SABC2 cancels Pasella after 23 years, channel says final episodes of the longrunning Afrikaans lifestyle magazine show will be a ‘tribute season’.

by Thinus Ferreira

SABC2 has cancelled Pasella after 23 years and 28 seasons, confirming that the longrunning Afrikaans lifestyle magazine show won't be back after the latest season.

Pasella weathered multiple day and timeslot changes over numerous years on SABC2 and was a yearlong show with weekly episodes until the SABC2 changed it to shorter, broken-up seasons in 2013 after 15 years.

Pasella started in March 1998 on SABC2 when Pieter Cilliers Productions began the series as a studio-based show. Filmmedia took over production a year later in 1999 and then Tswelopele Productions got the contract in 2001. 

Amor Engelbrecht was the longrunning producer of Pasella until she left and started her Media Club production company producing series for Media24's VIA (DStv 147) channel.

The final current season of Pasella on Wednesdays at 19:30 will be a "tribute season", meeting up with some of the presenters from previous years and showing the history of the series, along with everyone who had a role in creating and producing the series, including veteran Pasella crew and staff behind-the-scenes.

Maritha Greenland, SABC2 commissioning editor, says Pasella will end with a final episode that will be a wrap party, called a "Pasella party" to "give the show a proper, heartfelt goodbye".

The current crop of Pasella presenters are Paul Rothmann, Vicky Davis, Amalia Uys, Hemelbesem, Rumacques Gelderbloem and Sasha-Lee Davids.

Pasella is produced by Tswelopele Productions with Patience Stevens and Basetsana Kumalo as executive producers, with the company that was a powerhouse producer for SABC content for decades.

SABC3 cancelled Top Billing, also produced by Tswelopele Productions in October 2019 after 27 years after the South African public broadcaster could no longer afford the luxury lifestyle show.

Gerhard Pretorius, SABC2 channel head, said Pasella over the years was very good at adapting with how television changed.

"The decision has been a hard one, but it is necessary with the new schedule introduced in April this year, aimed at diversifying SABC 2’s Afrikaans magazine offering," he said. 

"This will also enable the channel to showcase different stories which represent the diversity of our nation and offer more opportunities for independent producers to bring their creative works to the channel."

The axing of Pasella is part of the ongoing restructuring of SABC2's linear schedule to replace old programmes with fading ratings with new on-air properties that could hopefully lure more viewers back to the channel.

SABC2 recently cut down both 7de Laan and Muvhango to just 3 episodes per week because of sagging ratings to slowly try and introduce other programming in the timeslots to see if the replacement series can attract higher viewership.

The final Pasella episode will be broadcast in January 2022.

New 27th season of SABC2's Afrikaans magazine show, Pasella, adds former Idols winner Sasha-Lee Davids as presenter.

SABC2's Afrikaans lifestyle magazine show Pasella will return for a 27th season on Wednesday at 19:30 adding the former Idols winner, Sasha-Lee Davids as one of the new presenters.

The SABC's longest-running Afrikaans magazine produced by Tswelopele Productions keeps Paul Rothmann and Simon Witbooi, known as HemelBesem, as presenters, and is adding fellow rapper Rumarcques Gelderbloem known as Oxijin, actress Amalia Uys, known for her role as Sanmarie on the SABC2 soap 7de Laan, as well as Sasha-Lee Davids who was the co-winner in 2009 of the 5th season of Idols on M-Net.

Pasella is the first of the longrunning SABC2 prime time shows getting a refresh and that has to lift sagging ratings.

Nomsa Philiso, the SABC's group executive for television, last month told parliament that the SABC is working at reversing the viewership slides at its SABC2 and SABC3 TV channels.

"SABC2 also had its own problems from 2014 coming this way - it has had 6 major schedule changes - so it has dropped some of its share and would like to see a targeted increase from a 13% share to 15%."

"We are also looking at some of the key properties that are under-performing in the prime time timeslots on SABC2 and we are also going to be reviewing those."

"From a SABC2 point of view we really want to continue to entrench the positioning of SABC2 as a family channel, which is really focused on nation-building and social cohesion," Nomsa Philiso said.

