Queen Elizabeth II funeral: How to watch today's TV and live-stream coverage.

by Thinus Ferreira

While millions of people will line the roads today in London, billions of people are expected to watch the live televised state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey today streamed online and broadcast in over 200 countries, in what is sure to set a new record for the world's most-watched TV event ever. 

The BBC is producing the bulk of today's live feed of the funeral ceremony and will be making use of a whopping 213 HD cameras placed inside Westminster Abbey, as well as St. George's Chapel and Westminster Hall, with 14 outside broadcast (OB) trucks transmitting from 10 different locations.

Here is how viewers in South Africa and across Africa can tune in:

ABC News

America's ABC News on YouTube will live stream the event starting from 11:15 with anchors David Muir and Amy Robach, along with correspondents Ian Pannell, Deborah Robert, James Longman, Maggie Rulli, Lama Hasan and Will Reeve.

Royal contributors are Omid Scobie, Robert Jobson, Imogen Lloyd Webber, Victoria Murphy and Ailsa Anderson.

Al Jazeera (DStv 406 / StarSat 257 / TelkomONE)

Al Jazeera will cover the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II live from 10:00 this morning as part of special Newshour coverage, themed "Queen Elizabeth II: A Final Farewell".

BBC World News (DStv 400 / StarSat 256)

On BBC World News coverage starts at 11:00 led by Huw Edwards, Kirsty Young, Fergal Keane, David Dimbleby and Sophie Raworth.

Allan Little will be inside Westminster Abbey with analysis from royal correspondent Jonny Dymond. From five different points along the procession route Ken Bruce, Mishal Husain, Emma Barnett, Clive Myrie, Adele Roberts, John Murray, Mike Costello, Rachel Burden, Nuala McGovern, Chris Mason, Jamie Coomarasamy, Andrea Catherwood and James Naughtie will do reporting and commentary.

Britbox SA

Britbox will stream live coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, starting today at 10:30. Coverage will also be available to stream on-demand on Tuesday.

CBS News

Live-streamed on cbsnews.com and YouTube, Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell will anchor a CBS News Special Report live from London, with royal contributors Tina Brown, Julian Payne, Roya Nikkhah, Amanda Foreman and the former BBC royal correspondent Wesley Kerr.

CNN International (DStv 401)

Anderson Cooper and Erin Burnett will be anchoring live from London with special coverage kicking off at 11:00 today, with Christiane Amanpour, Max Foster and Richard Quest in London.

Like the BBC, CNN has reporters stationed throughout London, including at Westminster Abbey and along the procession route and at Windsor Castle.

Nada Bashir, Matthew Chance, Bianca Nobilo, Nic Robertson, Isa Soares, Anna Stewart and Clarissa Ward will provide commentary and reports, with Zain Asher and Julia Chatterley covering from New York.

CNN royal historian Kate Williams, CNN royal commentator Sally Bedell Smith and CNN contributor Trisha Goddard provide expert analysis and insights.

euronews (DStv 414)

euronews will cover the funeral proceedings of Queen Elizabeth live on the channel as well as live-streamed on its website from 11:00.

FOX News (StarSat 261)

FOX News will start live coverage at 10:00 today, with Martha MacCallum anchoring from The Canada Gate at Buckingham Palace. She will be joined by Fox & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt and the British commentator Piers Morgan.

France24 (StarSat 259 / Openview 121 / TelkomONE)

France24 will broadcast the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II live on its TV news channel, with "special edition" live coverage also streamed from 10:00 this morning on France24's YouTube feed.

MSNBC (StarSat 263)

MSNBC's live coverage will start at 09:00 today with Chris Jansing anchoring. From 11:00 Mika Brzezinski, Willie Geist and Katty Kay will anchor from London. From 16:00 Andrea Mitchell, Katy Tur and Chris Jansing will anchor MSNBC's special coverage.

NBC News Now

NBC News Now on YouTube and on nbcnews.com will live-stream the funeral ceremony as well, with Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Lester Holt anchor special live coverage of the funeral services starting at 11:00 today.

