Former Dr. Phil staffer sues Dr. Phil McGraw for alleged wrongful imprisonment, holding 300 employees in a locked room and threatening them over leaks to the press.

A former staffer at the Dr. Phil talk show seen on SABC2 is suing Dr. Phil McGraw for alleged wrongful imprisonment after he held 300 employees in a locked room, penned in by security guards, as he allegedly threatened them over ongoing media leaks to the press.

The Dr. Phil show declined to comment for the story first reported by America's People magazine  on Thursday.

Leah Rothman, who worked as a segment director on Dr. Phil for 12 years since 2003 says in her lawsuit that she quit in April 2015 due to a hostile work environment after she complained about what was done to staff on the show with the Dr. Phil human resources executive month earlier.

A month earlier, in March 2015, Leah Rothman was on leave and says in her lawsuit she was called in to work at the CBS production company with 300 Dr. Phil employees who were pushed into a room with security guards, their phones taken away, and then threatened that those leaking information from the show to the media will be "f-ed' with.

Leah Rothman alleges that Dr. Phil McGraw threatened and accused his own staff of leaking information to the media while they were locked in a room with security guards and their cellphones taken away.

"If you f- with me, I'll f- with you," Dr. Phil McGraw said to Dr. Phil staff while they were locked in the room, according to the lawsuit, with Leah Rothman saying Dr. Phil McGraw appeared to take pleasure in scaring the people who worked for him.

Later in the month she went to a CBS HR executive to complain about the locked-in meeting but a follow-up meeting never took place, with Leah Rothman saying her whistler blower complaint was ignored.

She says she felt so emotionally stressed that she was forced to quit working for Dr. Phil a few weeks after the threatening locked room encounter.

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.

Off-again, on-again Dr. Phil suddenly back on SABC2 again - although it's anybody's guess whether viewers even care anymore.

The then-there, then-pulled, then-back, then gone-without-a trace Dr. Phil is back again (for now) on SABC2 although it's anybody's guess whether SABC2 still has any audience left bothering, or knowing to tune in again to watch Phil McGraw dispense pop psychology in his talk show.

The SABC and SABC2's deplorable handling and scheduling disruption of Dr. Phil the past year and a half during which it actually completely lost the rights to the show and the lack of continuous - or any - communication about it to keep viewers informed has seen interest and the audience who knew and who tuned in on weekdays at 12:00 completely evaporate.

Since Monday this week Dr. Phil is back in the 12:00 timeslot on SABC2 but viewers haven't returned.

After the long, yet again absence of the American weekday talk show which is now suddenly back at a random date, nobody cares anymore.

It is as much a result of viewers no longer willing to invest in a show that might again just suddenly disappear, as well as the erosion legacy in viewer loyalty the SABC and SABC2 caused by constantly starting and stopping the show without saying what's going on.

"SABC2 is pleased to announce to our viewers that after a lengthy absence from the TV screens, Dr. Phil returns on Monday 28 April," SABC2 said in a statement. "The show retains its longtime slot of 12:00 from Mondays to Thursdays," the channel said.

SABC2 however didn't explain why Dr. Phil is back now, why it erratically comes and goes, and no promises that Dr. Phil won't just disappear without any notice or explanation again. SABC2 didn't give any clear reason in response to a media enquiry asking why the show is back and why it was gone "for a lengthy absence".

Dr. Phil saw another two fake starts - a fake late 2013 schedule insertion which didn't pan out, as well as again empty promises in 2014 which then also came and went.

The SABC and SABC2's problems with Dr. Phil stems from contractual problems which the SABC caused and remained the cause of, according to insiders.

Payment issues delayed new episodes and a new season, and the SABC also didn't keep records of episodes played and failed to provide detailed records to the international distributor regarding playout of episodes, making them reluctant to continue offering the show to the SABC - at least not until the SABC got its shoddy books in order.

TAPE DELAY: IF YOU DON'T PAY, YOU DON'T PLAY. Inside the SABC's ongoing - and growing - 'problem' with securing foreign programming.

An ongoing problem of promising programming to viewers and then defaulting "at the last moment" when shows have to be replaced because the SABC didn't pay foreign distributors in time, is escalating.

This is creating tension within the SABC, as well as heaping more and more public embarrassement on the SABC's three TV channels, SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3. 

All three of the SABC's channels now are pulling promised and scheduled foreign content regularly, with no warning to viewers, no explanation to viewers, silence about what is really going on, and adding to South African TV critics' frustration with the public broadcaster's growing international content no-show mess.

