Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 29 April 2015.

The SABC's famously matricless COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng is allegedly hiding the financial troubles of the SABC.
According to the Sunday Times the SABC faces a loss of R500 million based on documents to be submitted to the auditor-general in May.

SABC News (DStv 404) then puts James Aguma, the SABC's chief financial officer (CFO) on television to say the Sunday Times got the financial statements "illegally" and that its a "stolen document" (the SABC should perhaps go make a case at the police for theft and get a case number?).
James Aguma on SABC TV says its "unfortunate that we're forced to respond to issues in financial statements" which has not been subjected to audit.


Meanwhile, The SABC is stuck in pathological mode.
The public broadcasting civil society pressure group, SOS Coalition, pens an open letter.

After McDreamy is killed off on Grey's Anatomy another big character dies.
Complete with suicide letter.
Speaking of which, there is now a petition going around to get the fired Patrick Dempsey back on Grey's Anatomy.

MUST READ: Dr. Oz (SABC3) and Dr. Phil's (SABC2) gross TV charade.
Dr. Oz continues to be under fire over his "egregious lack of integrity, but he pales in comparision to the fame-whoring of Dr. Phil as they both TV talk shows are a mélange of exploitation, celebrity parasitism and credential mining.

Meanwhile John Oliver of Last week Tonight on M-Net (DStv 101) calls Dr. Oz "the worst person in scrubs who has ever been on television".


BBC Worldwide is fast changing its channels to BBC First, BBC Earth and BBC Brit.
While we're still waiting for BBC Entertainment, BBC Knowledge and BBC Lifestyle on MultiChoice's DStv to change to these three new channels, BBC Worldwide is rolling out and replacing the existing channels with the rebranded new ones across Europe.
BBC First, BBC Earth and BBC Brit are now the new "global genre channels" fast replacing the old ones.
BBC Worldwide says regionalised BBC Brit and BBC Earth channels are coming to Africa and South Africa.


Comedy Central Africa (DStv 122) grabs game show Deal With It.
Of course no announcement from Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa), but the first two seasons of the American game show has been acquired from distributor Keshet International.

MUST READ: Channel 4 News anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy explains the fakeness of the movie junket.
After Robert Downey Jr. got up and walked out of a publicity movie junket interview because he didn't like the question, the reporter explains the fakeness of it all behind the scenes - how the real journalist wants "something serious and illuminating, they just want publicity".

Sky is dropping one of its two arts TV channels.
We don't even have any such channels in South Africa on DStv or StarSat or OpenView HD. Sky will now rather create one "super channel" for the arts with a bigger budget and with less repeats.

Nomination period extended for entries for the South African of the Year Awards 2015.
ANN7 (DStv 405) extends the entry period with an additional 4 weeks with 31 May which is now the new deadline for SATY2015.

There is (real) penis in Outlander on M-Net Edge (DStv 102).
The sexual male organ seen in a new episode during sex and arousal was not a "stunt penis" in the episode entitled "Lallybroch".

TV will survive the web and mobile onslaught.
AdWeek says what is replacing television is, television.

Vice on M-Net is becoming its own TV channel.
Vice Media is taking over A+E Networks' 2nd History channel H2 and rebranding it as the Vice channel.

Miles from Tomorrowland on Disney Junior (DStv 309) renewed.
Cute space show picked up for a second season.

Homeland on M-Net is moving to Germany.
After filming in South Africa the 5th season will be done in Berlin.

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 25 April 2015.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng's lawyer Zola Majavu is put on Morning Live on SABC2.
"Unpacks" the court again ordering that Hlaudi Motsoeneng be immediately suspended by the SABC. Zola Majavu tells Leanne Manas over a massive 8 and a half minutes of SABC air time why his client Hlaudi Motsoeneng isn't suspended.

(At 08:29 we find out that Hlaudi Motsoeneng on Friday morning is at work and having a meeting with MetroFM DJ's.)

(Note the total lack of any explainer from the SABC about why there is a court case in the first place; the complete absence of any background or context to viewers about what is being appealed and why - why the Public Protector and Hlaudi Motsoeneng is involved in this court case.)

Meanwhile parliament takes note of the court ruling on Hlaudi Motsoenen'g suspension.


MUST READ: Why criticism and honesty are profoundly patriotic acts.

Alison Sweeney who was Sami on Days of Our Lives on SABC3, talks about her first Daytime Emmy nomination this year.


Dr. Mehmet Oz from The Dr. Oz Show on SABC3 attacked his critics on his talk show.
Dr. Mehmet Oz this past week launched into an on-air attack on the doctors who say people are allegedly being misled and endangered by the allegedly fake products and medical advice ranging from "rasperry ketones" to other dubious treatments he promotes on his talk show.
"Dr. Oz has repeatedly shown disdain for science and for evidence-based medicine," says the doctors. "Worst of all, he has manifested an egregious lack of integrity by promoting quack treatments and cures in the interest of personal financial gain."
Vox looks at how Dr. Mehmet Oz as an award-winning doctor turned away from science and embraced fame as he is leading people adift who are looking for answers and scientific insight from the world of medicine.
Dr Oz says "I will not be silenced".


Former Top Gear producer attacks the BBC.
Andy Wilman says BBC executives don't care about "the car world". Andy Wilman is a friend of Jeremy Clarkson and resigned a day before then attacking the BBC. Co-presenter James May is also done with Top Gear.

Anger over MultiChoice Nigeria's massive DStv price hike fuels new consumerism.
DStv subscribers are starting to kick MultiChoice Africa, bitter over DStv's huge cost and brands like DStv "should bear in mind that the customer is king".

