eNCA backtracks on NewsNight changes as Vuyo Mvoko is made sole anchor and political editor; Cathly Mohahlana back to anchor during the day with Vata Ngobeni appointed as eNCA sports editor.

eNCA (DStv 403) is undoing some of its line-up changes just 6 months after its introduction in mid-July 2018 with its prime time news programme NewsNight that is going back to starting at 18:00 and that will now be sole anchored by Vuyo Mvoko, with co-anchor Cathy Mohahlana going back to anchor a daypart.

Six months after eNCA's now departed news director Mapi Mhlangu changed the South African TV news channel's schedule and anchor line-up in mid-July 2018, eNCA is once again changing it, including breaking up its NewsNight co-anchor presentation that always had dual presenters.

From Monday night NewsNight that was shifted to 17:00 in mid-July is once again moved back to a starting time of 18:00, now with Vuyo Mvoko as the only anchor of eNCA's flagship news show.

Cathy Mohlahlana who anchored mid-mornings before her promotion to NewsNight in mid-May 2017 as co-anchor, is shifted back after a year and 8 months and will now once again be anchoring eNCA during the day.

Cathy Mohlahlana is now taking over as the anchor of eNCA Now between 13:00 and 15:00 on weekdays, replacing Jeremy Maggs.

Jeremy Maggs, eNCA acting editor-in-chief, will no longer serve as anchor during the week but will continue to present his weekly media magazine show, Maggs on Media on Sunday mornings.

Jeremy Maggs shifted from prime time in mid-July to the afternoon slot, but with the added duties of day-to-day management of eNCA and with 2019 being a general election year requiring additional management of news resources and logistics, decided to let weekday anchoring go.

Jeremy Maggs will be used as a special anchor on eNCA depending on his availability during key news events.

"I am very pleased that I can hand the lunchtimes over to Cathy who is one of the young stars in a very talented line-up of anchors," says Jeremy Maggs. "This will give me an opportunity to focus on the business of running a dynamic and demanding newsroom."

Following eNCA Now, Thulasizwe Simelane will now anchor on eNCA from 15:00 to 18:00 for an hour longer.

Besides now being the lone anchor of NewsNight, Vuyo Mvoko has been appointed as eNCA's political editor, with Vata Ngobeni from Pretoria News appointed as eNCA's new sports editor from February.

eNCA changes its weekend programming line-up again; Gareth Edwards, Faith Mangope return, Nhlanhla Sehume added.

eNCA (DStv 403) is once again changing its weekend line-up from 1 December and adding new faces after previously introduced weekend programming decisions slowly unraveled as presenters left and blocks failed to gain traction.

eNCA's latest weekend programming shuffle will see Nhlanhla Sehume join Morning News Today between 07:00 and 09:00 on Saturdays and Sundays, co-hosting with Duduzile Ramela.

Between 13:00 and 14:00 Marcelle Gordon will now anchor eNCA's Lunchtime slot over weekends.

Gareth Edwards who stepped away from eNCA anchoring and did stand-in blocks over the past few years is returning to eNCA on-air permanently and will anchor NewsNight from 17:00 to 20:00 on Saturdays and 17:00 to 19:00 on Sundays on eNCA.

He will co-anchor NewsNight with Faith Mangope who is popping up on eNCA after she did Sunrise until she and the show got dumped and replaced with The Morning Show earlier this year.

e.tv's investigative magazine show Checkpoint will broadcast on eNCA at 19:00 on Sundays going up against Carte Blanche on M-Net (DStv 101), and the new satire puppet show, Almost News with Chester Missing will follow at 19:30 on Sundays.

About joining eNCA over weekends Nhlanhla Sehume who has done guest presenting on Carte Blanche, says "To be part of the new look programming is a great personal milestone. I am really excited about the challenge." 

Marcelle Gordon says "eNCA Lunchtime will keep you in the news loop on the weekends. It promises to be fast-paced, with lots of live news reportage".

Gareth Edwards says "eNCA has been my home for more than a decade. There was no doubt in my mind when I was asked to join our on-air division in a more permanent capacity again, that this was where I wanted to be".

Faith Mangope says "I am so excited to be joining the eNCA family for NewsNight weekends. Broadcasting and telling South Africa's stories, in particular, is a passion of mine. To do it alongside a talented and highly acclaimed team makes it that much more special".

Iman Rappetti bows out from eNCA and NewsNight to write a book and read to her kids as Jeremy Maggs leans in and whispers: 'Are you alright? Are you okay?'

