TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 11 November 2020.

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

■ Oscar Pistorius is in prison for murder, so why does ESPN's (DStv 218 / StarSat 248) new documentary coming to South African and African viewers from 19 November treat him so kindly?

- Viewers complain that The Trials of Oscar Pistorius neglects the real victim - Reeva Steenkamp.

- Reeva Steenkamp deserves to be more than a footnote in the story of killer Oscar Pistorius.

- Controversy around the BBC and ESPN's shockingly slanted Oscar Pistorius documentary is justified.

- "Shame on you": Uproar over BBC and ESPN's disgusting Oscar Pistorius documentary.

■ South Africa's Simone Mashile of Below Deck slams Captain Lee Rosbach, says there are not enough people of colour in the yachting industry.

■ Lesflicks - the lesbian video streaming service thriving under lockdown and attracting subscribers from America to South Africa, India and Jamaica.

■ How the SABC's isiZulu radio dramas subverted Apartheid's grand design.

■ MultiChoice Ghana and child labour?: Meet Emmanuel (11), MultiChoice's youngest DStv installer.

This is obviously illegal and illegal child labour.

■ Trace Urban (DStv 325) apparently has original local programming nobody's heard about or that the media were told about - and then it got marred by technical problems.

■ Why you're seeing Kelly Clarkson with an eyepatch on in The Kelly Clarkson Show on M-Net (DStv 101).

■ Trojan TV: China's double-edged gamble with Mozambique's TV market.

China's StarTimes pay-TV operator wants to get a foothold and promote Beijing’s voice in Mozambique, but service and content issues may end up being a disservice to China’s image abroad.

■ New research: When kids watch a lot of TV, parents may end up being more stressed.

■ Virgin Media launches Virgin 360 as a new pay-TV service in the United Kingdom to rival Sky Q.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 10 November 2020.

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

■ His 3rd divorce: Fox News (StarSat 261) staffers believe the American channel will dump Donald Trump and focus on bashing Joe Biden.

"A black hole where news dies and conspiracy theories and opinions reign supreme."

■ Trump's presidency might be ending, but Trump the TV series will continue.

"Trump will remain on our screens because he cannot live without seeing himself on television. As much as he is a product of television, he is also its victim. If he doesn't see himself on TV, he doesn't exist."

■ Trump's reality TV show presidency gets cancelled.

After 4 years Americans were ready to change the channel and what began as a grotesque political version of The Bachelor seems destined to end closer in tone to Fear Factor. Like Oprah he delighted in giving surprise gifts to his viewers; family's emotional dysfunction could provide fodder for entire seasons of Dr. Phil and The Jerry Springer Show.

-Ugly: Anderson Cooper on CNN International's (DStv 401) calls Donald Trump "an obese turtle, flailing on his back in the sun".

- Tension, then some tears as American TV news narrated the announcement that Joe Biden has been elected as that country's next president.

- Behind-the-scenes struggle at Fox News (StarSat 261) with the Murdoch family.

- Pro-Trump outlets cry betrayal after Fox News (StarSat 261) calls American election for Joe Biden.

- CNN was first, followed by NBC, MSNBC, then CBS, and ABC; then Associated Press (AP) and Fox News.

- Fox News (StarSat 261) abruptly cuts off Kayleigh McEnany after baseless allegations.

- MSNBC (StarSat 263) contributor Jon Meacham has secretly been writing Joe Biden speeches without telling the TV channel.

- Will Trump TV dethrone Fox News (StarSat 261) as the new voice of right-wing America?

■ It's time to break up with Nate Silver and FiveThirtyEight''s way-off American election polling.

- American pollsters and fakes like FiveThirtyEight and The Upshot are hawking a false sense of certainty.

- "Issue 3, pollsters disaster": What does it say that American polls were once again so far off in American election voter sentiment before voting?

- What went wrong with the 2020 American election polls and what's next for political polling?

- What went wrong with America's polls this year?

- America's polling crisis catastrophe.

■ America's CBS TV network orders all its reality TV shows to have at least 50% of contestants people of colour.

■ After Alex Trebek, host of American quiz game show Jeopardy! dies:

"Jeopardy!" never grew musty, irrelevant or confined; it never arbitrarily decided that ancient history, revered literature and settled science had a cutoff point. It treated the never-ending story of human civilization as an unfolding and evolving body of knowledge."

■ The fired, then court-ordered back SABC anchor Palesa Chubisi dares SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe to try and remove her from the SABC airwaves.

■ Production on second season of Netflix's The Witcher shuts yet down again over multiple positive Covid-19 tests.

- 4 crew members of The Witcher tested positive on Saturday in the United Kingdom.

■ South Africa's SABC that has a PR division splashes R2.3 MILLION to pay public relations company, PR Worx, to do PR work and clean up the image of the struggling South African public broadcaster - the contract allegedly signed without following due process.

■ Bad form: Despite raging Covid-19 pandemic, political unrest and economic troubles in Nigeria, MultiChoice Nigeria is going ahead with a DStv Premium Golf Day in Lagos.

■ Half the price of Netflix: How Telkom's streamer TelkomONE and its SABC content compares.

■ SABC execs give trade unions until Friday to come with new suggestions on how to minimise retrenchment numbers at the bloated and overstaffed South African public broadcaster.

■ How the SABC tried not to cover (but failed) the Democratic Alliance (DA) political party's elective congress.

South African public broadcaster had to be forced to do so by a Johannesburg High Court order.

■ Princess Diana interview: "Dark cloud over BBC journalism," says former BBC chairman.

■ Since its tortoise-slow launch a year ago, Apple TV+ finally seems to hit its stride.

■ Bloomberg launches a streaming news channel for younger adults.

