Namibia's NBC News removes Elmarie Kapunda and Jessica Kaimu from their on-air roles indefinitely after cringeworthy fight with both to undergo 'on-air training'; says they won't 'be dismissed from the services of the NBC'.

by Thinus Ferreira

Namibia's National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) has removed both NBC News anchor Elmarie Kapunda and sports presenter Jessica Kaimu from the airwaves indefinitely following their eye-popping and extremely awkward on-air spat (see it here) during a live broadcast that got seen by millions.

The bizarre on-air fight between Elmarie Kapunda and Jessica Kaimu happened during a live news broadcast on NBC's Namibia News programme when Elmarie Kapunda introduced and switched over for sports news to Jessica Kaimu but angered her colleague when she dared to say too much for Jessica's liking.

"No, you're not going to do that. You're just going to greet me, and say, 'Take it away'," Jessica snipped.

Elmarie Kapunda deadpanned: "Jessica, we are live", after which both just stared silently until a technical director cut to commercial.

The cringe-worthy on-air moment was mocked and re-enacted by SABC News (DStv 404) presenters Sakina Kamwendo and Vaylen Kirtley (see it here) a day after the video clip went viral. 

Lazarus Jacobs, the chairperson of NBC's board, initially lied to CNN International, and said that Elmarie Kapunda and Jessica Kaimu wouldn't be removed from their positions. By Thursday they were gone from the airwaves on NBC although they remain employed.

Both presenters would apparently be undergoing further "on-air training".

Namibia's New Era daily newspaper reported that Namibia's NBC has dropped Elmarie Kapunda and Jessica Kaima indefinitely from their presenting roles. NBC management and senior staffers at the broadcaster saw the incident as "highly embarrassing".

NBC isn't responding to media enquiries.

NBC on social media in a curt statement said that "Due to numerous queries being sent to the NBC regarding the matter of the two presenters Elmarie Kapunda and Jessica Kaimu the NBC would like to officially set the record straight".

"These two colleagues are part and parcel of the NBC family. At no point was there ever talk of dismissing these colleagues from the services of the NBC. Their employment thus as anchors at the NBC is intact."

ALSO READ: ‘Sakina, we’re live’: The SABC's Morning Live presenters mock Namibia's NBC presenters Jessica and Elmarie after their awkward on-air spat.

All of your viewing options today to watch the funeral of Britain's Prince Philip on TV and as live streams online as a global audience of millions is expected to tune in.

by Thinus Ferreira

The funeral of Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh and husband of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II will be broadcast globally today on TV and streamed online to a worldwide audience from St George's Chapel with millions of people who are expected to tune in. Here is how you can watch:

The broadcast of Prince Philip's funeral service will start at 16:01 (South African time) after a national minute's silence starting at 16:00.

Only 30 people, including Queen Elizabeth II, will attend the service in person, along with the duke's four children: Charles, the Prince of Wales; Anne, the Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York; Prince Edward, the Earl of Wessex, and their eight grandchildren.

Prince Philip's body that is now at a private chapel at Windsor Castle will be moved to the State Entrance and his coffin will be placed on a modified Land Rover that the duke himself helped to design.

The funeral will be held within the grounds of Windsor Castle and will be proceeded by a ceremonial procession inside the grounds of Windsor Castle that will start at 15:45, led by the band of Grenadier Guards with Charles and members of the royal family and staff from the royal households who will join the procession. 

Prince Philip's body will be carried in the procession across the short distance to St George's Chapel. The funeral service will be conducted by the Dean of Windsor, with the Archbishop of Canterbury doing a blessing.

TV news channels will be accessing the feed and have lined up their anchors, royal correspondents and commentators for the funeral.

The BBC's official pre-coverage today will start at 13:30 today on BBC World News (DStv 400 / StarSat 256) with coverage that will run until 17:20 and with the entire broadcast that will also be simulcast on BBC Brit (DStv 120), running on both channels under the theme "The Funeral of HRH Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh".

BBC News' Huw Edwards will anchor the BBC's coverage, with special guests ranging from Sir David Attenborough, Baroness Scotland, Alan Titchmarsh, and Baroness Grey-Thompson, who will weigh in to remember the man behind the crown.

Reporters include JJ Chalmers and Sophie Raworth are in Windsor reporting on the events from key locations around the castle, and will meet people participating in today’s ceremonial events.

Kate Shiers is the programme's executive producer.

CNN International's (DStv 401) pre-coverage today will start at 14:00 today with Christiane Amanpour who will anchor live coverage from Buckingham Palace leading into the funeral of Prince Philip. 

