Why Heindrich Wyngaard as Kaapse Forum chairperson remains the host of KLOP! on kykNET.

by Thinus Ferreira

The presenter and socio-political commentator Heindrich Wyngaard who is now the chairperson of the lobby group Cape Forum is no longer a host of KN Verslag since the start of April but remains the host of KLOP! on television because kykNET says KLOP! is an a-political talk show.

There's been growing questions around a perceived conflict of interest as Heindrich Wyngaard continues to be the presenter of a weekly TV programme on DStv, whilst serving as the chairperson of the new lobby group started with the help of the AfriForum lobby group.

Cape Forum in a statement said that the lobby group "will focus, among other things, on promoting community self-reliance in Cape communities and helping to establish growing federalism in the Western Cape and Cape communities".

"Tax federalism where taxpayers money is largely used locally, will form a core part of the Cape Forum's action plan."

Heindrich Wyngaard told CapeTalk in a radio interview that the Cape civil society organisation "is not a coloured AfriForum" and that while the lobby group has AfriForum's backing, Cape Forum (Kaapse Forum in Afrikaans) doesn't have the same ideology or agenda.

While Heindrich Wyngaard stepped away as an anchor of the news and actuality show KN Verslag on the kykNET (DStv 144) channel, he remains the host of the KLOP! talk show on the kykNET&kie (DStv 145) channel, with both shows produced by Idea Candy. 

This has left a growing number of kykNET & Kie viewers wondering whether Heindrich Wyngaard is representing or asking questions on behalf of the Cape Forum.

"KLOP! is an a-political talk show that focuses on personalities and various topics that are serious and light-hearted. KN Verslag is a current affairs show with more of a political focus," Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director for kykNET channels, tells TVwithThinus.

"When Heindrich made kykNET and Idea Candy, the production company, aware he will be joining Kaapse Forum, the three parties agreed it would be best to release him from KN Verslag in order to minimise the risk of a perceived conflict of interest."

Asked how kykNET viewers are supposed to know that Heindrich Wyngaard is not representing or asking questions on behalf of Cape Forum during KLOP!-episodes, Waldimar Pelser says "When presenting KLOP!, Heindrich's obligation is to serve the viewers of kykNET&kie in a professional manner. This is an obligation to which all our presenters are held".

kykNET says it believes in editorial independence and that Heindrich Wyngaard's obligation is to serve the viewers of kykNET&kie in a professional manner.

ALSO READ: Heindrich Wyngaard exits KN Verslag on kykNET to head up new political pressure group, will continue to host talk show KLOP! on kykNET & Kie.

Heindrich Wyngaard exits KN Verslag on kykNET to head up new political pressure group, will continue to host talk show KLOP! on kykNET & Kie.

by Thinus Ferreira

Heindrich Wyngaard has exited as anchor of the current affairs show KN Verslag on kykNET (DStv 144) to become chairperson of the new political public pressure group Kaapse Forum in Cape Town, although he will remain the host of the kykNET Afrikaans talk show KLOP! on kykNET & Kie (DStv 145). 

Suzaan Keyter, kykNET spokesperson, told TVwithThinus in response to a media query that Heindrich Wyngaard has finished as a KN Verslag anchor but that KLOP! continues with Heindrich Wyngaard as presenter.

kykNET didn't explain why Heindrich Wyngaard is exiting as anchor of KN Verslag but how and why it's possible for him to remain an anchor of another TV show while he is chairperson of Kaapse Forum.

Suzaan Steyn continues as anchor of KN Verslag, produced by IdeaCandy, with KN Verslag that experienced a dramatic and fast turn-over of anchors in 2022 so far.

kykNET plans to end KN Verslag in mid-2022 and wants to change the channel's actuality offering this year.

KN Verslag in Gesprek met Waldimar Pelser was renamed to In Gesprek met Waldimar Pelser, after which Waldimar Pelser was appointed as the new kykNET boss.