Iman Rappetti has bowed out of eNCA (DStv 403) and NewsNight, saying she wants to read more bedtime stories for her little girl, is writing a book and implored South Africa's journalists to keep asking questions despite silence and to hold up a mirror to ordinary people's struggles.

On a hot mic, accidentally not muted, eNCA viewers heard while she hugged her co-anchor Jeremy Maggs as the end-credits rolled, as he gently asked: "Are you alright? Are you okay?"

Iman Rappetti who immediately jetted off to New York for a well-deserved holiday over the long weekend, decided to leave the South African 24-hour TV news channel's prime time newscast that she co-anchored on most nights for the past half a decade with Jeremy Maggs.

Jeremy Maggs is also leaving NewsNight but not eNCA, having requested a shift to an earlier afternoon timeslot on the news channel.

This past Thursday evening just before the start of the Easter long weekend, with e.tv and eNCA that didn't issue a press release or a programming advisory to the media, Iman Rappetti signed off on her final NewsNight bulletin after over a decade with eNCA, about five years of which she spent behind the glass desk during prime time at eNCA's Hyde Park headquarters.

A visibly emotional Iman Rappetti wearing black and with two of her children watching behind-the-scenes in the studio, started crying.

She tissued-away tears on live television as Jeremy Maggs who called her "my friend", said "the country's best and most accomplished TV news anchor by far has read her final story".

"In her time here, she has proved to be a fearless journalist. Iman you ask questions that others are afraid to ask. But much more than that you have an eye for a story that's driven by a deep desire to get to the truth but never, ever at the expense of an abiding sense of decency and compassion," said Jeremy Maggs, who added that "myself and our loyal audience are going to miss you terribly".

And that's a wrap for @ImanRappetti at eNCA. We put together a little video of some of her highlights... #GoodbyeIman and thank you! pic.twitter.com/URjktG6bec

— eNCA (@eNCA) April 13, 2017

eNCA closed out NewsNight by showing a terrific highlights reel of Iman Rappetti's reporting over the years at eNCA and eNews, containing bloopers, various hairstyles and some of her most arresting and courageous doorstop interviews.

Iman Rappetti for instance interrupted the Zuma Spear painting defacer and asked if he's "meant to do this", and asked then-president Thabo Mbeki afew years back, "Have you seen the warrants for Jackie Selebi?" (His flabbergasted answer at her wonderful impertinence: "You can't be serious.").

Most recently Iman Rappetti walked up to president Jacob Zuma after his cabinet reshuffle where he refused to talk to the media as the sole journalist there brave enough to shout out: "Mister president, I just want to ask why you fired the finance minister? Are you able to give us some answers please sir? Mister Zuma?"

Iman Rapetti said she decided to go into journalism because "I couldn't afford to be a human rights lawyer".

"I remember my mom was polishing the floor on her hands and her knees and I said 'I'm going to study journalism'. She said: 'How are you going to do that?' And I said it is going to happen."

Iman Rappetti talking about journalism and specifically why she asked president Jacob Zuma about his recent cabinet firings, said: "We cannot accept silence. Not from our leaders."

About her next chapter, Iman Rappetti said "I'm writing a book. It's really cool. It's going to be a loose memoir. But I'm going to spend time with my children. I want to hold their hands more. I want to cook dinner. I want to make butter chicken curry as many nights as I possibly can."

"I want to read my little girl more stories to sleep at night".

"I just want to encourage all journalists out there to be utterly and supremely fearless in what you do. And to remember that stories are not about you. They're about the families it matters most to - especially those who has a voice, but whose voices need amplification. We need to in a clear way just hold a mirror and a megaphone to their context."

e.tv and eNCA hasn't announced whose taking over as NewsNight anchors from Iman Rappetti and Jeremy Maggs.

eNCA's change is the third South African TV news channel that underwent a big on-air change in recent months.

Peter van Onselen left ANN7 (DStv 405) for eNCA as the Gupta news channel's last legacy, veteran anchor and on SABC News (DStv 404) Francis Herd became the new co-anchor next to Peter Ndoro after Vabakshnee Chetty-Miller signed off in January and left for America.

NIGHTY-NIGHT. Co-anchor duo Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti are both leaving eNCA's flagship NewsNight and prime time - here's why.

It's over for the best co-anchor TV news duo on South African television with Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti on eNCA not just leaving their seats behind the NewsNight oval glass desk and next to each other but also getting out of prime time after they've both had enough.

