Lumko Mtimde the new CEO of the Universal Service and Access Agency of SA; Clarinda Simpson the new chief financial officer at Sentech.

Lumko Mtimde has been appointed as the latest new CEO of the Universal Service and Access Agency of SA (USAASA), replacing the fired Zami Nkosi, while Clarinda Simpson was appointed as the new chief financial officer (CFO) at the parastatal signal distributor, Sentech.

The controversial Lumko Mtimde is a former SABC board member and former councillor at the broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) and voiced his support for the creation of a media appeals tribunal in South Africa.

Lumko Mtimde replaces USAASA acting CEO, Makhotso Moiloa who've been standing in after Zami Nkosi quietly went away after his contract wasn't renewed.

Clarinda Simpson's appointment as new CFO at Sentech comes 6 months after the appointment of Mlamli Booi as the latest new Sentech CEO.

SABC in damage control over Hlaudi Motsoeneng: Public broadcaster says controversial COO wanting media regulation doesn't speak for SABC.

The SABC is in damage control, now saying its controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng gave his "personal view" when he again said this week - twice - that South African media should be regulated and that all South African journalists should be "licensed".

Yet Hlaudi Motsoeneng spoke as COO of the SABC, was invited as such, introduced as such and answered questions as the SABC's representative and second highest executive at Monday's breakfast briefing of The New Age newspaper.

He again appeared on Tuesday in parliament to which he and other SABC executives were summoned to report back, in an official capacity - not as an ordinary person but specifically because he is the COO of the SABC.

At both these events on Monday and on Tuesday Hlaudi Motsoeneng as SABC COO reiterated his comments from last year, saying on Monday that "media also needs to be regulated" and on Tuesday in parliament that "South African media need to be regulated".

On Monday, at The New Age breakfast briefing which was broadcast on SABC2 and on SABC News (DStv 404), Hlaudi Motsoeneng specifically called on SABC board member Lumko Mtimde for support for South Africa's journalists to be "regulated".

"I know Lumko [Mtimde, SABC board member] is sitting there. I'm calling all of them, who believe in me, and them, to make sure that we lobby for journalist to be regulated so that they take accountability," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng on Monday from the stage.

On Monday about the controversial Nkandla saga - president Jacob Zuma's over-priced private homestead upgraded with millions of taxpayer money with shoddy work – Hlaudi Motsoeneng said he instructed the SABC's head of news, Jimi Matthews, to zoom in with the camera to give the right Nkandla perspective.

"There were so many houses there. Long ago. But when the media talk about Nkandla, they portray the whole houses. As if those houses are new. Which is also misleading."

"I have been talking to Jimi there. To say Jimi but why can't you zoom on the new houses where government was involved. Because if you put them together, you are misleading the country."

Now the SABC, with Hlaudi Motsoeneng who keeps speaking at official events as a SABC representative, in a statement says Hlaudi Motsoeneng's calls for the press to be regulated in South Africa and for all journalists to be licensed is his own view and not that of the public broadcaster.

"Hlaudi Motsoeneng has expressed his view a long time ago and he has on several occasions repeated his position and has not in any way mentioned that this is the SABC's decision," says the SABC in a statement.

The SABC says Hlaudi Motsoeneng "as citizen of the Republichas a right to express his views as enshrined in the constitution of South Africa in respect to freedom of speech". 

The SABC says "the issues that Hlaudi Motsoeneng is expressing are not only related to the SABC journalists but to all the journalists including print media".

Prof. Mbulaheni Obert Maguvhe, chairperson of the SABC board, says "the SABC board is not in any position to discipline the COO based on the fact that he is merely expressing his view as a citizen. It is therefore not in the best interest of the SABC to be drawn into this."

On Monday, panelist and broadcaster Stephen Grootes, columnist and senior political correspondent for Eyewitness News (EWN) said at the TNA business briefing that media regulation is dangerous. 

"People who say they want to regulate have only one thing in mind: They want to control the media and that’s what we have to be aware of."

