CNBC cancels The News with Shepard Smith seen on CNBC Africa after 2 years.

by Thinus Ferreira

The NBCUniversal business news TV channel CNBC in America has cancelled The News with Shepard Smith seen on CNBC Africa (DStv 410) in South Africa and across sub-Saharan Africa, with the programme that will end sometime in November and with Shepard Smith leaving CNBC.

CNBC will replace The News with Shepard Smith in 2023 with another hour of business news with new anchors.

The News with Shepard Smith is seen in South Africa at 06:00 in the mornings on CNBC Africa (DStv 410) and will disappear later this month.

CNBC president KC Sullivan in an email to staffers last week told them The News with Shepard Smith is cancelled after 2 years and that "we have decided that The News with Shepard Smith will have its final newscast later this month" because CNBC has to "prioritise and focus on our core strengths of business news and personal finance".

"This is key in our efforts to continue building on our position as the number one global business news brand and to connect with new audiences of all kinds interested in their financial future."

"We need to further invest in business news content that provides our audiences actionable understanding of the complex developments in global markets and the implications on institutions, investors and individuals. During times of flux and uncertainty, our place in the lives of those we touch on-air, online and in person becomes even clearer, and more essential."

"Decisions like these are not arrived at hastily or taken lightly. I believe this decision will ultimately help to strengthen our brand and the value we provide our audiences."

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 27 October 2020.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:

■ Wendy Williams on the verge of another drug-fuelled implosion?

With her bizarre and highly erratic behaviour once again visible on-air, insiders working behind-the-scenes at The Wendy Williams Show seen on BET (DStv 129) say "it's like coming to work and watching a trainwreck every day".

- Production staff is at a loss over what to do.

- Wendy Williams starts Monday with cryptic: "I'm not perfect."  - "You're a tough crowd."

- Shock that Debmar-Mercury would allow this to air.

- Former show DJ Boof warns: "Everyone there is afraid to speak up because they don't want to lose their jobs.  This is going to play out bad".

■ Netflix co-CEO Reed Hastings: "We don't really focus that much on title count."

Video streamer on defence in its Q3 earnings call with investors as Netflix admits that its content catalogue of titles is now smaller than what it used to be.

■ Mindhunter on Netflix most likely cancelled.

■ How Apple TV+ is carving out a niche as video streaming service.

■ Health shock: Legendary SuperSport presenter Neil Andrews undergoing triple bypass surgery.

Hospitalised Saturday after unbearable chest pains started this past weekend.

■ Young YouTube influencers are shamelessly marketing junk food to other kids.

■ SABC3's cheater Expresso presenter Katlego Maboe didn't just throw Monique Muller but also the other woman Nikkita Murray under the bus.

When a child is involved, cheating becomes that much more difficult and destructive.

■ Home Improvement's Zachery Ty Bryan dragged girlfriend out of bed by her hair, beat her and choked her over a cellphone charger.

■ New show of Shepard Smith, now seen on CNBC Africa (DStv 410) is a ratings flop.

■ The room where it happens: Why writer rooms make for great TV.

■ How the TV industry in America is getting back to work.

■ In America TV journalism will remain broken after Donald Trump.

■ Joe Dempsey on his new British series Adult Material: The Game of Thrones actor talks porn, sex and self-pleasure.

■ The TV and film industry got black characters wrong for decades. Meet the black British creatives rewriting the script.

■ Shock and outrage as Nigeria's government and corrupt National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) cracks down on the struggling country's media and TV channels during #EndSARS protests.

"The future of press freedom in Nigeria is under massive attack to muzzle journalists."

■ UPIC TV launches in Botswana as an internet protocol TV service.

CNBC hires Shepard Smith as new general news anchor, will do new nightly news show, The News With Shepard Smith.

by Thinus Ferreira

The American TV news anchor Shepard Smith who abruptly left FOX News (StarSat 261) in October 2019 is joining CNBC from 13 July where he will be anchoring The News with Shepard Smith timeslot on weekdays, starting later this year.

It's not yet clear whether The News with Shepard Smith will be broadcast in South Africa and Africa on CNBC Africa (DStv 410) but if it is, it will be on at 01:00 in the mornings South African time, following The NBC Night News with Lester Holt at 00:30.

The News with Shepard Smith will be a general news show on the TV financial news channel that Shepard Smith says will be "fact-based, hour-long evening news program with the mission to cut through the static to deliver facts, in context and with perspective".

The show will serve as "the perfect bridge between CNBC's daytime investor-focused news programming and the network's aspirational business-oriented entertainment programs in primetime".

Shepard Smith will work from CNBC's headquarters in Engelwood Cliffs, New Jersey.

Shepard Smith will serve as CNBC's chief general news anchor and chief breaking general news anchor, as well as the executive producer of The News with Shepard Smith.

"Information is coming at us from every direction. If we're not careful, life-altering decisions will be made based on half-truth, rumour, misdirection or worse," says Mark Hoffman, CNBC chairperson, in a statement announcing Shepard Smith's addition.

Smith Shepard says in the statement that "Gathering and reporting the news has been my life’s work. I am honoured to continue to pursue the truth, both for CNBC’s loyal viewers and for those who have been following my reporting for decades in good times and in bad".

"Mark Hoffman presented me with CNBC’s vision for a fact-based, hour-long evening news program with the mission to cut through the static to deliver facts, in context and with perspective."

"I know I found a great home for my newscast. I am excited to be working with the exceptional talent at CNBC and eager to build a team focused on uncovering the news behind the headlines."


ALSO READ: Original FOX News anchor Shepard Smith shocks and abruptly quits after 23 years with the American channel.

CNBC Africa turns 13: ABN Group says Covid-19 is a 'major test' for the TV business channel, hints at switch to a new operating model post-coronavirus.

by Thinus Ferreira

CNBC Africa (DStv 410 / StarSat 309), the Africa-localised TV business news channel franchise of the American CNBC brand is turning 13 years old today amidst the devastating global Covid-19 pandemic and says that the impact of the coronavirus has been a "major test" for the channel, hinting at a switch to a new operating model in the future post-Covid-19.

