Hajra Omarjee, Tirrin Cosway dump ANN7 as the 'GuptaTV' news channel keeps bleeding on-air talent with ongoing staff exits.

Hajra Omarjee and Tirrin Cosway have now also both quit ANN7 (DStv 405) as South Africa's beleaguered third 24-hour TV news channel from Infinity Media, nicknamed "GuptaTV", keeps bleeding on-air talent in a shocking exodus of staff.

Hajra Omarjee who joined from eNCA, decided to dump ANN7 after just a year with Saturday which was her last day; the future of the political talk show Political Edge which she hosted and which finished its first season in doubt following her exit.

Also a gonner is ANN7's primetime business anchor and social media reporter Tyron "Tirrin" Cosway.

Tirrin Cosway is gone from ANN7 just weeks after he said an on-air goodbye to ANN7 Prime's Chantal Rutter-Dros on 3 December, who quit and had been the face of ANN7 since the channel's disastrous launch in August 2013.

ANN7's flagship weeknight broadcast is in tatters and has now been dismantled and destroyed, leaving primetime sports anchor Peter Stemmet who joined the Midrand based news channel from eNCA, and morning anchor Peter van Onselen as the only remaining credible news presenters.

In just one year ANN7 - part-owned and run by Atul and Ajay Gupta and broadcast on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform and where it competes with eNCA (DStv 403) and SABC News (404) - saw the exits of Gerry Rantseli-Elsdon just months after her breakfast show Vuka Africa was launched with great fanfare.

It was followed by the demise of weekend show Between the Lines and its presenter Asanda Magaqa escorted from the building.

The exodus leaves the gutted channel with barely any well-known or respected on-air talent news brand names who viewers turn to when they seek out credible TV news reporting.

Behind the scenes general manager for operations at ANN7 Dave McGregor quit this year, so did assignments editor Clinton Nagoor, while the "weather girls" were dumped with weather forecasts now having no presenters.

According to reports, ANN7 is a fraught with unhappiness and staff discord behind the scenes, with personnel allegedly tired and fed-up with low pay, bad treatment, grueling working conditions and cost cutting.

Last month ANN7 told TV with Thinus "all employees are treated fairly". 

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) submitted a list of grievances to ANN7 management, alleging poor pay, forced overtime without pay, a shortage of vehicles to cover the news, no sick bay, unfair labour practices and ill-treatment of staff.

Chantal Rutter Dros quits ANN7 as its main news anchor; staff discord and internal unhappiness permeates Infinity Media's news channel on DStv.

Chantal Rutter Dros is quitting the struggling ANN7 (DStv 405) and will be reading her final TV news bulletin on ANN Prime tonight while staff discord, internal unhappiness, and multiple personnel exits continue to rock South Africa's third 24-hour TV-news channel from Infinity Media known as "Gupta TV".

Chantal Rutter Dros has been ANN7's main news anchor and highest profile get when ANN7 started with a disastrous launch in August last year on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform. The channel came in for ongoing public mockery for its litany of on-air mistakes and amateur news readers - mostly female models - struggling to read and pronounce words and names correctly.

Since then the TV-news channel which has pumped hundreds of millions of rand into its operations in Midrand has worked hard to gain credibility but it's been difficult with ongoing on-air mistakes which makes it hard for viewers to trust ANN7's coverage or take it seriously.

The death and funeral coverage of Nelson Mandela, as well as the South African of the Year Awards 2014 which were both successfully executed projects helped to improve ANN7's public image.

Chantal Rutter Dros confirmed to TV with Thinus that she is leaving; asked why and what she will be doing next, she said that she "resigned for personal reasons. My last day is December 3. I am taking December off and I will evaluate my options in January".

She said that she is "not at liberty to comment on any of the other resignations as that is a station matter".

ANN7 told TV with Thinus it would announce a replacement for Chantal Rutter Dros "soon" but has been been silent; it's not clear who will be sitting behind the anchor desk at ANN7 Prime tomorrow night.

ANN7 was also only willing to say that Chantal Rutter Dros resigned for personal reasons.

Earlier this year Gerry Rantseli-Elsdon and her show Vuka Africa were gone from ANN7 barely months after the breakfast show was launched with big fanfare. ANN7's morning has been retooled with the credible Peter van Onselen and a straight news approach.

Also suddenly gone from ANN7 is the highly respected Dave McGregor who was the general manager for operations at ANN7.

ANN7 confirmed Dave McGregor's departure and tells TV with Thinus "Dave resigned in October citing personal reasons and his position has been taken by Quraysh Patel".

Quraysh Patel who worked at the IBA, the frontrunner of the current South African broadcasting regulator, Icasa, worked at e.tv as channel director and COO, later joined SABC3 and was chairperson of the Sentech board in 2010.

Also gone from ANN7 is Asanda Magaqa who was escorted off the ANN7 premises and her weekend show, Between the Lines, cancelled.