■ A fifth of American homes now has video streaming services but no traditional pay-TV service.

■ ViacomCBS is shutting down all of its legacy streaming services to focus on Paramount+ .

■ A flurry of complaints as British viewers are disgusted by ESPN's (DStv 218 / StarSat 248) new sympathetically-slanted Oscar Pistorius documentary series that MultiChoice and China's StarTimes plan to broadcast from 19 November in South Africa and across Africa.

Amazon Prime Video rolls out Pistorius as a new 4-part documentary about the bladerunner-killer Oscar Pistorius' tragic fall and the Reeva Steenkamp court case drama.

Amazon Prime Video is adding a new 4-part documentary series, entitled Pistorius, available from Thursday 6 September in South Africa and 200 other countries, about the convicted killer Ocar Pistorius who gunned down his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day 2013.

Originally made as a feature film, Amazon Prime Video decided to split it as individual, hour-long episodes,produced out of over more than 2 000 hours of footage.

Pistorius, directed by Vaughan Sivell and produced over 3 years, explores the tragedy of the killing of Reeva Steenkamp, the events that led up to her death, and what happened afterwards.

Oscar Pistorius, currently in prison, was convicted of killing Reeva Steenkamp and in 2015 his conviction was changed from culpable homicide to murder and his prison sentence extended.

In Pistorius Vaughan Sivell got some exclusive access to some of the key characters who appeared during and around the trial that was played out on live television in South Africa, like for instance TV journalist Debora Patta; Aimee Pistorius, Oscar's sister; journalist Karyn Maughan, commentator David O'Sullivan, Oscar Pistorius' brother, cousin as well as aunt and uncles; his prosthetist and some neighbours; former team mates; forensic investigator David Klatzow; prosecution lawyer Gerrie Nel; and defence lawyer Kelly Phelps, as well as others.

People like the Steenkamp family declined to be interviewed.

Pistorius was filmed in South Africa, the United States, the United Kingdom and Italy with Kew Media that made a deal with Amazon Studios for Pistorius.

A+E Networks Africa on Lifetime's upcoming Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer film: It will 'elicit mixed reactions'.

A+E Networks and Lifetime says it's open about the fact that the upcomingOscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer made-for-TV movie has not been endorsed by the families of either Oscar Pistorius or Reeva Steenkamp and that it's anticipated to "elicit mixed reactions in South Africa".

Oscar Pistorius' brother Carl Pistorius said earlier this week the Pistorius family will "take legal action" against the film in which Oscar Pistorius is portrayed by actor Andreas Damn with Toni Garrn playing Reeva Steenkamp who was tragically gunned down.

Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer will debut on 11 November on Lifetime in the United States, with no date available yet for Lifetime (DStv 131) in South Africa and Africa on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer was written by Amber Benson and produced by Eric Tomosunas and Swirl Films for Thinkfactory Media.

"A+E Networks Africa, which includes Lifetime Africa in its channel portfolio, would like to be transparent about the fact that the movie has not been seen or endorsed by the families of either Reeva Steenkamp or Oscar Pistorius," says the distributor of the Lifetime channel in a statement.

A+E Networks Africa says Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer "is based on a true story and public records. It looks at events leading up to Reeva’s killing as well as the courtroom trials that followed".

A+E Networks says it "has noted the families' statements in the media reports. We have not yet received any correspondence from either family’s lawyers".

"It is anticipated that the movie will elicit mixed reactions in South Africa due to the sensitive nature of the high profile court case which was widely followed".

In his statement earlier this week, Carl Pistorius said that the Pistorius family is distancing themselves from the Lifetime film, "produced by A+E Networks, a joint venture between the Disney-ABC Television Group".

Carl Pistorius didn't realise and know that Disney and ABC are the same company and that A+E Networks is not a joint venture between Disney-ABC, but between Disney-ABC Television and Hearst Communications.

By threatening "legal action", Carl Pistorius also goes up against freedom of speech in South Africa, and worldwide – something that protects filmmakers and writers who are allowed to interpret and re-interpret anything they want – and how they want to. It's called artistic creative licence.

Just like OJ Simpson, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Nelson Mandela and other high-profile people who've had several biopics and biographical films about their lives made, no one owns the story of their own life. 

It is legal for people to write unauthorized biographies, make documentaries or dramas about someone without needing their permission. You do not need permission to portray a real person in a work of art such as a book or movie.

By saying the family will take legal action, the Pistorius family is giving Lifetime's upcoming Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer a huge international publicity and attention boost with earned media coverage that normal made-for-TV movie marketing budgets can't buy.

Confused brother of killer Oscar Pistorius says family will take 'legal action' over Lifetime's biopic, Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer.

The confused brother of the blade runner killer Oscar Pistorius says the Pistorius family will be taking "legal action" over the upcoming Lifetime (DStv 131) film, Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer chronicling the sensational saga of how Oscar Pistorius gunned down and killed Reeva Steenkamp.

Carl Pistorius - who appears confused about the TV business as well as what freedom of speech entails - said in a statement issued on Tuesday that the Pistorius family is distancing themselves from the Lifetime film "produced by A+E Networks, a joint venture between the Disney – ABC Television Group".

Carl Pistorius is clearly clueless that Disney and ABC are the same company and that A+E Networks is not a joint venture between Disney-ABC, but between Disney-ABC Television and Hearst Communications.

Carl Pistorius also appears uninformed about what freedom of speech in South Africa, and worldwide, entails and that filmmakers and writers are allowed to interpret and re-interpret anything they want - and how they want to. It's called artistic creative licence.

Just like OJ Simpson, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Nelson Mandela and other high-profile people who've had several biopics and biographical films about their lives made, no one owns the story of their own life. 

