SHOCKER! eNCA cancels international Emmy nominated Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola; looking for a satirical news show replacement.

The dramatic decline of eNCA (DStv 403) erstwhile current affairs and actuality pillars continue with the Sabido run 24-hour news channel shockingly bringing the ax down on the beloved and acclaimed news satirical show Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola after saying it would be back for another season.

The international Emmy nominated news satirical show is the latest victim of eNCA's culling of longtime actuality and current affairs programming amidst budget cuts which saw veteran and sought-after on-air talent leave and viewers grumbling.

Earlier this year eNCA still said that Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola would be back after it was last broadcast on eNCA in April - but it won't.

Gone with it are the comedic stars made by the TV vehicle from puppet head Chester Missing (manhandled by comedian Conrad Koch), Deep Fried Man and Tol A$$ Mo who made several appearances, to the infamous international correspondent David Kibuuka joining Trevor Noah's writing staff on Comedy Central's The Daily Show.

Commercial budget conflict between DiPrente Productions and eNCA sunk Late Nite News with Loyios Gola, together with disagreement over a new format change mandated by eNCA which the producers refused to agree to.

The highly regarded news show, twice nominated for an international Emmy award, and that helped to put eNCA on the map, became a regular and popular spot for local politicians to be "interviewed" by Chester Missing, and became a skit showcase for what local comedians could do on a weekly basis on a small budget.

"We have been negotiating with the LNN team since March," says eNCA in a statement, confirming that the channel wanted LNN producers to cut down the show, saying "regrettably they declined to revise the format".

eNCA wanted LNN to be broken up as a weekly half hour programme in exchange for "short format satirical inserts on a more regular basis rather than a weekly show".

DiPrente and LNN wanted to continue with the 24 minute weekly show and the production company "wasn't interested in producing a shorter format show".

Attempts by DiPrente and eNCA to find alternative funding and syndication options for the next season failed.

"It therefore made little sense to bring back the show for one more season after such a long break,particularly if it [eNCA] then had to find new partners for a satirical offering afterwards," says Patrick Conroy, eNCA managing director in a statement.

"eNCA thanked the cast of LNN for its brave work in the satirical comedy genre," says the channel in a statement, saying "everyone is disappointed we could not reach an agreement".

"We took the brave step to introduce this form of comedy in the mainstream media when nobody else would touch satire on TV. LNN has been a valuable part of our national conversation. We are forever indebted to them for their groundbreaking contribution".

eNCA says it will look for new partners in future to do a news satirical show.

On Digital Media (ODM) and StarTimes Media SA running the StarSat satellite pay-TV platform already the home of the local Puppet Nation ZA, and South African rival ANN7 (DStv 405) 24-hour TV news channel didn't immediately respond to individual media enquiries made on Friday whether either of these would consider picking up and taking over LNN for their own line-ups.

"Thank you, Loy'."

Chester Missing is missing. Air France loses caustic puppet of Conrad Koch as well as Hilary the Ostrich.

Chester Missing has gone missing: Air France has lost the caustic bald-headed puppet of the South African comedian and ventriloquist Conrad Koch after he returned to South Africa following the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, Canada.

The usually inseparable Chester Missing and his handler who interview South African politicians on eNCA's (DStv 403) satirical late night news show Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola and occassionally toyi-toyi Woolworths, became a household name the past few years.

According to Conrad Koch, Air France lost both the Chester Missing puppet as well as Hilary the Ostrich.

At Just for Laughs, the world's largest international comedy event, Conrad Koch appeared with other South African comedians like Comedy Central's Trevor Noah and Jason Goliath.

"If I find out you have run away from me for another comedian I am gonna be pissed!" wrote Conrad Koch on Twitter.

"Go to hell Conrad," wrote Chester Missing on Twitter. I told you to buy me a seat on the plane".

eNCA's Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola loses comedian David Kibuuka who joins Trevor Noah at The Daily Show on Comedy Central as writer.