The 27th season of Pasella will showcase things in three, for instance locations, experiences and subjects that all share a common thread. The show will for instance cover three of South Africa’s most interesting train trips, will be exploring three out of the ordinary South African breakaway accommodations and visit some of South Africa’s top animal hotels.

As before, as Pasella visits various places around South Africa, it will do it with local personalities, share recipes and talk to people behind some of the most innovative and creative locations.

Some of the entertainers that will be featured in the new Pasella season include personalities like actors Frank Rautenbach and Jill Levenberg; the Idols winner Paxton Fielies, the singer Claire Johnston and radio DJ Martin Bester. 

The show will also spend some time with local sport stars like Dillyn Leyds, Jaco Coetzee, EW Viljoen and Scarra Ntubeni and this season will also include stories of some inspiring South Africans.

The SABC's latest schedule shuffle from 6 February: SABC2's 7de Laan to 18:00, Sesotho news to 20:00, a new Afrikaans timeslot at 19:00; SABC1's Uzalo goes 5 days.

Timeslot-fatigued SABC viewers are in for yet another new round of programme shuffling from February - most notably on SABC2 - that will see Afrikaans soap 7de Laan shunted to 18:00, the Sotho news to 20:00, and the introduction of a new stripped, , hour long, 4-day a week Afrikaans timeslot at 19:00 in an attempt to try and lure back viewers.

The South African public broadcaster will announce yet another dramatic round of show changes to its channels like SABC1 and SABC2 soon.

The new changes will follow the latest temporary disruption of it channels' programming line-ups due to AFCON 2017 soccer tournament coverage,what the SABC calls its "transversal strategy".

The new SABC TV line-up will mark the SABC's 3rd big TV schedules change in a year, not counting the temporary AFCON 2017 schedule disruption.

The SABC's ongoing scheduling changes continue to worry the South African TV and advertising industry, concerned about the erratic nature and ongoing scheduling instability at the public broadcaster that impacts its viewership and ratings, and ultimately its ad income - a big source of the broadcaster's revenue.

After every SABC schedule change viewers struggle to find where shows have moved to. In the past year several shows on SABC2 and SABC3 have showed ongoing monthly viewership drop-offs after certain programmes were moved to timeslot where it struggles to maintain audiences as viewers fled.

The SABC announced dramatic schedule changes to SABC1, SABC2 and SABC2 in February, only to announce schedule changes again just four months later in June. AFCON 2017 is currently upending the SABC's schedules with the broadcaster that is set to announce yet another round of schedule changes that will come into effect from 6 February.

After moving the timeslot of the stalwart Afrikaans soap 7de Laan on SABC2 for the first time ever in its 15 year history in July 2016 from 18:30 to 19:00, the SABC is set to move 7de Laan again after just 7 months to 18:00 from Monday 6 February after the conclusion of AFCON 2017.


An even tougher time finding viewers?
The ratings-battered weekday soap will likely have an ever tougher time finding viewers on SABC2 in the early prime time slot when a lot of its audience - commuting working-class viewers are not home yet.

The fictional Hillside set 7de Laan will now be competing with the Cape Town based Afrikaans soap Suidooster on kykNET (DStv 144) and kykNET&kie (DStv 145).

The Danie Odendaal Productions that also publicly announced the 18:00 timeslot move from February to viewers says the change is "unfortunately outside of our control. The SABC is making these changes".

The SABC will also move its daily Setswana/Sesotho TV news bulletin from 6 February from 18:00 to 20:00 daily.

The Sesotho news on SABC2 will now compete directly with Generations on SABC1 at 20:00, programmes that fight for part of the same audience on the public broadcaster and with many viewers who would like to watch both.

The Sesotho news bulletin that was moved, suffered a viewership drop since its move to the 18:00 timeslot the past few months and completely dropped out of SABC2's top 20 most watched shows since November 2016 - the very timeslot 7de Laan is now going to be moved to.


New Afrikaans timeslot block
In addition to the 7de Laan and Sesotho news changes, a new stripped, hour long Afrikaans timeslot is set to be introduced on SABC2 from Monday 6 February at 19:00.

This new timeslot block will run from Monday to Thursday as SABC2 tries to court and lure back Afrikaans viewers.