It is absolutely legal for people to write unauthorized biographies, make documentaries or dramas about someone without needing their permission. You do not need permission to portray a real person in a work of art such as a book or movie.

A few years ago Winnie Madikizela-Mandela was upset about not being consulted for a Nelson Mandela film, and for her being portrayed by actress Jennifer Hudson. Ma Winnie couldn't take legal action.

In the statement on Tuesday Carl Pistorius, after getting the ownership of A+E Networks wrong, said "the 'film' was made with blatant disregard of both the Steenkamp and Pistorius families, as well as complete disregard for Reeva and Oscar. Neither Oscar, the defence or the family were involved in the production of this ‘film’ in anyway."

"The 'film' is not true reflection of what happened on the day of this tragedy and the subsequent trial of the matter. The 'film' is a gross distortion of the findings of the court."

"Oscar was subjected to a month long psychological evaluation which was insisted upon by the prosecution; the psychological evaluation of Oscar was undertaken by leading minds in the field. Oscar was subjected to in depth assessments and on-going tests almost daily for a month long; at no stage was Oscar found to have the mind of a killer."

"The 'film' is a gross misrepresentation of the truth. The 'film' is rather a representation of what the prosecution tried to portray.We will be taking legal action."

Having killed Reeva Steenkamp, Oscar Pistorius who is a killer, is portrayed by actor Andreas Damn with Toni Garrn playing Reeva Steenkamp who was tragically gunned down.

Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer will debut on 11 November on Lifetime in the United States, with no date available yet for Lifetime in South Africa and Africa on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer was written by Amber Benson and produced by Eric Tomosunas and Swirl Films for Thinkfactory Media.

In taking legal action, the Pistorius family looks as if it will be throwing more good money after bad.

A few years ago the family of the killed singer Aaliyah also threatened to stop Lifetime's film Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B about the singer who died in a Bahamas plane crash in 2001 and wanted to stop production and the showing because they were not kept in the loop.

Although the relatives were up in arms, the world ended up watching Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B with talk show host Wendy Williams who produced it who said "The family doesn't want the story to be told but we're doing it anyway".

In 2011 The Guardian reported that Winnie Madikizela-Mandela felt insulted by the Winnie movie in which she was portrayed by Jennifer Hudson in the titular role.

Winnie's lawyers also threatened South African director Darrell Roodt to stop production, but the film went ahead.

"I was not consulted. I am still alive, and I think that it is a total disrespect to come to South Africa, make a movie about my struggle, and call that movie some translation of a romantic life of Winnie Mandela," Winnie told CNN.

Earlier this year Michael Jackson's family was offended by Lifetime's Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland movie that portrayed all of Michael's kids - Prince, Paris and Blanket - as well as his parents Joe and Katherine, and Dr Conrad Murray who was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in Michael's death.

The film aired.

OJ Simpson and the Kardashians were reportedly unhappy with their portrayal in the hit drama series American Crime Story: The People vs OJ Simpson, as were the family of Whitney Houston with her 2015 Lifetime movie.

By saying the family will take legal action, the Pistorius family is giving Lifetime's upcoming Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer a huge international publicity and attention boost with earned media coverage that normal made-for-TV movie marketing budgets can't buy.

eNCA says it won't show viewers the photographs of the dead Reeva Steenkamp; SABC News shows blurred images; Sky News says 'gruesome' images not nice.

eNCA (DStv 403) on Wednesday says the TV news channel will not show viewers the gruesome and mutilated police photographs of a dead, bullet-wound filled Reeva Steenkamp while SABC News (DStv 404) showed viewers the images blurred with a warning, and Sky News (DStv 402) said the gruesome images are "not nice".

TV channels and media in South Africa who want to, can now show 6 shocking, selected police photographs that form part of the submitted evidence in the sensational Oscar Pistorius trial, previously banned by Judge Thokozile Masipa.

Reeva Steenkamp's parents, June and Barry Steenkamp, had the grim task of going through the sets of photographs and choose the 6 they want to share with the media and the public.

On Wednesday Judge Thokozile Masipa said media that wants to, can show the 6 released images, after Reeva Steenkamp's family like her father Barry Steenkamp on Tuesday asked for people to see the images to understand the excruciating pain her parents and family are experiencing daily.

"These photographs happen to be part of the evidence which is a public record," said Judge Thokozile Masipa.

"Initially not to make the photographs public was to protect the integrity of the family of the deceased. If the family of the deceased now feels that that protection is no longer necessary, it's not for me to interfere with that decision. For that reason I shall grant the request," said Judge Thokozile Masipa.


eNCA on Wednesday evening told viewers that "eNCA has the photographs but has decided not to show them on air. The channel does not believe that it is in the public interest to broadcast the images."


On Wednesday evening Sky News' Jeremy Thompson anchoring from outside the North Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg court this week, told viewers that "these pictures, basically restricted before, are basically close-ups of Reeva Steenkamp, with the bullet wounds. And they're gruesome pictures."

"We've seen them and I wouldn't want most people to see them. They're not nice," Jeremy Thompson said.


SABC News on Wednesday warned viewers that "some of the following visuals may upset sensitive viewers" in an excellent summary story of the day's court proceedings that was filed by Chriselda Lewis.

The warning likely also had to do with showing video of Oscar Pistorius waddling around on his stumps in court - the filed SABC News story showed some of the jaw-dropping scenes inside the court room on Wednesday when Reeve Steenkamp's killer removed his prosthetic legs.

In April 2014 both eNCA and the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel - produced by Combined Artistic Productions on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform - showed viewers one of the highly disturbing images of a bloodied Reeva Steenkamp's head wound without any prior warning to viewers.

eNCA blamed the Combined Artistic Productions Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel which was providing the channel feed it was using.