As with all South African and African media, the ABN Group that launched CNBC Africa on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service on 1 June 2007, has felt the tremendous devastating impact of Covid-19 over the past two months.

As elsewhere, CNBC Africa saw programming advertisers and sponsors disappear while several of CNBC Africa's planned, broadcast business sessions which are sponsored content, had to be cancelled.

CNBC Africa currently has bureaus in Johannesburg (South Africa), Lagos (Nigeria) and Kigali (Rwanda) and produced roughly 8 hours of Africa-produced business and economic-related TV content per day.

Commenting about CNBC Africa's 13th anniversary, Roberta Naicker, ANB Group managing director, says that "The journey has been a game-changer in the business news genre as the channel has showcased business and economic news on the continent".

"We could not have achieved this without the commitment of the executive team and staff at CNBC Africa who have been the cornerstone of our achievement."

Sid Wahi, CNBC Africa director, says that the industry has evolved over the last decade as both content creation and distribution have radically transformed.

"Although we were the first server-based TV station in sub-Sahara Africa, that was not enough as we had to realign our processes, modernise our equipment, train our staff and consolidate the operation to meet the challenges that we were faced with."

Sid Wahi says that CNBC Africa TV channel distribution had to be addressed as well since it was a major gap in sub-Sahara Africa. After just being available on MultiChoice's DStv in 2007, CNBC Africa gained carriage to further carriage agreement contracts on other platforms as well, for instance China's StarTimes pay-TV platform.

"Covid-19 has been a major test of the channel's resolve." says CNBC Africa. "On one hand news media is considered an essential service, but on the other, there is little support in the form of advertising and sponsorships during this pandemic."

"Like all media companies, we have reached out to a lot of our long-time clients to stand by us during this extremely challenging time. The post-Covid-19 era will herald a new operating model as the experience has catalysed transformation of the business, making it more productive and efficient."

In an interview on CNBC Africa on Monday, Zafar Siddiqi, ABN Group co-founder and chairperson, about the impact of Covid-19 on the TV business said that the channel "has a steady number of viewership who are interested in business news so we generally will not lose them. So, in summary I'd say - uncertainty, again - but we should be out of the storm in roughly 12 to 18 months".

#SONA2020: South African TV coverage of the State of the Nation 2020 Address today.

by Thinus Ferreira

Several TV channels will be doing live coverage and analyses today of the State of the Nation Address 2020 of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.

The State of the Nation Address is divided into three different parts - the ceremony where the Civil Guard of Honour welcomes the president and his guests as they walk along the red carpet at parliament; then the state ceremonial which includes a 21-gun salute and the South African Air Force flypast, and lastly the official address from the president.


SABC News
The SABC will broadcast the State of the Nation Address 2020 (#SONA2020) live on TV, radio, its online SABC News channel on YouTube and on its website on Thursday, 13 February.

The SABC will do preview coverage and analyses on various programmes on SABC News (DStv 404) leading up to the address. These shows will cover the Civil Guard of Honour, red carpet arrivals coverage and the 21 Gun Salute.

The SABC says that SABC News reporters and anchors will be on location at parliament and in the Auckland Park studio in Johannesburg to cover the event.

SABC News roving reporters will also be spread across South Africa bring citizens' expectations and reactions in various communities in the run-up to the speech and afterwards.

The SABC will have leading political and economic analysts in studio and on-location helping the audience to make sense of the president's speech.

The red carpet arrivals will be live streamed from 16:00 on the SABC News channel on YouTube until the end of the proceedings as members of the judiciary, cabinet ministers and members of parliament (MPs), including the speakers of the various provincial legislatures, premiers and diplomats arrive at the Company Gardens entrance in Government Avenue to the Old Assembly.

The president's address will be broadcast live at 19:00 on SABC News (DStv 404) and on SABC2.

Following the president's address, a post-analysis of the speech will be broadcast live with experts and reaction from various political parties.


SABC2
On SABC2 coverage of the State of the Nation Address 2020 speech will start at 18:00 and continue until 21:00, preempting the channel's normal schedule. On Thursday there won't be an edition of the Afrikaans TV news on SABC2. It will be followed by the day's episode of Muvhango at 21:00.


eNCA (DStv 403)
eNCA didn't respond to media enquiries about its SONA coverage and presentation plans but the channel will be doing rolling live coverage of the State of the Nation Address 2020 kicking off from 16:00.

The State of the Nation Address Build-Up starts at 16:00 for three hours after which the channel plans to show the State of the Nation Address 2020 from 19:00 live until 21:00.

In past years eNCA had a pop-up studio in Cape Town's parliamentary precinct and will likely have one again this year.


Newzroom Africa (DStv 405)
Newzroom Afrika says the channel has planned special broadcast coverage of today's event with a senior team of anchors and reporters in both Cape Town and its studio in Linden, Johannesburg.

"Our full day of coverage means live crossings from early in the morning until late into the evening with much analysis and reaction."

"Our seasoned anchor, Cathy Mohlahlana together with our politics editor, Sbu Ngalwa will be hosting our special broadcast from Cape Town - while Stephen Grootes makes his Newzroom Afrika debut from our Linden studios."

Newzroom Afrika says its reporters Ziyanda Ngcobo, Athi Mtongana and Nasiphi Same will be covering the SONA2020 red carpet, the parliamentary precinct and surrounds while Pelane Phakgadi and Malungelo Booi will do the wrap-up coverage, getting reaction and analyses.

CNBC Africa (DStv 410)
CNBC Africa says the channel will broadcast the State of the Nation Address 2020 live from 19:00 until 20:00.


Business Day TV (DStv 412)
Business Day TV will broadcast the State of the Nation Address 2020 live and do post-analysis coverage afterwards until 21:00.


Parliamentary Channel (DStv 408)
Build-up: SONA 2020 coverage kicks off on the channel at 15:00, with a live broadcast of the State of the Nation Address 2020 speech from 19:00 until 21:30.

From 21:30 there is a half-hour Wrap-up: SONA 2020 carrying reaction from various politicians, after which a repeat of the speech is broadcast at 22:00 tonight.