The show then rebranded to In Gesprek met Lourensa Eckhard who moved from KN Verslag to fill Waldimar Pelser's chair on Thursday nights.

Suzaan Steyn was then added to fill Lourensa Eckhard's spot, with Suzaan Steyn and Heindrich Wyngaard alternating as KN Verslag anchors. Heindrich Wyngaard's exit leaves just Suzaan Steyn.

kykNET cancels KN Verslag as it looks to change the channel's actuality programming offering in 2022.

by Thinus Ferreira

kykNET has cancelled its KN Verslag weeknight actuality strand with M-Net's Afrikaans channels division that plans to make changes to its news actuality offering from June.

The recently renamed actuality talk show In Gesprek met Lourensa Eckard that was part of the KN Verslag offering from the same IdeaCandy production company will remain on the kykNET (DStv 144) schedule, as will Prontuit, but both shows will be moving to different timeslots.

The KN Verslag anchors Heindrich Wyngaard en Suzaan Steyn who are also the anchors of KLOP! on kykNET & Kie (DStv 145) and Spreekkamer on kykNET, will continue to anchor those two shows.

"kykNET is planning changes to our schedule that includes the renewing of our actuality offering," says Waldimar Pelser, M-Net director for kykNET channels in response to a media query.

"The programme KN Verslag presented by Heindrich Wyngaard and Suzaan Steyn will be on-air until June 2022 on kykNET on channel 144, a business decision of which the production team was recently notified.

"Both Heindrich and Suzaan will still be seen in respectively KLOP! on kykNET & kie and Spreekkamer on kykNET. Prontuit and In Gesprek met Lourensa Eckard will remain on air but will move to better timeslots later this year, which will be announced later," Waldimar Pelser said.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 16 July 2020.

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


■ Tucker Carlson on FOX News (StarSat 261) whitewashes the racism of his show and his former top writer.

■ Apple TV+ should reconsider its options as the video streaming service because of subscriber churn and as viewership slides.


■ "DStv will never see me again."
MultiChoice showed no willingness to help DStv subscribers struggling to pay their subscriptions when the Covid-19 national lockdown started in South Africa. DStv subscribers were forced to cancel and say they will never go back, while MultiChoice is now "pleading" for them to renew again.


■ ... Meanwhile MultiChoice asked the person who started a petition against DStv, to delete it.
The petition that amassed 221 531 signatures after Themba Mthiya started it, has suddenly been closed down. Themba Mthiya says "agreement has been reached and DStv has agreed to review their prices". Themba started the public petition, calling on MultiChoice to reduce subscription prices after it "dropped prices in the rest of Africa, except South Africa".


■ The "Netflix Effect" is over - how Netflix boosted traditional TV shows - and undermined traditional TV at the same time.

■ Britain's BBC plans to cut another 70 jobs in its BBC News division.
The BBC says it will produce less news and fewer stories.

■ Australian broadcaster pulls new Scientology series from the schedule on the day it was supposed to start.

■ The weeknight Afrikaans current affairs show KN Verslag on kykNET (DStv 144) suddenly changes its intro theme and music.

■ Netflix is rolling out a new shuffle feature to help kill indecision.

■ Lights, camera, and not much action: How Australian TV shows try to hold on during Covid-19.

■ WWE's process of writing television is "falling apart" internally.

Coronavirus: Growing collection of kykNET shows impacted by positive Covid-19 cases; current affairs show KN Verslag and primetime soaps to remain on-air.

by Thinus Ferreira

Multiple shows on M-Net's Afrikaans division channels kykNET (DStv 144) and kykNET & Kie (DStv 145) are now also affected by Covid-19 positive cast and crew cases behind-the-scenes.

Positive Covid-19 cases are now impacting the production of a growing number of kykNET programming.