Sky News, in a filed and edited story included the images on the same day, but blurred it.

In May 2013 Sky News showed viewers some of the blood-smeared rooms inside Oscar Pistorius' home.

'I'd like to look in his face so he can see exactly what he's done to us': Carte Blanche on M-Net gets sit-down interview with June Steenkamp.

You're reading it here first. 

On Sunday night in Carte Blanche on M-Net (DStv 101) at 19:00 June Steenkamp, mother of Reeva Steenkamp who was shot and killed by Oscar Pistorius, will break her silence in an interview with Devi Sankaree Govender.- a mother's voice that all of South Africa has been waiting to hear.

"I don't feel anything, he [Oscar Pistorius] is not anything to me," June Steenkamp says to Devi Sankaree Govender. "I feel angry for what he's done to her. It is my child. I gave birth to her."

On Sunday night June Steenkamp takes Carte Blanche's Devi Sankaree Govender into her home after almost two years of media silence, sharing her most intimate thoughts about life without her daughter who was killed on 14 February, Valentines Day, last year by the paralympic "bladerunner" who is now behind bars.

Este de Klerk is the Carte Blanche producer of the big get, in an hour during which Carte Blanche will also has a revealing Eskom expose as South African households have been warned that they could be plunged into darkness and load shedding this weekend again.

I'm told getting and securing the interview with June Steenkamp took Carte Blanche two weeks to iron out the details, with the cameras which rolled this past Tuesday at June Steenkamp's home in Port Elizabeth.

Devi Sankaree Govender tells TV with Thinus "it felt surreal" to do the interview and to talk to June Steenkamp, following her months covering the trial as one of the anchors on MultiChoice's Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel on DStv.

"I read the book [June Steenkamp's book published by Jonathan Ball] with great interest and there were quite a few dots I needed to connect in my head," says Devi Sankaree Govender.

Seated in her lounge with Devi Sankaree Govender, with a large canvas featuring Reeva's face behind them, June Steenkamp reveals her true thoughts about the trial and what it was like for her to face the man who killed her daughter day after day in court and to finally reach a place where, as a Christian, she could forgive him.

"Sorry can never cover what he'd done," says June Steenkamp who will reveal that Oscar Pistorius "wanted to see us. He did try and make an appointment, but we weren't ready to face him".

"I think I'd like to look in his face so he can see exactly what he's done to us and he's taken away from us. I want to say to him: 'Here, I am the mother and you have taken everything from us."

On Sunday evening Carte Blanche viewers will see June Steenkamp talk about the "special connection" she still feels with Reeva following her death and she will also talk about her husband Barry Steenkamp and his struggle to confront the brutal way in which their daughter died.

June Steenkamp opens up to Carte Blanche about what it has been like being financially destitute and the decisions they made around finances.

"It can never get better, unless somebody can bring her back to life, it's never going to get better. You got to learn to live with it, to get on with you life," June Steenkamp tells Carte Blanche. "When I first saw him, I thought: this was the person who killed my daughter".

"And I think that I, in a way, unnerved him. And I liked that part of it. I wanted to be there for Reeva, so, to me it was good that I unnerved him."

She also reveals to Carte Blanche, and speaks openly and candidly to Devi Sankaree Govender, about appearing strong but inwardly dealing with "incredible pain" that she would not wish on anyone - and the way in which she knows that no amount of time will allow her and her husband to come to terms with what happened.

"I've forgiven him. As a Christian, you have to forgive. Otherwise you going to carry all this pain inside you, and this hatred and I am not like that," says June Steenkamp.

While Carte Blanche can't broadcast the full interview in its entirely, the full interview will be made available on MultiChoice's DStv Catch Up service right after Sunday evening's Carte Blanche episode.

Oscar Pistorius live TV coverage ramping up on Thursday and Friday to bring South African TV viewers the judgment and analysis, as it happens.

Coverage of the conclusion of the highly sensational Oscar Pistorius murder trial will be ramping up on Thursday and Friday 11 and 12 September on South African television as live court TV coverage resumes on the trial that gripped a fascinated world.

As judgment and a verdict from Judge Thokozile Masipa is delivered in the trial of the paralympic athlete who shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp last year on Valentines Day, 14 February 2013, the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform will go live again on DStv channel 199, and eNCA also has live coverage as well as special programming.

Neither SABC News (DStv 404) nor ANN7 (DStv 405) issued any coverage and broadcasting or programming advisories.

For the first day of judgment, Thursday 11 September, eNCA will start its live broadcast at 06:00, with live coverage from outside the court and near Oscar Pistorius' uncle's home.

Judge Thokozile Masipa's judgment will start at 09:00 on Thursday. eNCA anchors will speak to specialist reporters Karyn Maughan and Annika Larsen for analysis outside court before and in-between the court proceedings.

On Friday, 12 September, eNCA will go live again at 06:00 and court proceedings will be shown at 09:00 until judgment time, expected in the afternoon. Coverage will continue post the judgment throughout Friday evening.

"The channel has set-up a panel of respected legal experts, social commentators with some studio-based and some on location at the High Court," says Patrick Conroy, the managing director for eNCA.

DStv's Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel will start at 08:00 on Thursday. Although not communicated by MultiChoice and Combined Artistic Productions, its highly likely that the channel will remain broadcasting on Friday 12 September as well.

Joan Rivers' shocking new and extremely tasteless Reeva Steenkamp joke on Fashion Police on E! Entertainment.

You're reading it here first. 

