaning History/ A+E Networks] clearly showed who doesn't matter to them, so they and their show doesn't matter to me" were some of the things I heard from various journalists who were - and I'm sure remain - extremely unhappy with History and A+E Networks UK.

After the blow-up and after reporting the news of the media event's cancellation, I asked if Idris Elba is doing interviews for the History documentary. 

Even at this late stage, A+E Networks UK by proxy of their PR agency couldn't sense that what was needed was to reach out to all relevant media and to provide something usable to everyone.

The flat response back was: "He did do telephonic interviews with those media who were scheduled to meet him in Johannesburg".

Since silence is golden, I doubt if A+E Networks UK's South African office and JAG Communications have the faintest idea of just how many journalists and TV critics were and are pissed off by what is perceived as a diss. 

What's interesting is how everyone from the press corps who were together on Sunday 22 November and who talked about the Idris Elba media day and the spoke in the plan, shared the same negative remarks and sentiment towards History.

What I also now by now is that people - especially journalists - don't forget these things. 

Inadequate reputation management has seared a certain (very negative) perception and feeling and attitude towards History, Idris Elba and A+E Networks in South Africa into the minds of several journalists covering television - something that will be difficult to change or lessen over time.

I always think a TV channel or a show or broadcaster and the intermediaries like their marketers, publicists or PR agencies want to build and maintain and grow real relationship and above cultivate a bigger degree of mutual trust and respect. 

Obviously in this case not - where the exact opposite happened.

Gladly choose the "select" press you want to work with, the ones you want and will bother to communicate with, and then those you won't tell anything, or keep informed, or be as open and honest with. Continue to run your "tiered" system of press management and see if and how well that works.

Just then don't ever complain about media or TV critics not liking you, or sit and wonder why there are not more and deeper media relationships, a lack of trust from journalists, a lingering negative media perception about your brand(s) and general journo disinterest.

The answer is that bad public relations actually caused it.

British actor Idris Elba dumps South Africa and History channel on DStv over visa drama with daughter; media screening of new documentary ruined.

Actor Idris Elba has dumped South Africa and a History (DStv 186) channel event, and will no longer be flying here for the scrapped media launch for a new documentary after drama over an unabridged birth certificate for his daughter.

The British actor who had visited South Africa several times before and famously portrayed Nelson Mandela in 2013's Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom has now become the latest high-profile star to jettison South Africa over the country’s controversial and unresolved visa regulations requiring unabridged birth certificates for minors.

The extremely confusing and cumbersome unabridged birth certificate requirement has hammered South Africa's tourism industry the past few months, inflicting massive damage on the already dwindling number of overseas visitors.

It's estimated that South Africa's tourism industry will incur an estimated loss of R16 billion in 2015 alone as people who wanted to visit the country with their children opt for less onerous administrative and visa requirements and fly somewhere else for holiday.

According to sources I spoke to, A+E Networks UK that runs channels like History on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, invited some media for a special screening of a new Mandela documentary in which Elba pays homage to Nelson Mandela and his dad.

A+E Networks together with Elba would have screened and watched the new documentary, Mandela, My Dad and Me with some media in Johannesburg on Monday and Tuesday and Idris Elba would have done interviews before the documentary's broadcast later this month on History.

This will now no longer happen after the star at the last minute discovered he couldn't bring his daughter, Isan, along because of a lack of an unabridged birth certificate and decided not to fly to South Africa.

Already inside the airport in London, he decided to make a U-turn and go back home with his daughter.

A+E Networks Africa's screening for some members of the press has been abruptly cancelled as well as a press conference and interviews. 

"A huge mess. It's highly embarrassing for A+E Networks and the History channel in South Africa," a source told TVwithThinus on Sunday.

"Idris was travelling with his daughter and only at the last minute it came to light she did not have the correct paperwork to enter South Africa," Anthea Petersen, A+E Networks regional director for Africa told TVwithThinus in response to a media enquiry.

"The trip to South Africa had to be cancelled as a result. We apologise for the inconvenience and disappointment caused."