The dismantling of how eNCA (DStv 403) used to look and what it used to be continues with the co-anchors of its flagship nightly news broadcast, Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti both leaving NewsNight by the end of next month.

The widely respected news duo have been eNCA's co-joined prime time faces for the past five years, with their imminent big exit being the latest visible eNCA on-air disruption, part of the ongoing sea change taking place behind-the-scenes at the eMedia Investment run channel.

eNCA (DStv 403) hasn't named an anchor replacement or replacements for the nightly two and a half hour show done from e.tv's Hyde Park newsplex in Johannesburg in which Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti showed and shared great personal on-air rapport.

The beloved duo's on-air chemistry in the age of 24-hour TV news channels was exceptionally rare - especially for often-dull and dry, cookie cutter South African television news broadcasts and harkened back to the heydey of when M-Net's Carte Blanche with co-hosts Derek Watts and Ruda Landman would successfully banter with each other in a way that drew viewers more than into just a show, but into a news conversation.

"Both Jeremy and Iman have been key to the success of eNCA," says Mapi Mhlangu, eNCA news director. "We thank them for their loyalty, hard work and brilliance in bringing powerful news stories to our screens. This is a big change for the channel and our viewers, but also an opportunity to showcase talent in our newsroom and beyond".

Jeremy Maggs, the former Who Wants to be a Millionaire? SA host, who anchored NewsNight since its debut on eNCA 9 years ago, asked to be moved to an earlier timeslot on the channel.

Jeremy Maggs will be anchoring the lunchtime show Newsday from May that used to be done from Cape Town for years before eNCA management abruptly downsized the newsblock's operation by firing staff and moving the show to Johannesburg since November 2016.

Jeremy Maggs will also continue to do his marketing, media and advertising magazine show Maggs on Media broadcast on Sundays on eNCA.

Iman Rappetti who started out in earlier eNCA timeslots before landing the plum prime time timeslot is exiting eNCA after 11 years to get out of night time for family reasons.

While still the most polished of the three South African TV news channels and boasting the highest viewership under TV news channels on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, eNCA has been battered the past two years as it scaled down its once lofty news ambitions while it dramatically cut back on current affairs programming, abandoned its attempts at first-hand Africa coverage, shed news staff and reduced its on-air hours of live shows.

Although Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti the past few years often no longer co-anchored together, with both taking solo turns on several weeknights and both abandoning Friday nights on eNCA, NewsNight, despite its faults, remained the best produced general nightly news show on South African television.

eNCA's NewsNight anchor changes come as the struggling Gupta-owned, Infinity Media's ANN7 (DStv 405) rolls along with an unsteady and ever-changing revolving door of prime time anchors, and as the beleaguered SABC's SABC News (DStv 404) channel lost its prime time co-anchor Vabakshnee Chetty-Miller in January this year next to Peter Ndoro after she emigrated to America following the birth of her first child and maternity leave.

"It has been a heady, tough, rewarding, crazy ride," says Iman Rappetti. "Thank you for the gifts of professionalism, a platform to shine and unwavering support. The decision to leave is not an easy one but I need to put my family first."

Anton Harber, eNCA editor-in-chief says "Iman has contributed enormously to our success and is part of our channel's history. We are very sad to see her go".

Jeremy Maggs says that "after anchoring well over 1 000 editions of NewsNight it's high time I pass on the baton to a new team and get home a little earlier in the evening".

"I've been in discussion with the channel about this move for the past year and management has been both understanding and sensitive to my need for a change. I want to pay special tribute to Iman, my co-host for the past five years. Every night on-air together has been a treat".

eNCA cuts back on flagship evening programme NewsNight by half an hour; brings Moneyline earlier to now start at 21:00.

eNCA (DStv 403) is cutting back on the 24-hour South African TV news channel's flagship daily programme NewsNight truncated by half an hour to now end at 20:30; with the financial show Moneyline brought earlier.

eNCA quietly scaled back on NewsNight anchored by Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rapetti which starts at 18:00 and now ends at 20:30 instead of 21:00.

It means half an hour less general news for viewers as part of the channel's flagship nightly programme. 

Moneyline which used to start at 21:00 has now been moved half an hour earlier to start at 20:30.

eNCA was asked why NewsNight was shortened. There was no answer or explanation from the channel about the programme and schedule change which was also not announced beforehand to the press.