Dr. Phil was supposed to start on SABC2 again yesterday afternoon after months. It didn't.

Survivor was supposed to start on SABC3 this coming Monday. It won't.

The Jeff Probst show was supposed to start on SABC3. It didn't. 

So Jeff Probst who was supposed to suddenly be in two shows on SABC3 at the same time, is not in even one.

Teen Wolf was supposed to start on SABC2. My Babysitter is a Vampire and Moesha was supposed to start on SABC1. 

The Vampire Diaries on SABC2 didn't start when it was promised. 

SABC1 and SABC2 have ongoing movie problems and SABC2 has trouble with Wipeout.

All of this is just the ridiculous and shameful situation just the last month at the SABC regarding foreign content not ending up on the SABC's when as as it was promised to viewers.

Dr. Phil was supposedly set to resume on weekdays after SABC2 embarrassingly had to yank the American talk show off its schedule earlier this year due to playing episodes without paying, and without a valid contract. 

According to SABC2, its schedule and its printed listings nationwide in newspapers, viewers were looking forward to Dr. Phil. What they got is the 7th season of Judge Mathis. 

The 23rd season of Survivor, Survivor South Pacific was supposed to start Monday 9 December on SABC3. 

It won't anymore because payment wasn't made in time and foreign content acquisition at the SABC is again experiencing the "tapes didn't arrive in time" euphemism - which happens when you don't pay in time.

Survivor is suddenly the next season of The Amazing Race.

My Babysitter is a Vampire on SABC1 appeared, and then disappeared without a single episode playing.

The Jeff Probst Show was set to replace All My Children which was dumped by SABC3, but The Jeff Probst Show also didn't materialise - causing SABC3 to run over to SABC1 and borrow episodes of The Steve Harvey Show.

Wipeout, the American game show has been wiped out from the SABC2 schedule, and although SABC2 had the American drama Teen Wolf on the schedule in another timeslot, the channel is unable, after multiple media enquiries over weeks, to say what is actually replacing the timeslot. 

The start of The Vampire Diaries on SABC2 had to be pushed out and SABC1 which promised Moesha had to flip and change it to the second season of Disney's Pair of Kings.

SABC3's afternoon retro American drama timeslot changes weekly.

SABC1's promised America's Next Top Model? A forgotten memory. Airwolf on SABC3? Just laugh. Teen Mom from MTV for SABC1 ...

At least there was enough 80s The Cosby Show which arrived in time to not just fill one, but two SABC channels as SABC3 and SABC1 bulked up on multiple weekly episodes.

Adding to the acrimonious build-up of viewer scorn? The little or zero communication from the SABC, SABC1 and SABC2 regarding last minute schedule changes. SABC3's numerous schedule changes are communicated.

So why the schedule mess across the SABC's three TV channels? Two reasons. 

Firstly, international distributors don't trust the SABC anymore. In most cases the past two years they're demanding upfront payment before tapes are released, following distributors who got burned by allowing content to be shown and finalising contracts and payment, after which drawn-out struggles ensued when the SABC failed to pay up.

After the SABC's financial, corruption, maladministration and administrative meltdown in 2009 followed by a financial government bail-out, various distributors struggled to get reimbursed and to get what they were owed by the SABC because the broadcaster was in several cases unable to accurately say what were broadcast, how many episodes of specific shows, how many times, and when. 

The second reason for programming not materialising in time at the SABC and leading to the growing number of last minute scheduling bait-and-switch changes, has to do with tightened corporate accounting and acquisitions protocol. 

That in itself is actually a good thing, but the processes still needs to be fine-tuned from a time-lapse perspective. With more exact sign-off and more exact procedures regarding foreign content acquisition from distributors put in place, the SABC is not allowing more time for deals to be done and for possible hiccups.

In short, the process takes longer. The SABC also has to fully vet and secure contracts to final sign-off stage before a deal can go through as part of tightened regulations, processes and procedures. 

The result however is that if for whatever reason, foreign content distributors (or the SABC) are not 100% and entirely fine with a content distribution deal - even if it's the smallest thing or a technicality with paperwork - that it delays tape delivery to Auckland Park. 

That is why the SABC's channels keep missing the planned date to start play-out of a show.

BREAKING. Dr. Phil yanked from the schedule because SABC2 no longer has the rights to broadcast the weekday America talk show.

You're reading it here first. 

I can break the news that there's no Dr. Phil and instead just repeat filler because SABC2 which suddenly simply stopped the broadcast of the popular American day time talk show apparently no longer has a broadcasting licence for the show.