"Thank you, Loy."

eNCA's Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola is suffering yet another creative and on-screen setback with the loss of brilliant comedian David Kibuuka who won't be returning to the weekly satirical faux news show when the new season start on the 24-hour TV news channel and e.tv.

The 34-year old Ugandan born David Kibuuka is joining South African comedian Trevor Noah when he takes over from Jon Stewart as host of The Daily Show from 28 September on Comedy Central (DStv 122).

The brilliant stand-up comedian David Kibuuka appeared on the Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola as the hilariously outspoken, off-script foreign correspondent the past few seasons and was a mainstain as the show cycled through comedians and segment replacements the past few years as Riaad Moosa and Tats Nkonzo left. 

David Kibuuka will join the writing staff of The Daily Show.

eNCA has not yet announced a starting date for the new season of Late Nite News with Loyios Gola, besides playing on-air promos saying "returning soon".

Meanwhile Loyiso Gola has become a contributor to the similar The Weekly with Charlie Pickerin, an Australian satirical news show on Australia's ABC which is currently on, and which is part of the reason for the delay of the new season of LNN.

The 10th season of Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola starting on eNCA on Wednesday 4 June at 21:30.

The 10th season of Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola will start on eNCA (DStv 403) tomorrow, Wednesday, 4 June at 21:30.

e.tv and eNCA's publicity department might (note the emphasis on the word "might" to denote even the slightest metaphysical possibility) send out a press release on Wednesday, on the actual day the new 10th season of the satirical faux news show is starting.

How TV channels in South Africa expect the public - their potential viewers - to know about programming, what they plan to broadcast and new shows starting if they don't communicate it to the press, remains alchemy that's too difficult for me to understand.

BREAKING. Late Nite News host Loyiso Gola lashes out in a Twitter tirade and trashes Vodacom for its terrible service.

Loyiso Gola, comedian and host of the Emmy nominated satirical weekly news show Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola on eNCA (DStv 403) and e.tv is as mad as hell and won't take it anymore.

The comedian is lashing out in a Twitter tirade and trashing the South African cellular operator Vodacom for what he sees as terrible service.

Loyiso Gola made his hate and disdain for Vodacom known in a series of Tweets to his 307 000 followers, venting that he feels ripped off  by the cellular service provider, after his cellphone was stolen.

"So I pay Vodacom insurance every month for them to tell me I must pay R7 000 for a new iPhone," Loyiso Gola wrote.

He followed it up with an expletive laced rant against Vodacom, asking followers to join him, and Tweets like "VODACOM IS A RIPOFF", "Been taking sh*t from Vodacom for a while now" and "I hate Vodacom's slow ass internet".

When Vodacom responded with "Hi Loyiso, please DM us your contact number and we'll get in touch to sort this out ASAP", Loyiso Gola responded with an expletive telling Vodacom to go away.

He followed it up with a "Dear Vodacom, If I was not clear the first time #ihatevodacom".

Loyiso Gola added: "R12 800 for an iPhone 5S. Vodacom has lost the plot".

Chester Missing didn't respond but will presumably send Loyiso Gola a please call me.

Children's terrifying horror drawings at the SABC turns out to be ... the SABC's marketing department in a hilarious new LNN skit on eNCA.

The South African public broadcaster has a happy place for the little ones to play and draw (although the terrifying drawings of crying children and monsters tell the real story) - until you discover that it's not the SABC daycare creche ... but the inside of the SABC's marketing department.

That the hilarious skit the satirical weekly news show Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola on eNCA (DStv 403) came up with for its latest episode.

In it the LNN cameras venture inside the beleaguered South African Broadcasting Corporation for a satirical look at the various SABC departments.

There's the SABC's finance department where they're secretly burning documents, human resources where they're unable to read the CV's, and even SABC personnel ordering in a DStv decoder from MultiChoice (they watch DStv at the SABC for "research").

"Here at the SABC it's not about work, work, work, work. We have a space for the employees to bring their little ones. And they're not here, but as you can see, they are enjoying their time here," says the presenter when he enters the room with garish children drawings.

