Big Brother Naija housemate Tacha expelled after physical fight.

M-Net’s Big Brother reality-TV franchise in Africa continues to be mired in unsafe house conditions with another housemate who got expelled abruptly on Friday after she got involved in a physical fight with another contestant named Mercy in Big Brother Naija.

Despite multiple statements by MultiChoice and M-Net during previous seasons of Big Brother Africa and Big Brother Naija to do more to safeguard the safety of contestants in the camera house, in the latest incident of the 4th season of Big Brother Naija, Anita Natacha Akide, known as Tacha, was disqualified and booted from the Lagos-based camera-house in Nigeria.

It happened after she started arguing with Mercy – an incident that turned physical with Tacha going as far as pulling Mercy by the hair.

The ugly altercation – the latest in a string of shocking behaviour that has plagued previous seasons of the M-Net version of the show done across Africa – started when a scroll sent into the house was taken by Mercy who took her time to read it, which lead to Tascha calling her “a stupid girl”. 

The verbal fighting kept escalating and turned physical, while other housemates pretended not to see Tacha’s physical assault on Mercy.

A producer announced to the contestants in the Diary Room that “The Big Brother Naija rulebook clearly states in Article 18 sub-section 1 that, other types of violence, including provocation, goading, bullying, and victimisation may be punished by Big Brother in any way Big Brother chooses” after which Tacha was expelled. 

It leaves 8 housemates in the show done according to the Endemol Shine sold format, and Mercy with two warnings for provocation.

In a statement MultiChoice once again said that “MultiChoice and the show producers are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all housemates in the Big Brother house at all times. We view incidents such as occurred with Tacha and Mercy in a very serious light and will continue to take necessary action against housemates who break the strict rules of Big Brother.”

The Big Brother Naija finale will take place on 9 October and is shown on MultiChoice’s DStv satellite pay-TV service in Nigeria as well as across sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa.

It’s the first time in 13 years since 2006 that a season of Big Brother Naija is produced from inside Nigeria, having used South African production facilities previously.

Both Worlds Pictures wants to make a South African 'Beitbridge' version of the Nordic drama series The Bridge, with an all-African cast.

The South African production company Both Worlds Pictures in Cape Town has picked up the format rights for a possible South African version of the Nordic drama series The Bridge and wants to make a series set at the Beitbridge border between South Africa and Zimbabwe with an all-African cast.

Both Worlds Pictures secured the exclusive rights for an African version of The Bridge from Endemol Shine, with Both Worlds Pictures that will look for a  broadcast partner to create a South African version of the international series.

"The adaptation will feature an all-African cast and will be based upon the famous Beit Bridge, the physical border post separating South Africa and Zimbabwe," says Both Worlds Pictures in a press release.

An African version of the show would mark the 7th local version of the series, which has so far been remade in Malaysia/Singapore, Germany/Austria, Croatia/Serbia, U.S./Mexico, UK/France and Russia/Estonia.

Originally known in Sweden and Denmark as Bron/Broen, the format is a present-day crime thriller exploring the tensions between two neighbouring countries.

The drama series was created by Filmlance International, part of the Endemol Shine Group, in Sweden and Nimbus Film in Denmark.

Thierry Cassuto, the founder and executive producer at Both Worlds Pictures, says "We are thrilled to adapt the award-winning series The Bridge for South Africa and the continent".

"I've always been a great fan of the series and admired how sensitively remakes were made in parts of the world that are so culturally different. It shows how the story and the characters are able to strike a universal chord, and we intend to create an adaptation that will be equally unique and will resonate with African viewers".

Lars Blomgren, creator of The Bridge and the Endemol Shine Group's head of scripted for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, says "Thierry and the team at Both Worlds have such a huge enthusiasm for our beloved series and we couldn't think of anyone better to create the first African saga".

"It’s been a joy to watch the various iterations of the format develop around the world and we can't wait to see the direction they take this one in."

Both Worlds Pictures produced ZANEWS Puppet Nation as well as Point of Order for StarSat, the South African division of China's StarTimes satellite pay-TV service, and Parlement, Parlement for M-Net's Afrikaans language kykNET (DStv 144) channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service.