The American comedienne Joan Rivers and host of the weekly acerbic Fashion Police show on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) has made her most shocking and extremely tasteless joke about the Oscar Pistorius murder trial and the killing of model Reeva Steenkamp yet.

Choosing American pop star Christina Aguilera's blonde hair with knotty cornrow braids, hair extensions and red highlights at the VH1 Music Awards as her 4th must-see look of 2000, Joan Rivers shocked in the latest episode of Fashion Police calling it "the triple crown of skank do's".

"The last time I saw a blonde with red streaks in her hair she was laying on Oscar Pistorius' bathroom floor," said Joan Rivers.

Her daughter Melissa Rivers gasped, then laughed.

It's Joan Rivers' third extremely crass Oscar Pistorius murder trial joke the past four months.

In April she critiqued a star's footwear on Fashion Police on E! Entertainment saying "I have not seen footwear this f- up since Oscar Pistorius wobbled to the witness stand".

In another episode later in April Joan Rivers called a star's outfit a bad idea that "falls in between marrying Charlie Sheen and using Oscar Pistorius' bathroom".

The murder trial of the paralympic athlete who shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine's Day, 14 February 2013, generated massive global interest and will resume on 7 August for closing arguments.

On 9 April The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel (DStv 199) from Combined Artistic Productions, eNCA (DStv 403) and MultiChoice made South African television history when they showed the extremely graphic and unblurred image of Reeva Steenkamp's gruesome head injuries on the DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

While The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel kept rebroadcasting the horrific image of Reeva Steenkamp's head damage during the day, Sky News in an edited news story only used pieces of the footage, blurred the images and warning viewers beforehand.

Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel on DStv shutting down until 7 August when it will broadcast again when closing arguments are to be heard.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel (DStv 199) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform is shutting down tonight at midnight for a third time since it began.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel will broadcast again from 08:00 on 7 August when the trial of the former paralympic athlete who shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp last year on 14 February will resume.

The court is expected to hear closing arguments on 7 August and the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel,produced by Combined Artistic Productions for DStv, will carry that court proceedings again live from this date.

Katy Katopodis, asked what she is going to be doing now with all her free time during evenings, told viewers on Tuesday night during her show Court Today with Katy, "grade two homework".

The most recent start-up of the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel on DStv was a definite misfire: a toned-down, torn-down, reduced and redacted version of how the channel initially started.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel suddenly had reduced hours, changed shows and an altered schedule, none of which was not communicated, nor explained, in addition to a new amateurly and bad looking, green-screened virtual block fake-remake of the once amazing studio.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel on DStv shutting down; will resume again on Monday 30 June at 09:30.

The successful Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel (DStv 199) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform will shut down again tonight and will resume again on 30 June.

The former paralympic athlete on trial for the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp has been sent by court for mental observation, leading to the postponement of the court case.

With a new date of Monday 30 June for the murder trial of Oscar Pistorius to commence, The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel plans to go live again from that morning at 08:00.

BREAKING. Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel on DStv will shut down on Thursday night, 14 May at midnight until 20 May.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel (DStv 199) will shut down again at midnight tomorrow night (Thursday night) until Tuesday 20 May when it will broadcast again for that day, after which it will again go dark until the court trial resumes again later in the year.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel will be live again on Tuesday morning 20 May from 08:30 for thatday.

Tomorrow, Thursday 14 May, the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel will be showing highlights from the trial from week 1 right through to week 8, from 07:00 until 00:00, when the channel will shut down.

BREAKING. The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel on DStv to shut down for a 3rd time as Oscar Pistorius is sent for mental evaluation.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel (DStv 199) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform will very likely shut down for a 3rd time - and an extended time period this time - after the murder accused, Oscar Pistorius on trial for the alleged premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, has been referred by the court for mental observation.

With no new court proceedings to follow, analyse and broadcast, the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel could possibly shut down tomorrow, or keep running with repeats until this coming Tuesday, 20 May, when judge Masipa will hand down the official order for Oscar Pistorius to undergo a mental evaluation.

After next Tuesday - the only day of new court coverage - the TV channel face an extended period of nothing to broadcast from the North Gauteng High Court.

Oscar Pistorius referral for mental evaluation follows the revelation from a psychiatrist for Oscar Pistorius' defence team that he has been suffering from "general anxiety disorder" or GAD, since he was just 11 months old.

Since it takes seven to eight months generally to find a place in a state-run mental institution in South Africa, and the mental evaluation can take up to 30 days, it is clear that the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel will be shutting down again for an extended period of time soon while this evaluation is taking place.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel will remain live until the end of Wednesday night.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel will be live this coming Tuesday.

TV with Thinus asked, but the channel has so far been unable to say what is happening from Thursday to Sunday - whether repeats will be shown or whether its shutting down.

There's also no announcement yet on the shut down after Tuesday.

MultiChoice's Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel a massive viewership success story for DStv.

MultiChoice's Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel (DStv 199) is a massive viewership success story for DStv, lifting ratings on the South African satellite pay-TV platform to unprecedented levels, making the channel the 4th most watched TV channel on pay-TV in South Africa since the channel launched on 2 March.

The phenomenal viewership feat makes the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel, which has already earned millions, the most successful pay-TV channel launched in South African television history.

That's due to the short amount of time in which the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel has been able to amass thousands of riveted viewers, get them to watch television for longer - and during timeslots usually suffering from anemic ratings.

The channel has successfully also managed to grow a brand-new social media community and following around a specific topic of interest  - people who then also watch the channel and interact with the various TV presenters.

The sensational court trial in the North Gauteng High Court of the paralympic athlete who shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentines Day last year, managed to push news coverage of Nkandlagate and South Africa's general election during March and April off of the front pages of newspapers and lifted viewership of the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel to unprecedented numbers.

