SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng on eNCA's Maggs on Media slams media experts as bad parents; 'I'm debating with people who know nothing about journalism'.

The SABC's famously matricless boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng has slammed experienced media experts critical of his SABC News censorship decision during an eNCA panel discussion as bad parents and saying "I'm debating with people who know nothing about journalism here".

The public broadcaster's belligerent chief operating officer (COO) also declared that his controversial ban on showing public protest visuals is fully supported by SABC staff and SABC News personnel.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng took part in a panel discussion in the latest episode of Maggs on Media on eNCA (DStv 403) and hit back against media experts that included Glenda Daniels, an experienced senior lecturer at Wits University's Media Studies department and Dario Milo, media law specialist at law firm Webber Wentzel, who criticised his controversial SABC News censorship decree.

"They're not responsible. By saying what they're saying, I don't know what kind of parents they are," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

A constantly hand-waving Hlaudi Motsoeneng told Jeremy Maggs that his censorship decision of a blackout of showing certain public protest visuals on SABC News is "controversial to few people within SABC".

Hlaudi Motsoeneng, embroiled in a protracted court case about his controversial appointment as SABC COO, said that if the public broadcaster is taken to court over the censorship decision "we will find them in court. It's fine. We are ready. We always enjoy to go to court".

Academic and former anti-apartheid activist, Glenda Daniels, a widely respected and experienced journalist who had covered protests, said "this is exactly what happened during the Apartheid days when the SABC censored material".

"It's censorship. It's stopping freedom of expression and its stopping the public's right to know about the reality of the situation in South Africa. And it's happening right before the elections".

"Do you honestly think that we can fool the people of South Africa about what's going on by doing sunshine journalism?"

Dario Milo, media law specialist at law firm Webber Wentzel said the SABC's censorship "breaches the SABC's own editorial policy passed just a few months ago where they say that they are not, when they report news, to suppress available facts. And this is exactly what this policy does".

"Of course it's inherent to television that you tell the story with visuals".

Hlaudi Motsoeneng was asked if he took legal advice on his SABC censorship diktat but didn't give a clear and specific answer to the question.

When asked to respond to the near universal avalanche of criticism on his decision he said "I don't want to respond".

When asked when exactly during protests cameras will be switched off and who specifically will do it, Hlaudi Motsoeneng failed to give a specific answer, saying "our journalists at the scene, we are clear, and they need to adhere to the policy, they need to adhere to the instruction within the SABC".


'If people are not happy at SABC, they shall go'
He gave no answers when Jeremy Maggs asked if SABC News journalists are happy with the decision, whether the head of SABC News is happy with the decision, and if the head of news was consulted when the decision was made.

"If people are not happy within the SABC, they shall go where they will be happy. There are many people, even here at e.tv, they want to work at the SABC," said a rambling Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Glenda Daniels said "so you don't have joint decision-making at the SABC. There's just an edict that comes and falls on the newsroom floor".

The episode of Maggs on Media will repeat on eNCA on Wednesday at 12:30 and Thursday at 11:30 and is also available to watch on eNCA's website online.

Maggs on Media on eNCA this Sunday at 10:30 talking to Kai Botha about the media strategy behind the launch of the new season of Game of Thrones.

This coming Sunday, Maggs on Media on eNCA (DStv 403) at 10:30 will have a fascinating look and interview about the media strategy behind the highly successful launch of the new 5th season of the TV fantasy drama series Game of Thrones.

Jeremy Maggs talks to social media data analyst Kai Botha at Ornico about Game of Thrones, the 5th season of which started showing on M-Net's M-Net Edge (DStv 102) TV channel at the same time as on HBO in America.

Kai Botha will weigh in on the media strategy of launching Game of Thrones' new season, and how short bursts of content helps keep audiences interested in the show.

Other topics and stories being covered in this Sunday's edition of the weekly media landscape programme will include a profile of a company that's helping big brands to claim their stake in South Africa's townships, one wall at a time; and digital integration and why it is vital to the survival of businesses in the new "we" economy.

Maggs on Media also goes behind the scenes of a new campaign of an appliance manufacturer.

Maggs on Media on eNCA is repeated on Sundays at 15:30, Mondays at 09:30 and 22:30, Wednesdays at 12:30 and Thursdays at 11:30.