Trying to create better ongoing scheduling flow and to get viewers to stay tuned in for longer instead of flipping the channel's hotch-potch "language mosaic programming", SABC2 channel head Gerhard Pretorius and scheduling executive Thulisile Nhlapo is essentially creating a 2-hour Afrikaans TV block from 6 February that will effectively stretch from 18:00 to 20:00.

SABC2's latest February schedule from 6 February will start with 7de Laan at 18:00, Afrikaans news at 18:30, and then shows at 19:00 like Vetkoekpaleis and Kliphard (Monday), Fees van die Ongenooides (Tuesday), Geure van die Vallei and Authentiek (Wednesday), and Beter Assie Bure (Thursday).

The Afrikaans entertainment magazine show Pasella will start again on 22 February, now on a Wednesday at 19:30.

Zandile Nkonyeni, SABC TV head publicist, didn't respond to a media enquiry on Thursday morning seeking comment about the changes and was asked why SABC2 decided to move 7de Laan, the Sesotho news and introduce the Afrikaans block at 19:00.

She was asked if SABC2 doesn't consider the 7de Laan timeslot to be too early and why the Sesotho TV news bulletin is made to compete against Generations on SABC1 for an audience, but didn't respond at the time of publication.

As previously reported in December 2016 already, the SABC will also extend the SABC1 prime time soap Uzalo's run from the week starting 6 February from 4 to 5 days per week, adding a Friday episode of the soap in the same timeslot of 20:30 from the start of its third season.

SABC1 publicist Philip Mabitsela didn't respond to a media enquiry on Thursday morning seeking comment about the KwaMashu set soap from Stained Glass Productions being extended to 5 days a week.

Former SABC2 soap star Heino Schmitt joins Pasella as the latest new field presenter after exiting 7de Laan after 11 years.

Afrikaans soap star Heino Schmitt who exited the SABC2 soap 7de Laan a few months ago has joined the channel's Afrikaans magazine show Pasella as a field presenter.

Heino Schmitt whose last 7de Laan scenes were filmed late last year and broadcast earlier this year, will make his Pasella appearance in his first insert on Friday 11 March on SABC2 at 19:30.

Heino Schmitt joined the Tswelopele Productions magazine show after 11 years of playing the role of Altus de Bruyn and is one of several new faces who were added to the latest season of Pasella that just started.

"His charm, good looks and winning smile will be something for Pasella viewers to look forward to as they welcome him in his new role as presenter," says the show.

Heino Schmitt will be travelling around South Africa, discovering hidden gems, and doing profile interviews. His first insert will be in the Magaliesberg talking to 7de Laan actor Zetske van Pletzen and stunt biker Skinny van Schalkwyk.

"Pasella is a beloved and well-known show. I like challenges and this is an opportunity to grow," says Heino Schmitt.

Pasella adds three new presenters as SABC2 yet again moves it to a new timeslot to create an uninterrupted Afrikaans programming flow block on Fridays.

Pasella is adding three new presenters when the Afrikaans lifestyle and entertainment magazine show on SABC2 returns for another season from this Friday, 5 February.

Pasella's timeslot is also once again changing - from 18:00 exactly a year ago during its last season to now 19:30 on Fridays where it will serve as a lead-out for the SABC's Afrikaans TV news bulletin.

Pasella moving to 19:30 and replacing the Sesotho news bulletin moving to 18:00, will serve as part of a new programming bridge to the Afrikaans game show Noot vir Noot at 20:00.

It's part of the SABC's attempt to keep Afrikaans viewers from tuning out by creating an uninterrupted Afrikaans language flow programming block of two and a half hours on Friday nights, starting with 7de Laan at 18:30, followed by the Afrikaans news, Pasella and then Noot vir Noot.

Joining the existing line-up of Pasella presenters Paul Rothman, Dieter Voigt, Melinda Bam, Vicky Davis, Lynelle Kenned and Simon Witbooi known as Hemelbesem, are Mishka Patel, Sean-Marco Vorster and Carmen Pretorius.

The show from Tswelopele Productions also responsible for SABC3's Top Billing, used to run uninterrupted all year round on SABC2 until March 2013 when the SABC decided to break it down into shorter interrupted seasons which returned in the new format in February last year.

Mishka Patel is finally getting TV screen time after the former Presenter Search on 3 finalist was officially announced on Expresso as the Win a Home co-presenter on SABC3 in August and then got inexplicably dumped causing big embarrassment.