More than a week after SABC2 suddenly had to yank Dr. Phil to the ongoing shock and confusion of viewers, SABC2 has refused to say a single word to the press and TV critics on why Dr. Phil suddenly ended, why SABC2 didn't warn either journalists and TV critics nor viewers in advance or when (or if) Dr. Phil might be back.

The notification in the on-air scroll SABC2 ran last week telling viewers that SABC2 will communicate what is happening with Dr. Phil's absence also appears to have been an empty promise. There's been no answers and today there's been no on-air scroll.

Of course Dr. Phil's absence and SABC2's reluctance to communicate or say anything about it is hugely damaging to the SABC's image and reputation as a TV channel while viewers on Monday kept wondering why they're being shown repeat episodes of Relate.

Asked again today after multiple media enquiries last week, SABC2 again had no official  response as to what happened to Dr. Phil, why SABC2 didn't notify anyone, or if the show might be back.

However according to an SABC reply to one of my media enquiries, the SABC says that the licence agreement which SABC2 had to broadcast Dr. Phil came to an end at the end of January. According to the SABC Dr. Phil might resume again from the middle of April.

Why SABC2 can't just come out and say that or issue a statement with that explanation remains a mystery.

BREAKING. Silent SABC2 refuses to talk, explain or give any answers about why Dr. Phil has suddenly been yanked off the air for another day.

SABC2 is staying resolutely quiet and is not communicating at all about why SABC2 suddenly yanked Dr. Phil off the schedule and why the talk show just disappeared.

Shocked viewers and baffled TV critics have been left with no explanation as to what happened, no word on when Dr. Phil will be back - if ever - and SABC2's publicity department is not answer or responding to multiple media enquiries which has been made regarding the sudden disappearance of Dr. Phil from the SABC2 schedule.

This is how you trash a brand: If you're media (and supposedly better at communicating because it's what you're business is about) and you then don't communicate at all, you're damaging what you're about. If you're a TV channel and you don't talk about your programming  - especially during a crisis or when a problem arise during which you don't or can't show what you're supposed to - you're inflicting brand damage.

The contempt and dismissive disdain SABC2 seems to be showing its viewers by not saying what has happened to Dr. Phil, when and if it will be back, and by not explaining the situation and providing the information which is available to the channel as to why the show is gone, is indicative of the broader attitude of how TV channels and broadcasters in South Africa still largely continue to view their viewers - as little more than one-directional receivers.

Broadcasters in South Africa need not just learn to communicate better; then need to communicate and communicate appropriately in the first place. They also need to adjust the way they look at their viewers. Viewers are no longer content with not getting answers and simply being spoonfed dramatic programming changes without even any answers.

Once again today, SABC2 is only running the same on screen scroll at 12:00 as yesterday - with no explanation, no real information and no real apparent interest in providing real-time, relevant and actual helpful  information to viewers.

"We apologise for not transmitting Dr. Phil as scheduled today - SABC2 will keep you informed regarding the future broadcast times of Dr. Phil, please stay tuned."

That is all SABC2 has been saying, and its exactly the same as yesterday. It's not enough and totally inadequate.

SABC2 is not keeping viewers and TV critics informed because media enquiries are simply not answered. Things like this impacts brand trust, brand loyalty and brand perception. SABC2's brand trust, loyalty and perception is of course clearly taking a knock and it's something SABC2 could already have lessened by simply talking and explaining despite whatever problems SABC2 has with Dr. Phil episodes.

SABC2 urgently needs to take some of Dr. Phil's own advice which will be good for the channel: "Tell it like it is."

BREAKING. SABC2 dumps Dr. Phil without a word or any warning; suddenly replaces timeslot with double episodes of Judge Mathis.

You're reading it here first. 

SABC2 has suddenly dumped Dr. Phil on weekdays at 12:00 without a word to anyone, replacing the American talk show currently in its 10th season with another episode of Judge Mathis, resulting in a double block of Judge Mathis episodes on afternoons on SABC2.

SABC2 suddenly yanked Dr. Phil on Thursday and this week is continuing the double episodes of Judge Mathis without any explanation, advisory, or warning to viewers or to TV critics and the press.

At 12:56, well into the second episode of Judge Mathis on Monday, SABC2 is now running an on-air blue notification scroll: "We apologise for not transmitting Dr. Phil as scheduled today. SABC2 will keep you informed regarding the future broadcasting times of Dr. Phil, please stay tuned,"