TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 21 August 2020.

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



■ Covid-19: Say goodbye to sex on television: British screen director's association publishes helpful intimacy on-screen guidlines:
Bodies could be depicted "moving under bedclothes".
"Close a bedroom door аnd leаve the аction to the viewer’s imаginаtion."
- Directors should take inspiration from classic films when depiction of sex on screen was banned.


■ After massive backlash and petition Netflix apologises for "inappropriate" poster of Cuties sexualising 11-year old girls.
- Netflix's "disgusting" film a negative influence.

■ Tosh.0 on Comedy Central (DStv 122) cancelled after shocking reversal of 4 season renewal.

■ Netflix disappoints with Transformers: War for Cybertron after controversy over not using union voice talent and warnings that using cheap talent sets a dangerous precendent for the industry.

■ Nigeria's government continues to attack MultiChoice, once again summos MultiChoice Nigeria to appear over its DStv Nigeria subscription fee increase that came into effect on 1 June 2020.

■ The SABC and e.tv will have to urgently find ways to position themselves as broadcasters beyond their current business models or risk falling too far behind MultiChoice and streaming services like Netflix.

■ Discovery Inc. distances itself from the homophobic Homestead Rescue star Marty Raney.

■ MOZO TV launches in Zambia as a new TV channel to showcase Africa's lifestyle, politics and economics.

■ Netflix is testing a shuffle play button for viewers struggling to decide what to watch.

■ Amazon Prime Video commercial sparks a boycott in Japan.

■ Positive Covid-19 cases reported at Television City in Los Angeles where The Bold and the Beautiful restarted filming.


■ BBC News boss Fran Unsworth says some TV news bulletins might be cut.
"TV journalism will still be around because of the power of pictures to tell a story, but it won't necessarily be received in quite the forms it currently is."


■ Netflix cancels Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj as the streaming service struggles with topical talk shows.

■ Australian Broadcasting Corporation's chief economics correspondent Emma Alberici quits over ABC censorship claims.

■ Egypt's opposition TV channels are a rare phenomenon.

■ TV anchor Anjali Rao told she's "too brown" for commercial TV (subscription required).

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 6 August 2020.

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


■ How the conspiracy theorist David Icke "confused" Gareth Cliff who eNCA (DStv 403) was happy to put on its TV news channel for likes over lives.
Gareth Cliff's for-profit misinformation show on eNCA makes money from sensationalist pandering.


■ The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic and dramatic cost-cutting at NBCUniversal and Comcast have claimed another victim (subscription required):
Comcast, NBC News and Sky News (DStv 402) will no longer create the NBC Sky World News channel to take on CNN International (DStv 401). The more than 50 staff who were hired were told on Wednesday it's over because the "business model has become unviable".


■ Discovery Inc. is close to announcing its own video streaming service it plans to launch.
New direct-to-consumer service will "encompass all its brands and characters, will work with distribution partners and may or may or may not include advertising", will be "a new SUV" with "large, fresh content".

■ MultiChoice Nigeria once again dragged to court in Nigeria.
This time over the pay-TV operator's alleged refusal to renew a subscription after payment.

■ The global Covid-19 pandemic is creating a class divide as wealthier people sit home and watch more TV, while lower-income people go out to work (subscription required).

■ SHOCKING! See the moment that the Beirut blast hit the BBC bureau in that city while an interview took place.

■ Disney shocks cinema owners in the United Kingdom with its decision to release Mulan on Disney+ first.

■ Ellen DeGeneres turned kindness into a brand. Now that brand is bringing her down.

■ The revealing and disturbing story of America told through 20 years of reality dating shows.
Find out the exact moment American culture went off the rails.

■ Research: Some children enjoy watching TV more than others.
A clip of Disney's Fantasia shown on repeat to 10-month-old babies in a study determined that children's temperament drives the amount of television they want to watch.

■ Remember when we could all touch each other. Well, TV does.

■ That already-iconic "Ta-Dum" "sound-logo" of Netflix almost included a goat's bleating.
And how the "Ta-Dum" you hear now was actually created (hint: wedding ring and a cabinet).

■ How American reality TV can confront its very real racism problem.

