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

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

  

■ The SABC Editorial Forum tells South Africa's parliament about the "broken, depleted and demoralised" SABC News newsroom at the South African public broadcaster.

"We cannot speak out and tell of the challenges we are facing as staff of the SABC as a gag order was imposed on the staff." 

- Fearful SABC staffers are fighting commercialisation as SABC execs are shutting down SABC offices nationwide.

■ Donald Trump dumps America's 60 Minutes, walks away during interview after he doesn't like Lesley Stahl's "aggressive" questions.

■ Watching 50 hours of The Simpsons seen on FOX (DStv 125 /StarSat 131).

The show now echoes life during the Covid-19 lockdown, with the characters stranded, unable to authentically relate to its audience, clinging desperately to an old world that no longer exists, and just repeating the same things they have always done.

■ "Real life but better looking": Brit-soap Hollyoaks at 25.

■ The death spiral of SABC TV Licences.

The absurdity of the SABC that wants MultiChoice's DStv, StarSat, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and others to tack on a SABC TV Licence fee is that the SABC doesn't even know who has or doesn’t have a TV. 

- Pinky Kekana, South Africa's deputy communications minister, gets dragged over her silly and hilarious plan to want subscribers of MultiChoice's DStv, Netflix and streaming services to pay a SABC TV Licence fee.

- "It's going to be a nightmare." "Symbol of a broken business model at the SABC." 

- CARTOON: The SABC and it's dinosaur law.

■ TV shows dealing with virtual audiences and live audience restrictions deserve applause.

■ The infamous Red Wedding twist in Game of Thrones highlights the absurdity of TV's storytelling conventions.

- A Lost producer stands by the series finale despite controversy.

■ Australia's broadcasters are not threatened by the future - they're driving it.

All TV will be watched through an internet connection and all advertising will be traded via programmatic pipes.

■ As an experiment, Netflix is giving an entire country Netflix for free for 2 days.

■ Netflix falls short on new subscribers as its Covid-19 pandemic lockdown boost fizzles.

- Netflix isn't worried about running out of content during/because of Covid-19.

- Netflix boss Reed Hastings on the stream of executive exits from the streamer: "You got to earn it every year".

■ TV cameraman killed during stunt scene in Ghana during filming of BBC and Netflix drama Black Earth Rising.

■ John Roberts signs a new deal to remain with Fox News (StarSat 261) as chief White House correspondent.

■ Teen Wolf's Tyler Posey says he's done with drugs and alcohol, uses sex toys, have been sexually active with men and looks very rough for 29.

Programming note: Second season of Game of Thrones set to start on M-Net on 13 April; episodes to follow 5 days after America.

War is coming. M-Net is moving up the starting date of the second season of Game of Thrones with the pay broadcaster announcing a special Game of Thrones Season 2 Preview Special which will be shown on M-Net and M-Net HD (DStv 170) on Sunday 8 April at 22:05.

The TV special will be followed by the new episodes of the second season of Gameof Thrones from Friday 13 April at 22:05. M-Net will kick off the second season with 2 back-to-back episodes.

Since the second season of Game of Thrones kicks off in America on 1 April, episodes will be seen on M-Net in South Africa 5 days behind America. The second season of Game of Thrones has 10 episodes.