"Hey baba, this is the marketing department," says a person who suddenly shows up and created the rough crayon sketch of the SABC logo above. "Marketing department".

It's great that LNN which is seen on TV news channel in South Africa, is willing to confront a probably sensitive elephant in the room which is the public broadcaster, and is willing to do a satirical sketch about the SABC.

In 2013 LNN did an equally hilarious send-up of ANN7 (DStv 405), following the absolutely disastrous launch and mediocre on-air standards of the Infinity Media run "GuptaTV" and "GuptaNews" TV channel which is also on MultiChoice's DStv platform.

LNN shows that it will treat all news equally if it is news and a buzzworthy topic, and that everything and everyone is fair game when it comes to public ridicule.

Here's a very brief few second from the funny LNN visit to the SABC:

Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola on eNCA does a hilarious SABC1 Khumbul'ekhaya, begging Mamma Ramphela to come home to Agang.

It's incredibly clever and hilarious - but to fully get it you need to know and have watched the original show.

Wednesday night on Late Nite News with Loyiso Gosa on eNCA (DStv 403) at 21:30, the clever comedy show team came up with a skit in which the satirical news show did an imitation of SABC1's emotionally exploitative, yet so deliciously melodramatic missing family member show, Khumbul'ekhaya.

For the sad white people who've never watched Khumbul'ekhaya, a quick lesson.

Kuhumbul'ekhaya literally means "Remember home" or "Remembering Home". (And yes, I watch it, and my brother and his whole family watch it, and we watch SABC2's Friday night classi-trash tokolosh drama. But I digress.)

Khumbul'ekhaya revolves around emotional people who reach out to lost or missing family members - with the TV show which then tries to find the person.

Then everybody makes contact, but it's often not happy and hardly ever really ends happy - it's just drama and tears and heavy insanity, because social dysfunction actually led to the person who left to leave in the first place - but you have to watch it to believe it. Engrossing television.

Anyway. So LNN with Loyiso Gola cleverly used the format and made their own version of Khumbul'ekhaya - and what a genius idea.

In their "episode" of Khumbul'ekhaya it was distraught Agang political party members who wanted their Mamma, Ramphela Mamphele back. Ramphela Mamphele left for the Democratic Alliance and Helen Zille and deserted her Agang family. The skit was hilarious.

It was classic Khumbul'ekhaya, but with an extremely current twist and perfectly conceptualised for LNN.

It had some hilarious one-liners:

"I'm writing this letter to Khumbul'ekhaya, to find the mother of our organisation."

"She has abandoned us."

"We last saw her at the office. She asked for the stapler. And we didn't have a stapler."

"We used to do things together. Share Tippex."

"She was last seen, kissing a Botoxi woman in Cape Town".

"Why are you going around Mama, kissing random people when you have a home here?"

eNCA makes as if Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola doesn't exist; e.tv and eNCA doing ZERO PUBLICITY for return of the satirical show.

A new season of Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola has started - but eNCA (DStv 403) and e.tv's marketing and publicity department clearly has no intention of doing any press or pre-publicity to tell viewers that the Emmy nominated show is back.

Because e.tv publicity and eNCA did ... Nothing at all.

Not a single word about Late Nite News' return in 2014 went out to press, similar to previous years when TV critics like me have/had to beg and plead for information.

It begs the question: Do eNCA and e.tv hate Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola?

e.tv's publicity department is quick to waste time and send out press statements about fictitious shows like Housewives of Nkandla that its not doing.

Yet it completely fails to properly and correctly inform and tells TV critics and the press what shows they are doing and what new programming on a weekly basis there is.

With no press release, no programming note - no nothing - its left up to viewers themselves to hopefully find eNCA's satirical weekly news show with Loyiso Gola, clearly produced with so much effort and dedication by Diprente productions.

While e.tv employs and pays actual real publicity people a monthly salary to tell South Africa's TV critics and press about shows on e.tv and eNCA, shows like Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola are simply not given the respect nor publicity which it actually deserves.