The same coverage will be streamed on parliament's YouTube channel.

MultiChoice Kenya takes financial TV channels CNBC Africa and Bloomberg away from DStv Compact subscribers.

by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice Kenya has taken away the business news TV channels CNBC Africa (DStv 410) and Bloomberg (DStv 411) from DStv Compact subscribers as part of what the pay-TV operator calls a "refresh" of the DStv Compact package in the East African country.

MultiChoice gave no explanation for removing CNBC Africa and Bloomberg from DStv Compact. Since December the two news channels are now only available on the DStv Compact Plus and DStv Premium packages in Kenya.

"As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance our customers' television viewing experience and delight them with content that resonates with them, MultiChoice did a content refresh to its DStv and GOtv offerings on 13 November 2019," MultiChoice says in a statement.

Your 2019 South African elections TV news guide - what coverage you can watch where.

As South African TV news ramps up coverage of the 2019 general elections from Wednesday and the expected election results on Thursday and Friday, here is what broadcasters and news channels are planning to do and offer viewers:

SABC News / SABC2 (DStv 404)

The SABC didn't respond to media enquiries with specific questions about its upcoming televised election coverage but on Tuesday issued a general press release saying that the elections will be covered on its SABC News channel.

In addition, SABC2's regular schedule is being replaced with SABC2 that will become a simulcast channel of the SABC news feed for terrestrial viewers on Wednesday between 05:00 and 17:30, and again between 19:00 and 20:55, and from 22:00 to 05:00 on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday SABC2 will keep Morning Live that will be election coverage focused, as well as 7de Laan (18:00), Afrikaans news (18:30), Setswana/Sesotho news (18:45), Live Lotto Draw (20:55), Muvhango (21:00) and Giyani: Land of Blood (21:30).

For its election coverage the SABC will use both its Auckland Park studio, as well as a set in its designated broadcast corner at the Independent Electoral Commission's (IEC) Results Operation Centre in Pretoria. 

The SABC didn't respond as to what shows will be done from there, and which from its regular studio, or which main anchors will be based where, but on-air anchors will include Sakina Kamwendo, Leanne Manas, Tsepiso Makwetla, Stephen Grootes, Desiree Chauke, Peter Ndoro and Francis Herd.

SABC News will have camera crews and reporters at all of the IEC result centres countrywide to provide updates.

On Thursday SABC2 will again switch to the SABC News channel feed between 05:00 and 09:30,12:00 and 15:00,19:00 to 21:00, and 22:00 to midnight.

The SABC was asked about possible special programming, new technology or what it might do new or differently in terms of election coverage on SABC News for this election coverage but the broadcaster didn't respond.

SABC1 and SABC3

SABC1 will broadcast SABC News election coverage from Wednesday 8 May to Friday 10 May between 21:00 and 21:30 but didn't specify what it will show, or who the presenters will be.

SABC3 will broadcast SABC News election coverage from Wednesday 8 May to Friday 10 May between 17:30 and 18:00. SABC3 says the Democracy Gauge programme is being changed to Election Special 2019.

eNCA (DStv 403)

The eNCA TV news channel from eMedia Investments carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service responded to a media enquiry and says that with its 2019 election slogan "the moment of truth" the channel will be "showcasing the moment of truth coming to viewers live as it happens when the South African public cast their votes".

eNCA will have reporters and camera crews stationed across South Africa's polling stations and IEC result centres. eNCA also has a set at the IEC Results Operation Centre in Pretoria.

eNCA's provided a run-down of its coverage plans for Wednesday, anchors and from where it will take place:

06:00 – 10:00 Dan Moyana and Yveka Rangappa (Results Operation Centre)

10:00 – 14:00 Xoli Mngambi and Marcelle Gordon (Results Operation Centre)

11:00 – 12:00 Jeremy Maggs (eNCA Hyde Park studio)

12:00 – 18:00 Michelle Craig and Shahan Ramkissoon (Results Operation Centre)

15:00 – 16:00 Jeremy Maggs (eNCA Hyde Park studio)

18:00 – 22:00 Vuyo Mvoko, Jane Dutton, Faith Mangope

22:00 – 02:00 Anlie Hattingh and Thembekile Mrototo

Open News

The local TV news channel from eMedia Investments carried on its Openview free-to-air satellite TV service was asked for its election coverage plans, special programming and scheduling and what it will be offering viewers but didn't respond with programming information.

Newzroom Afrika (DStv 405)

The Newzroom Afrika TV news channel from Thabile Ngwato and Thokozani Nkosi carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service was asked for its election coverage plans, special programming and scheduling and what it will be offering viewers didn't respond with information. 

Newzroom Afrika has a set at the IEC Results Operation Centre in Pretoria and will do some broadcast anchoring from there.

Newzroom Afrika team of political reporters include Malungelo Booi, Karyn Maughan and Thulasizwe Simelane who all joined from eNCA, Ziyanda Ngcobo who joined from Radio 702, and Mweli Masilela, Yolisa Njamela and Mbali Sibanyoni who joined from SABC News. 

They will join anchor Cathy Mohlahlana providing election news coverage and analysis.

Business Day TV (DStv 412)

The business news channel from the Tiso Blackstar Group carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service responded to a media enquiry and says its 2019 elections coverage will be mainly focused on doing post-election analysis on Thursday 9 May and Friday 10 May.

The channel will cover reaction to the results as they start to come in from Thursday and Business Day TV will speak to politicians and political analysts.

The channel plans to do crossings to the IEC Results Operation Centre in Pretoria to keep viewers updated and will continue doing its daily companies and market news analysis.

CNBC Africa (DStv 410 / Cell C black 512)

CNBC Africa responded to a media enquiry and says it will be covering the 2019 elections and will offer viewers a different view with a focus on the South African economy and how the elections impact business and future growth.