Both Worlds recently launched a high-end scripted content division under the supervision of award-winning South African screenwriter Karen Jeynes.

Disney buys majority of 21 Century Fox in historic $52.4 billion deal that will not just reshape Hollywood but also the TV and content production landscape internationally including Africa and South Africa.

On Thursday morning the expected announcement was made that The Mouse House has taken over the Fox Hole when The Walt Disney Company said that it's buying the majority of 21st Century Fox in a historic entertainment biz deal that will have not just massive ramifications for Hollywood but a rippling effect internationally and that will also impact content and TV channels as seen in Africa and South Africa.

The Disney-Fox deal will change Hollywood and the content production and distribution landscape internationally forever.

Disney is doing it so that it can start its own, well-populated subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service that would be able to successfully compete against the growing global dominance of Netflix.

In an memo to Fox staffers, Fox boss Rupert Murdoch hinted at possible firings, saying "we are deeply committed to finding opportunities for our people as well as ensuring that anyone impacted is well taken care of".

Fearful Foxers globally are scared and dismayed, apprehensive about the potential firing of staffers since there's huge global overlap and duplication in terms of the distribution, marketing and international divisions between Disney and Fox - with Disney topping Fox in all areas.

In the deal worth $52.4 billion, Disney will gain control of Fox Networks Group International and its 350 TV channels ran globally in 170 countries.

Several of these channels are seen in Africa and South Africa on several pay-TV services ranging from MultiChoice's DStv, StarSat operated by China's StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media (ODM), as well as Cell C's new video streaming service, black, and on StarTimes elsewhere in Africa and pay-TV operators like Zuku.

Disney in the deal is also taking over what will amount to a seismic shift in Hollywood's content business.

Diseny takes over Fox's 20th Century Fox movie studio (Avatar, The X-Men, Fantastic Four, Deadpool) and the Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox 2000 film studios.

Disney also gets Fox's TV production studios called 20th Century Fox Television and FX Productions that produces shows for both the FOX channel like The Simpsons but also for other channels like This is Us, Homeland and Modern Family seen on M-Net (DStv 101).

Disney also gets the pay-TV channels like National Geographic and Nat Geo WILD through taking over National Geographic Partners - something that quickly became evident during early negotiations, but also all of the FX channels, and the 39% stake in the Sky pay-TV operator in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Disney also takes over Star India that operates 69 channels reaching 720 million viewers a month across India and more than 100 other countries, with some of the Star pay-TV channels that are also being distributed in South Africa and Africa.

Disney also takes over the international Endemol Shine Group that also operates in Africa and South Africa and Endemol Shine Africa that produces shows ranging from Isidingo on SABC3 to My Kitchen Rules South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101).

In relation to South Africa and Africa, Disney gets things like the nascent production unit, FOX Networks Group Original Productions, that the FOX Networks Group Africa headquartered in Johannesburg for instance conceptualised last year and got off the ground just this year.

Disney will also gain a majority share in Hulu since it will be taking over Fox's 30% share and added to its own existing 30% gets a 60% controlling stake in the American streaming service.

Fox will keep the FOX broadcasting channel in America (but in America only), the FOX News Channel, the FOX Business Channel and the FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 channels.

It creates the very awkward situation where, although the FOX channel in America belongs to Fox, the FOX channel as seen on DStv and StarSat and FOX and FOX+ on Cell C, will actually belong to Disney that already runs its own set of channels in South Africa and Africa.

In a statement released by The Walt Disney Company, Robert Iger, Disney chairperson and CEO confirmed that Disney is acquiring National Geographic Partners and FOX Networks Group International.

"The deal will also substantially expand our international reach, allowing us to offer world-class storytelling and innovative distribution platforms to more consumers in key markets around the world."

"Bringing on board 21st Century Fox's entertainment content and capabilities, along with its broad international footprint and a world-class team of managers and storytellers, will allow Disney to further its efforts to provide a more compelling entertainment experience through its direct-to-consumer offerings".

"The agreement also provides Disney with the opportunity to reunite The X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool with the Marvel family under one roof and create richer, more complex worlds of inter-related characters and stories that audiences have shown they love."