Over the course of several previous seasons of Late Nite News, I've always had to first myself, know that the show is returning.

Then I have to make written media enquiries to e.tv's publicity department which I do a week or so before a season starts.

Then I have to out of my own ask again and follow up due to a lack of a response. Then finally I would get a response. It's been that way for at least the last three seasons of LNN.

And it's tiring because LNN isn't the only show in the TV universe I as one person tries my best to keep track off.

With 2014 having just started, I knew that Late Nite News is coming back but I got tired from asking e.tv about the eNCA show yet again.

I thought I'd wait and see if e.tv and eNCA can manage to come up with even one sentence to say that LNN is back for 2014 out of their own volition and without any prompting.

Lo and behold, again sweet all nothing. How terrible e.tv and eNCA, when a TV critic cares more about your own show than what you apparently do.

Where is the press release about Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola for 2014? Where is the publicity photo? Where is the few sentences about where David Kibuuka is in the next episode or who Chester Missing is talking to?

That little bit of info which fills a highlight block in a newspaper on the TV listings page, and gets the show noticed and inserted into the TV guide pages of a magazine?

Rightly or wrongly, this is what it tells me: It tells me that eNCA can't care less whether people actually tune in for and watch Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola. That its just there.

If programming updates are sent out for other programming, why never for LNN regularly, and why never without having to be first asked before a season starts?

And lets not even get started about the lack of publicity about great shows like The Big Debate - taken over from the SABC and SABC2 by eNCA, but just left in a vast wasteland of no attention when it comes to actual consistent publicity before every episode.

Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola cracked an Emmy nomination in 2013 but not even that achievement is enough for eNCA and e.tv to start giving the half hour satire show the consistent publicity, weekly updates and bare basic level programming note per week.

Chester Missing will have other words for it. I just call it pathetic and shameful.

BREAKING. Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola and MasterChef South Africa both nominated for International Emmy Awards for 2013.

South Africa's brilliant satirical news show Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola on eNCA (DStv 403) and the local version of the format show MasterChef South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101) have both been nominated for International Emmy Awards for 2013.

LNN with Loyiso Gola currently in its 8th season after three years but receiving very little in terms of publicity from eNCA, and MasterChef South Africa which just finished its second season on M-Net, both scored nominations in the extremely strongly contested international version of the Emmys, honouring the best work in television internationally.

The International Emmy Awards from the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences shortlisted 36 nominees across the award's nine categories.

LNN with Loyiso Gola from Diprente Productions scored a nomination as one of the four best programmes in the comedy category.

The eNCA weekly show which sadly isn't on all year such as Tech Report, Maggs on Media or Africa 360 has made name brands out of puppet Chester Missing, and the fictional roving international reporter David Kibuuka who could have actually have his own spin-off show.

MasterChef South Africa from Quizzical Pictures and Lucky Bean Media scored a nomination as one of the four shortlisted programmes from across the world in the category for non-scripted entertainment.

The winners in all the categories will receive their awards on 25 November at the 41st International Emmy Awards gala in New York.

"I want to thank every South African who've ever watched an episode," Loyiso Gola said on eNCA.

"The channel heads, Debbie Meyer [executive producer of current affairs at eNCA] and Patrick Conroy [group head of eNCA] who we interact with every week and who we fight with every week about what should or shouldn't go on the show," said Loyiso Gola.

"I'm happy to be nominated. I talk for a living and for the first time ever I'm speechless. I want to thank Debbie Meyer and Patrick Conroy and Monde Twala [e.tv's group head of channels] for the constant support."

M-Net didn't immediately respond to a media enquiry about the MasterChef South Africa nomination.

7th season of Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola set to start on Wednesday 8 May at 21:30 on the eNCA.

As usual there's not a single word, press release, programming note or announcement from e.tv's lethargic publicity department about it but the 7th season of Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola is set to start on eNCA (DStv 403) on Wednesday 8 May at 21:30.

For the 6th season of Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola e.tv did zero publicity for the programme when the excellent satirical faux news show started in January 2013 despite media enquiries about it.