Mishka Patel is a former Miss South Africa finalist and will interview actress Lindie Stander and painter Sandy Esau in the new Pasella season's first episode.

Sean-Marco Vorster was a presenter on SABC3's short-lived NAweek magazine show in 2015 and had roles in local Afrikaans films like Die Windpomp, Strikdas and Lystraf.

Soap star Carmen Pretorius who've appeared in Isidingo and Binnelanders has also done musicals and films like Lien se Lankstaanskoene.

Afrikaans personalities who will appear in the new Pasella season include Fanie de Villiers, Kurt Darren, Annie Malan, Faf du Plessis, Len Muller, Nianell and Dozi.

The first Pasella episode will be visiting Langebaan, with Hartbeespoortdam, Stellenbosch, Pretoria, Riebeek-Kasteel, Witrivier and Hermanus in upcoming episodes.

Pasella returns to SABC2 on Friday 13 February at 18:00; adds new presenter Simon Witbooi 'Hemel Besem'.

The longrunning Afrikaans magazine show Pasella returns on Friday to SABC2 in a new timeslot of 18:00 with a new format and a new presenter Simon Witbooi, known as "Hemel Besem".

Pasella used to run uninterrupted all year round on SABC2 until March 2013 when the SABC decided the show will be broken into capped shorter seasons and will have to alternate with other programming on SABC2.

Pasella which has weathered multiple day and timeslot changes over 16 years is once again moving to a new day and timeslot from 13 February with a new 30-minute format.

Pasella, produced by Tswelopele Productions from Cape Town, does retain presenters like actress Crystal-Donna Roberts, model and former school teacher and Mr South Africa Dieter Voigt, former Miss South Africa Melinda Bam, Paul Rothmann, Charlene Lackay and singer Lynelle Kenned.

The magazine show will once again explore South Africa, visiting people and doing profile inserts, giving décor and DIY advice and share recipes.

Friday's first new Pasella episode explores the history of the Bainskloofpas and talks to Tim Theron, Heinz Winckler and Milan Murray from the film Mooirivier. Paul and Crystal-Donna celebrate Valentine's Day by cooking a romantic dinner, the show visits Langkloof Roses to learn about different varieties of roses and Dieter goes on the Sundays River Cruise in the Eastern Cape.

e.tv debuts first-ever Afrikaans music magazine show, Musiek Musiek, to lure viewers over after the SABC makes Afrikaans less accessible.

e.tv will debut the free-to-air channel's first-ever Afrikaans music magazine show, Musiek Musiek, on Wednesday 10 September at 20:00, ready to lure Afrikaans and other viewers after the SABC made several Afrikaans language TV programmes less accessible by moving it from SABC2 to SABC3 which has a much smaller national footprint.

Musiek Musiek with presenters Eagan Williamson and Tina Meissenheimer will broadcast on e.tv from 10 September at 20:00.

Besides other Afrikaans programming, the SABC moved the Afrikaans magazine show Pasella from Wednesdays at 19:30 permanently from 14 July to the smaller SABC3 where millions fewer analogue viewers can see it.

Now those Afrikaans viewers can watch Musiek Musiek on e.tv on Wednesday in roughly the same timeslot.

Musiek Musiek as e.tv's first ever Afrikaans music magazine show and produced by Media World, will explore the Afrikaans music world with interviews with the hottest Afrikaans singers and artists, looking at how music videos are made, as well as a Golden Oldies segment playing classic Afrikaans music videos.

e.tv says the channel is proud to launch its very first Afrikaans music magazine show on the chanel.

"This is all part of an ongoing effort to ensure that we service our diverse audience base and ensure that we remain the entertainment destination of choice for all South Africans," says Monde Twala, e.tv's managing director.

"There is something for everyone in Musiek Musiek right from the golden oldies to the latest and cutting edge youth music," says Monde Twala.

It's the 22-year old Tina Meissenheimer's first TV presenting work, who will talk with in-studio guests as singers share their knowledge and experiences of the music industry and the stories that led to their success.

Eagan Williamson who've appeared on kykNET's Glitterati and Tonge Los will share gossip and news from the Afrikaans music scene, music industry news, latest song and album releases and attend live events.