This stretches from weekday primetime soaps and series like Suidooster and Arendsvlei produced in Cape Town, to Johannesburg where the soap Binnelanders, the call-in music show Kom Ons Jol, and even its current affairs strand KN Verslag are all done from; as well as Pretoria where the hybrid radio-on-TV shows like Die GROOT Ontbyt, GROOTPlaas and Kom Ons Praat Daaroor are produced.

After just two episodes back on the Johannesburg set following months of doing remote episodes from home, the Friday night sports variety show Toks & Tjops produced by CSAW Media is abruptly back to doing Zoom episodes from the various presenters' homes after Covid-19 positive cases at the Randburg studio.

This coming Saturday evening the weekly edition of the Kom Ons Jol call-in music video programme - already making heavy use of video conferencing technology because of Covid-19 - will now be done from the presenters' homes after co-host Hamilton "Hammie" Wessels tested Covid-19 positive.

This week Die GROOT Ontbyt went into repeats while kykNET altered the schedule for the other two shows after The Pretoria community radio station shuttered for a deep-clean after Covid-19 in the studio.

It follows after eMedia's eNuus done from Hyde Park on Saturday evening had to broadcast a pre-recorded episode and had to shut the studio for a deep-clean also because of Covid-19.

Die GROOT Ontbyt will resume with a new episode on Monday 6 July.

Both Suidooster filmed at Atlantic Studios in Cape Town and produced by Suidooster Films and Arendsvlei produced by Penguin Films have now had positive Covid-19 cases.

Covid-19 is also affecting Binnelanders produced by Stark Films at Stark Studios in Johannesburg, as well as KN Verslag produced by Idea Candy and also making use of Stark Studios floorspace.

Binnelanders, Suidooster and Arendsvlei will however continue to broadcast new episodes.

kykNET couldn't immediately tell TVwithThinus on Friday afternoon when Binnelanders, Suidooster and Arendsvlei individually shut down production because of Covid-19 cases but said it would source the information.

kykNET that says "No disruption of daily dramas and telenovelas is expected because these programmes are filmed months in advance. Since the start of level 3 regulations, some of these productions have also adjusted their shooting schedules to six working days a week, using smaller, rotating crews."

The current affairs show KN Verslag will also continue.

Anchor Waldimar Pelser will continue to present the show either from his home in Cape Town or the studio in Johannesburg. The other KN Verslag anchors, Lourensa Eckard and Heindrich Wyngaard, will broadcast from the studio in Johannesburg.

"kykNET is committed to the safety of all crew and cast on productions, as well as that of our viewers. We wish to thank crew and cast members who are working hard under trying circumstances to keep kykNET viewers informed and entertained," says the channel.

South Africa's struggling TV and film industry has already shed thousands of jobs in the three months since April that cameras were first turned off and studio doors closed and now haltingly try to make a go of it as Covid-19 cases keep popping up everywhere forcing new shutdowns.

The kykNET Covid-19affected shows join a growing list of other South African local TV productions that had also already shut down and been negatively impacted by the coronavirus.

e.tv's Imbewu produced by Grapevine Productions in KwaZulu-Natal has now also shut down because of a Covid-19 positive case.

M-Net's The River (produced by Tshedza Pictures) on 1Magic (DStv 103) was the first show to shut down in May after local productions geared up again following the 2-months shutdown because of the national lockdown period which started in late-March.

That was followed by Skeem Saam on SABC1. Both The River and Skeem Saam are back in production again.

After them followed Muvhango (produced by Word of Mouth Productions) on SABC2; as well as Rhythm City (Produced by Quizzical Pictures) and Scandal! (produced by Ochre Media) both on e.tv and will all three of these who are still shut down.

7de Laan (produced by Danie Odendaal Productions) on SABC2 also shut down because of Covid-19 but is now back in production. Generations - The Legacy (produced Morula Pictures) on SABC1 and Lithapo (produced by Quizzical Pictures) on SABC2 were the next two shows to shut down and both are still closed.