The ever-brilliant LNN with Loyiso Gola which deserves to be a fixed weekly show all-year round, kicks off this Wednesday with new episodes with weekly repeats (although I can't tell you when since the e.tv publicity department doesn't care enough to communicate anything about this show).

The 6th season of Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola starts tonight on the eNCA - but you wouldn't know it if it depended on e.tv.

e.tv has done zero publicity trying to promote the brand-new 6th season of Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola starting tonight on the eNCA (DStv 403) at 21:30.

There was not a single word from e.tv to South Africa's press that a new season of Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola is returning to South African TV screens or any alert of the show starting or when.

e.tv didn't respond to a media enquiry made about the new 6th season of LNN with Loyiso Gola and a request for any information about the show.

Interestingly e.tv didn't issue a single word of information or the smallest bit of programming information, or any announcement, publicity photography, neither a programming alert nor any advisories to TV writers and South African TV critics about the new SportsNation programme which recently started on eNCA, or M&S which started this week on the eNCA.

Perhaps eNCA programming and the channel's weekly magazine shows (which all have episode synopsis and weekly programming teasers available but which are never communicated) are deemed so unwatchable by e.tv executives that press can't be bothered to be told on a weekly basis what the line-up is of shows such as ScreenTime with Nicky Greenwall, Tech Report, Maggs on Media, The Justice Factor, LNN with Loyiso Gola, Africa 360 and Judge for yourself with Dennis Davis.

Or perhaps the people responsible to communicate the weekly line-ups of these shows to South Africa's press covering television simply can't be bothered or care to set up some system to do so, and then consistently do it.

The loss is that of e.tv and the eNCA. Viewers tune in when they know what's going to show, or see or read something in their interest when there is a guest or a topic seen or covered in a show. If they don't know, they make no appointment or reminder to watch.

It's not difficult and part of the basic and expected corporate communication and publicity service of any TV channel to communicate this most basic of television currency - what you're going to show - but for some reason for the eNCA it just never happens.

Meanwhile the ever-brilliant LNN with Loyiso Gola which deserves to be a fixed weekly show all-year round, kicks off its 6th season tonight on the eNCA at 21:30 with weekly repeats on Thursdays at 12:30, Fridays at 21:00 and Saturdays at 16:30.

BREAKING. Loyiso Gola savages the eNCA for over overly-dramatic story; 'why are you filming this poor man like it's an episode of eKasi Stories?'

The brilliant Loyiso Gola of the oh-so-funny Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola Wednesdays at 21:30 on the eNCA (DStv 403) turned his hilarious satire and comedy to his own TV channel this evening, savaging the eNCA for an over-the-top, overly-dramatic news insert about a striking Cape Town textile worker which Loyiso Gola said went too far into theatrics.

The dramatic and emotionally wrought news insert on the eNCA last week had a reporter visit a textile worker called Cedric at home, showing him making coffee, stirring a pot with an unidentified other person, sitting in the lounge and talking emotionally about why the workers want a raise.

The human interest angle was over-emphasised in the news piece [from eNCA reporter Lester Kiewit by the way] and Loyiso Gola picked up on that.

"The strangest thing was watching the news report on our own news channel, eNCA. We couldn't help but feel that whoever put it together was harbouring feelings of winning ... the Oscars. Or at least a Safta!"

Loyiso Gola showed clips from the news story. "Why eNews Channel Africa, are you filming this poor man like it's an episode of eKasi Stories? What is this? Fact or fiction? No man. This whole thing is like a soapie," said Loyiso Gola.

''I hope Cedric has an agent and got paid for that performance," said Loyiso Gola rubbishing the story. "And who the hell is that other guy? What the hell is going on here? Is the news so desperate for ratings? I wonder how much of this happened in the real news. These guys are clearly, clearly trying to get more viewers."

HILARIOUS. Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola interviews the Marikana sangoma; rips Judith Sephuma, Trevor Noah, David Kau and Top Billing.