CNBC Africa's election coverage will run as follows:

8 May: 8:00 - 19:30

9 May: 8:00 - 19:30

10 May: 8:00 - 19:30

11 May: Standing by for final election results as and when it's announced.

Chris Bishop, CNBC Africa head of programming, and the seasoned financial journalist Godfrey Mutizwa will be anchoring the desk throughout the day, crossing to the IEC Results Centre as well as multiple locations around South Africa to get a feel from the business community as to how the election results will impact the economy.

CNBC Africa’s Karabo Letlhatlha and Fifi Peters will be field reporters, bringing viewers the latest from the elections and how this will affect the financial markets, business and the currency.

CNBC Africa also booked an extensive line-up of guests over the next few days from captains of industry to economists, financial institutions, academic and research houses along with political analysts. CNBC Africa says it will also be keeping tabs on the social media realm as the elections roll-on.

In-studio topics on CNBC Africa will include subjects ranging from Jobs - 25-Years On, The state of corruption and service delivery, The CEO vote, and South Africa's youth to Climate change and Women and the economy.

Carte Blanche, M-Net (DStv 101) on Sunday, 12 May, 19:00
Elections 2019
Battered and bruised, the campaign trail took its toll on political parties that traversed the country trying to move the needle during this year’s national elections. By Tuesday the electorate still seemed confused and millions of votes were up for grabs. 

By Thursday, the die was cast. But in the final tally, will South Africans’ votes result in more than coalitions and compromises? Carte Blanche on M-Net will analyse the country’s sixth democratic elections.

Producer: Ntokozo Miya

Presenter: Macfarlane Moleli

ANC politician Jessie Duarte lashes out at eNCA reporter Samkele Maseko in an ugly rant at a press briefing after telling SABC News to switch their camera off.

Jessie Duarte, the ANC political party's deputy secretary-general in South Africa, on Tuesday afternoon lashed out in an ugly rant at the eNCA (DStv 403) reporter Samkele Maseko with the shocking verbal tirade that immediately went viral and lead to massive coverage on eNCA as well as SABC News (DStv 404) and across other media in the country.

The SABC's SABC News division, broadcasting the shocking incident from its own camera angle, revealed how Jessie Duarte told the SABC to turn its camera off before she launched into her attack on eNCA and Samkele Maseko.

The SABC not only kept its camera rolling but also broadcast how Jessie Duarte told the SABC to switch its camera off on Tuesday evening.

At the ANC press briefing Jessie Duarte laid into Samkele Maseko, slamming him as "the worst bully I've ever come across", saying he was "arrogantly disposed" and that he believes he is "the lord of media".

Jessie Duarte in her tirade criticised Samkele Maseko for trying to "defend freedom of speech you've never fought for".

"Mr Samkele, you have a habit of intimidating everybody, you have a habit of making people feel that you are the lord of the media, you are one journalist, you work for one eNCA and you think all of us must shiver and shake," said a finger-waving Jessie Duarte.

"You call me me a bully but you are the worst bully I've ever come across. I've never met anyone as arrogantly disposed as you are and you want to defend freedom of speech you've never fought for."

"And you don't defend freedom of speech because your particular TV station has decided the direction it will go on as it did in 2016 you followed the DA slogan of 'vote for change'."

"So what do you want us to do? To bow and scrape every time you walk into a room and call you my lord, the lord of the media? You are just a journalist just as I am just a citizen, nothing more, nothing less. Yes, this is personal," said Jessie Duarte.

Video surfaced on Tuesday afternoon of a caustic Jessie Duarte in 2017 berating a CNBC Africa (DStv 410 / Cell C black 512) reporter in a similar on-camera meltdown.

In a statement issued by the ANC afterwards the political party said that it "has noted the one-sided and biased story given by the eNCA on the interaction between Samkelo Maseko" and Jessie Duarte and that "Samkele Maseko engaged in an unacceptable and unprofessional outburst".

The ANC said that "Jessie Duarte reiterates her commitment to freedom of the media and editorial independence which has been championed by the ANC for many years".

"Jessie Duarte today really sounded like Donald Trump," Anton Harber, Caxton Professor of Journalism at Wits University told Open News on Tuesday evening about the ANC deputy secretary-general verbal attack on the eNCA reporter.

Anton Harber told eNCA that "I'm very concerned because Jessie Duarte is so far out of line that, she really needs to be pulled back into place. She seems to think that she can dictate who asks what questions and fails to recognise the role of the media and her duty".

"She seemed to be upset about the hard questions. And we're saying, well, journalists must ask hard questions. That's the whole point, Kate Skinner, executive director at the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) told SABC News in an interview on Tuesday evening.

On Wednesday morning the SABC's Morning Live show featured and interviewed both Samkele Maseko and Kate Skinner.

Morning Live anchor Leanne Manas told viewers that the ANC political party's spokesperson and Jessie Duarte have both gone underground. "Please answer your phones. We want to talk to you."

2019 BUDGET SPEECH WATCH. Pre-analysis, live coverage and post-analysis broadcast plans on Wednesday of the SABC on SABC News and SABC2, eNCA, CNBC Africa, Open News and YouTube.

Several TV channels will be doing live coverage and analyses on 20 February when Tito Mboweni, South Africa's minister of finance, delivers his 2019 budget speech at 14:00 on Wednesday afternoon.

Here is TVwithThinus's round-up of what the coverage on South African television on Wednesday will entail:

SABC
The SABC tells me in response to a media enquiry that SABC News (DStv 404) and SABC2 will start with preview interviews and live crossings on Wednesday morning on Morning Live from the parliamentary precinct in Cape Town.

This will include economists, labour, politicians and various other experts. The SABC plans to do live crossings from the various regions on budget expectations from citizens on the ground, and also commissioned preview packages focusing on tax, Eskom, education, safety and security, and health.

Budget speech preview-related coverage will also be carried on the SABC News channel programmes, The Agenda and On Point.

Live coverage of Tito Mboweni's 2019 budget speech will start on SABC News and SABC2 at 13:50 as the minister of finance walks into parliament to deliver his address.

The speech will be carried live on these SABC channels. Subsequent to the speech, the broadcast will consist of analysis with various experts, as well as live crossings to the steps of parliament for reaction from political parties and civil society.


eNCA (DStv 403)
eNCA tells me in response to a media enquiry that it will provide full coverage and detailed analysis of Tito Mboweni's budget speech, live on the news channel from 14:00 on Wednesday.