ALSO READ: Winter came at 03:00 this morning to Nu Metro with M-Net Edge, HBO and Game of Thrones ... and the result was amazingly spectacular.

ANN7 adds new media monitoring show, Between the Lines, with Asanda Magaqa on Sundays at 09:00.

ANN7 (DStv 405) continues to broaden its current affairs programming, adding Between the Lines with presenter Asanda Magaqa to the 24-hour TV news channel's programming line up on Sundays at 09:00 and repeated at 16:30.

DStv subscribers won't be able to yet set a reminder or a recording for Between the Lines on ANN7 - the programme doesn't appear on the electronic programme guide (EPG), neither is any programming or publicity information or material available or been issued by anybody.

Interestingly, Between the Lines is the same name as the SABC's show from the 1990's which ran on SABC3 and also looked at media coverage and issues.

"News and the news makers, the story behind the headline, dissecting what was said and what was implied. A thorough analysis of the big stories of the week by the sharpest minds in the business of the news," says Asanda Magaqa in an on-air promo.

Between the Lines will interestingly now do battle for viewers and viewership in a Sunday morning South African TV-verse quickly getting crowded.

Between the Lines on Sundays at 09:00 is now competing directly with Media Monitor on SABC News (DStv 404) on Sundays at 09:00 as the same type of show in the exact same timeslot, and then there is eNCA (DStv 403) that has Maggs on Media on Sundays at 10:30.

Not direct competition, but weekday evenings in South Africa now has the additional media-media show The Editors on The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel (DStv 199) with Katy Katopodis at 21:00 who are supposed to talk about the Oscar Pistorius murder trial but often stray into news and media coverage on a variety of wider topics.

Maggs on Media on eNCA going to the urinals on Sunday as it investigates the marketing opportunities inside the men's room.

The weekly episode of Maggs on Media on eNCA (DStv 403) on Sunday at 10:30 proclaims that it will be boldly going where no show has gone before ... straight to the urinals inside the men's room in Sunday's upcoming episode.

The shopping mall washroom has become a hot piece of real estate when it comes to marketing products and Maggs on Media will be investigating the marketing happening here. Brett Tucker from TLC Unlimited will explain how to maximise your brand reach in peculiar places.

On Sunday Maggs on Media will look at a cheeky Marmite ad that's got the Brits upset, watch how Bryan Habana races a British Airways A380 airbus and go behind the scenes of a brand-new Mango Airways advert.

Trish Wheaton, the chief marketing officer at the Wunderman agency will be sharing her thoughts on how brands can sell sustainability.

Maggs on Media also visits the Blue Moon agency in Johannesburg which is a "carbon neutral" organisation and finds out how their "green at heart" philosophy translated to a sustainable factory launch for the Chinese electronics company Hisense.

Programming note: Maggs on Media on eNCA on Sunday at 10:30 looks at SA's advertising schools, FNB's new live TV ad and a viral exercise.

Maggs on Media Sunday at 10:30 on the eNCA (DStv 403)will be looking at FNB's brand-new campaign, You Can Help, through it's live advert on broadcasting television and Jeremy Maggs talks to Bernice Samuels from FNB about the ad's message and Paul Warner of MetropolitanRepublic about the concept.

At the start of a new year Maggs on Media looks at what is hot and what is not at two of the big advertising schools in the country. Where do the most students want to gain skills? What disciplines are desperately needing new blood? Michelle Venter-Davies of Vega and Ludi Koekemoer, principal of AAA School of Advertising talks to Jeremy Maggs.

The CEO's of The Creative Councel will also be seen in an insert in which they'll discuss their latest teambuilding project - a risque viral work based on the popular Gangnam Style song. According to Gil Oved and Ran Neu-Ner, it fits their corporate culture and could serve to attract new talent to their door.

The Maggs-o-Meter highlights a floating vending machine courtesy of Lipton Ice.

Maggs on Media repeats on Sundays at 15:30, Mondays (23:30), Tuesdays (09:30), Thursdays (12:30), Fridays (21:30) and Saturdays (16:30).

Maggs on Media on eNCA on Sunday at 10:00 looks at Madam & Eve's 20th anniversary; women and the TV remote and The New Age.

