Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 21 September 2015

SABC's Hlaudi Motsoeneng embroiled in staff intimidation.
Case opened at Brixton police station last week. Nadiva Schraibman told to stay quiet and not talk to the media. Got a threatening message while working on documentary about Desmond Tutu, purportedly from the SABC's chief operating officer (COO).

StarSat will broadcast the FIFA Under/17 World Cup matches.
but can't bother to tell South Africa's TV critics or the press after StarTimes acquired the sport rights.

ITV's Downton Abbey draws lowest viewership ever for a season premiere episode.
The 6th and final season's first episode had 7.6 million viewers in the United Kingdom.

Jana Bennett now the president and general manager of A+E Networks' History (DStv 186).
The former BBC Worldwide president immediately promoted to being the boss of History, based in New York.

Trailer for The Unauthorized Melrose Place Story.
Flat acting but looks good. No broadcasting dates yet for this upcoming movie and the 90210 one on Lifetime (DStv 131) in South Africa.

Stop meddling with the BBC says Europe's media bosses.
Urge the United Kingdom to stop breaking the BBC and to protect its independence.

DStv subscribers flock to MultiChoice demanding compensation.
MultiChoice no longer repairs or supplies old SD PVRs or DualView decoders and won't repair or replace them. Tele marketing agency On Air takes weeks to help DStv subscribers and consumer columnist has to help.

Trevor Noah tells Stephen Colbert that Jon Stewart is "the Jewish Yoda".
"You can't live up to Jon Stewart. It's insane," says Trevor Noah who takes over The Daily Show next week on Comedy Central (DStv 122).

Jenna Coleman has dumped Doctor Who on the BBC.
Confirms that she has filmed her last scenes as Clara.

National Geographic Channel (DStv 181) will have a second season of
Years of Living Dangerously. Will play out in 171 countries, including South Africa.

BREAKING. Jana Bennett out as president of BBC Worldwide Networks as BBC Worldwide restructures into 7 geographical worldwide regions.

Jana Bennett is out as the president of BBC Worldwide Networks which runs the BBC's commercial portfolio of channels such as BBC Entertainment, BBC Knowledge, BBC Lifestyle and CBeebies in South Africa and across the world.

Jana Bennett is leaving BBC Worldwide Networks later this year as BBC Worldwide Networks announced a major restructure with a bigger focus on international markets which will come into effect on 1 October.

BBC Worldwide will be doing away with its five global divisions and move to 7 geographical regions with South Africa and Africa falling in a new CEEMEA (Central and Eastern Europe; Middle East and Africa) region which BBC Worldwide sees as being part of a "high growth group".

The other regions will be North America, UK, Australia/New Zealand, Western Europe, Asia and Latin America. Each of these 7 regions will report into 4 presidents, all of whom will report to John Smith, the BBC Worldwide CEO.

"The new organisation is designed to help us capture untapped opportunities for high quality British content and BBC branded services across the world in order to sustain our track record of strong growth into the future," says John Smith in a statement. "It has been worked out over a number of months, with inputs from across the world, and throughout our company. I believe it will accelerate delivery of our global portfolio, and help us drive future growth and returns for the BBC."

In a separate statement from BBC Worldwide Jana Bennett says "My time at BBC Worldwide has been exciting and stimulating. I am delighted to have grown the BBC's international channel portfolio at a time when global markets are so highly competitive and to have brought quality British programmes and events to new audiences around the world."

She said that with the restructuring she feels "this is a good moment for me to work outside BBC Worldwide".

BREAKING. BBC coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee reaches most viewers in South Africa on BBC Entertainment since January 2011.

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The BBC's worldwide coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations broadcast in South Africa on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) reached more viewers in the country than any other programme broadcast on BBC Entertainment since January 2011.

The BBC's coverage of the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations from 3 to 5 June was a viewership success for BBC Worldwide, with viewership in South Africa, Singapore and America reaching records for the British broadcaster and which was as fervently watched as the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate last year.

"Global TV viewing events are a key part of our strategy and I'm delighted that our live broadcast of the Diamnd Jubilee Celebrations united so many of our viewers around the world and made them feel part of this historical event." says Jana Bennett, the president of Worldwide Networks at BBC Worldwide.