The eNCA business anchor Devan Murugan will report live from the parliamentary precinct, leading the analysis and gauging the reactions from politicians and experts.


CNBC Africa (DStv 410 / Cell C black 512)
CNBC Africa tells me in response to a media enquiry that Godfrey Mutizwa and Karabo Letlhatlha will be anchoring the main desk from Sandton on Wednesday, crossing to Fifi Peters in Cape Town throughout the day for 2019 Budget speech coverage.

The business news channel will also carry the 2019 Budget speech live. CNBC Africa says it will naturally adapt to any changes or breaking news on Wednesday.

CNBC Africa's current run-of-day on Wednesday will be as follows:

13:00 - 14:00 Pre-Budget Panel with chief economists, banking heads and financial institutions

14:00 - 16:30 Live broadcast of the 2019 Budget speech & post-analysis with top economists, CFO’s and fund managers 

16:30 - 17:15 CEO and labour panel

17:15 - 17:35 Youth panel

17:35 - 18:05 Eskom panel

18:05 - 18:30 Tax and savings panel   

18:30 - 19:00 Highlights special (26 minutes)


Business Day TV (DStv 412)
Business Day TV tells me the business news channel will go live at 13:30 with a pre-budget speech panel anchored by Alishia Seckam.

From there Business Day TV will cross live to parliament for the speech and then come back for a brief analysis. Thereafter and into the rest of the evening, the channel will look at the various themes that come from Tito Mboweni's speech.

This will consist of various panels from tax, business, personal finance and politics, as well as taking a look at markets' reaction and some of the other news of the day.

Anchors for the day are Alicia Seckam, Leigh Roberts, Natassia Arendse and Giulietta Talevi.

Panellists appearing on Business Day for the day are Lumkile Mondi (senior lecturer: Wits School of Economics & Business Science), Zweli Mabhoza, founder/director: Priority Tax), Maarten Ackerman (chief economist: Citadel), Marcus Botha (BDO), Muneer Hassan (senior lecturer, taxation: University of Johannesburg), David Warneke (National Tax Committee Chair: SAICA), Vukani Mde (political analyst: Lefthook), Daniel Silke (political Analyst), Ralph Mathekga (political analyst), Andre de Ruyter (CEO: Nampak), Bernard Swanepoel (executive director: Small Business Institute), Nick Nick Kunze (Sanlam Private Wealth), Bernard Berson (Bidcorp), Razia Khan (Standard Chartered), Hanneke Farrand (director of private clients at ENS Attorneys), Lizl Budhram: Head of Advice at Old Mutual Personal Finance), Kevin Lings (chief economist: Stanlib), David Shapiro (Sasfin Securities), Nick Crail (Ashburton Investments).

YouTube

Parliament's YouTube channel will broadcast the 2019 Budget speech live.

Open News (Openview 120)

Open News tells me that the channel's viewers will get the opportunity to have their say from 17:00 on Wednesday afternoon when Open News starts its daily coverage of the day's top stories.

Anchors Naledi Moleo and Koketso Sachane will provide an incisive overview of the speech and weigh in on the key talking points. 

Social media anchor Ayanda Dlamini will gauge the reaction on social media, and viewers will have the opportunity to share their thoughts and reactions with the Open News team via Whatsapp.

#SONA2019: South African TV coverage of the State of the Nation 2019 Address today.

Several TV channels will be doing live coverage and analyses today of the State of the Nation Address 2019 of South African president Cyril Ramaphosa.


SABC
The SABC will broadcast the State of the Nation Address 2019 (#SONA2019) live on TV, radio and its online SABC News channel on YouTube on Thursday, 7 February.

The SABC will do preview coverage and analyses on its programmes Agenda and On Point on SABC News (DStv 404) leading up to the address. These shows will cover the Civil Guard of Honour, red carpet arrivals coverage and the 21 Gun Salute.

The red carpet arrivals will be live streamed from 16:00 on the SABC News channel on YouTube until the end of the proceedings.

The president's address will be broadcast live during the prime time programme Full View on SABC News and on SABC2.

Following the president's address, a post-analysis of the speech will be broadcast live with experts and reaction from various political parties. The SABC will also do live crossings to various provinces to get vox populi reactions.


SABC2
On SABC2 coverage of the State of the Nation Address 2019 speech will start at 18:00 and continue until 20:30, preempting the channel's normal schedule. It will be followed by the current affairs programme Ngula Ya Vutivi at 20:30 and the day's episode of Muvhango at 21:00.


eNCA (DStv 403)
eNCA will do rolling live coverage of president Cyril Ramaphosa's second State of the Nation Address today, with extensive coverage kicking off from 16:00.

eNCA anchors Vuyo Mvoko and Michelle Craig will anchor this evening's coverage from a pop-up studio in Cape Town's parliamentary precinct.

Reporter Leigh-Ann Jansen will be joined by the fashion entrepreneur Craig Jacobs alongside the red carpet to interview politicians and to ask what they're wearing.

Iman Rappetti from the Madam Speaker talk show will host a live studio audience at eNCA's Hyde Park studios in Johannesburg. She will do crossovers with Vuyo Mvoko and Michelle Craig throughout the evening, sharing the studio audience's reactions and comments.

A special hour-long live edition of Madam Speaker will be broadcast on eNCA at 21:00.

This year eNCA has partnered with the independent fact-checking organisation Africa Check to provide viewers with in-depth analysis with Africa Check researchers who will fact-check Cyril Ramaphosa's address throughout the evening from the eNCA Johannesburg studios and share their analysis from 22:00.


Open News (Openview 120)
Open News will also do coverage of the State of the Nation Address 2019 with anchors Naledi Moleo and Ayanda Dlamini who will broadcast live from Cape Town's parliamentary precinct, bringing viewers all the highlights from the red carpet and the National Assembly.

Koketso Sachane will cover all the news making headlines from the address as well as the day's other news from the Open News studios.