Maggs on Media this Sunday at 10:00 on eNCA (DStv 403) with Jeremy Maggs looks at the Future Group's Smartest Event which took place this week and which saw the launch of the 6th edition of The Annual.

This marketing master class tackled two trends: women and the TV remote and their place in the digital space. Jeremy Maggs speaks to the winners of the fourth Agencies' Agency Award.

Maggs on Media will be covering the Red Bull Kluge behind-the-scenes, and Jeremy Maggs will be speaking to illustrator Rico Schacherl about the latest book Twenty... with new cartoons from Madam & Eve as the hilarious and iconic family of Madam, Eve, Thandi and Mother Anderson turns 20.

The New Age newspaper also turns two years old on 6 December. Maggs on Media will speak to editor Moegsien Williams about the newspaper's growth in circulation, readership and avertisers and about the challenges behind the newspaper's so-called "voice of optimism".

Maggs on Media repeats on Sundays at 15:30, Mondays (23:30), Tuesdays (09:30), Thursdays (12:30), Fridays (21:30) and Saturdays (16:30).

Programming note: Maggs on Media this Sunday at 10:00 on eNCA talks textbooks, whisky, caffeine and digital trends.

Maggs on Media this Sunday at 10:00 on eNCA (DStv 403) with Jeremy Maggs look at the Bookmark Awards celebrating digital achievements and talks to Pete Case from Agency of the Year, Gloo, and to the judge Rob Stokes of Quirk Marketing.

Nolene Kies of Litha Pharma and her PR consultant Craig Doonan of Leap Communications talks about "newsjacking" - using the public interest in the Lance Armstrong doping debacle to raise awareness about the  caffeine contnt of two of its shampoo products, Alpecin and Plantur 39.

Jeremy Maggs will also be talking to Ian Millar, the Glenfiddich global brand ambassador about the longterm marketing efforts of the whisky brand.

Maggs on Media will also cover teaching and creativity in the modern classroom; Jeremy Maggs will be talking to Craig Carolan, the inspirational deputy headmaster at the Stanford Lake College in Limpopo, following the scandal of textbook non-delivery in the province.

Maggs on Media repeats on Sundays at 15:30, Mondays (23:30), Tuesdays (09:30), Thursdays (12:30), Fridays (21:30) and Saturdays (16:30).

Programming note: Maggs on Media on Sunday at 10:00 on the eNCA talks to cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro; looks at Investec's latest TV ad.

Maggs on Media this Sunday at 10:00 on eNCA (DStv 403) with Jeremy Maggs will be talking to Craig Lambinon from the NSRI and Peri van Papendorp of Ogilvy Cape Town about their latest advertising campaign to raise awareness of sea safety using the recent tragedy involving the capsizing of the Miroshga in Hout Bay.

The annual African Investigative Journalism Conference took place at Wits university this week. Jeremy Maggs talks to the Sunday Times Rob Rose about the growing importance of company accounts, and to Heather Brooke, the British journalist whose investigative journalism and legal action against the British parliament for disclosure of MPs expenses was the calatyst of the expenses scandal of 2009.

Spitfire Films recently visited the Amazon to shoot something special and the show goes behind the scenes on Investec's latest TV advert. 

Jeremy Maggs also talks to the award-winning cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro. President Jacob Zuma has dropped his R5 million court case against the cartoonist.

Programming note: Maggs on Media on Sunday will talk to South Africa's press ombudsman about sweeping reforms regarding press regulations.

Maggs on Media this Sunday at 10:00 on eNCA (DStv 403) will be talking to South Africa's press ombudsman Joe Thloloe and media lawyer Dario Milo about the implications of the sweeping reforms on press regulations which the Press Council of South Africa recently announced.

The weekly media magazine show will also be looking at South Africa's first SEED library which was built from shipping containers, and the show goes behind the scenes of FOXP2's DNA Project.

Jeremy Maggs will also be talking to the radio guru Stan Katz to get more insight from his new book Radio Advertising - A Sound Investment.

Maggs on Media repeats on Sundays at 15:30, Mondays (23:30), Tuesdays (09:30), Thursdays (12:30), Fridays (21:30) and Saturdays (16:30).

Programming note: Maggs on Media this Sunday on the eNCA coming from Cape Town's Creative Week and showing Gold Loerie Award winners.