"Through the incredible storytelling of National Geographic - whose mission is to explore and protect our planet and inspire new generations through education initiatives and resources—Disney will be able to offer more ways than ever before to bring kids and families the world and all that is in it."

Disney says the Fox assets acquisition is expected to yield at least $2 billion in cost savings "from efficiencies realized through the combination of businesses".

In a 1998 episode of Fox's The Simpsons entitled "When You Dish Upon a Star", the show predicted that Disney would one day buy 20th Century Fox and would become "a division of Walt Disney Co."

FOX Networks Group set to lose National Geographic channels if Disney and 21st Century Fox deal goes through.

Reporting from America is that The Walt Company and 21st Century Fox are in negotiations about the possible sale of several of 21st Century Fox's assets to Disney, including its movie studios, stake in the United Kingdom's Sky - but also some of its pay-TV channels like FX and National Geographic.

What it means is that if the deal goes through - with reports saying it could happen as soon as early next week - Fox's international business, the FOX Networks Group - will lose the National Geographic channels like National Geographic and Nat Geo WILD that will become the property of Disney.

The National Geographic Channels group is headed by Courteney Monroe, with Fox that currently owns most of the joint venture with the National Geographic Society.

21st Century Fox just want to keep the FOX channel, as well as its news and business channels, FOX News and FOX Business News, that generates the most revenue, as well as FOX Sports.

Besides the National Geographic channels, Disney would also get Fox's film and television production studios (including Blue Sky Studios, FX Productions and Fox Searchlight) and FX Networks.

Disney would also get Fox's 30% stake in the American streaming service Hulu (giving it majority control when this 30% is added to Disney's existing 30%).

In terms of film studios, Fox owns and produces film franchises like The X-Men, Deadpool and Fantastic Four, and co-produces and distributes film franchises like Ridley Scott’s Alien prequels, James Cameron’s Avatar and its sequels, Planet of the Apes, Kingsman and Maze Runner.

All of this will become Disney's.

Fox and the FOX Networks Group will keep its FOX channel (because 21st Century Fox doesn't and can't sell it - Disney already owns a broadcast TV network in the form of ABC and can't own another, and FOX is too lucrative for Fox to sell.)

Yet, if the deal goes through, Disney will become the new owner of a lot of the shows that is on FOX because it will own the studio company (20th Century Fox Television) that produces, co-produces or distributes many of the TV shows and series made for FOX.

This include shows seen on FOX in South Africa and in Africa on MultiChoice's DStv and StarSat like Empire, The Simpsons, Legion, American Horror Story, American Crime Story, Bob’s Burgers and The Exorcist, as well as some shows that appear on other channels like This Is Us and Modern Family on M-Net (DStv 101).

There's also shows like The Gifted and The Orville from Fox that's not been picked up and shown yet on South African television.

Then Fox will also offload its share to Disney in things like its stake in India's Star group, a 50% stake in the global production company Endemol Shine Group, and its interest in the Sky pay-TV service in the United Kingdom.

Shake-up at SABC3's Isidingo in front of and behind the scenes as Kgomotso Christopher exits; head writer Rohan Dickson now the new show runner.

There's yet another shake-up in front of, and behind, the scenes at SABC3's ratings challenged local soap Isidingo with Kgomotso Christopher who've exited the soap and head writer Rohan Dickson taking over as new show runner.

Viewers will see Kgomotso Christopher as Katlego Sibeko for the last time on 13 April, a role she's portrayed for half a decade that's abruptly coming to an end. 

Production company Endemol Shine who've kept the actress' departure under wraps isn't saying why Kgomotso Christopher is leaving. The actress says she wants to explore new acting roles.

"We will miss and thank her for the pivotal and positive part she's played," says Sivan Pillay, Endemol Shine CEO. "Kgomotso's talent, grace, charm and absolute professionalism will be missed by cast, crew and fans alike".

The soap that will turn 18 in August struggles in the ratings race, overshadowed by the American soap The Bold and the Beautiful that lures more viewers than the expensive local production on SABC3, and paling in viewership comparison and buzz to other soaps of the public broadcaster like Uzalo, Muvhango, 7de Laan and Mzansi Magic's (DStv 161) isiBaya.