Stephen Grootes asked Hlaudi Motsoeneng: "Who licenses journalists? When do you remove a license from a journalist? What is a journalist in the first place? Is it someone who sets up a Twitter account called 'I am a Journalist'? Is that person not allowed to go and report? To analyse; report?"

"Is someone, somewhere, Big Brother perhaps, decided that you can't do that anymore because we're going to close your Twitter account because you don't have a licence?"

'License journalists' says SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng as public broadcaster boss slams SA press as 'lazy' and 'not doing proper work'.

SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng remains adamant that all South African journalists should be licensed, slamming all journalists for being lazy and "not doing proper work".

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said South Africa's print media makes it look as if there's "chaos" where there's "a black person in charge", saying "they portray as if black people can't run big organisations". 

The SABC boss told the audience in the discussion which was televised on SABC2 that president Jacob Zuma's current government can't be blamed for Eskom's load shedding.

Speaking at The New Age newspaper's latest breakfast briefing as a panelist with the topic State of the Media, the SABC's highly controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) said "our journalists are lazy; they don't do proper work".

The embattled Hlaudi Motsoeneng is embroiled in a protracted court fight after the Western Cape High Court has already twice ordered the SABC to immediately suspend him – a judgment he's appealing.

Last year the Public Protector in a damning report implicated Hlaudi Motsoeneng in maladministration and corruption at the public broadcaster, finding that "Hlaudi Motsoeneng should never have been appointed at the SABC" and that he should be suspended.

According to the Public Protector, Hlaudi Motsoeneng lied about having a matric certificate and made up symbols for a matric certificate he knew he didn't have and couldn't produce.

"I know Lumko [Mtimde, SABC board member] is sitting there. I'm calling all of them, who believe in me, and them, to make sure that we lobby for journalist to be regulated so that they take accountability," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng on Monday.

'Media needs to be regulated'

"Media also needs to be regulated," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng. He also slammed journalism institutions and journalism academics for "poisoning" journalism students.

"At tersiary level. Who are the lecturers? They are wrong people."

"Lecturers at tertiary level is where they poison the mindset of young people. When they lecture all this people who are doing journalism or communication, they mislead them about their own country. Because they have their own views," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng. "So we need to check who are these lecturers."

"I see young people doing brilliant journalism work all the time. I think, personally, Hlaudi Motsoeneng is highly insulting to any number of brilliant journalism teachers and professors in the room here," said fellow panelist Ferial Haffajee, City Press editor.

Hlaudi: Zoom in for Nkandla

About the controversial Nkandla saga – president Jacob Zuma's over-priced private homestead upgraded with millions of taxpayer money with shoddy work – Hlaudi Motsoeneng said he instructed the SABC's head of news, Jimi Matthews, to zoom in with the camera to give the right Nkandla perspective.

"There were so many houses there. Long ago. But when the media talk about Nkandla, they portray the whole houses. As if those houses are new. Which is also misleading."

"I have been talking to Jimi there. To say Jimi but why can't you zoom on the new houses where government was involved. Because if you put them together, you are misleading the country."

Panelist and broadcaster Stephen Grootes, columnist and senior political correspondent for Eyewitness News (EWN) said media regulation is dangerous. "People who say they want to regulate have only one thing in mind: They want to control the media and that’s what we have to be aware of."

Stephen Grootes asked Hlaudi Motsoeneng: "Who licenses journalists? When do you remove a license from a journalist? What is a journalist in the first place? Is it someone who sets up a Twitter account called 'I am a Journalist'? Is that person not allowed to go and report? To analyse; report?"

"Is someone, somewhere, Big Brother perhaps, decided that you can't do that anymore because we're going to close your Twitter account because you don't have a licence?"

Media regulation talk 'alarming'

"To Hlaudi Motsoeneng, I find it alarming when a fellow journalist can sit on a panel like this and say 'we' should regulate the media," said Ferial Haffajee.