Maggs on Media Sunday at 10:30 on the eNCA (DStv 403) will come to viewers from Cape Town's Creative Week where the weekly media magazine show looks at the best that the local ad industry has to offer.

Maggs on Media will meet up with the graffiti artist Mak1One who is taking over Cape Town one wall at a time. The show is also talking to the who's who at the Pendorings and the Loerie Awards, and will be showing some of the Gold Loerie Award winners.

Maggs on Media repeats on Sundays at 15:30, Mondays (23:30), Tuesdays (09:30), Thursdays (12:30), Fridays (21:30) and Saturdays (16:30).

Programming note: Maggs on Media looking at the rebranding of the eNCA channel; Jane Raphaely talks about her new autobiography.

Maggs on Media Sunday at 10:30 (repeat at 15:30) on eNCA (DStv 403) will be looking at the brand-new eNCA rebranding of the 24-hour South African news channel.

Jeremy Maggs will be talking to eNCA news bosses about what it takes to overhaul the look of an entire news channel such as the eNCA and the eNCA's international prospects which has now started broadcasting to the United Kingdom as well on the Sky pay-TV platform.

Jeremy Maggs will also be talking to the doyen of South African magazine publishing, Jane Raphaely, who's just written a compelling and insightful autobiography. She'll be telling Maggs on Media how she ditched Media24 and started Cosmopolitan and what she thinks of the future of magazines.

Maggs on Media repeats in the week on Monday (23:30), Tuesday (09:30), Thursday (12:30), Friday (21:30) and Saturday 16:30).

Programming note: Maggs on Media, Sunday on the eNews Channel talks Jacobs Coffee, McDonalds, and visits Vovo Telo founder, Matt Repton.

Maggs on Media Sunday 18 August (tomorrow) at 10:30 on the eNews Channel (DStv 403) (with a repeat at 15:30 and more during the week) will see Jeremy Maggs visiting the Jacobs Board Game Cafe in Johannesburg's trendy 4th Avenue.

As this big buzz experiment comes to an end (the first I heard about it was on a TV junket recently when a journalist told us mediarati excitedly about this place where you can now get free coffee), Maggs on Media will talk to Taki Tsanwani, the senior brand manager of Jacobs Coffee.

The rest of Sunday's line-up of Maggs on Media includes Emmet O'Hanlon, the managing director at DDB talking about their new Share Box advertising campaign for McDonalds South Africa and the tie-in digital campaign called the Share Box App on Facebook.

Maggs on Media also gets a global perspective on McDonalds' messaging from their gloal head of marketing which Jeremy Maggs did in Cannes.

The show also visits the historical district of Richmond Hill in Port Elizabeth to get the story of Vovo Telo from its founder Matt Repton. In a wide-ranging interview, Jeremy Maggs finds out about how the national franchise began as a simple bakery.

Maggs on Media on the eNews Channel has a great new set. And since its great, you get one guess who designed it...

Maggs on Media on the eNews Channel (DStv 403) on Sundays at 10:30 has a brand-new set. And since its great (yep, you guessed it) it simply had to have been designed by the utterly best TV set designer South Africa has ever had: Michael Gill from Michael Gill Designs.

The new Maggs on Media set has an intriguing circular design with an elliptical desk (the show didn't have a desk before) incorporating a curved cityscape image. The background incorporates square beams curving around and inwards - exactly like the eNews Channel on-screen moving ident.

It gives an otherwise static set an immediately dynamic look, almost like a screenshot of movement frozen in a second if time. Since Maggs on Media is a retrospective post mortem on various media the set fits in and enhanced this theme of quickly stopping the media deluge and making sense of some of the week's media memes and madness.

Maggs on Media on the eNews Channel to debut new episodes right through the festive season.

Maggs on Media, Jeremy Maggs' meta media show on the eNews Channel (DStv 403) will continue with new episodes right through the festive season and the last part of this year.

Viewers can look forward to 3 Maggs on Media special episodes on Sundays at 10:30 on the eNews Channel. ''We'll look back at 25 years of some of South Africa's best known newspapers, there's the 25th anniversary of the country's best known ad agencies and also trend watcher Dion Chang on the death of celebrity culture,'' says Jeremy Maggs.