TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 5 January 2019.

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

■ Turkey bans the comedy series Modern Family.
Pay-TV operator beIN is fined, censored and Modern Family ordered off of the beIN Series channel because Modern Family ... features a child born out of wedlock - something not allowed on Turkish television.


■ A clueless Ellen DeGeneres getting backlash for begging Kevin Hart to host the 2019 Academy Awards after he was dumped as Oscars host for homophobic comments.
■ In emotional criticism, Don Lemon on CNN says Kevin Hart on Ellen "turns himself into a victim instead of acknowledging the real victims of violent and sometimes deadly homophobia".
■ Ellen DeGeneres and Kevin Hart's conspiracy theories only make things worse.
■ Ellen DeGeneres' interview with Kevin Hart was an insult and clueless celebrity overreach that sends a toxic message.
■ Where are Kevin Hart's past apologies? An investigation.
■ Shock seeing Ellen DeGeneres throwing her weight behind Kevin Hart's self-victimisation.
■ Why is Ellen DeGeneres trying to rehabilitate Kevin Hart as Oscars host?
■ Who died and made Ellen DeGeneres the gay pope?
■ Ellen DeGeneres is getting blasted for calling Kevin Hart's critics "trolls" and "haters".
■ What Ellen DeGeneres and Kevin Hart are missing by calling critics "haters".
■ Ellen DeGeneres: Girl, what?



■ Huge problems on the "chaotic and troubled" set of the drama series SMILF seen on Showmax amidst allegations of abusive behaviour, race separation of writers, and violations of industry rules.
And some important questions as to why ABC Studios, the Walt Disney Company, producers and agents are apparently doing little or nothing about it.


■  Content discovery on TV remains terrible with little help from pay-TV operators giving viewers a wasteland of irrelevant recommendations and outdated menus. Can adding hyper-detailed metadata about TV shows and episodes, including descriptors about a show's mood, theme, characters, and scenarios help?

■ Palestine Television's offices in Gaza ransacked, equipment destroyed.

■ 8 tricks to improve the image on your new TV set.
Tips include choosing your TV set's settings in darkness, and of course it's important to switch off "motion smoothing"switch off "motion smoothing" (also referred to as "motion control", "TruMotion" and the "soap opera effect".

■ Pay-TV operator Sky in the United Kingdom is working on some updates for 2019 that MultiChoice in South Africa should be considering.
A guide for individual users of the same decoder for better personal recommendations, a safe Kids Mode and others.

■ Insider claims that E! News anchor Giuliana Rancic at E! Entertainment (DStv 124) has become a diva.
Giuliana who is not an E! favourite under staffers, behind-the-scenes apparently "only talks to people she thinks are important" and has become notorious for tantrums over her wardrobe and styling when doing award show red carpet coverage.

■ Sky News (DStv 402) campaign to force televised debates between political candidates moves forward.
Sky News' Make Debates Happen petition finally gets 133 000 signatures from the public in the United Kingdom to force the British parliament and MPs to consider a motion for a debate to set up a commission to make televised debates with UK political party leaders a permanent TV fixture.

■ 15 TV shows that are still worth watching in 2019.

■ MultiChoice Zimbabwe having problems with their payment system for DStv subscribers in Zimbabwe.

■ The truth about TV sex scenes.

■ The trends that could shape TV viewing in 2019 from NPR's TV critic.

■ Cameroon censors and bans TV channel Vision 4 for a month.

■ Free TV sets! Hundreds of cargo ships containers that have flatscreen TV sets wash ashore on the Dutch islands bringing a windfall for treasure seekers.

NCIS becomes the most-watched TV drama in the world; The Bold and the Beautiful and Modern Family now the most watched soap and comedy.

NCIS has now become the most watched TV drama in the world, winning the International Television Audience Award for a TV drama series at the 54th Monte Carlo Television Festival for the show with the biggest global audience.

Various seasons of NCIS are seen in South Africa on pay-TV broadcaster M-Net, free-to-air public broadcaster SABC2 and the Universal Channel (DStv 117) and is distributed worldwide by CBS Studios International.

In a statement the NCIS star and executive producer Mark Harmon and executive producer Gary Glasberg say: "As NCIS enters its 12th season, we couldn't be happier to learn we're now the number one drama in the world. It's no secret that determination and teamwork have allowed our cast and crew to continue to deliver a show we're truly proud of".

"We also know we wouldn't be here without the support and loyalty of the best fans in television. Thanks to our worldwide audience".

The winner of the most-watched TV comedy series globally was Modern Family distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Television and seen in South Africa in M-Net.

The Bold and the Beautiful, seen in South Africa on SABC3 and produced by Bell-Phillip Television Productions, won for the 9th consecutive time as the most watched TV soap worldwide.

Meanwhile Sky News (DStv 402) and special correspondent Alex Crawford also won a Golden Nymph for best TV news story for a report on the victims of rape in the Central African Republic.

"We're delighted that the Monte Carlo jury took the brave decision to recognise this difficult and sensitive subject from a country which is not on many people's radar and by doing so, has raised the whole profile of sexual violence being used as a weapon of war," says Alex Crawford in a statement.

Best TV news documentary went to Al Jazeera's (DStv 406 / StarSat 401) Correspondent programme's "Identity and Exile", while CNN (DStv 401) won for best 24-hour news programme for Ukraine Unrest: Shooting In Independence Square.

"It's great that 'Identity and Exile' has been recognised with such a prestigious award," says Farid Barsoum, the executive producer of Correspondent in a statement. "It's a well-crafted and beautifully told personal story that treats such a polarising subject with incredible sensitivity and intelligence".

BREAKING. Renewed: Grey's Anatomy, Modern Family, Castle, Once Upon a Time, Revenge and Castle for further seasons.

Grey's Anatomy (M-Net), Modern Family (M-Net), Castle (M-Net Series), Once Upon a Time (M-Net Series), Revenge (M-Net) and The Middle (M-Net) have all been renewed for further seasons in America on the ABC network, Deadline first reported.

It will be Grey's Anatomy's 9th season, Once Upon a Time's 2nd season, Revenge's 2nd season, Castle's 5th season and the 4th season for both The Middle and  Modern Family.

BREAKING. e.tv secures the broadcasting rights to the sitcom Modern Family; show set to start early in 2012.

You're reading it here first.

I can exclusively break the news that e.tv has secured the free-to-air broadcasting rights of the hilarious and really funny American sitcom Modern Family.

A source tells me that Modern Family will pop up on the e.tv schedule from early in 2012.

I've asked e.tv about it, who is as yet still silent. Just like Lilly.

UPDATE Tuesday 8 November 13:00 - e.tv is now responding and confirms my Modern Family news. e.tv says Modern Family will start on 5 February 2012 at 19:30 and will be replacing How I Met Your Mother when the season concludes.