Behind the scenes Rohan Dickson who has been Isidingo's head writer for two years and had to rebuild the gutted writing team is now taking over from Pumla Hopa as executive producer of Isidingo, while Leo Phiri has been promoted to the producer on the soap. 

Pumla Hopa who had steered the soap for many years will now help with new scripted programming projects at Endemol Shine in the production company's scripted entertainment division headed up by Sam Shale.

"The combined strengths of Rohan Dickson and Leo Phiri will lead Isidingo into a new era," says Sivan Pillay. "It's an exciting time for cast and crew alike".

Rohan Dickson says "our talented team at Isidingo is passionately committed to this new adventure. Horizon Deep has many twists and turns, shocks and scandals in the pipeline".

Discop Africa founder Patrick Zuckowicki on Meet Your Stars: South African TV industry hasn't yet realised they need to showcase their content like Fashion Week.

Discop founder Patrick Zuchowicki on Friday at the close of Discop Africa 2015 said the South African television industry has so far failed to properly leverage the glamour part of its programming, talent and stars to get media exposure, to sell its programming to media influencers and to get more ad buyers interested.

The three-day Discop Africa 2015 concluded on Friday and for the first time ran a concurrent media event, Meet Your Stars, alongside the main TV market.

At Meet Your Stars some broadcasters and shows had a smattering of on-air and behind-the-scenes talent to do presentations and Q&A's upfront style with the media and influential journalists, in the way American and British television has been doing for a long time.

A lot of South African broadcasters, operators, channels and production houses don't see the importance of previewing their new shows and channel programming line-ups to the press.

Several, over years, remain notoriously uninformed and borderline incompetent when it comes to properly marketing and showcasing upcoming programming and TV content, and often don't know how to do it, or how to correctly engage with TV critics and the press covering their TV content.

Discop Africa is trying to help to change it by introducing Meet Your Stars and to create an opportunity and event where South African broadcasters can bring their talent to meet, talk and interact with the media so that press and ad buyers can get a better sense and see what their existing and new content is about.

"The television industry - the television content industry - meaning the selling and licensing of content is 65 years old. And the fashion industry is also about 60, 70 years old."

"Fashion Weeks exist for 20 years. It was created 20 years ago. Why? Because all of a sudden the fashion industry understood the glamour aspect of their industry," Patrick Zuchowicki said on  the [ED] (DStv 190) channel in a live broadcast on Friday afternoon.

"What we're trying humbly to do, is to do the same - to celebrate television content and to provide a 'fashion week' for new television shows and a new season."

"And to allow these influencers and ad air time buyers - those who have an impact on ratings, those who have an impact on air time purchase, to look at new shows."

"To have the opportunity to interact with the talent and to understand these shows better from the creators, and maybe use that information to influence the fate of those shows," said Patrick Zuchowicki.

"Today social media has a huge impact on how you consume television. Bringing the influencers in social media and bloggers is really what we're trying to do with Meet Your Stars," said Patrick Zuchowicki.

"We invited a lot of media, a lot of influencers - people who are also media buyers and media planners," said Lara Preston, from Red Flag and doing Discop publicity.

"Meet Your Stars was a very new concept and I think a lot of people wasn't sure of what it was."

"Overseas, especially in the United States it's a common practice to preview the next season's television shows and what they have planned, so that media buyers and media planners can plan and actually do their jobs."

"For some Meet Your Stars was a new concept. You really saw some of these 'aha' moments where they got it - sometime on Thursday," said Lara Preston.

"We've had a long, long conversation about Meet Your Stars, and we've decided that Africa and Johannesburg is the right place to start having this concept," said Vlad Borovina, relations manager and event organiser from Basic Lead.

"We've decided to bring it on the success of Discop Africa and to incorporate it as a programme within Discop Africa."

Parties for Discop Africa 2015 in Johannesburg included Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa), Trace TV in Africa had a cocktail party, and Endemol Shine South Africa and Paramount also had party events.

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 6 July 2015.