"I am ecstatic," says Tina Meissenheimer. "Having Musiek Musiek on e.tv is also super exciting".

"I am honoured to be a part of such an amazing new project for e.tv, especially since it is their first Afrikaans show," says Eagan Williamson. "I honestly believe that all South Africans will enjoy the show tremendously and that the Afrikaans music industry would welcome Musiek Musiek into their homes and hearts".

BREAKING. Melinda Bam, joins Pasella on SABC2 as a new presenter of the Afrikaans magazine show.

Melinda Bam is joining SABC2's weekly Afrikaans magazine show Pasella as a new presenter.

There's been no word to the press from either SABC2 nor the Tswelopele Productions produced local programme regarding the addition of Melinda Bam as the latest on-screen talent.

Melinda Bam is a former Miss South Africa, and was crowned Miss South Africa 2011.

Pasella, like its sister programme Top Billing, has a soft spot for South African beauty queens as presenters; Pasella previously saw Cindy Nell and Jo-Ann Strauss utilised as presenters for the show.

Melinda Bam is no stranger to Pasella and has appeared on Pasella previously in a profile interview. The former Miss South Africa started working for Pasella two weeks ago, filming her first insert in middle January.

Melinda Bam joins the current Pasella crop of presenters Crystal Donna Roberts, Paul Rothman, Minki van der Westhuizen, Irshaad Ally, Dieter Voight, Charlene Lackay and Lynelle Kenned.

Melinda Bam is set to make her first Pasella on-screen appearance on 12 February when she interviews Ivan Botha and DonnaLee Roberts who appear in the Afrikaans film Pad na Jou Hart.

Last regular episode of Pasella on SABC2 will be broadcast on 22 May; Mooiloop starting in the Wednesday timeslot from 29 May at 19:30.

The last regular episode of the longrunning, weekly Afrikaans magazine programme Pasella on SABC2 will be broadcast on 22 May..

After 15 years the Tswelopele Productions with Amor Engelbrecht as executive producer and which has been on a continuous production cycle as an all year round and popular local TV show will be replaced in the Wednesday evening timeslot from 29 May by a new local travelogue show Mooiloop.

Pasella which has endured many different days and timeslots over its continuous run will be going on its longest broadcast break on SABC2 ever since it started exactly 15 years ago in March 1998.

Pasella was/is consistently one of the most watched weekly programmes on SABC2's weekly ranking of most popular shows, now getting replaced with an unknown on-air property.

Removing Pasella from the schedule - although the channel says "not permanently" - also does away and breaks down some of the inherent "appointment television" cache SABC2 had. Most television viewers are creatures of habit and television is a habit-forming medium - viewers come to know where their shows are and they keep tuning in for the same programmes.

When Pasella leaves the air at the end of May there will definitely be loyal Pasella viewers, and therefore SABC2 viewers, who specifically tuned in for that show, who will very likely explore other options on other channels and might never return to Wednesdays at 19:30 to SABC2 once they form a new viewing habit.

"Pasella will not be permanently removed from the schedule," says Zandile Nkonyeni, SABC2's publicity head.

"Alternative viewing will be introduced in the form of a new programme that will sit on the same slot as Pasella as part of the new SABC2 look and feel direction. This, as you may know, is seen in many of our programmes, for instance 50/50 who have been on the schedule for 30 years but go on alternative breaks after each season."

"It's Gospel Time and and Gospel Classics on Sundays are some of the similar examples of the said alternative offering. The last episode of Pasella airs on 22 May. It will then be followed by a new travelogue programme called Mooiloop. Pasella's new season will then follow at the end of Mooiloop's season," says Zandile Nkonyeni.

BREAKING. Pasella on SABC2 dropped from the schedule after 15 years as a constantly-on show, to make way for a new travel show.

You're reading it here first. 

Pasella, the longrunning Afrikaans magazine show on SABC2 which weathered multiple day and timeslot changes over numerous years, is getting dropped from the SABC2 schedule after exactly 15 years, possibly as soon as April, where it will no longer be a yearlong, constantly-running local TV production.

Pasella, an Afrikaans lifestyle magazine show and one of the longest running, continuous weekly TV productions on South African television will now also have its perenially-on TV record broken similar to 50/50.