■ Amazon Prime Video is gaining subscribers thanks to Covid-19 quarantine.

■ 12 tricks and tips to get more out of your Netflix subscription.

■ The non-TV story of the day: A Must-Watch video with a prediction about the upcoming 2020 American election.
From Alan Lichtman who has never been wrong and explains why in a fascinating 7-minute video.

HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: IN PICTURES - 9 photos of HGTV's terrific 'Toolbox' lunch.

The media munched like Bob the Builders on a lovely lunch during the afternoon of Day 2 of  Discovery Inc.'s official media launch event as part of a 3-day press tour for its new HGTV (DStv 177) channel.

HGTV was added on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service in South Africa for DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus and DStv Compact subscribers.

After the morning's official media launch presentation on Day 2, the Cape Town-based events solution company Show Works, that used one of the large sound stages at Waterfront Film Studios, replaced the space taken up by the white chairs in rows in front of the HGTV presentation stage, with long wood tables.

Media, clients, ad buyers as well as MultiChoice and Discovery Inc. executives sat down for lunch and got wooden toolboxes as goodie bag take-home gifts filled with snacks, besides the array of delectable platters filled with food for a finger lunch that were also on the tables.

The invited guests were told that they don't need to eat what's in their respective toolboxes and should take those home, which included ginger beer, a gourmet baguette, dried fruit and a pack of macaroons.

The corner of the sound stage for the HGTV media launch included an open bar area, serving an array of drinks, including wine and champagne, while tables had salads, a selection of cheeses and cold meats, fruit, bread and condiments.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 1: IN PICTURES - 37 photos of HGTV's beautiful cocktail party at sunset at the infinity pool of a Upper Clifton mansion in Cape Town.
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: IN PICTURES - 29 photos of HGTV's official South African media launch event presentation.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Lee Hobbs, Discovery Inc.'s global brands boss for EMEA, says HGTV channel will bring 'loads of new and unseen content' to South Africa. 

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Discovery Inc.'s chief lifestyle brands officer Kathleen Finch says HGTV 'is a channel tailor-made for people who love their homes - and there are a lot of those people'. 

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Tarek El Moussa, the star of Flip or Flop on HGTV says it's 'a magical channel about real people working on real houses' and reveals what home means to him.
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Announcing Flipping 101 with Tarek El Moussa and a new teaser trailer.

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Discovery Inc.'s Africa boss Amanda Turnbull says new channel HGTV on DStv is about real people but also aspirational, 'which is why we fought really hard to have it on Compact as well so more people can see it'. 

ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: MultiChoice's content boss Aletta Alberts says Discovery Inc.'s new HGTV channel will do well on DStv because 'HGTV fits so well with South African consumer culture'. 
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Executives press conference opening remarks: 'HGTV is going to be both inspirational and aspirational'.
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Executives press conference: Ads on HGTV won't get in viewers' way, instead it will add to the viewing experience.
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: MultiChoice on why it decided to make HGTV available to DStv Compact subscribers as well: 'The content speaks to everybody'.
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: HGTV in HD - why MultiChoice launched Discovery Inc.'s latest channel in high definition on DStv and the factors influencing what quality version a TV channel is launched and seen as.
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Will Discovery Inc.'s latest channel have local content? MultiChoice explains how it works with international third-party TV channels.
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Press conference - Why Discovery Inc. launched it so quickly in South Africa after acquiring Scripps and Africa's growing importance as a pay-TV market among global content suppliers.
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: Executives press conference - HGTV's surprising answer on design trend-spotting and staying ahead of the curve with what viewers want to see next.
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: INTERVIEW - Flip or Flop star Tarek El Moussa: 'I feel like I have a very intimate relationship with HGTV because I feel like I've grown with them'.
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 2: IN IMAGES - 20 photos of HGTV's gala rooftop dinner at the Zeitz Museum in Cape Town.
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 3: IN IMAGES - 9 photos of the media breakfast and press screening & 4 sizzle reels including a special Home Town surprise message.
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch Day 3: IN IMAGES - 8 photos of the Grand Provence media lunch.
ALSO READ: HGTV DStv channel launch press tour - An overview.