The court trial since 2 March received major coverage from global media with print and electronic media who have dedicated journalists covering the proceedings.

It's now likely that the upcoming murder trial of Shrien Dewani, now in South Africa, will likewise be televised in a similar fashion, fueling South African TV viewers' obsession for dramatic, televised court room drama.

A staggering 90% of viewers of the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel said they would want to watch the Shrien Dewani murder trial of his wife Anni.

During mid-March the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel, produced by Combined Artistic Productions for MultiChoice's DStv platform, lured more viewers than any other pay-TV channel, taking fourth place on the most-watched channels list, only behind the free-to-air channels SABC1, SABC2 and e.tv which remain the perennial front-runners.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel proved more popular than premium pay-TV channels like M-Net, Mzansi Magic and kykNET which are supplied to MultiChoice by M-Net, and instantly shot up to the coveted top 5 list of most watched TV channels on DStv.

In a phenomenal performance and ratings boost for DStv, the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel managed to pull at certain periods, the same viewership and even slightly surpass it, of a show like for instance Carte Blanche on M-Net - the premium pay-TV broadcaster's number one rated show and which is broadcast during prime time when a bigger possible audience is available.

Even more astounding is that the channel managed this during morning and afternoon timeslots when overall daytime TV viewership in South Africa is usually extremely low.

The channel has pulled one of its biggest audiences on Monday morning between 09:00 and 11:00 for instance - thousands of viewers tuning in during a timeslot where there's usually few people watching, or available to watch TV in South Africa.

It means that the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel not only brought thousands of viewers more to DStv and during times like mornings and afternoons when they wouldn't have been watching before, but also helped to lift the overall available TV audience in South Africa available to advertisers during those timeslots.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel has also been a spontaneous upsell driver to prompt DStv subscribers to upgrade to higher and more expensive DStv bouquets in order to follow the televised court trial.

DStv subscribers like Cherise de Wet, a practising attorney from George, who decided to upgrade their TV household to a higher DStv bouquet for just a month in April in order to follow to murder trial, has remained on a more expensive package solely to get the TV channel and follow the proceedings.

"The Oscar Pistorius Trial: A Carte Blanche Channel has exceeded our best expectations having gained a large and dedicated audience in South Africa and around the world," Aletta Alberts, MultiChoice's head of content tells TV with Thinus.

"The channel features consistently as one of the top 5 most viewed TV channels on the DStv platform since its inception in March 2014, unusual for a pop-up channel".

"We are very excited about the groundbreaking broadcast and social media integration and positive educational feedback we've received," says Aletta Alberts.

"The Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel has been performing incredibly well. It has attracted massive audiences," Chris Botha, the group managing director for leading media agency The MediaShop tells TV with Thinus.

"Most importantly for DStv, it has grown their audience share in non-traditional time channels. DStv's daytime audiences are generally quite small, but the Oscar Trial TV channel has changed it all around. Some of the daytime programmes have performed better than some primetime programmes".

"That is one of the reasons DStv introduced the channel - not to make millions of ad revenue, but to grow daytime audiences that will hopefully stay on the bouquet".

"The channel has done well because the trial is so much bigger than any one media type," says Chris Botha.

"The trial has received massive exposure not only on television, but also on social media like Facebook and Twitter. The interest in the trial then drives TV viewership".

"A lot of clients are still sceptical about advertising on the channel. They don't want to be associated with it, as it polarising to some audiences, and also as it is seen as distateful".

"I don't believe it is a missed opportunity for advertisers," says Chris Botha. "I rather believe it is a grasped opportunity for MultiChoice".

"This live trial has changed the way the world is exposed to real life, and real life tragedies, via the media," says media agency Carat SA which compiled marketing and media insights about the Oscar Pistorius televised trial and TV channel.

Regular TV viewing behaviour in South Africa has been impacted, with viewers shunning their usual schedule as they seek a blow-by-blow account of the highly sensational trial, according to Carat SA.

"This story has gripped the interest of millions, and has taken 'reality TV' to a whole different level, with consumers having access to virtually every comment and development," says Carat SA.

"There is a great opportunity for advertisers to tap into audiences. However it was to be expected that brands would not immediately jump to reach these audiences, because of the sensitivities around this new landscape".

"Yet it is worth considering now what the future strategy will be, should this altered media playing field become a regular feature in our lives. There is already talk about the potential for a dedicated court TV channel, and it is expected that media houses will once again apply to live broadcast proceedings during the trial of Shrien Dewani," says Carat SA.

BREAKING. Oscar Pretorius TV trial: The surreal, real-life TV court drama that keeps on giving - Bladerunner now claims anxiety disorder.

You cannot script this: Oscar Pistorius who shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentines Day last year and who has been on trial for premeditated murder, now suddenly claims a "generalised anxiety disorder" with court proceedings which adjourned today until tomorrow for the court to study the new report.

If Oscar Pistorius is referred for mental observation, he will spend 30 days in a state mental institution being psychologically evaluated.

This means that tomorrow (Tuesday 13 May) will be another important, must-watch day in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial to see if the judge agrees that Oscar Pistorius should go to a state mental institution for observation - or not.

It's the next massive and unexpected twist and big surprise in this much talked-about murder trial which continues to deliver surreal and real-life television soap opera drama.

The court adjourned - now with the possibility of the Oscar Pistorius murder trial stretching even longer as the former paralympic athlete known as the Bladerunner could be cloistered in a mental institution.

Being taken up in a state mental institution for 30 days in South Africa will also only happen - should the court refer Oscar Pistorius there - once there is space: in South Africa the waiting list for admission for psychological evaluation is months.