"The public broadcaster should be a thing that's owned by all of us as the public. When a colleague says we should regulate the media – and that person is the head of the SABC – that is a very difficult thing to hear. Any talk of regulation and a media tribunal is totally unneccesary."

'Some black people are lost'

"Sometimes we have black people, but they are lost where they are," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng talking about transformation, as the audience burst out in laughter.

"I have my own view about black people. Because some of them are black but they are white. Inside. Some white they are white but they are black," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"Most of the time when you read, especially print media. Where there is a black person in charge, for them there is chaos. They portray as if black people can't run big organisations."

"If you come to the Eskom, the issue that is raising about load shedding. Of course load shedding. You can't blame the current government. Example. You need to do your own research," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Riah will talk to SABC

The under siege national police commissioner Riah Phiyega was also in the audience and was asked specially asked by the SABC if she thinks she has been treated fair by the media.

"I will tell my story at some point. And I'm sure the SABC and those who are willing to hear about objective story telling about what happened, would be able to hear my story," after which she turned her head away from the microphone.

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 24 March 2015

You don't want DStv and StarSat to sell their TV channels individually.
If MultiChoice and On Digital Media and StarTimes Media SA s"unbundle" their pay-TV channels, guess what ... you are going to be paying a lot more for DStv and StarSat.
Meanwhile Canada will offer pay-TV subscribers a la carte pay-TV channels from next year - but it will mean higher "per-subscriber carriage fees".


MultiChoice to add a new TV channel for Southern Africa soon.
The new TV channel from M-Net on DStv will be for movie producers to broadcast their local content across the Southern Africa region. The new DStv channel will be in standard definition (SD) and M-Net is looking for movies from localfilmmakers.

"The SABC is now a propaganda machine."
The COPE political party says the SABC is no longer an authentic public broadcaster but increasingly a propaganda machine for the ruling party.


Meanwhile the SABC is getting ready to fire 2 more SABC board members.
SABC board members Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi received letters in March accusing them of fraudulent conduct and they've been threatened with suspension. The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) says it is extremely concerned with what is going on at the SABC and the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi's, interference.
Meanwhile former SABC board member Lumko Mtimde who resigned in 2013 could be making a comeback as SABC board member - he is one of 97 candidates nominated for the new position after Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's disgraceful exit.


Anger keeps building over massive 20% and DStv price increase in Zambia.
Meanwhile a consumer watchdog body in Zambia says DStv's massive price hike from 1 April is too steep and untimely.

Meanwhile Sky is hiking its subscription fees from June.
Sky usually increases its subscriptions in September every year but is now starting to do it twice a year.


Jeremy Clarkson says he's been fired by the BBC.
The star of Top Gear on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) tells an audience at a charity auction he was sacked by the BBC. In an obscenity-laced tirade Jeremy Clarkson said the BBC "f*cked up" Top Gear.
Meanwhile BBC Worldwide has been forced to cancel the first of the Top Gear Live shows, with the Norway one which is getting postponed after Jeremy Clarkson's "fracas".
Meanwhile The Hollywood Reporter asks whether the BBC will really fire Jeremy Clarkson.


Sky News (DStv 402) reporter "devastated".
Martin Brunt tells inquest he is "devastated" after death of woman he interviewed who was an online troll.

More people fired at E! Entertainment (DStv 124).
Betsy Rott, Tim Rosta and Leigh Anne Gardner are out together with "virtually everyone in the TV specials department".

Downton Abbey's upcoming 6th season will be its last.
TVLine reports that the new 6th season of the ITV drama shown on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) will end after the 6th series.

Masechaba Lekalake done with Ekse on e.tv.
Her final episode of the local talk show on e.tv which saw production upheaval behind the scenes, will be on Thursday, 26 March.

Zuku wants DStv to pay penalties in content sharing fight.
Zuku TV from Wananchi has asked Kenya's Competition Authority to force MultiChoice Kenya to resell some of the rights to its exclusive content and to pay penalties

BREAKING. The SABC's planned new 24 hour news channel will broadcast in all 11 official languages; include doccies, breaking news.