Showmax

Subscribers of MultiChoice's video streaming service across sub-Saharan Africa will be able to live-stream Queen Elizabeth II's on the BBC World News TV channel made available for free until 23 September. The live news channel is available to all Showmax subscribers regardless of their plan.

Sky News (DStv 402)

Sky News starts its special coverage today at 8:00 with anchor Kay Burley live at Westminster Abbey outlining how the day will unfold, with the channel's live feed also available on YouTube.

Anchors Anna Botting and Dermot Murnaghan start at 10:00 and will anchor for the day, with Anna Botting live from Westminster and Dermot Murnaghan reporting live from Windsor Castle as the procession begins to make its way from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch, before concluding at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

Sky News royal events commentator Alastair Bruce will provide analyses throughout the day. Kay Burley, Sarah Jane Mee and Gillian Joseph will be in the crowds in London and at Windsor Castle throughout the day.

Jayne Secker will be live from Windsor Caste at 18:00. Mark Austin will be anchoring from 20:00 as Sky News reflects on the day from Buckingham Palace with a look back at the events and key moments. 

Sky News will broadcast a round-up show of the day's proceedings and highlights at 22:00 tonight with Johnathan Samuels. Anna Botting will conclude coverage with the News at Ten at 23:00 South African time, live from Buckingham Palace.

Viewers hugely upset after eMedia's Openview abruptly replaces BBC World News after 3 years with France24, says it's sorry for causing viewers 'distress' with the channel swop without warning.

by Thinus Ferreira

Openview decided to switch the BBC World News channel on its satellite pay-TV service for France24 – but Openview viewers are angry and upset, especially because it happened without warning and because they don’t see the French-based TV news channel to be in the same league as the global news reach of the BBC.

Viewers are mostly quiet about so-called “boring” TV news channels and their often seemingly mundane rolling 24-hour TV news coverage. 

But Openview didn’t bargain on just how much viewers actually value, want and watch BBC World News in South Africa and the rest of Southern Africa.

An avalanche of viewers have reacted negatively and with an outpouring of anger after e.tv abruptly replaced the international TV news channel BBC World News with France24 from 1 August 2020 on its Openview free-to-air satellite service without warning.

eMedia Investments added BBC World News on 4 September 2017 to Openview.

At the time, e.tv said in a statement that "BBC World News' reputation for global breaking news is a huge drawcard for us and we're delighted to be able to offer our viewers a window to the world of quality and integrity".

Now BBC World News is abruptly gone and replaced on Openview by the English-language feed of the French TV news channel France24.

Viewers flooded Openview with complaints.

On social media, Openview said "We have seen all your comments about BBC World News and France24.

"Our intention is not to make you unhappy, and we are sorry to have caused you distress. Let's welcome France24 as our new normal and continue getting the best news from around the world".

In response to a media enquiry e.tv says that the BBC World News contract ended and that it decided to go with France24.

 "The carriage agreement between BBC World News and Openview has ended," says Marlon Davids, managing director of e.tv channels.

"In accordance with our mandate to give our audience a range of choices, we’ve brought France24 on board. It’s not new to our platform and fared well when it was carried on our news and sport channel."

Viewers are extremely unhappy with the OpenView channel change that elicited hundreds of angry comments from furious and disappointed Openview viewers.

Richard Ainstley said "this is a real step backwards. France24 is pushing news from a French perspective, whereas BBC World News is a proper international news channel. Please reconsider. Have both if you like but I will not be watching France24".

Steven Hill said "Why don't you admit that BBC World News was no longer going to give it to you for free? France24 is giving it to you for free".

Richard Bamhare said "This is really bad. At least you could have asked us. BBC World News is much better than France24. And add Sky News while at it."

Clive Gumbo said "In terms of news BBC has got quality and world-class standards. The best that you could have done for your fans was to introduce both channels or at least just retained BBC World News".

Isaac Moleleki said "France24 is highly irrelevant to South Africans. I'm contemplating to reconnect my DStv if France24 keeps showing me North and West African pictures".