At 15:00 Anderson Cooper will anchor both funeral pre-coverage and the funeral event until 17:30, and he will be joined by Julia Chatterley and Richard Quests in New York, as well as CNN International correspondents in Windsor, London and Edinburgh.

From 19:00 Hala Gorani will take over as CNN International anchor for a 90-minute programme of funeral post-coverage and analysis. CNN will also live stream its funeral coverage on its website.

Fox News (StarSat 261) will also broadcast the funeral starting with pre-coverage at 14:00 with Martha MacCallum anchoring. 

MSNBC (DStv 263) will also broadcast Prince Philip's funeral with Alex Wit and Katy Tur anchoring.

Sky News (DStv 402) will start dedicated funeral pre-coverage today at 13:30 and is using the theme "Prince Philip's Funeral" for its rolling coverage. 

Sky News will broadcast the funeral proceedings in its entirety today, as well as doing funeral post-analysis. Sky News will also live stream its funeral coverage online on its YouTube channel.

Sky News will start pre-coverage on Saturday at 11:00 with Sarah Hawson from Windsor Castle, followed from 13:30 with Dermot Murnaghan anchoring. 

Mark Austin will take over anchoring duties from Windsor Castle at 18:00, with Anna Botting also anchoring from Windsor Castle from 20:00. At 22:00 tonight Anna Botting will reflect on the events of the day live from Windsor Castle.

America's NBC News Now at www.nbcnews.com/now will live stream the network's coverage to a global audience with Savannah Guthrie anchoring.

America's CBS will also do live coverage of Prince Philip's funeral with Gayle King anchoring today, and it will also stream live to a global audience on its streaming service CBSN on its www.cbsnews.com/live website.

America's ABC News will also do a live broadcast with David Muir and Deborah Roberts who will be anchoring. ABC News's coverage will be streamed to a global audience as well on its ABC News Live service at its abcnews.go.com/Live website.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 23 October 2020.

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

■ Bloodbath at the South African public broadcaster while SABC executives keep their cushy jobs. (subscription required)

There's panic under SABC staffers after executives have downgraded all significant positions and classified 95 personnel as redundant as part of cost-cutting. Heads of news in regions had been sent down to regional news editors, while the executive producers, currently at scale 130, were downgraded to scale 300 as programme producers.

■ SABC3's Expresso presenter and Outsurance TV commercial star Katlego Maboe admits to cheating on partner who allegedly got a sexually-transmitted disease after his illicit hotel sex with another woman: "I was unfaithful".

- Cardova Productions drops Katlego Maboe from Expresso on SABC pending investigation.

- Outsurance removes all Katlego Maboe TV ads "as soon as possible".

■ Former Netflix showrunner reveals "there's a real frustration" over Netflix cancellations and behind-the-scenes shifts at the video streamer.

■ Minorities and women remain shut out in Hollywood, behind-the-scenes it's still mainly white and male - university research.

■ eNCA (DStv 403) silent after complaints with Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) over presenter Karima Brown allegedly calling advocate Andrew Chauke a "corrupt element within the NPA" and part of the "Zuma cabal".

■ In America, NBC News slams Fox News (StarSat 261) and its Tucker Carlson for "dangerously and dishonestly" targeting one of its reporters.

■ Why YouTube took down and blocked the Arise TV News channel's live stream coverage of the #EndSARS public protests in Nigeria.

■ SAFA president Danny Jordaan crying in a spat with SuperSport and thinks SuperSport is siding with his old enemy the PSL when it comes to its sports coverage policy.

Megyn Kelly dumps FOX News and jumps to NBC News in a new deal giving her a weekday daytime show and a Sunday night programme.

Megyn Kelly (46) is dumping FOX News (StarSat 261) and moving to NBC News in a new multi-million dollar contract with her last appearance on FOX News in her show The Kelly File that will be this Friday, 6 January 2017.

Megyn Kelly will get a hourlong daytime weekday show from NBC News, as well as a Sunday night prime time slot. The daytime show won't be like the traditional American talk shows.

As with daily and weekly programming like NBC Nightly News, Meet the Press, CNBC and MSNBC (StarSat 263) that's broadcast in South Africa, isn't a given that South African viewers will now get to see Megyn Kelly in the coming year, although she won't be reporting specifically for and appear on MSNBC.

Megyn Kelly will be a part of NBC News' breaking news coverage, and do American political and special events coverage.

In April 2016 Megyn Kelly said that what she wants to do is "a little Charlie Rose, a little Oprah, and a little me all together".

After 12 years at FOX News Megyn Kelly just wants to get away following the sexual harassment scandal of former FOX News boss Roger Ailes, although Rupert Murdoch and his sons, James and Lachlan who now run FOX News and 21st Century Fox, tried their best to persuade her to stay.