The SABC's planned new 24 hour news channel will broadcast in all 11 official South African languages and include talk shows, documentaries, news bulletins, breaking and live news coverage.

''The news channel will be in all official languages, featuring live news, news bulletins, features, discussion programmes and documentary coverage,'' Lumko Mtimde, chairperson of the technology committee of the SABC board told the South African parliament today.

The 24 hour news channel will be one of the 18 TV channels the SABC plans to launch as part of the South African public broadcaster's digital terrestrial television (DTT) offering.


ALSO READ: SABC wants to spend R288,9 million over the next 3 years on the SABC's new 24 hour news channel News24.
ALSO READ: More background on the SABC's new 24 hour news channel, News24, from the National Treasury report in parliament.
ALSO READ: After missing its 1 April 2011 starting date, the SABC's new proposed 24 hour news channel News24 will likely also miss its new starting date of 1 October 2011.
ALSO READ: SABC sees its new 24 hour news channelreferred to as News24, as a key driver of the broadcaster's turnaround strategy.

BREAKING. SABC to launch its digital terrestrial television (DTT) offering from April 2012; busy digitising playout suites.

The SABC will launch its digital terrestrial television (DTT) service in April 2012 the public broadcaster told parliament today which will consist of 18 TV channels - 17 TV channels and one interactive video service channel - and 18 SABC radio stations plus Channel Africa.

''We foresee that with DTT every household within our coverage will receive 18 TV channels – 17 linear TV channels and one interactive video service channel, including SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 – 18 SABC radio stations plus Channel Africa,'' Lumko Mtimde, chairperson of the technology committee of the SABC board, told parliament.

ALSO READ: TOLDJA! SABC planning to broadcast 18 TV channels and all its radio services when it starts digital terrestrial television (DTT) services.

The estimated 11 million TV households in South Africa will have to buy a set top box (STB) when the South African TV broadcasting industry switch from analogue to digital broadcasting, a process known as digital migration.

''The SABC's DTT coverage was according to our earlier targets expected to reach 74% of the population, but we understand after discussions that we may have to revise that target to 70% coverage by April 2012, 84% by April 2013, and 92% by December 2013,'' said Lumko Mtimde.

''The SABC has devised a channel line-up that for instance include the following channels: a health channel, sport, education and SMME channel and children's channel. The other possible channels are the 24 hour news channel. We're also supposed to have two regional channels, a regional north channel and regional south channel, and certainly in terms of the opportunity presented by DTT we will be able to add those regional channels into our bouquet,'' Lumko Mtimde said.

''The SABC will also use the functionality of DTT to provide the following services: closed captioning (on-screen subtitles) in multiple languages that can be accessed by the set top box's remote control, multiple language soundtracks up to four different audio tracks which can be provided per programme, audio description to provide contextual information in programmes, interactive applications which will assist with e-government services,'' Lumko Mtimde told parliament.

''The SABC is on track and we're making good progress,'' Richard Waghorn, the SABC's chief technology officer said. ''The SABC is working and preparing for a soft launch of DTT in April 2012. We will have content ready for April 2012 for a soft launch.''

He said that the SABC worked under the assumption that ''the full channel line-up that we have, is subject to funding [from government]''.

''The SABC's intention is also not to make all of TV channels available at the launch of DTT immediately. The availability of STBs will still be very small. The intention is to ramp up the launch of channels as STBs increases within the market. We will have a phased launch in the market through the following two to three years,'' Richard Waghorn told parliament.

The SABC's DVB-T2 trial will also be extended to Cape Town in early 2012 in advance of the April 2012 soft launch window of DTT.

The SABC is currently also upgrading all the public broadcaster's play out centres, called final control centres (FCC). They're all being digitised with SABC1 which just went operational.

''Over the course of the next few months we're digitising the remaining three playout suites so that they will be fully digital by March 2012. Then we will have a full digital playout chain. Our existing master control room will also be digitised. That infrastructure will be ready by early March 2013,'' Richard Waghorn said.