UPDATE 11 June 2015 18:15 - Managing director for news, Patrick Conroy, called me out for using an old logo for NewsNight with this story and asked that I please update my records.

I apologise for using an old logo, I have updated this story with the latest NewsNight logo as its shown to viewers on eNCA nightly.

Patrick Conroy further called the story "disingenuous". Patrick Conroy says the change to NewsNight "was promo'd on air for two weeks before the change. Your article says 'quietly cut back'. Wrong. Snide snipe."

There wasn't an answer from eNCA (yet) to the specific question in a media enquiry I made to eNCA of why NewsNight went from 3 hours to 2 and a half hours.

BBC World News turnover turmoil continues as Jeremy Paxman packs it in and quits as anchor of BBC Newsnight.

The turnover turmoil continues at the BBC's news division where Jeremy Paxman is suddenly the latest on-air presenter who is done with BBC Newsnight which is seen on BBC World News (DStv 400 / StarSat 400).

Jeremy Paxman has quit as presenter of BBC Newsnight after 25 years. He will present his last BBC Newsnight in June. The BBC has also not named any replacement for Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight yet.

BBC World News viewers in South Africa are in for quite a number of changes as a wave of faces are leaving, changing to new timeslots and programmes.

Nik Gowing is done as anchor and leaving as a regular presenter on BBC World News, Jon Sopel is abruptly done with Global to move to North America to work for the BBC from there, and Yalda Hakim becomes the new anchor of Impact.

Then there's David Bond, the BBC's sports editor, who is leaving the BBC five weeks before the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

eNCA's NewsNight anchors, Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti in an on-air 'quicky' which derails the broadcast.

You're reading it here first.

eNCA's flagship nightly newscast, NewsNight, with co-anchors Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti on Wednesday night was inappropriate and ill-suited when Jeremy Maggs' weird joke about "a quicky" derailed the broadcast just before a break when Iman Rappetti burst out laughing and couldn't properly speak anymore.

It's possibly the first off-key misstep ever of South African television news' premier anchoring duo.

Their usually unflappable style which cleverly sees them smooth over technical mistakes and cover for each other, their warm co-anchoring demeanour, professional real-time presence, and their subdued humour which always strikes just the right tone, went slightly off kilter on Wednesday night's NewsNight.

"Well, time now for a quicky ... a market update that is," said Jeremy Maggs.

Co-anchor Iman Rappetti's eyes went wide, followed by a gasp and then laughter which she tried to hold in - but also making her swallow her words which became almost inaudible to viewers.

NewsNight cut to a break on eNCA, leaving viewers feeling oddly, strange, uncertain as to what to make of the live on-air oops.

As a side-note, the NewsNight's business anchor Andile Gumede was simply terrible on Wednesday night - either completely unprepared, struggling with a broken autocue, or the victim of his own doing or some other form of technical difficulties.

Andile Gumede's delivery on Wednesday night, repetitive mistakes, staccato non-sensical sentences and blabbering business mumbo-jumbo made for cringe-worthy television - not the tape to take with your CV as an example of your work to your next job interview.

GOTTA LOVE 'EM: Totally redundant to say it - but yes - Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti of NewsNight are TV news' dream team.

The sheer amazingness when you're an immaculate professional and at the pinnacle of what you do, must surely be a blessing.

Just ask eNCA's (DStv 403) NewsNight co-anchors Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti.

Together these two work (on a seemingly co-joined stratospheric Q score level as TV newsers) on a playing field where nobody else in South African television news even comes close to touching them when they move in behind the reflective desk in the Hyde Park studio.

To do the news on television, to deliver it right, and to also make it flow with just the right touch of imbued personality and empathy is an incredibly hard thing to achieve. To make it look deceptively easy - almost impossible.

Yet its what Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti achieve, every time they're co-anchor the news on eNCA together. Ipso facto: ease, flow - and TV news perfection.

There's really not much more I can say, comment on, or contextualise that I've not yet said before regarding this terrific primetime NewsNight co-anchor duo.

As a TV critic I'm not obsessed with them; I'm not trying to favour eNCA or NewsNight or Jeremy Maggs or Iman Rappetti. But I have to keep watching it (and them!) and what I keep seeing, without fail, remains astounding.

What they do and how they do it - their smooth, faultless delivery, their in tandem teamwork throwing to and backing each other up all the way, the casual yet formal professionalism and warmth they exude jointly - is really television and TV news that viewers in South Africa (or wherever they're watching it) shouldn't take for granted.

What Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti - together with quite clearly a lot of dedicated and talented people behind the cameras - are doing night after night on NewsNight on eNCA is great, high quality television news.

The on-air pairing is unique and incredibly synergistic and remains amazing to watch (second would be Jason Kennedy and Giuliana Rancic on E! News on E! Entertainment - and that's with the easier and softer entertainment news as genre).

Doing hard news, especially on live television, and staying focused but yet also making it personal without making it frivolous, keeping the viewer tuned in without gimmicks and tabloid coverage, establishing a personal connection and keeping that connection, is an incredibly hard, difficult and elusive thing to do.

Together Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti simply excel at it.

Yes. I've said it before, I will try not to say it again.

Yet, in fairness - and since NewsNight is an ongoing television programme - I feel that I have to reiterate that there's simply no better nightly newscast for the South African TV viewer than NewsNight with Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti on eNCA.

Take just the very final closer moment of Wednesday night's NewsNight edition. Laugh it off, maybe don't even realise what you're really seeing, or what they're really doing so subtly - but if you really dissect it, its a potent drop of their consummate television news delivery skill at large.

Look at the pauses, the eye contact with each other (but also with you as the viewer as the third person in this implicit triad), the hand movements, and the seamless ongoing switch and transition between talking to each other and talking directly to the viewer as if you're really physically present.

Observe the small personal, ongoing revelations night after night - like tonight that Jeremy Maggs is "grumpy", is on a no-carbs diet, and needs his supper.

Their light and often humorous to-and-fro style when the news content allows it is always pitch-perfect. Their quick and contained banter create the illusion that they bringing the news but that they're really open about everything about themselves. It fosters trust and likability.

Whether deliberately done or a natural outflow of their on-screen working relationship Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti also strengthen this over time.

They've created, and keep creating the illusory feeling that you know them - personally - that when you have to make a choice that they are the clever, warm yet professional "friends", the ones that you know the best, the ones that you want to tune to when it comes to the television space you want to get your news from.

What you see and what you get from Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti together - is a truly exceptional, and very rare, high quality television news anchoring symbiosis.

Something which neither viewer, nor eNCA, should ever take for granted.


ALSO READ: eNCA's Jeremy Maggs asks his co-anchor Iman Rappetti for her ring finger - but it's not what you're thinking.

eNCA's Iman Rappetti channels Queen Nefertiti on NewsNight on Wednesday evening's broadcast.

Iman Rappetti, co-anchor of NewsNight, eNCA's (DStv 403)'s flagship nightly live news broadcast, channeled what seemed like the legendary Egyptian queen Nefertiti with her interesting choice of headgear on Wednesday night's broadcast.

Francis Herd parts ways with eNCA; Eleni Giokos the temporary business anchor replacement in NewsNight.

Business news anchor Francis Herd and eNCA (DStv 403) have parted ways in an unannounced split with Eleni Giokos now sitting in temporarily during NewsNight on eNCA as the business news anchor.

eNCA tells TV with Thinus that Eleni Giokos is currently anchoring the business segments during NewsNight since 2 September but that it is a temporary arrangement since Francis Herd left the channel at the end of August.

"Eleni Giokos is covering the business slot until we find a permanent replacement," says eNCA.

"Eleni Giokos has all the experience so she's a natural fit for the prime time timeslot," says the eNCA when asked the reason for Eleni Giokos' timeshift from Morning News Today to NewsNight.

Eleni Giokos is back on eNCA after her Greek holiday, now anchoring the business news during NewsNight.

Eleni Giokos is back on eNCA (DStv 403) after her break, now anchoring the business news segments during prime time on the 24 hour TV news channel.

Neither e.tv nor eNCA announced Eleni Giokos' on-air return, nor the permanence of her presence in this timeslot with her now being seen during eNCA's daily flagship news show, NewsNight.

Eleni Giokos went on a Greek holiday recently before which she anchored the Morning News Today timeslot on eNCA.

eNCA news management did indicate before her holiday that a repositioning of Eleni Giokos' on-air use will be happening after her return.

GOLDEN COUPLE. South African TV news' best TV news couple - eNCA's Iman Rappetti and Jeremy Maggs - also colour co-ordinate.

There's zero chance that it's co-incidence and as Iman Rappetti and Jeremy Maggs of NewsNight on eNCA (DStv 403) continue to shine as they set the brilliant benchmark for what is the best in all of South African television news broadcasting, something else is also very clear: they take time to colour co-ordinate.