Moses Mavicks said "In future, give us notice and reasons in advance for removing a channel" and that "BBC World News wasn't the best but much better than this France24".

Rachel Theunissen said "BBC was giving us the real story of what's going on here in South Africa".

Sushil Magoo said "What a great disappointment. What a pity we bought this box. BBC World News is all we watch. Please bring it back now".

Graham Thomas said "Clearly nobody likes France24. If you can no longer broadcast BBC World News, at least go over to one of the other international news stations, for example TRT, Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle news, CGTN. You are currently broadcasting on a channel that few or none watch".

Mandy Goettsch said "Openview is a total waste of time. BBC World News was the only reason I got it to start with. France24 has nothing to do with us and half the time we can't understand it either".

Johan Joubert said ""I joined Openview for the reason that BBC World News was the channel I was drawn to watch. Now there is nothing else. France24 definitely does not have the same quality news broadcast. We can just as well just watch one of the SABC news channels - not worth it sorry".

Mark Andrews said "the way the BBC World News channel was removed without warning or consultation with customers will damage the Openview brand going forward. I am fortunate enough that I am able to stream other international news channels but for many Openview customers this is not possible. Hopefully in future Openview will engage in communication with their loyal customers".

Coronavirus: The France 24 TV news channel ramps up its Covid-19 pandemic coverage for Africa's viewers.

by Thinus Ferreira

Amidst the growing global Covid-19 novel coronavirus pandemic France Médias Monde says that its media outlets, its TV news channel France 24 and its Radio France Internationale (RFI) have swung into action to help African audiences, specifically the French-speaking part of sub-Saharan Africa, with news and information.

"The programming schedules and digital offers have been adapted to focus on news and interactivity with the multilingual audience on the continent," says France Médias Monde.

France 24 broadcast as a live-stream online.

RFI and France 24 is also available across sub-Saharan African as France 24 English (StarSat 259) and France 24 French (DStv 636 / StarSat 682), while RFI also broadcasts in Hausa, Swahili, Mandika, Fula and Portuguese.

On France 24 the TV news channel has Eyes on Africa, France 24’s show dedicated to African news reports every day on the pandemic’s evolution at 23:45 and 00:45 (South African time SAST) with reports and interviews.

"Many reports on the coronavirus are shot daily by France 24's correspondents in Africa: 'Coronavirus: Kenyans stranded as capital Nairobi cordoned off', 'Sahel food insecurity: WFP warns coronavirus disrupting supplies', 'Coronavirus pandemic: 21-day nationwide lockdown begins in Zimbabwe', 'Coronavirus pandemic: South Africa 3-week lockdown comes into effect', and 'Coronavirus: Authorities across Africa brace for pandemic'," says France 24.

France 24 also offers a series of short videos with doctors from around the world. They talk about their daily life fighting the disease and the challenges they face.

Content from the France24 TV news channel now available on eMedia's OpenNews channel on Openview during twice-daily broadcast blocks.

France24 has signed an agreement for English content of France's 24-hour TV news channel to be shown on OpenNews (Openview 120) on eMedia Investment's Openview free-to-air satellite TV service.

Content from France24 can now be seen twice-daily on OpenNews during morning and afternoon programming blocks.

OpenNews launched on 1 November on Openview and does 6 hours of local TV news content on weekdays between 17:00 and 23:00, with the rest of the day cycle filled with content from international TV news channels.

South African pay-TV subscribers already have access to the linear broadcast of France24 in English on StarSat on channel 261, and on Cell C black on channel 507.

The agreement with OpenNews marks the first time that South African viewers get the ability to watch France24 for free, including viewers in other Southern African countries like Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Namibia and some parts of Botswana who also use buy South African activated Openview set-top boxes (STBs).

France24 in English is now available on OpenNews at the following times in the day's schedule:

> Monday to Friday: 08:00 - 09:00; 16:00 - 17:00 > Saturday: 06:00 - 07:00; 13:00 - 14:00 > Sunday: 06:00 - 07:00; 09:00 - 11:00 and 13:00-14:00

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 4 April 2018.