Parliamentary Channel (DStv 408)
Live coverage of the State of the Nation Address 2019 speech from 18:00.


CNBC Africa (DStv 410 / Cell C black 512)
CNBC Africa didn't provide a programming advisory regarding its coverage plans to the press but has slotted a State of the Nation Address programming block from 19:00 to 20:30 on its schedule for today.

TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK: ABN360's CNBC Africa held its 8th All Africa Business Leaders Awards 2018, like a tree falling in the woods - not a word beforehand or anything after, quietly content to trundle along in its own bubble world.

CNBC Africa (DStv 410 / Cell C black 512) on Thursday last week once again held its 8th All Africa Business Leaders Awards 2018 (AABLA) but it was a silent media tree falling in the woods that nobody heard and nobody cared about.

Who won, what happened, and what CNBC Africa and AABLA wanted to possibly communicate, nobody knows since ABN group founder Rakesh Wahi's CNBC Africa couldn't be bothered to reach out to the media either before its awards show, or afterwards with just a basic press release as is customary for TV channels and their award shows.

Why so shoddy? Who knows. CNBC Africa didn't respond when TVwithThinus last Friday asked what's going on with AABLA2018. By Monday and after asking again ... still nothing.

Tick, tick tick on the TV screen. Yes, CNBC Africa is on the air, so presumably there are people there.

CNBC Africa also long ago stopped issuing any information to the press or to MultiChoice's DStv press portal for media used by journalists and newsrooms, creating the impression that the ABN360 channel doesn't care about press or getting press exposure, trundling along in its own world without caring to know or doing better.

CNBC Africa's 8th All Africa Business Leaders Awards 2018 in Sandton once again tried to honour industry and business leaders across the Africa continent - as usual with award shows in East, West and Southern Africa, culminating in the All Africa Finale of the 8th All Africa Business Leaders Awards 2018 that took place last week.

Unlike something like MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic's (DStv 161) 2018 DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards that took place two weeks ago for the second time and that was PR and publicity perfect in the same American way that the Oscars and Emmys do things, CNBC Africa couldn't even be bothered to issue a basic press release afterwards with just the winners' names in the various categories.

CNBC Africa and the 8th All Africa Business Leaders Awards 2018 stand in stark contrast with something something like the DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards that has a red carpet, invites press beforehand to cover it, invites media to attend, and beforehand did an excellent nominees announcement press event and issued press releases and images.

Even afterwards media were sent red carpet images, awards show images, a press release and even video clips to use.

While TVwithThinus was invited to the 2018 DStv Mzansi Viewers Choice Awards but couldn't attend (had to go to a wedding), it was possible to cover the awards show perfectly, since the Mzansi Magic channel's PR and publicity was absolutely excellent and of international standard - supplying media and the press with everything they could possibly want or need, from information to images, and extremely quickly.

CNBC Africa and AABLA2018 on the other hand did absolutely nothing and couldn't be bothered.

The weird thing is that the All Africa Business Leaders Awards is CNBC Africa's "most prestigious" in-house awards show. While the business channel covers other award shows and conferences too, this is supposed to be the one it makes most effort and fuss about - but it doesn't.

Why is CNBC Africa's publicity service so bad and non-existent? Does CNBC Africa and AABLA think there's no or not enough interest from the press and therefore don't bother?

Do people maybe not know who the media are, or how to do basic public relations as a TV channel, or how to communicate when doing an award show, or what the PR requirements are around an award show or a televised event show?

Did viewers know to tune in? Did anyone even know it would be a live broadcast? CNBC Africa's lack of basic communication with the media is stunningly bad.

It's very disappointing that CNBC Africa and the All Africa Business Leaders Awards would go to all the trouble of doing an award show but fail to communicate about it outside of its own bubble and don't seem to care to involve the broader media in its event or the news it might generate.

CNBC Africa's AABLA might say it's "All Africa Business" but in the end for the 8th edition in 2018 it was actually more a case of all for nothing.

CNBC Africa added to Cell C's new streaming service black as ABN extends the business channel's South African audience reach in a new carriage deal.

Africa Business News (ABN) is extending the reach of its business TV channel, CNBC Africa (DStv 410) that is becoming available on Cell C's newly launched streaming service, black.

CNBC Africa that turned 10 years old this year has since launch only been available in South Africa on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service the past decade.

Outside of South Africa where CNBC Africa has also been available throughout Africa on primarily DStv through MultiChoice Africa, the biz channel has slowly extended its reach by signing carriage deals with China's StarTimes, Canal Plus and Kwesé TV the past few years.

CNBC Africa is interestingly not available on MultiChoice's DStv Now streaming service. Bloomberg TV is also absent from DStv Now, although Business Day TV (DStv 412) is carried on DStv Now as the sole business channel from its traditional service that is also streaming.

Now, in a new streaming carriage deal, CNBC Africa is for the first time broadening its availability in South Africa beyond just DStv's satellite direct-to-home (DTH) and will be available on black, Cell C's subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service that was launched last month.

The carriage deal for an initial contract spanning 3 years, was done by Vubiquity, and boosts CNBC Africa's reach by an estimated 109 million viewers through Cell C's black.

CNBC Africa will be available on channel 512 on black where it will be streamsing as a 24-hour offering.

"When CNBC Africa launched in 2007, we were the only business channel to carry 9 hours of live business content across East, West and Southern Africa," says Roberta Naicker, ABN group managing director.

"Today CNBC Africa is still the only business channel to carry 9 hours of live pan-African business content, suffice to say that the depth and breadth of CNBC Africa across Africa is not an easy one to replicate."

Adam Poulter, Vubiquity International managing director, says "we are delighted to be working with CNBC Africa as part of our relationship with Cell C to play a key role in meeting the needs of this exciting demographic."

"Adapting to consumer needs is essential for growth in this market and has helped to further establish our position as a trusted content partner".

China's StarTimes looking to dramatically expand in Africa; wants to build TV factory making a million TV sets and boost content production, dubbing capacity.

