Jody Jacobs exits as eNCA broadcast manager.

by Thinus Ferreira

Jody Jacobs has left eMedia Investment's TV news channel eNCA (DStv 403) as broadcast manager.

On social media he said "and so the journey comes to an end", noting "there were good times and trying times but overall it's been a great journey. Goodbye to all the great people I had the pleasure of working with".

The former e.tv News Prime Time reporter who joined e.tv in 2007 and left in October 2012 after 5 years, returned to eMedia and joined eNCA in January 2015 as a reporter and producer.

After that Jody Jacobs was appointed as eNCA's head of output in May 2018 during a turbulent time for the TV news channel.

Then, after 10 months he was repositioned and appointed as eNCA's broadcast manager in March 2019, managing day-to-day eNCA newsroom operations which he has done for just over 4 years until his exit this month. 

In total Jody Jacobs was at eNCA for 7 and a half years.

eMedia didn't immediately respond to a media query about Jody Jacobs' exit which wasn't announced, and who will be replacing him in the broadcast manager position, but comment will be added here if or when received.

eNCA has started a series of Town Hall Debates with South Africa's political leaders that will debate in various provinces leading up to the country's general election on 8 May.

eNCA (DStv 403) has started a series of Town Hall Debates that the TV news channel will be broadcasting.

The first eNCA Town Hall Debate leading up to South Africa's general elections on 8 May took place in Cape Town on Thursday last week at 11:00 in the morning and was rebroadcast in full at 19:00 that same evening.

eNCA didn't communicate or announce the addition of its programming event-series to the press beforehand.

TVwithThinus asked eNCA about its Town Hall Debate series on Thursday after 11:00 after the recording of the first Town Hall Debate started in Mitchell's Plain in Cape Town with eNCA anchor Michelle Craig.

In response to the media enquiry, eNCA, in a general press statement it then issued to all media, says that "the aim of these Town Hall Debates is to give South Africans an opportunity to raise their questions and concerns with the political parties, and give the politicians a real understanding of what the people want ahead of the general elections".

Jody Jacobs, eNCA's head of output, says "Political leaders will have the opportunity to address these concerns, clarify their positions on key issues and propose their solutions to the challenges facing our democracy".

After Cape Town that, eNCA plans three further Town Hall Debates with representatives from political parties in various provinces.

Durban (27 March): eNCA anchor Shahan Ramkissoon will host a debate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) on Wednesday 27 March at 19:00.

Port Elizabeth (11 April): eNCA's political editor Vuyo Mvoko will host a debate at the Nangoza Jebe Hall (Centenary Hall) on Thursday 11 April at 11:00.

Johannesburg (25 April): eNCA's acting editor Jeremy Maggs will host a final Big Leaders Debate at the Johannesburg city hall, on Thursday 25 April at 19:00.

eNCA says that besides the TV broadcast the debates will also be live-streamed on the eNCA.com website.

BREAKING. eNCA news boss Mapi Mhlangu quits as editor-in chief; out with immediate effect citing academic work pressure; Jeremy Maggs to take eNCA into 2019 election year coverage.

Mapi Mhlangu has abruptly quit eNCA (DStv 403) as editor-in chief and is out with immediate effect after a year and four months, with senior anchor Jeremy Maggs who is also eNCA editor-at-large who will be overseeing the South African TV news channel in the interim.

Jeremy Maggs who anchors during afternoons on eNCA will stop that for now to manage the news channel, but will likely continue anchoring his Sunday show Maggs on Media.

According to insiders the parting wasn't amicable, with well-placed insiders who gossiped that higher-ups allegedly had "lost confidence in her long ago" and that she was pushed out.

eNCA and Mapi Mhlangu who became editor-in-chief in July 2017 in a statement however cite "the onerous demands of the job along with the workload of her MBA" for her abrupt departure, saying "the tension between these two commitments was raised a couple of months ago leading to a difficult decision for both parties".

Mapi Mhlangu was at eNCA for 8 years and eNCA and Mapi Mhlangu say the decision to leave "is by mutual agreement".

"I leave eNCA in a strong position as South Africa's television news leader but this is the right time for me to leave and hand over the reins," says Mapi Mhlangu in a statement who earlier this month attended the launch event of eMedia's latest TV news channel OpenNews on its Openview free-to-air satellite TV service.

"I've enjoyed the myriad challenges I've dealt with during my leadership tenure and know that I leave the operation in safe hands. My only wish is that eNCA continues reporting the news fearlessly and without favour; continues to set the agenda and ask tough questions South Africans deserve answers
to."

eNCA will now be overseen by Jeremy Maggs heading up the newsroom until a permanent replacement is made, with Ragani Achary, head of input; Jody Jacobs, head of output; and Sally Burdett, story editor and head of anchors.

"The company acknowledges Mapi's contribution and would like to thank her for her unwavering loyalty to our newsroom and the huge part she has played in its success," says Khalik Sheriff, the new incoming eMedia Investments CEO.

"We believe the time is right ahead of the election period to make this change, allowing the

existing management team a chance to focus and prepare for 2019."

Jeremy Maggs says "I'd like to pay tribute to Mapi's exemplary leadership. Under her guidance she has cemented eNCA's position as the first source of television news in South Africa."

"I look forward to leading the station into 2019 and through the election. We have an extraordinarily strong product; a dedicated and talented team of over 500 people who collectively work tirelessly to bring news and analysis to South Africa in the fairest and most impartial manner."

TV reporter Paula Slier is in Tripoli, Libya for the eNews Channel while Jody Jacobs is in Sendai, Japan.

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The well-respected South African TV reporter Paula Slier who actually works for the news channel Russia Today (DStv 405) is also doing duty for the eNews Channel (DStv 403) as a correspondent. Paula Slier is covering events from Tripoli, Libya while Jody Jacobs is in Sendai, Japan.

''In Tripoli the mood is incredibly tense,'' says Paula Slier. ''At night you have rounds of anti-aircraft fire; we've had explositions every few hours last night. Many of the shops are closed, the roads aren't filled to their usual capacity. People are frightened.'' She says its hard to talk to ordinary Libyans ''given the government minder we're given when we go out''.

BREAKING. eNews reporter Jody Jacobs now in Haiti.

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The eNews reporter Jody Jacobs has arrived in Haiti and has started filing stories for eNews Prime Time as well as the eNews Channel (DStv 403) and do telephone studio link-up live interviews.

Jody Jacobs did misspoke in the filed package and said ''Port-au-France'' instead of the Haiti capital's real-name, Port-au-Prince.

UPDATE Thursday 22 Jan 21:02 - Louis Oelofse, eNews Output Editor is in Haiti with Jody Jacobs.