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

■ The BBC says younger viewers in the United Kingdom now watched more Netflix than the BBC and fears being "overtaken by competitors" as on-demand viewing grows. While the BBC is concerned, South Africa's SABC is doing very little although it's facing a similar crisis.

■ Swaziland's minister of information Dumisani Ndlangamandla wants the board of Swaziland's Television Authority (STVA - that country's state-run broadcaster - to resign over the appointment of Bongani Dlamini as Swazi TV CEO who's contract ended December 2017 but who is still in the job.


■ Nigeria's trashy TStv, fraught with lies and fraud, is now allegedly, again starting decoders sales after multiple postponed dates.
The trashy Sassy - that the decoder name - no longer looks like any of the stolen images TStv earlier used. Also the decoder is going to be sold from April without a satellite dish or LNB.
There's only 70 channels without the beIN Sports channels TStv pirated along with others. And gone is the WiFi, internet and free data that was promised - Sassy isn't capable of it. Nigerian consumers buy this trash at their own peril!


■ Zambia's corruption-laced Topstar venture between its state-run broadcaster ZNBC and China's StarTimes is criticised by TV stations over heavily inflated transmission fees.
Of course this was going to happen, but the Zambian government didn't care. Now TV channels are furious over the botched migration to digital terrestrial television (DTT) in Zambia, accusing TopStar of being both a signal distributor and a content provider.
- The shocking Topstar deal is one of the biggest financial scandal in modern-day Zambia, says the anti-corruption watchdog organisation, the Southern Africa Network Against Corruption (Sanac).

■ France's 24-hour TV news channel, France24 launches in Kenya and will be available as a free-to-air TV channel - the first international TV news channel to be available freely in the East African country.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 3 April 2018

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

■ Why the massive ratings of the Roseanne reboot is a big deal for TV.
- The ABC network in America held an executive meeting the day after Donald Trump got elected and asked themselves what audiences they're not serving well as execs tell The New York Times about why the Roseanne reboot was made.
- The Roseanne reboot is funny "but I'm not going to keep watching problematic pop culture". And the announcement of a Roseanne second season is "imminent" according to sources. And then a late Friday announcement from ABC that it's renewed.
MUST READ: The Roseanne revival shows how broadcast TV can survive in the streaming age: "Things that bring people together for a shared experience - that's what we do best."


■ International TV news channels like Russia's RT, China's CGTN and France24 went dark on 1 April in Washington, DC in America - and here's the reason.

■ The regular original actress Willa Holland who've played Thea Queen (Speedy), Oliver's younger sister for 6 seasons in Arrow seen on M-Net (DStv 101), is done with the show. The executive producer says it's been planned since the 4th season.


■ Suzie Hardy who says she was sexually harassed and sexually assaulted by Ryan Seacrest of E! (DStv 124) and ABC's new American Idol, has now filed a police report and says "everyone in Hollywood who stands by Ryan now is choosing not to believe me".


■ American TV reporter for FOX Sports hit in the eye by a baseball in Atlanta and her eye socket broken.

■ The new CBS crime drama series Instinct apologises to FOX's Bones for blatant plagiarism and copying in what is just its 3rd episode.

■ Oprah Winfrey is deliberately moving her OWN network into scripted series, exclusively selecting black creators.

France24 starts daily report block at 9pm, The Journey to Exile, looking at the growing migrant crisis that's engulfed Europe.

As thousands of refugees and migrants are fleeing to Western Europe, France24 (StarSat 259) now has daily reports at 21:00 (South African time) every day to highlight the growing crisis.

While thousands of so-called migrants and displaced people are desperate trying flee conflict areas in Africa and Eastern Europe, France24 is bringing viewers dedicated stories looking at the unfolding crisis.

Who are they? Where are they going and what are their dreams? France24 has a team of reporters on the ground in various European countries and on the borders to bring viewers incredible stories and harrowing visuals of people's journey into exile in The Journey to Exile.