Mandela, My Dad and Me is a Green Door Pictures, Shine North, Woodcut Media, Bob & Co production and is distributed by Content Media. In a statement Elba said that that he is "thrilled to bring the film to Africa".

Pawn Stars South Africa on History renewed for a second season; Fifth Gear has a South African episode and History grabs Idris Alba exploration film.

Pawn Stars South Africa on History (DStv 186) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform has been renewed for a second season.

The announcement of the renewal was made at A+E Networks UK's presentation in Mauritius at the MultiChoice Content Showcase.

MultiChoice's 5 day DStv Content Showcase in Mauritius started on Tuesday with the satellite pay-TV service doing a programming and content upfront where several TV channels - from Sony Television and BBC Worldwide to SuperSport, M-Net, Viacom's BET, MTV Base, A+E Networks UK's History, Lifetime and others - are presenting their latest and upcoming programming and content over the coming months.

MultiChoice excluded South Africa's press and TV critics from attending the MultiChoice Content Showcase that media from other Africa countries are attending and MultiChoice didn't inform South African journalists covering the TV industry beforehand that the event would be taking place.

Pawn Stars SA, the South African spin-off of the global hit series Pawn Stars, follows owner Roy Peretz and his Cash Inn pawn shop in Johannesburg, together with partners Eytan and Liel and assistants Irene and Solly.

Pawn Stars SA is produced by Rapid Blue in South Africa.

Pawn Stars SA will return for a second season on History with more fascinating finds, stories and characters from Johannesburg's Cash Inn pawn shop. The series is due to air on History in early 2016 says Anthea Petersen, A+E Networks' regional director for Africa.

A+E Networks also announced the two O.J. Simpson special documentaries, The Secret Tapes of the O.J. Simpson Case: The Untold Story which will be broadcast on Crime+Investigation (DStv 170) on 6 October at 21:00, and O.J. Speaks: The Hidden Tapes which will be broadcast on 13 October at 21:00.

The car magazine show Fifth Gear will also return for a new season to History, with a special episode filmed in South Africa - again news relevant to South African press and TV critics who were not told about it, not attending the MultiChoice Content Showcase.

Yet another History announcement made at the MultiChoice Content Showcase concerns South Africa and South African programming.

History has the exclusive rights to Idris Alba: Mandela, My Dad & Me, a non-scripted film that follows Idris Alba - who might be the new 007 - on a journey of self-discovery after the filming of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

Idris Alba: Mandela, My Dad & Me will be shown on History in December.

Although A+E Networks UK talked about it, the information wasn't shared. A+E is looking for African stories to possibly put on History as part of growing local content on the channel.

A+E Networks appoints Anthea Petersen as regional director for Africa as it gets ready to open a Johannesburg office in South Africa.

A+E Networks has appointed Anthea Petersen as regional director for Africa as it gets ready to open a regional African office - its first - in Johannesburg South Africa.

A+E Networks UK provides pay-TV channels like History, Crime+Investigation and Lifetime to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

Following BBC Worldwide who is creating a South African office as well as Fox International Channels Africa (FIC Africa) which is growing its local executive and marketing presence and Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa) which has an established South African office, A+E Networks now says that it will be establishing a Johannesburg office as well.

A+E Networks says the opening of a South African office is "part of the company's commitment to growing presence across Africa".

Anthea Petersen will be responsible for commercial development and marketing for A+E Networks' local channel portfolio across Africa, as well as operations and building the local team.

Anthea Petersen will report to Bakori Davis, the vice president of commercial operations at A+E Networks UK.

Anthea Petersen who've worked at DStv Media and M-Net runs her own South African based consultancy firm.

"I am pleased and excited to be joining A+E Networks at a time when the company is so focused on driving growth and expansion across Africa," says Anthea Petersen.

"We're pleased to welcome Anthea Petersen," says Bakori Davis. "Her leadership qualities and in-depth local knowledge will enable us to work more effectively with our partners and maximise growth opportunities across Africa."