Tensions started between Asanda Magaqa and ANN7 management when she presented the daily South African of the Year Awards inserts and interviews and was supposed to host the awards, only to be dumped shortly before the ceremony for allegedly asking too much money.

"Between the Lines has been postponed for now to rework the structure of the programme and presentation due to the declining viewership numbers," says ANN7. 

"We are also resolving staff contractual issues. We will bring back the revamped show with the new features to make it more attractive to the viewers."

Also gone is the respected assignments editor Clinton Nagoor who also quit. It's not clear whether Hajra Omarjee is staying with ANN7 or also heading towards the door.

Internally, according to reports, ANN7 is a hotbed of unhappiness and staff discord, with personnel allegedly tired and fed-up with low pay, bad treatment, grueling working conditions and cost cutting.

Asked if ANN7 believe workers are treated unfairly the news channel on DStv says "all employees are treated fairly".

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) submitted a list of grievances to ANN7 management, alleging poor pay, forced overtime without pay, a shortage of vehicles to cover the news, no sick bay, unfair labour practices and ill-treatment of staff.

ANN7 tells TV with Thinus the CWU demands are "a figment of someone's very fertile imagination".

According to insiders MultiChoice is not happy with the performance of ANN7 this year, although it's not clear whether its in regard to viewership numbers, channel content like visuals and sound, news quality or other aspects.

According to insiders ANN7 has also struggled to attract advertisers who want to be associated with the channel. 

MultiChoice in response to a media enquiry is only willing to say "we constantly monitor and review the performance of all channels on DStv. We don't comment on the performance of individual channels, as we engage directly with them if there are any specific issues".

ELECTIONS 2014: ANN7 Election coverage plans on television for Election Day, Wednesday 7 May.

ANN7 (DStv 405) on Wednesday 7 May will broadcast live from the Independent Electoral Commission's (IEC) National Results Operations Centre at Hall J at the Pretoria Show grounds in Pretoria as well as from ANN7's Midrand studios bringing viewers election coverage, news and results from 06:00 to 23:00 on Wednesday as it happens.

ANN7 has outside broadcast (OB) units spread out across South Africa to cover Wednesday's general elections with a team of journalists providing 15 live sources from each of the 9 provinces.

ANN7 has the ANN7 helicopter on standby to fly teams into election hotspots to cover breaking news on the ground.

ANN7 has a team of political editors, analysts and guest line-up who will comment on and analyse election results on Wednesday as it comes in.

The ANN7 election team will be led by group editor Moegsien Williams and will include senior political editor Ricky Naidoo, senior political commentator Hajra Omarjee, ANN7 Prime Time anchor Chantal Rutter-Dros and a supporting team of over 70 journalists, anchors and technical staff.

BREAKING. ANN7, eNCA and SABC News all fake claim Jacob Zuma exclusive interviews - which means all 3 TV news channels are lying.

ANN7 (DStv 405), eNCA (DStv 403) and SABC News (DStv 404) all had the shocking audacity to individually fake claim their own "exclusive interview" with South African president Jacob Zuma.

The only problem is of course that Jacob Zuma appeared on ANN7, eNCA and SABC News as part of his PR press blitz.

"Exclusive" means to the exclusion of everything and everyone else - which means neither ANN7, eNCA or SABC News has a Jacob Zuma exclusive.

If a news channel claims a Jacob Zuma exclusive interview, it means Jacob Zuma is not appearing on TV news on any other channel in terms of giving an interview - and that you have an agreement or understanding that your interview subject is not sitting for multiple interviews on the same day, round robin style with different news outlets.

Jacob Zuma took turns to speak to and to give interviews to ANN7's Hajra Omarjee, to eNCA's Dan Moyane, and to SABC News' Vuyo Mvuko.

It means that ANN7, eNCA and SABC News as South African 24-hours TV news channels are all lying to their viewers, come across as opportunistic, and are getting shown up for making a false "exclusive" claim which is unintentionally hilarious.

Amateur ANN7 suffers yet another very bad, live, on-air oopsie, this time with reporter Kevin Brandt covering the 2014 opening of parliament.

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It was amateur hour on ANN7 (DStv 405) again, as the Infinity Media "GuptaTV" 24-hour TV news channel on Thursday once again delivered the biggest oops out of all three the South African TV news channels which covered the opening of parliament and the 2014 State of the Nation Address.

ANN7's live coverage on Thursday anchored by Hajra Omarjee from parliament, suffered sound problems and shaky camera work (which was not the Southeaster), including erratic in and out zooming - but the biggest live, on-air gaffe took place just after 17:13.

Hajra Omarjee threw to ANN7 reporter Kevin Brandt with the extremely inane questions of "What are journalists wearing on the red carpet?" (As if any real news channel should care.)

What happened next was jaw-droppingly bad - the kind of ongoing bad live television ANN7 has become known for since August 2013 when the channel launched.

As the camera zoomed in on Kevin Brandt who nodded (but in hindsight perhaps not nodding in agreement with hearing Hajra Omarjee in his earpiece but someone else from the technical control team), the ANN7 reporter suddenly turned his back on viewers on live television.