50/50, the nature and conservation programme on SABC2 used to be the longest running continuous TV show on all of South African television until SABC2 decided a few years ago to change it into a limited-episode production with recurring seasons.

SABC2 wants to add a new travel lifestyle show to the channel and Pasella now has to go off the air to make space for it. Instead of finding an additional new day or timeslot for it, SABC2 will replace Pasella's timeslot on Wednesdays at 19:30 with the new as-yet-unknown travel show.

SABC2 can't yet give a starting date for the new travel show which will be replacing the Pasella timeslot soon. Insiders say the new show could debut as early as sometime in April. An insider said "Pasella is not getting canned. From now on it will make turns."

Zandile Nkonyeni, SABC2's publicity head tells TV with Thinus that "Pasella has been on for a long time. With the new look of SABC2 we felt that we want to offer viewers something new and fresh and some kind of alternatives. We are bringing viewers a new travelogue show as part of giving viewers some exciting new programming." She said the travelogue show "will replace Pasella for now but Pasella is definitely not going away."

Amor Engelbrecht, executive producer of Pasella declined comment when asked about the major change which will have likely have a huge impact on the show from a production point of view.

The show remains one of the most popular and most watched weekly programming strands on SABC2 - especially under Afrikaans viewers.

Pasella started in March 1998 on SABC2, exactly 15 years ago, when Pieter Cilliers Productions started it. Filmmedia took over production a year later in 1999 and then Tswelopele Productions got the contract in 2001. Tswelopele Productions and Amor Engelbrecht has been producing Pasella for SABC2 constantly ever since.

Pasella moving from ongoing to recurring production status will  impact the production of the show and Tswelopele Productions in Cape Town.

Paul Rothmann in a white speedo: 'The scariest thing I've ever had to do,' says the Pasella TV presenter.

All photos courtesy Pasella/ Denzil Jacobs, Celebrity Photographer

www.denziljacobs.com

Tonight at 19:30 on Pasella in the longrunning entertainment magazine show's annual end-of-year swimwear issue on SABC2, viewers will see presenter Paul Rothmann do the scariest thing he's ever done: strip down to just a white speedo and walk out of the waves.

The luscious beach babes Roxy Louw and Candice Boucher also play bikini models in the Pasella insert this evening, together with the other male Pasella presenters Irshaad Ally and Dieter Voigt modelling the latest in trendy and fashionable swimwear.

The Pasella insert of this evening was filmed at Hoogwaterhuis in Hangklip.

The longrunning weekly Afrikaans show on SABC2 recently turned 15 and I was invited and attended a special five star Pasella evening at a wine farm in Somerset West.

It was here, when asked about what his "most dangerous and scariest experience ever has been on the show", that Paul Rothmann - previously voted the sexiest guy in South Africa - said that putting on a white speedo and getting wet in the water for the upcoming swimwear insert was by far the scariest thing he's ever had to do.

The action man presenter who's been with the Tswelopele Productions show for years has done everything from rapelling down mountains and bungee jumping, but says he's never been as scared in his entire life as for tonight's episode in which viewers will see a lot of Paul Rothmann.

"And the water was very cold," he says of the icy ocean he had to endure.

Paul in his white speedo jumps into the water to walk out on the beach mimicking Daniel Craig in a "Bond moment" aka Casino Royale in which the spy strutted his stuff in tight blue swimming trunks.

Programming note: Pasella on SABC2 turns back the clock with the next 2 episodes on Wednesdays looking back at inserts of the past decade.

The weekly entertainment magazine show Pasella on SABC2 on Wednesdays at 19:30 - now a decade old on the channel in its current incantation as produced by Tswelopele Productions - will be going retro for the next two weeks by looking back and replaying inserts from the past 10 years.

In the first of the nostalgia laden two parter this evening, 21 December, Pasella looks back at the years 2001 to 2006. The presenters - as they looked then - shares recipes, visit places across South Africa and do profile pieces.

In the second part of the two parter on Wednesday 28 December, Pasella turns back the clock for the years of 2007 until 2011 and look back at inserts of the past five years.

BREAKING. No subtitling on SABC2's Pasella entertainment magazine show since SABC didn't sign the contract in time.

You're reading it here first.