On Facebook Megyn Kelly wrote "while I will greatly miss my colleagues at Fox, I am delighted to be joining the NBC News family and taking on a new challenge".

"I remain deeply grateful to Fox News, to Rupert, Lachlan and James Murdoch, and especially to all of the FNC viewers, who have taught me so much about what really matters."

The announcement of Megyn Kelly's departure caught FOX News off guard who had no immediate statement of its own.

Later Rupert Murdoch issued a statement saying "We thank Megyn Kelly for her 12 years of contributions to Fox News. We hope she enjoys tremendous success in her career and wish her and her family all the best."

On Tuesday night's show of The Kelly File on FOX News (StarSat 261) Megyn Kelly at the end closed her show saying "Finally tonight a personal and professional note from me to you. After more than a dozen years at FOX News, I have decided to pursue a new challenge. This was a tough decision for me because I love this show, our staff, my crew, my colleagues here at Fox, and you. All of you."

"I will be leaving Fox News at the week's end and starting a new adventure, joining the journalists at NBC News who I deeply admire. I will be doing a daytime show there as well as a Sunday night newsmagazine, and you'll also see me there on the big nights, for politics and such."

"I am very grateful to NBC for this opportunity and I am deeply thankful to Fox News for the wonderful 12 years I have had here."

In a staff email, NBCUniversal News group chairman Andrew Lack told workers - many caught by surprise by the announcement - that he's "pleased to share some good news with you. Later this year, Megyn Kelly will join NBC News."

"Below is the full announcement that will go out to press momentarily. But in short, she’ll anchor two programs: a new hour-long daily daytime news program and a Sunday prime time news magazine."

"Megyn is an exceptional journalist and news anchor, who has had an extraordinary career. She’s demonstrated tremendous skill and poise, and we’re lucky to have her. I know she'll be a fantastic colleague; please join me in welcoming her to NBC News.

In a statement from NBC News, NBC News says "Megyn Kelly will become anchor of a new one hour daytime program that she will develop closely with NBC News colleagues."

"The show will air Monday through Friday at a time to be announced in the coming months. As part of the multi-year agreement, Kelly will also anchor a new Sunday evening news magazine show and will become an important contributor to NBC's breaking news coverage as well as the network's political and special events coverage."

In the statement Andrew Lack says "Megyn Kelly is an exceptional journalist and news anchor, who has had an extraordinary career. She's demonstrated tremendous skill and poise, and we're lucky to have her."

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 10 April 2015.

The Golden Girls could become a Lego playset.
Proposal and mock-up set for the sitcom gets enough votes, next will be Lego having to approve it and and finding out if the licensing rights are available.

Famous Chinese TV presenter caught insulting Mao Zedong.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV's Bi Fujian was caught on camera calling the Chinese dictator "a son of a bitch" at a private dinner, which CCTV says in a statement "caused serious social impact".

Two Al Jazeera (DStv 406) journalists held in Nigeria have been released.
Ahmed Idris and Ali Mustapha were detained in their hotel ahead of the recent Nigerian general election.

TV channels of France's TV5Monde knocked out by hackers.
11 channels of France's public television station went dark and hit its websites as Islamic hackers claimed responsibility.

MUST READ. Turmoil, damage, bitterness behind the scenes at NBC News.
Scathing Vanity Fair article with numerous sources pulls the veil off the "civil war" and what has really been going on at NBC News before and after the scandal and suspension of NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams.

The Teletubbies is getting a reboot.
Children's programme will return to CBeebies (DStv 306) after an absence of 14 years.

Full House will return as Fuller House to Netflix.
Beloved sitcom will become a Netflix series with several of the original stars who will appear.

Nina Dobrev leaving The Vampire Diaries.
Actress says in open letter to fans she always knew she would be gone after 6 seasons.


E! Entertainment (DStv 124) eNews anchor Giuliana Rancic is speaking out.
Giuliana Rancic is on a publicity blitz and book tour for her new book Off Script, so now she's talking. She says former boyfriend Jerry O'Connell cheated on her with a Spice Girl.
Her friendship with Fashion Police's Kelly Osbourne appears to have been fake - Giuliana Rancic hasn't spoken to Kelly since the Fashion Police scandal.
Meanwhile Kelly Osbourne tweets about "LIARS" on the very same day as Giuliana Rancic goes on television to promote her book and blames the Fashion Police Zendaya scandal on editing.
In another interview the skeletal Giuliana Rancic talks about her weight and denies that she doesn't have an eating disorder.
When Joan Rivers of Fashion Police died Giuliana Rancic "wept for an entire night".