He then desperately started to push through the packed crowd of people behind him, unable to get to where he wanted to be. It was bad. And it was bad and on television.

Kevin Brandt didn't respond to or talk back to Harja Omarjee - and she was left to try and pick up the pieces of another cringe-inducing ANN7 on-air gaffe.

Harja Omarjee ignored it and simply talked it over and away, with no apology to viewers or explanation as to what just happened.


ALSO READ: The SABC News TV channel suffers blackouts and eventually a full-on black-out during the start of the 2014 State of the Nation Address.

South Africa's TV newsers front and centre at parliament in Cape Town for the 2014 State of the Nation Address.

South Africa's TV news reporters are front and centre at parliament today for live coverage of the opening of parliament and president Jacob Zuma's 6th State of the Nation Address.

ANN7 (DStv 405) didn't respond to media enquiries regarding parliamentary coverage today but the Infinity media 24-hour news channel has Hajra Omarjee (above) in Cape Town reporting.

It's Hajra Omarjee's first time covering parliament's opening for television. ANN7 also has reporter Kevin Brandt reporting from Cape Town, dressed all in black as well as reporter Qaanitah Hunter.

SABC News (DStv 404) didn't supply names following a media enquiry as to who the South African public broadcaster will have at parliament today, but Alicia Jali (below) is reporting from Cape Town for SABC News.

It's also Alicia Jali's first time covering the opening of parliament for television and SABC News.

The SABC also has political editor Vuyo Mvuko (above) reporting live from parliament. Abra Barbier, parliamentary correspondent for the SABC, did parliamentary red carpet coverage.

eNCA (DStv 403) did respond to a media enquiry earlier this week about that 24-hour TV news channel's coverage.

Andrew Barnes (below) from News Day - a veteran when it comes to live parliamentary TV coverage - and reporter Paula Chowles are covering live from parliament on eNCA. Xoli Mngambi as well as Lester Kiewit also joined later on Thursday evening.

The eNCA News Night co-anchor Iman Rappetti is also be covering the event today live from parliament.

ANN7 now has its own new weekly political show, The Political Edge, anchored by Hajra Omarjee, on Sundays at 20:00.

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ANN7 (DStv 405) has started and added its own new weekly political show, The Political Edge.

ANN7 hasn't said a word to the press or TV critics or sent our any programming notes, nor publicity material (even MultiChoice's DStv EPG doesn't contain or show it), but the GuptaTV 24-hour TV news channel from Infinity Media now has its own version of rival eNCA's (DStv 403) The Justice Factor with Justice Malala.

ANN7's The Political Edge, which comes in South Africa's latest national election year, is anchored by Hajra Omarjee. The Political Edge is scheduled for Sundays at 20:00 on ANN7.

The Political Edge with Hajra Omarjee markets itself as being "the most definitive show on politics" and will try to "make sense of what is said and what is unsaid" with "an inside track of all that goes on behind closed doors, engaging, to the point and no holds barred".

Hajra Omarjee back on the eNCA later this month after visit to America and CNN in Atlanta for a fellowship programme.

Hajra Omarjee, senior political reporter, will be back on the eNCA (DStv 403) later this month after an absence which made viewers wonder whether she had left the South African 24-hour news channel.

Hajra Omarjee  is still employed by the eNCA, the news channel told me last week.

"Hajra Omarjee has been on a Fellowship programme paid for by the eNCA at CNN's headquarters in Atlanta," says the news channel, which adds that Hajra Omarjee will be back on South African television later this month.

eNCA covering the opening of parliament live on Thursday from 12:00; SABC2 and e.tv will carry State of the Nation address live later.

You're reading it here first. 

South Africa's annual opening of parliament and the State of the Nation 2013 address by president Jacob Zuma on Thursday 14 February will be carried live on the eNCA (DStv 403) with full-day coverage of the event and the build-up.

eNCA coverage will start at 12:00.

SABC2 will also carry the speech later in the day live from 18:00 until 20:30.

e.tv will also carry the speech live from 19:00

The eNCA's build-up to the State of the Nation 2013 will start at 12:00 on Thursday 14 February and the 24-hour news channel will be live from the parliamentary precinct in Cape Town until 21:30 on Thursday.

The eNCA's senior political reporter Hajra Omarjee and reporter Lester Kiewit will bring viewers interviews and anticipation coverage, as well as reaction afterwards from various political parties and civic organisations.

The eNCA's News Day anchor Andrew Barnes will anchor from parliament for the day's earlier broadcasts and will be joined by News Night's Iman Rappetti from 17:00 on Thursday.

The eNCA's primary political analyst for Thursday's State of the Nation 2013 will be Abdul Waheed Patel who will be on air and joining Iman Rappetti from 17:00.  The Marie Claire editor Aspasia Karras will also be on hand to give eNCA viewers the fashion lowdown from the parliament's red carpet.

Both the eNCA and e.tv will broadcast president Jacob Zuma's State of the Nation address live from 19:00.