I can break the news that there was no subtitling on Pasella, SABC2's weekly Afrikaans entertainment magazine show, and I can reveal that it's because the SABC hasn't signed a contract.

No subtitles appeared in Wednesday evening's Pasella leaving regular viewers who don't understand Afrikaans but watch the top-rated show clueless as to what everyone was saying.

An SABC insider tells TV with Thinus the reason is that SABC management couldn't and didn't sign a contract in time for subtitling to continue. ''Decision making at the SABC is a problem,'' says the insider. ''Bottlenecks are created and exist that seriously damages the SABC on an operational level.''

I've asked both the SABC and SABC2 why Pasella didn't have subtitles yesterday. Neither have responded yet on the media enquiry.

Programming note: Pasella goes behind the scenes of its new presenter photo shoot with guest presenter Izak Davel.

You're seeing it here first.

Tonight's episode of the weekly magazine show (back after an absence since there wasn't an episode last week) Pasella on SABC2 at 19:30 will have Izak Davel as guest presenter tonight.

The Survivor SA contestant who became famous for his red speedo will be the guest presenter tonight and was roped in when the regular Pasella presenters, Dieter Voigt, Vicky Davis, Paul Rothman, Minki van der Westhuizen and Irshaad Ally recently took their new publicity photos at a luxury mansion in Johannesburg. Of course there were some goofing around as you can see from these photos.

If you want to see the brand-new official high-glam Pasella presenters' new publicity photo, I can show that to you exclusively first if you click on READ MORE below. No Izak Davel in it though.

Pasella's Dieter Voigt: ''I want to look better after this winter than what my body's ever looked before.''

While the rest of us are exhibiting severe squirrel-like behaviour and hibernating in our warm homes, a select few are working those muscles hard this winter on maintaining the body beautiful. Like SABC2's Pasella presenter and male model Dieter Voigt who wants to be in the best shape of his life when the summer rolls around at the end of the year.

''I want to look better after this winter than what my body's ever looked before after this season,'' Dieter Voigt tells me who still enjoys his work as one of the presenters on SABC2's weekly Pasella on Wednesdays at 19:30. ''It's definitely more difficult to go exercise in the mornings in the winter – its warm and cosy under the blankets,'' he laughs. ''But the dog keeps me going. It's my routine and I have to keep it up. For the first time in my life I'm running in actual running tights and long sleeve tops and things. I've set very specific goals for myself for the winter. It's on my focus wall and I constantly keep reminding myself of that and it's a priority every single day.''

I asked Dieter Voigt how much time he's spending on exercise now that its winter time. ''There's several fascets to it,'' he tells me. ''Keep fit is about eight hours a week – that's the cycling and running. Then gymming is around four hours a week. But its often in a room,'' he adds, ''or if I only have a half hour available, I only do 20 push-ups. I try and adapt it around my schedule and busy diary.''

SPOTTED! Pasella's Dieter Voigt and Vicky Davis hanging out at the Good Food & Wine Expo in Cape Town.

Spotted! At the Upper East Side (literally) at the VIP Lounge of the Good Food & Wine Expo at the Cape Town Convention Centre (CTICC): SABC2's Pasella presenters, the beautiful Vicky Davis and the hunky Dieter Voigt hanging out together.

They're of course not ''together-together'', as Dieter Voigt tells me when I dropped by this morning and this afternoon again. They're just ''together'', and as Dieter says, ''we're definitely not sharing a secret love child''. Ha ha. The wonderful Pasella duo will be hanging around at the Expo for the whole weekend, so drop by and you might run into them.

I interviewed them both this morning so look out for those interviews on TV with Thinus soon. XOXO, TV's gossip guy.

Some more cool photos I took of the Pasella twosome, if you click on READ MORE below.

BREAKING. SURVIVOR SA CONTESTANT 1: Cindy Nell.

You're reading it here first. I can EXCLUSIVELY reveal that Cindy Nell, Miss SA 2002 and Pasella presenter on SABC2 is a SURVIVOR SA CONTESTANT.

The third season of Survivor SA is currently filming off the coast of Mozambique and Cindy Nell who got married in March, is one of the celebrities who will battle it out in this celeb filled version.

In her newly recorded voicemail on her cellphone she only says ''I'm not available right now'' and gives no time indication of when she would be available again - something most celebs does.