It's brilliant and hilarious: Loyiso Gola interviewing the supposed Marikana sangoma who told the miners they would be invincible and invisible if they use his potion.

The incredibly funny skit was peppered with amazing one-liners zinging everyone from Judith Sephuma to Trevor Noah and David Kau to Top Billing -  delivered with deadpan perfection by the sangoma named Thokoza.

Thokoza told Loyiso Gola he's not doing so well after the mine incident. "These are my customers who came to me for everything".

"I know Judith veery well," said the sangoma. "She drops off her Chicken Licken bones every Friday."

"Ask your comedian friends. Ask that boy Trevor Noah. Ask him. People don't know whether he's coloured or just an albino. He came to me. And the next thing ... New York! Baa-baa!"

"That David Kau. He would have been selling hats at the robot. Then he came to me for help. I threw the bones. And said: Dress up like a brown cow. And do black accents for black people. Next thing he's getting  married on Top Billing. Top!"

I simply HAD to upload a clip of this deliciously wonderful skit after I've watched it since last night multiple, multiple times. The comedic timing, facial expressions, pacing and tone of voice of both are just perfect.

BREAKING. LNN mocks The Wild on M-Net: 'The Wild is finished. If there's actors out there looking for work - NPA. We've got space for you guys.'

You're reading it here first. 

Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola, back with its 5th season premiere episode earlier tonight on e.tv and the eNCA (DStv 403), simply couldn't resist getting in a jab at the cancelled soap The Wild on M-Net.

A fictional spokesperson from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was on the show and being interviewed by Loyiso Gola when Jason Goliath, supposed NPA spokesperson, deadpanned and mocked The Wild.

He told Loyiso Gola: "We've realised The Wild is finished. If there's actors out there looking for work - NPA. We've got space for you guys."


ALSO READ: Riaad Moosa gives viewers and president Jacob Zuma the middle finger on Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola.

Programming note: The brilliant Loyiso Gola is back for a 5th season to make a highly-enjoyable laugh of late night with Late Nite.

The only question mark regarding the return of the 5th season tonight at 21:35 on e.tv and 21:30 on eNCA (DStv 403) of Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola is why this brilliantly sharp and extremely funny satirical news show has not yet been turned in a full year-round and permanent property on the news channel.

With South Africa in the midst of a new class war and economic struggle with rampant political corruption and failing public service delivery from electricity, public works and textbooks a show such as Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola is riveting, unmissable, neccesary (and did I mention enjoyable?) television.

The funny comedian is incredibly on-point and topical with political issues running the gamut of the entire spectrum, weighing-in on issues all South Africa's have heard about during the week - and often funnily linked with declasse pop culture references like to Nonhle Thema - making things everything even funnier.

The unabated torrent of hilarious and snide (yet oh so true) commentary from Loyiso Gola and cohorts on current affairs matters are spot-on.

Riaad Moosa is back with his biting "Second Opinion" insert and the hilariously wonderful David Kibuuka will continue to report from far-flung and near geographical locations (Lonmin or the Marikana mine, perhaps, tonight in the 5th season opener?)

That foul-mouthed Dineo Ranaka Chester Missing the puppet is also back; and the recent addition since the 4th season, Tats Nkonzo with his "Morale Index" (hilarious! hilarious!), will also return for the 14 new episodes this season.

"LNN holds up a mirror to South Africa and encourages the youth to engage with the political landscape of today," says Tamsin Andersson, producer of LNN with Loyiso Gola. "Satire and humour are powerful tools in opening up the space for debate and free thought in popular culture. We ask the common sense questions and make people laugh."

According to the show this 5th season will have "all eyes on the Road to Mangaung, with the 14th episode of LNN being broadcast a few days before the kick-off of Mangaung. Viewers can also expect cameos from some of the country's most celebrated performers, says the show.

LNN with Loyiso Gola has several weekly repeats on the eNCA on Thursdays at 09:30, Fridays at 16:30, Saturdays at 23:30 and Mondays at 21:30.