A former state psychatrist for Oscar Pistorius' defence, today claimed that Oscar Pistorius has a so-called "anxiety disorder" brought on by "an unstable childhood" and the "traumatic assault" of having his legs amputated as a baby.

It's not clear why this testimony surfaced only today, more than two months into the sensational trial which has riveted viewers worldwide and which is shown on television on TV channels like the Oscar Pistorius Trial TV channel on channel 199 on MultiChoice's DStv platform.

Keep in mind #1: It has never been Oscar Pistorius' defence that he can't distinguish between right and wrong - which is exactly now what a so-called "anxiety disorder" would suggest if Oscar Pistorius really suffers from one: that longtime anxiety issues made his unable to make sound judgments and decisions.

Keep in mind #2: The defence psychiatrist has been brought in and conducted interviews, and came to the conclusion of Oscar Pistorius' "sudden" anxiety disorder after May and during this month - two months after the murder trial started and Oscar Pistorius had been in court for several days, and more than a year after he had shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp.

Joan Rivers slams Oscar Pistorius again in another joke for a second time this month on Fashion Police on E! Entertainment.

For the second time this month the American comedienne Joan Rivers is trashing the South African killer Oscar Pistorius in a joke on her weekly Fashion Police show on E! Entertainment (DStv 124).

In the latest episode of Fashion Police Joan Rivers critiques the outfit of singer and dancer Cat Graham, saying "Cat's outfit is so terrible on the scale of really bad ideas, it falls between marrying Charlie Sheen and using Oscar Pistorius' bathroom".

The Fashion Police studio audience let out an audible gasp. Co-host Kelly Osbourne screamed, "Jooooan!"

Earlier in April on Fashion Police Joan Rivers also trashed Oscar Pistorius, saying that she hadn't seen such bad leg wear on a Hollywood celebrity "since Oscar Pistorius wobbled to the witness stand".

Oscar Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentines Day, 14 February 2013. The former paralympic athlete is currently standing trial in the North Gauteng High Court on a charge of premeditated murder.

BREAKING. Exclusive interview with June Steenkamp, Reeva Steenkamp's mom, coming to Discovery Channel on Sunday 27 April at 21:00.

You're reading it here first.

Discovery Channel (DStv 121) will be broadcasting the exclusive, very recent interview with the parents of the dead Reeva Steenkamp, June and Barry Steenkamp, set for Sunday 27 April at 21:00.

The Trial of Oscar Pistorius is the renamed documentary of Pistorius On Trial: Nowhere to Run which was shown earlier this month on the Investigation Discovery TV channel in America.

The Trial of Oscar Pistorius - besides the Discovery Channel broadcasting date - will also be broadcast on TLC Entertainment (DStv 172) on Thursday 1 May at 21:50.

"The world has been riveted by the Oscar Pistorius trial over the last few weeks," says Lee Hobbs, the channel director for emerging business, for Discovery Networks' Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) region.

"In this special documentary, the Steenkamps share some of their memories of Reeva, the young woman she was and what they feel may have led to her tragic death."

Oscar Pistorius is currently on trial, accused of premeditated murder after he shot and killed Reeva Steenkamp on Valentines Day last year. 

In The Trial of Oscar Pistorius, June Steenkamp opens up about the first time she ever laid eyes on Oscar Pistorius, the loss of her daughter and being inside the courtroom in Pretoria in a sensational murder trial which has gripped the world's attention.

"I think he [Oscar] has to see me, the mother, the person who gave birth to her, that he's taken that away," says June Steenkamp in the exclusive TV interview.

"That's what I want to see, that's why I want to look in his face and he must look in mine. He must see now that I am there for justice for Reeva, no matter what happened, and the truth, obviously, which we don't know we'll ever get. But I hope for that."

Barry Steenkamp, Reeva's father, suffered a minor stroke prior to the start of the trial and has been unable to attend court. 

Speaking for the first time to Peacock Productions that produced the documentary, Barry says, "I've got my own feelings inside as to what happened, but what I do want to do, is to just to talk to him. I would like to have a chat to him, man to man. Guilty or not guilty, whatever it is. I would like to have a talk; that would help me a lot".

Joan Rivers of E! Entertainment's Fashion Police trashes 'f- up' footwear looking like Oscar Pistorius who 'wobbled to the witness stand'.

The acerbic comedienne Joan Rivers and host of the weekly Fashion Police on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) critiques shoes in the latest weekly episode by trashing Oscar Pistorius on trial for premeditated murder.

Referring to the gladiator style shoes worn by Hollywood celebrity Garcelle Beauvais to a charity event in Los Angeles, Joan Rivers rips into her shoes, simultaneously trashing the former paralympic sport star known as the Blade Runner.

"The footwear! I have not seen footwear this f- up since Oscar Pistorius wobbled to the witness stand. I'm sorry".

"Joan!" screamed Fashion Police co-presenter Kelly Osbourne.

BREAKING. eNCA on shocking and gruesome Reeva Steenkamp image: 'eNCA has no control over the live pool feed, this is managed by Carte Blanche'.

In response to shocked South African viewers who yesterday saw - with no prior warning and no blurring - shocking images shown on South African television of the dead Reeva Steenkamp and her gruesome head injuries after being shot and killed by Oscar Pistorius - eNCA (DStv 403) says it didn't repeat broadcast the images and that it is M-Net's Carte Blanche controlling the TV feed, not eNCA.

The Oscar Pistorius trial TV channel on MultiChoice's DStv platform on DStv channel 199 showed the gruesome, extremely graphic and highly disturbing images again later to viewers on Wednesday, unblurred, and with an on-screen restriction of just 13.