StarTimes that now has nearly 10 million pay-TV subscribers, says it has big expansion plans for the African continent where it wants to challenge the market dominance of MultiChoice's 11.9 million DStv and GOtv subscribers by ramping up local TV content production, increasing dubbing capacity of Chinese shows and even building a TV factory to churn out 1 million TV sets by 2021.

China StarTimes pay-TV service in Africa, now operating in 30 African countries - including in South Africa with its StarSat subsidiary - says it has grown rapidly since its launch in 2002 across Africa and now employs 4 300 Africans in the 30 countries.

Pang Xinxing, group president of StarTimes, visited Africa this past week as a guest at the 1st Youth Connekt summit in Kigali, Rwanda, held at the Kigali Convention Centre.

Rwanda in May got a $7 million loan from the Chinese government - done through StarTimes - to set up a film and TV production studio in the country.

StarTimes also paid $75 000 (R968 655) in sponsorship to the Youth Connekt summit to sponsor Thursday evening's "Opportunity Raising Gala dinner"on 20 July at the summit, billed as a "by invitation only" event - that explains Pang Xinxing's invitation and presence at the Youth Connekt summit.

Pang Xinxing said that StarTimes plans to build a TV set manufacturing plant in Africa that will make 1 million TV sets in 5 years.

In an interview on CNBC Africa (DStv 410) with the business TV news channel that opened a second bureau in Rwanda a few months ago - this one inside the Kigali Convention Centre, Pang Xinxing said that StarTimes will " focus more on content transmission and production to reach more different language countries" in Africa.

StarTimes already dubs a bunch of Chinese shows into African vernacular for its set of StarTimes packaged channels beamed into Africa and plans to increase its dubbing capacity, as well as the number of African languages shows are dubbed in.

In 2016 for instance, StarTimes held the first Star TV Drama Dubbing Contest in Tanzania with 10 contestants that were flown to Beijing for the chance to work at StarTimes's headquarters and got professional dubbing training.

In a statement from StarTimes that wasn't released beyond Rwanda, Pang Xinxing said StarTimes will establish and roll out several TV production and dubbing centres across Africa to help train more voice artists to translate Chinese shows for African audiences.

At the Youth Connekt summit, Pang Xinxing said StarTimes has undertaken the 10 000 African Villages Satellite TV Project as part of the Chinese president Xi Jinping's announcement at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation meeting in the 2015 Johannesburg Summit.

Through this, StarTimes helped to bring satellite TV to 10 000 African villages to give young Africans living in rural areas access to television and information.

CNBC Africa covering the 27th World Economic Forum in Africa in Durban with reporting and these daily panel discussions broadcast live.

The business news TV channel CNBC Africa (DStv 410 / Canal Plus 171 / StarTimes Nigeria 309) is covering the 27th annual World Economic Forum in Africa (WEF Africa) taking place in Durban, South Africa, from today, 3 May until 5 May with several debates and panel discussions that will be broadcast live.

The WEF Africa brings together world leaders from civil society, the private and public sector, academia and other role-players who have an interest in Africa, and this year the theme is Achieving Inclusive Growth.

CNBC Africa says it will be bringing viewers interviews and conversations with CEO's and policymakers from across the African continent.

CNBC Africa will be broadcasting the following debates and panel discussions live:

Wednesday 3 May
07:30 - 08:30: Digitilisation in Africa
13:00 - 13:30: How techonology is driving financial inclusion in Africa
14:00 - 15:00: Powering Africa

Thursday 4 May
07:30 - 08:30: Uncovering blending finance
13:00 - 13:30: Transforming Africa's healthcare
14:00 - 15:00: Building Africa
15:30 - 16:30: Africa's economic growth outlook

Friday 5 May
07:30 - 08:30: Engineering Africa's infrastructure
11:45 - 12:45: Achieving inclusive growth

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 22 February 2017.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read, and that you should too:

■ "The SABC's coverage of Jacob Zuma's State of the Nation 2017 address analysed.
Media show The Listening Post on Al Jazeera (DStv 406 / StarSat 257) looks at how the SABC and the Guptas The New Age Breakfast Briefing on SABC2's Morning Live the day after the speech was covered.

For instance: Al Jazeera finds that Leanne Manas throws president Jacob Zuma softball questions - that is until the show switches away from SABC2 (viewers) and continues to only be broadcast on MultiChoice's DStv on the SABC News (DStv 404) channel catering to pay-TV audiences.

Now suddenly "Peter Ndoro asks much tougher questions" when a much smaller TV audience is watching.


■ Television graveyard.
Millions of old TV sets are dumped and abandoned in massive warehouses across America - and the hard manual labour involved to break down and destroy or recycle old TV sets.

■ Second season of Showtime's Billions getting "a big promotional push" as if it's a new show.
In South Africa on DStv, not so much.

■ Lovely.
Matt LeBlanc eats horse penis in the new upcoming season of Top Gear starting on 8 March at 20:00 on BBC Brit (DStv 120).


■ Alberton school furious over eNCA (DStv 403) story it slams as a false report.
Marais Viljoen High School (MVHS) considering taking eNCA and eNuus on kykNET (DStv 144) to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) after unsubstantiated, slanderous report and the apparent failure to ask the right people for comment.


■ Russia's president Vladimir Putin is obsessed with television.
Specifically in watching to see how different TV channels cover him.


■ Court papers reveal how Botswana Television (BTV) got rid of its head of news in an election year.
Koketso Joshua Ntopolelang wants his job as head of TV news and current affairs at Botswana's state broadcaster back; shows court how he was allegedly purged from BTV and moved to another government department because he could allegedly "not be trusted" during an election year in Botswana.


■ New Zealand TV is trashing up current affairs in prime time.
Strange and trashy chit-chat as actuality programming instead of news.

■ Sky News (DStv 402) anchor Dermot Murnaghan warns
that the TV news at 22:00 on British television can't survive due to falling viewership.

■ Cameroon viewers treated to TV fight.
After last week's Egypt on-set brouhaha, in Cameroon on Sunday novelist Calixthe Beyala created an "incident close to barbarism and savagery" in an on-set clash.