On Friday evening on NewsNight, with South Africa in the grip of a cold front, the veritable TV news GoPro's Iman Rappetti and Jeremy Maggs glowed golden on South African TV screens - she in yellow, and he in gold.

When they care who make television, we care. And when its clear that it isn't just about showing up to bring the news but that there's small touches of thought and intent before they move behind the anchor desk, viewers - often unconsciously - stick around and watch.

With Iman Rappetti and Jeremy Maggs NewsNight on eNCA just feels right. Not just for credible news done right but for TV news anchors who are credible even to the point of making sure they don't clash on the air as far as their clothes are concerned.

Iman Rappetti beamed on Friday night in yellow with a locket; Jeremy Maggs' beautiful golden tie perfectly complemented. The image eNCA beamed to viewers? Perfect professionalism.

With faultless pronunciation, visible preparation which went into what they're doing, seamless sharing, smart banter, and looking as if they're really having fun at work doing real journalism while they run through the day's serious news stories and events of importance, Iman Rappetti and Jeremy Maggs are clearly, definitely, the golden couple of South African television news.

Chester Missing rips Iman Rappeti 'those earrings! It's like you've got your own satellite!', Jeremy Maggs and TopTV on NewsNight.

You're reading it here first. 

The famous puppet Chester Missing ripped into Iman Rappetti and Jeremy Maggs as the co-anchors of NewsNight on the eNCA (DStv 403) on Friday night when they interviewed the enfant terrible plasticine puppet and his always-around friend Conrad Koch.

Chester Missing is currently on tour in South Africa with Conrad Koch.

The delightfully abrasive and outspoken puppet from Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola on e.tv and the eNCA has gained a large cult following across South Africa and the incorrigible puppet is now highly popular with South African politicians and the hoi polloi alike.

Chester Missing didn't hold back in the Hyde Park eNCA news studio and mocked both Iman Rappetti and Jeremy Maggs but also went for the jugular with several politicians across the political spectrum, TopTV which got approval to broadcast porn, and even referenced developing news events.

Chester Missing said Jeremy Maggs won't fit into a suitcase because it would scrunch up his hair.

Jeremy Maggs asked Conrad Koch about the "relationship you have with this..." when Chester Missing suddenly chimed in with: "it's perverted. It's gonna be on TopTV."

Asked who's the dominant person in the duo, Chester Missing said "we used to be like that 50/50 programme. Now we're more like 49/51." "Chester Missing's career has taken off and we're floating along behind him, which is what the Chester Missing Roadshow is all about," said Conrad Koch.

Other clever bon mots from the puppet, live on television on the eNCA?

"It's not right for a white guy to put words in a brown guy's mouth. You know what it's like Iman. You work at e.tv," said Chester Missing. "eNCA!"  Conrad Koch quickly corrected.  "I'm self-scripted," Iman Rappetti chimed in.

"Those earrings! It's like you've got your own satellite!" screamed Chester Missing about Iman Rappetti's large golden earrings.

About his amazing interview skills the always so shy Chester Missing said: "I'm like Debora Patta. With a thingie."

"Shut that puppet up!" Iman Rappetti said eventually.

"That was a tough interview that. Thank goodness its over," exclaimed Jeremy Maggs at the end of the funny interview.

Joanne Joseph suddenly anchoring NewsNight on eNCA solo; of course not a word about it in advance to the press in a programming note.

Joanne Joseph is suddenly anchoring NewsNight, the flagship daily news broadcast of the eNCA (DStv 403) solo, with no trace or any word about where the regular co-anchors Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti are.

Anchor substitution isn't a problem and a regular occurence on 24 hour news channels, but if, as a media platform you make something out to be important - for instance the gravitas and prestige awarded to those people anchoring your main flagship bulletin a day - and then make no attempt to communicate when there are changes with that programme, nobody else will ever believe in the importance a flagship show is internally imbued with.

Unlike other 24 hour news channels which can be seen in South Africa, e.tv and the eNCA hardly does any programming publicity for the eNCA.

e.tv's publicity department where people presumably get money monthly to give the press information about a TV channel such as the eNCA, never issued any publicity materials for the eNCA such as schedules, monthly and weekly highlights. 

There never any synopses for any of its weekly shows like Tech Report, Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola, Judge for Yourself, Africa360 or any of the others, although information exists to help alert viewers and possibly make better then tune into shows.

e.tv does mostly regularly issue 3rd Degree synopsis, although that is a coshare programme between e.tv and the eNCA.