In South Africa the Diamond Jubilee Thames Pageant reached more viewers than any other programme on BBC Entertainment since January 2011. The broadcast kicked off "London Calling", an ambitious global TV event planned by BBC Worldwide focusing on the city in the run-up to London hosting the 2012 Olympic Games from July and in August.

Worldwide coverage through BBC Worldwide and BBC World News of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations.

You're reading it here first. 

The BBC through BBC Worldwide Channels will be showing coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Celebrations worldwide in South Africa as well as Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, India, the rest of Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

The live coverage will be taken directly from BBC One in the United Kingdom.

"I am truly delighted that we are able to deliver this truly British affair under a British brand to viewers all around the world," says Jana Bennett, the president of Worldwide Networks at the BBC.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee: Thames Pageant will be shown on 3 June - a 4 and a half hour broadcast following 100 boats along the River Thames. The BBC will have 8 camera coverage on the specially coverted Royal Barge and coverage will be led by Matt Baker and Sophie Raworth from a special studio at the historic former Thames fish market Old Billingsgate.

Clare Balding will be aboard the Royal Bow Barge The Gloriana, which will lead the rowing section.

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert will also be shown on 4 June from in front of Buckingham Palace.

The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee: Service of Thanksgiving and Royal Procession on Tuesday 5 June, is a State Occasion and will be marked by a National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral, attended by The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh together with other members of the Royal Family.

Commentary from St Paul's will be provided by James Naughtie. Sophie Raworth will be reporting from St Paul's; Fiona Bruce will be at the Palace of Westminster; and Chris Hollins and Sonali Shah will be in The Mall. Clare Balding will be at the Knightsbridge Barracks meeting new trainees of the Household Cavalry who have been learning to ride in time for this historical day.

The Royal Family will appear on the balcony to and watch the RAF fly past and a Feu de Joie – a cascade of rifle fire by The Queen's Guard.

BBC Entertainment once again doing its Sport Relief fundraiser from March in South Africa along with special programming.

Sport Relief, the fundraising initiative of BBC Worldwide Channels which has successfully been introduced in South Africa and been done through the BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) channel, will be going global this year from March.

This annual British fundraising initiative which has successful caught on in South Africa, will this year not just involve Britain and South Africa but be going global. ''BBC Entertainment: Sport Relief goes global for the first time ever with a special package of programmes for our viewers around the world,'' BBC Worldwide Channels just announced.

Stephen Fry will kick off a whole season of programming on BBC Entertainment from 18 March in South Africa with ''This is Sport Relief'' a specially produced programme explaining how the event raises laughs, raises money and changes lives with highlights from Jeremy Clarkson and the Top Gear team, England footballer David Beckham and Little Britain's David Walliams.

It will also include David Walliams' fundraising swim along the 140 mile length of the Thames and a comedy special in which celebrities compete in ancient Olympic events.

The special programming will end with a special 4 hour broadcast entitled Sport Relief Goes Global done from The Mall in London which will include comedy highlights from Sport Relief 2012 and will include entertainment and sketches from the stars of Outnumbered, Top Gear, Doctor Who and Smithy from Gavin and Stacey.

''Global viewing events are going to be a big part of our activity tis year and I'm thrilled that we can kick off with Sport Relief,'' says Jana Bennett, the president of BBC Worldwide Networks.

''Sport Relief is a uniquely inspirational event, which harnesses the passion for sport to unite viewers behind a great cause. I'm thrilled that we at BBC Worldwide can pull the force of our branded noetwork behind Sport Relief this year, bringing out viewers one of the year's biggest entertainment events and giving them the chance to get involved.''

BBC Worldwide's TV channels in South Africa 'doing extremely well'; BBC Worldwide to move up the broadcasting date of shows.

All of BBC Worldwide's TV channels in South Africa are showing strong growth, with the BBC's portfolio of international channels now ranking among the top three on MultiChoice's DStv pay TV platform.