Sky News (DStv 402) in a filed and edited story late on Wednesday included the images, but blurred it, warned viewers, and told them the images on the monitor behind the prosecutor and the big image shown full-screen, are going to be blurred.

The shocking on-air broadcast on Wednesday of a dead Reeva Steenkamp's head made cringe-worthy South African television history.

It was the first time in South African television history that an an image/photo of a victim, photographed dead on the scene by the police, was shown on South African television in live TV coverage of a court case and a murder trial.

'"eNCA has no control over the live pool feed, this is managed by Carte Blanche," Patrick Conroy, the group head of news at Sabido's 24-hour TV news channel tells TV with Thinus.

"eNCA did not rebroadcast the image in later bulletins, although DStv channel 199 did. We cannot explain the rationale for doing so."

"Please note the clear direction we have from the prosecution is that broadcasters can show anything on the screens, for instance photos and Whatsapp messages. Where photos to be used are graphic, the prosecutors were alerting Carte Blanche beforehand".

"They informed us that the prosecution did not do so with the image used yesterday".

"Despite the Prosecution's silence on the matter, eNCA feels it would be gratuitous to show the image deliberately".

"We have as a result of this incident, implemented an on-screen graphic warning at all times, should another picture be inadvertently shown," says Patrick Conroy.

"It was a very, very graphic image," said Alex Crawford, the Sky News special correspondent, covering the Oscar Pistorius murder trial on Sky News, "showing both bullet entry and exit wounds, brain matter all in her hair. And it was utter shocking".

"It got uncomfortable for people seeing Reeva's head up there, and it being juxtaposed with the watermelon exploding because of some fired shots. It painted a graphic and disturbing picture," said prof. Tawana Kupe, Wits academic and journalist, interviewed Wednesday night on the Oscar Pistorius trial TV channel.

Besides eNCA, Sky News and the Oscar Pistorius trial TV channel on DStv, viewers are also watching the live court room coverage of the highly sensational trial on SABC News (DStv 404) and ANN7 (DStv 405) which also use and show the live TV feed, as well as the Oscar Trial TV (OVHD 119) TV channel on OpenViewHD.

GRUESOME SHOCKER. South African TV makes history by showing for the first time a dead Reeva Steenkamp and shocking head injuries.

People in South Africa are completely shocked in today's Oscar Pistorius murder trial coverage as it was shown on television.

For the first time in South African history- and for the first time in South African television history - an image/photo of a victim, photographed dead on the scene, was shown on South African television in live TV coverage of a court case and a murder trial.

It happened when a gruesome and shocking image of victim Reeva Steenkamp, killed by Oscar Pistorius, taken by police on the night of the fatal shooting, was shown in full on TV on Wednesday.

(It is the side image visible on the screen at the right in the image above, which was shown, full screen, on broadcast television seconds later). 

While other TV channels had no on-air age restriction indicator, the Carte Blanche Oscar Pistorius trial TV channel on MultiChoice's DStv 199, carried (only) the ongoing "13" age restriction. 

It's highly debatable whether this is/was remotely sufficient for the gruesome image which was shown on South African television today.

Broadcasters - not eNCA (DStv 403), ANN7 (DStv 405), SABC News (SABC News 404), OpenView HD's Oscar Pistorius Trial channel - had no prior warning that this shocking image of a dead Reeva Steenkamp and her head blown open, was going to be shown in court and with such severe and horrific impact. 

However, why the image was repeatedly being shown on television in repeat broadcasts of the court proceedings, is unclear - although a channel like the Oscar Pistorius trial TV channel on MultiChoice did run an on-screen notification bar warning about "graphic evidence" and that "viewer discretion is advised".

Is the age restriction to show an image of a real-life person on broadcast television who is now dead - and who sustained gory and gruesome injuries and severe bodily trauma - only 13?

As a South African TV critic I do not have the answer to that question.

I'm deliberately not showing the image here - although people who tuned in to the TV channels broadcasting the court case had no prior warning and no choice.

They just unexpectedly saw it - the same way as the people inside the North Gauteng High Court who all let out a collective gasp.

Reeva Steenkamp's mother, June Steenkamp, who have sat in court every day as she did today, did get prior warning from the prosecutor that the image was going to be shown in court today.

"It got uncomfortable for people seeing Reeva's head up there, and it being juxtaposed with the watermelon exploding because of some fired shots. It painted a graphic and disturbing picture," said prof. Tawana Kupe, Wits academic and journalist, later, when he was interviewed on the Oscar Pistorius trial TV channel on Wednesday night.

"A very, very graphic image," said Alex Crawford, the Sky News correspondent, covering the Oscar Pistorius murder trial, "showing both bullet entry and exit wounds, brain matter all in her hair. And it was utter shocking".

I'm hiding the image which was shown on South African television behind a fold below. Do not scroll down further, or do not click on the link below if you do not want to see this image.

In edited news stories, 24-hour TV news channels like Sky News (DStv 402) which used pieces of the footage, it blurred both of the images, and told viewers before showing the specific scenes, that it blurred the images.

That an extremely graphic image like this was shown in a South African court is in itself not unusual. This is a murder case. 

What is highly unusual, and that happened for the first time on South African television, is that it was shown to a broad public - a viewing public which includes and can potentially include anybody. 

That is what makes the broadcast of this image shocking and unprecedented for South Africa and for South African television and for South Africa's legal profession.

It's never happened before, is unknown territory, and potentially exposes people who did not want to see something like this - for instance a 15 year old, or a 55 year old, not tuned into a news programme - to something they can't "unwatch".

If you want to see it, you will have to click on the link below at the end of this article, but I cannot stress enough that it is highly disturbing, makes for disturbing viewer, and shouldn't be watched by sensitive people.