True TRASH TV: How rivals SuperSport and StarTimes fought behind the scenes.
- First the truly trashy Sam Keengu Nyamweya, the president of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) signed a sponsorship deal with StarTimes as new media partner, then alleging that StarTimes will now show a soccer match between Kenya and Ethiopia in Nairobi.
- The only problem was that SuperSport had the rights to show it on DStv.
- Yet StarTimes blocked SuperSport from the stadium with armed police, and the former SuperSport executive and now StarTimes sport boss Gary Rathbone blatantly lied and said StarTimes would show the match. Gary Rathbone kept lying on social media to fans. The trashy Chinese StarTimes even bought full-page newspaper ads advertising they will show the match.
- Then SportFive, the sole marketing agent, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) got involved, blatantly telling StarTimes to back off, since SuperSport has the exclusive broadcasting rights, and threatening Kenya with expulsion from CHAN.
- And finally FKF and StarTimes backed off after having lied to subscribers with a trashy apology of suddenly "the CHAN rights are held by CAF as opposed to FKF".
- Now StarTimes wants to renegotiate its contract with FKF because "the integrity of the partnership is now compromised".

Truly TV trash you can't make up.


Can Frans Matlala, the new SABC CEO, save the SABC?
- "I was a bit worried about hearing media reports of him saying 'yes, we're going to broadcast the truth but we want to balance that'. How do you balance the truth?" Listen to the whole CapeTalk interview here with Kate Skinner from the SOS Coalition.

- Interestingly, the SABC's controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng is holding the hand of Frans Matlala and is accompanying him to media interviews, asserting his control, like to an interview on 702 radio. Is that really necessary?
- Hlaudi Motsoeneng continues his awkward statements at the SABC's announcement of Frans Matlala as new SABC CEO.


Botched on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) renewed.
The reality series about Hollywood plastic surgeons trying to fix horrific plastic surgery mistakes renewed fir a 3rd season.


It's 25 years since Star Trek The Next Generation's "The Best of Both Worlds" cliffhanger.
A fascinating behind-the-scenes oral history of how the cliffhanger changed the show forever, and other interesting facts you never knew.
And Forbes reveals the intricate shared rights issues and complex rights problems which is keeping a new TV series of Star Trek off the air - while next year will be its 50th anniversary.


The BBC will fire more than 1 000 people.
Dramatic cuts on the cards in massive restructuring at the British public broadcaster.

The TV industry "is hideously middle-class," says British TV producer.
One of Britain's leading TV executives from Endemol Shine laments the lack of diversity.

SACP wants the scrapping of the controversial MultiChoice and SABC archives deal.
The South African Communist Party (SACP) and the ANC political parties are against the "privatisation" of the "country's national archives". Also worrying signs that these political parties want to clamp down on media regulation in South Africa.

M-Net's new Zambezi Magic TV channel on DStv just South African soapies.
The new Southern African DStv channel is so far a channel "for archive South African soapies".
Africa's TV and film industry needs to stop making mediocre productions, says producer, and improve the quality.
South Africa's Connie and Shona Ferguson also went to the Zambezi Magic launch and also said producers need to up their game.


TV isn't dead. It's just evolving.
The consumer is in charge and the TV industry needs to evolve, and the pay-TV business model is changing.

Viacom is having a midlife crisis.
Bloomberg looks at why nobody wants their MTV (DStv 130) anyomore.

Some problem with MultiChoice's set-top boxes in Zambia.
Zambia's broadcasting authority is warning of "sanctions" if the problem with defective decoders isn't solved soon.

New Pay-TV player Siyaya TV and the SAFA fighting.
More sports rights drama behind the scenes as Siyaya TV and the South African Football Association (SAFA) are sparring despite a 10-year Bafana Bafana sports rights deal.

How television won the internet.
The New York Times on how television as a "tired" technology is taking over the internet and how its TV which is making people willing to pay for digital content online.

Soon you'll be able to to build your own Game of Thrones.
The fantasy drama series on M-Net Edge (DStv 102) is coming out with its own amazing construction sets - from the Iron Throne room to Attack on the Wall, and even a Mother of Dragons set.