''All of our channels - BBC Entertainment (DStv 120), BBC Knowledge (DStv 251), BBC Lifestyle (DStv 180) and CBeebies (DStv 306) - are doing extremely well in South Africa,'' said Jana Bennett, president Worldwide Networks of the BBC's commercial arm in her speech during her first visit to South Africa recently and BBC Worldwide's latest programming upfront in Johannesburg.

''Ours is among the top three international channel portfolios on DStv and the level of sponsorship of our programmes has grown by 80% in the last year,'' said Jana Bennett.

''I want to talk about some of the plans I have for BBC Worldwide's international networks and the ideas we will be developing to make ours some of the most compelling TV experiences available.''

''One area where you'll see a lot of activity from us will be in global viewing events, especially following the success of the Royal Wedding in April. It was a massive global TV moment. It was the first time that BBC Worldwide really leveraged its global channel portfolio around a single event. We took the wedding to the far reaches of the globe though live broadcast on our channels, and all parts of the business came together to create new viewing experiences for our audiences,'' said Jana Bennett.

''For the first time on our own channels, we delivered synchronised BBC-branded schedules to viewers in America, Australia, New Zealand, India, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa, allowing us to deliver a truly British affair under a British brand.''

''Here in South Africa the coverage gave BBC Knowledge some of its higest ratings since launch. We're going to take the experience of the Royal Wedding and apply it to similar occasions in the future. Upcoming events that offer potential for the same treatment are Sport Relief and 'London Calling' an exciting season of programming in the run up to The Olympics.''

''Our ambition, in time, is to develop BBC Earth  - BBC Worldwide's natural history brand - and Lonely Planet, into stand-alone television channels, to sit alongside the other brands which have already gained traction around the world,'' said Jana Bennett.

ALSO READ: New Lonely Planetprogramming block dedicated to travel television set to start on 5 November in South Africa.
ALSO READ: Plans for new BBC Earth TV channel in development, BBC Worldwide will be talking to South Africa's pay TV operators about it.

''Another important part of our strategy is to air as many of our audience's favourite shows much close to the UK broadcast. You'll be please to hear that we've made a start with The Graham Norton Show and Top Gear on BBC Entertainment. In fact, I can share with you that by the time series 18 of Top Gear airs in the UK in the New Year, we'll be following a few days later on BBC Entertainment both here and on our other channels around the world. This will help press capitalize on the buzz around these shows,'' Jana Bennett said.

New Lonely Planet programming block dedicated to travel television to start on BBC Knowledge from 5 November in South Africa.

The Lonely Planet branded programming block will start on BBC Knowledge (DStv 251) in South Africa on 5 November, BBC Worldwide that runs channels like BBC Knowledge, announced today in Britain.

The Lonely Planet block on BBC Knowledge will provide a dedicated home to the channel's travel programming, including the show Free Rein specially commissioned by BBC Worldwide from Lonely Planet's production arm Freehand.

Free Rein will follow Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward as they set out on a travel adventure across The Kimberley in Australia. Following in 2012 is Year of Adventures with Ben Fogle and based on the Lonely Planet book of the same name.

''This dedicated home on BBC Knowledge marks a major step in our development of Lonely Planet as a television brand,'' says Jana Bennett, the president of BBC Worldwide Networks. ''BBC Worldwide will continue to support its growth through these programming blocks and through specially commissioned Lonely Planet productions. We hope that in time, the brand can evolve into a standalone television channel.''

In South Africa and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, the Lonely Planet block will kick off on 5 November on BBC Knowledge with the shows Tribe, Long Way Round and Roads Less Travelled. Other shows to fill the Lonely Planet programming block include Paul Merton in India, Tropic of Cancer with Simon Reeve and Russia: A Journey with Jonathan Dimbleby.

''The Lonely Planet schedule is designed to take our viewers on a journey of exploration and discovery, and we've selected these titles to feed their passion for experiencing the world through travel,'' says David Weiland, the senior vice president for programming and TV channels.

''Along with our own growing roster of original commissions – like Free Rein and Year of Adventures – these programmes will find a natural home in the Lonely Planet block, with a host of engaging personalities and experts to transport viewers right to the heart of a place,'' says David Weiland.