''A man here almost broke his neck when he saw Cindy Nell climb out of the bus,'' a resident of a nearby town told me.

I can PROMISE MUCH MORE DISH on the show, the contestants and gossip around Survivor SA as the week progress. Check back tomorrow for some news on a celeb who was approached for the show, but said NO.

BREAKING. Pasella renewed, SABC2 very ''proud of'' show

You're reading it here first. SABC2 is coming out guns blazing after the shoddy piece of journalism in The Times newspaper earlier this week trashing Tswelopele Productions that produces Pasella for SABC2 and Top Billing and Top Travel for SABC3.

I now have the EXCLUSIVE RESPONSE from SABC2, with the broadcaster not just saying that the channel is VERY HAPPY with Pasella's performance, but also that the show's contract has been RENEWED, that it's a programming SUCCESS STORY and something that SABC2 is ''very proud of''.

Here is what Zandile Nkonyeni, SABC2 publicity manager just told me:

''We recontracted Pasella for another season due to the fact that we've had a huge audience demand for the show. Pasella currently meets both the audiences and advertisers expectations and demands and with the high audience ratings the programme attracts, it is understandably the reason why it is a sustainable programme to have on the channel.''

''Pasella is one of the success stories that we as a channel are proud of, having won many accolades both with viewers and industry critics.''

FOR ALL OF MY OWN KIND, BUT THE LAZY ONES (yes, even if you write about television and think it doesn't matter) who didn't attend, slept through, don't care for or didn't go to journo school, go look up the audi alteram partem rule of journalism.

Then go and look at what you want to put out there BEFORE you put it out there.

BREAKING. What is REALLY going on at Top Billing

You're reading it here first. So this really badly researched story appeared in The Times yesterday about Tswelopele Productions who produces Top Billing and Pasella. Another case in my judgement of lazy journalism for a quick buck.

Only one anonymous source quoted (you really shouldn't have or use anonymous sources unless in highly exceptional cases they teach you in journalism school) which then suddenly turns into plurar with the use of ''employees''.

There's also no second or third sources on the record with names noted, pertaining to specifically Tswelopele Productions in the story. It was written by Gabisile Ndebele (who's made mistakes in TV stories before and spell names incorrectly) and Lauren Cohen (who has moved over from The Sunday Times to the Times and is usually better with these things - my guess is she had to help Gabisile out with this one, being based in Cape Town where Tswelopele is located).

The story also seemlessly links cost cutting and one late payment by Tswelopele Productions to the SABC's ongoing problems, giving the false impression that the SABC's local production cut woes are to blame. Not so.

Patience Stevens who is producing Pasella and Top Billing (the show with the record as longest running ongoing TV series in South Africa) and soon the second season of Top Travel wants to set the record straight on the late payment and also the reduction of salaries they hope they can reinstate in the future.

Here is what you should have, but wouldn't have read in the story, for the full context of what actually happened and is going on. I went and got and answer straight from Patience:

NUMBER ONE

''The late payment of salaries for August 2009 was occasioned by a technical glitch which, as we understand, occurred as a result of the SABC changing accounting and pay roll systems. Payment to Tswelopele from the SABC was accordingly received a few days late which impacted on the company's ability to pay its staff. We are assured by the SABC that the problem was a once off occurrence and has since been resolved.

Tswelopele apologizes to its employees for any inconvenience or hardship which may have been caused as a result of the late payment of salaries.''

NUMBER TWO

''Tswelopele having lost a number of programme slots during 2009, due mainly to the live broadcasts of the 20/20 World Cup cricket, and the FIFA Confederations Cup soccer (for which slots Tswelopele does not receive any remuneration in terms of its contract with the SABC,) forced the company to implement a number of cost-cutting measures including the reduction of its wage bill.''

''Rather than implementing a formal retrenchment process, and motivated by the desire to retain all of its employees, Tswelopele proposed to its staff towards the end of August 2009 that they agree to a 10% reduction of their monthly salaries, effective 1 September 2009 until 1 April 2010 when the SABC contract comes up for renewal.''

''Should the contract with the SABC be renewed, Tswelopele shall re-pay to its employees over the following 7 months the 10% remuneration it deducted during the previous 7 months.''