E! Entertainment (DStv 124) is lifting the ban on negative coverage of the Kardashians.
E! Entertainment and E! News which has been under a ban and strict mandate to only cover the Kardashian family favorably according to insiders is now reportedly set to "lift the ban" as Bruce Jenner changes from a man to a woman. E! meanwhile officially denies that there is such a ban.


NBC staffers are opposed to Brian Williams returning to anchor NBC Nightly News.
In a contentious and "very raw" meeting staffers lashed out, according to The Washington Post, and says he has damaged the reputation of the news broadcast seen nightly on CNBC Africa (DStv 410) across Africa, and that he shouldn't be allowed to return.
Reporters are "embarrassed" to deal with their sources due to his on-air lying which damaged the news broadcast.
The New York Times reports on Saturday that the inquiry into Brian Williams'' lying is set to expand to previously unknown instances of false statements.

Sky is getting ready to fire production staff.
Sky News (DStv 402) as well as staff in sport and entertainment are worried before a meeting schedule for this coming Tuesday and have not been told what is on the agenda.

No more live UEFA Champions League on e.tv.
e.tv no longer has the live free-to-air broadcasting rights. UEFA Champions League semi-finals are moved to OpenView HD's eKasi+ channel and e.tv viewers will have to tune in at 22:00 for delayed broadcasts.

Jake Tapper is the new anchor of State of the Nation.
Announced as the new face of the Sunday show on CNN International (DStv 401).

Netflix is eating into TV viewership.
Ironically by providing rebroadcasts and repeats of old TV shows it acquired from TV channels, which then gives Netflix money to make brand-new, buzzy shows. Another story on it, a 3rd one and a 4th one based on the industry report, "Is Netflix Killing TV?" from MoffettNathanson Research.

MultiChoice is looking for Southern African TV content and films.
What it actually is for, is for the new, yet-to-launch Zambezi Magic TV channel which I haven't yet had time to write about, but which M-Net will be launching later this year on MultiChoice's DStv as a Southern Africa movie channel with African content from several Southern African countries like Botswana, Zimbabwe and others.

South Africa is trying to limit the fallout when we miss the DTT deadline.
South Africa will miss the deadline to complete the ITU's switch from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting (DTT) by 15 June 2015. Now the desperate department of communications and minister of communications Faith Muthambi is trying to talk to other Southern African countries to please not interfere with their broadcasting signals in South Africa's space.

India bans Al Jazeera (DStv 406 / StarSat 257) for 5 days.
The Qatar-based TV news channel is banned after showing an incorrect map of (the highly disputed) Kashmir and India. India says Al Jazeera isn't using the government authorised mapsof India, China and Pakistan.

Trevor Noah's biggest problem is becoming clear.
Bloomberg reports on the "increasingly poisonous atmosphere" around The Daily Show on Comedy Central (DStv 122) as Trevor Noah is set to take over from September and why it has become less about being funny and more about people who are into so-called "left-wing" politics.

Deadliest Catch on The Discovery Channel (DStv 121) renewed for a 12th season.

Watch FOX's Wayward Pines globally 2 weeks before it starts.
FOX (StarSat 131 / DStv 125) and FOX International Channels (FIC) is allowing viewers across 126 countries and territories, including South Africa, to watch the first episode of Wayward Pines two weeks before it starts showing internationally on FOX through Facebook, FOX.com, Google Play etc.

Joss Whedon wasn't happy Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. brought Agent Coulson back to life.
"That really came from the television division".

BREAKING. The Dr. Oz Show on SABC3 renewed for 4 more years until 2017 in America.

The Dr. Oz Show seen in South Africa on SABC3 on weekdays has been renewed in America until 2017.

The Dr. Oz Show is a co-production in New York between Sony Pictures Television and Harpo Productions and is currently in its 4th season. The further 4 years will take the talk show to what will be at least its 8th season.

BREAKING. Dr. Oz set to continue uninterrupted on SABC3 with its 2nd season starting on 28 May.

You're reading it here first.

I can exclusively break the news that instead of alternating with first another season of The View, SABC3 has decided to immediately continue after the end of the first season of Dr. Oz with the second season of the New York doctor's talk show on the channel - which will start and continue seamlessly on Monday 28 May at 15:45.

The second season of Dr. Oz on SABC3, produced by Sony Pictures Television - which will continue to be shown with new episodes from Mondays to Thursdays - will introduce new segments as well - "5 to Know" and "Just 10 Pounds".

In the second season opener on 28 May, Dr. Oz (51) will undergo a colonoscopy with surprising results.

SABC3 showing the second season of Dr. Oz means that the broadcaster will catch up dramatically and significantly reduce the lag time between episodes shown in America, where the second season recently started, and South Africa.

SABC2 is following suit where the 10th season of Dr. Phil is following closely in South Africa after it started in September in America.

TOLDJA! Dr. Oz to start as SABC3's brand-new mid-afternoon talk show on Tuesday 16 August at 14:30 for 174 episodes after the end of Tyra.

You're reading it here first.

In early April I broke the news RIGHT HERE exclusively that SABC3 is getting the new weekday talk show Dr. Oz once The Tyra Banks Show ends. Now I can exclusively reveal - although SABC3 hasn't announced it yet - that Dr. Oz will start on SABC3 on Tuesday 16 August at 14:30.

The Dr. Oz Show will replace The Tyra Banks Show - exactly as I said two months ago - on 16 August. Since seasons of Tyra alternated with seasons of The View in the same timeslot, the addition of Dr. Oz means an immediate delay of the next season of The View - if SABC3 still intends to carry on showing The View, which at this point isn't known. Should The View continue, it will mean that Dr. Oz and The View (since Tyra ended after this 5th season) will become the new alternating mid-afternoon talk shows on SABC3.

The broadcaster has 174 episodes in the first season of the Oprah protege's talk show that covers medical issues and healthy living that will run on weekdays.