■ CNBC Africa (DStv 410) opens a new studio in Rwanda.
Who knew? Apparently the ABN Group running the business TV channel on MultiChoice's DStv platform opened a new studio in Rwanda's Kigali Convention Centre. Of course there wasn't even a basic press release or statement to the media.

■ Japan gives money to improve Malawi television.
Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) gets millions from Japan to improve its MBCTV broadcasting equipment in Blantyre.

■ Unnamed Indian TV anchor caught as a prostitute.
Allegedly used her good looks to become involved in prostitution at a guest house in Hyderabad; police reprimanded her for illegal activities and "advised her to pursue her anchoring career professionally".

■ A second golden age for TV news channels in America?
Viewership soars thanks to The Lorax Donald Trump.

■ The SABC has now implemented the Scisys' dira! and MusicMaster systems.
New production and playout systems used by 19 of the SABC's radio stations. Of course it's hopefully not being held together by sticky tape in the rundown SABC studios.

■ Script for final episode of The Vampire Diaries is so brutal ...
it made actor Paul Wesley cry.

CNBC Africa opens a second TV studio with an adjacent lounge in Rwanda's capital of Kigali at the city's convention centre.

CNBC Africa (DStv 410) that turns a decade old on 1 June this year, has opened a second TV studio - with an adjacent lounge - in Rwanda at the Kigali Convention Centre in the African country's capital of Kigali.

The business TV channel run by the ABN Group and carried by MultiChoice's DStv in South Africa and across Africa, as well as in Nigeria on StarTimes Nigeria since October 2016, was opened on Friday 17 February.

The ABN Group didn't want to tell the media about it and days later there's been no press release or statement issued by CNBC Africa to the media.

It's noteworthy since ABN and CNBC Africa in earlier years during its African expansion and opening of news bureaux did keep the media up to date about its opening of offices and studios and future bureau plans.

CNBC Africa wants to use the Kigali TV studio at the convention centre to tie in with events and conferences that's being held there.

On the CNBC Africa website Roberta Naicker, ABN Group managing director is quoted saying "This television studio in the Kigali Convention Centre marks yet another step towards our ongoing commitment to not only Rwanda, but East Africa, and in telling the African economic story from all corners of the continent."

"As the channel celebrates its 10th Anniversary on 1 June, we are excited to be able to add this important presence on the front line of one of the most high-tech convention center's to our content offering".

TV critic's synopsis in The Sunday Herald of Donald Trump's upcoming presidential inauguration draws attention.

A TV critic's creative synopsis in the TV listings of an upcoming TV programme - the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump in America on Friday afternoon - is drawing global attention after he likened it to The Twilight Zone and a science fiction show set in "an ongoing alternative present".

TV critic Damien Love's TV listing in Scotland's Sunday Herald is now drawing attention around the world after he described the upcoming Trump inauguration and the next four years of his presidency, broadcast as a TV show, as "one of the most ambitious, expensive and controversial productions in broadcast history".


President Trump: The Inauguration
After a long absence, The Twilight Zone returns with one of the most ambitious, expensive and controversial productions in broadcast history. Sci-fi writers have dabbled often with alternative history stories - among the most common is the "What If The Nazis Had Won The Second World War" setting - but this huge interactive virtual reality project, which will unfold on TV, in the press, and on Twitter over the next four years, sets out to build an ongoing alternative present.

The story begins in a nightmarish version of 2017 in which huge sections of the US electorate have somehow been duped into voting to make Donald Trump president. It sounds far-fetched, and it is, but as it goes on it becomes more and more chillingly plausible. Today's feature-length opener concentrates on the gaudy inauguration of President Trump, and the stirrings of protest and despair surrounding the ceremony, while pundits speculate gravely on what lies ahead. It's a flawed piece, but a disturbing glimpse of the horrors we could stumble into, if we're not careful.


In 2017 viewers can watch brilliant shows with people trapped in alternative realities - ranging from The Man in the High Castle on Amazon Prime Video to Emerald City on Vuzu AMP (DStv 103), Travelers and Parallels on Netflix, 12 Monkeys, Timeless, Beyond and the upcoming Time After Time.

Yet it's the real world with Donald Trump as an American president and things like a looming Brexit, that millions of people worldwide find hard to believe and difficult to understand and adapt to.

Damien Love's TV listing went viral when George Takei, famous for his role as Sulu in Star Trek, tweeted: "The Sunday Herald TV section wins today".


Where to watch Donald Trump's inauguration
South African viewers can tune in for President Trump: The Inauguration in Washington, D.C. that will be broadcast on BBC World News (DStv 400 / StarSat 256) on Friday from 17:00 to 21:00, anchored by Huw Edwards and Sophie Raworth.

CNN International (DStv 401) didn't release any details or programming times regarding the inauguration and the channel's EPG on MultiChoice's DStv shows no special coverage but CNN will likely also carry it live from sometime on Friday.

Sky News (DStv 402) will switch to inauguration coverage from 17:00 on Friday.

FOX News (StarSat 261) will switch to live Inauguration 2017 coverage from 18:00 anchored by Shepard Smith.

CNBC Africa (DStv 410) will broadcast The Inauguration of Donald Trump on Friday from 18:00 to 22:00 switching to the American CNBC feed with coverage anchored by Carl Quintanilla, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera and Kelly Evans.

MSNBC (StarSat 263) will start its inauguration coverage on Friday at 17:00 anchored by Rachel Maddow, Brian Williams and Chris Matthews in New York and NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt in Washington, D.C.

Bloomberg Television (DStv 411 / StarSat 264) under its Bloomberg Politics banner will also broadcast the inauguration on Friday from 17:00 to 20:00, as will India's NDTV (DStv 413 / StarSat 567) from 18:00 to 20:00.

Local TV news channels eNCA (DStv 403), SABC News (DStv 404) and ANN7 (DStv 405) didn't release schedules, programming notes or any coverage plans but are likely to dip into the live inauguration feed late on Friday afternoon as well.

eNCA says it will live stream the inauguration event online at enca.com from 19:00 on Friday.