DEVELOPING. SABC3's Real Talk cancelled, talk show off the schedule from March as the SABC takes a decision to cancel the weekday talker.

TVwithThinus has been told that the SABC has now taken a definite decision to cancel its weekday talk on SABC3, Real Talk with Azania, with Real Talk that will end at the end of February as repeat episodes are burnt off in the timeslot until March.

Real Talk with Azania is currently airing repeats.

The SABC responded to a media enquiry on Monday seeking clarity on whether Real Talk has now indeed been cancelled, with the SABC that said it will only be releasing a media statement on Tuesday.

For now Real Talk has been removed and no longer appears on SABC3's schedule from March.

Unconfirmed rumours somehow suddenly started swirling in September 2018 that Real Talk on SABC3 was cancelled, although the SABC has not taken any decision at that time to do so.

The SABC denied the rumours that the scandal-damaged Real Talk, produced by Cheeky Media, was cancelled and said that the public broadcaster's TV division was currently in its planning cycle and that no ideas around programming had been finalised.

Those plans are now however crystalising with Real Talk that after the end of February won't be continuing for the foreseeable future.

In September 2018 the SABC told parliament that it's working on yet another SABC3 reinvention and brand and demo target shift for the struggling channel and that SABC3 will reposition itself yet again in 2019 with a focus on "strengthening our talk".

Real Talk doesn't form part of that "strengthening our talk" plan.

Things turned sour for Real Talk with massive brand and reputational damage for the show and SABC3 in December 2017 in a "pay-for-play" scandal when the SABC broadcast two episodes on SABC3 in which then-host Anele Mdoda interviewed and fawned over the caustic and controversial former minister of social development, Bathabile Dlamini as well as her publicist Lumka Oliphant.

Unknown to viewers, undeclared to the audience and completely against SABC rules, the department paid and SABC took payment, without disclosing to viewers that they are watching paid for "talkomercials".

Taking payment from politicians for interviews, as well as taking payment for interviews without disclosing it to the public is against the SABC's own editorial policy. The SABC board got involved and met about the serious lapse that damaged the SABC's integrity.

Anele Mdoda abruptly quit Real Talk in June as viewership of the already low-rated show tanked further and later criticised the slow response to respond to it in public, with SABC3 and Cheeky Media that rebranded the show with the credible Azania Mosaka who took over in mid-June 2018 to see out the rest of the current season of Real Talk.

Neither Real Talk, Anele Mdoda or SABC3 ever directly addressed the controversial issue on air although a Real Talk producer said most brands pay to be on the show.


UPDATE Tuesday 29 January 2019 - 17:37:
The SABC now confirms what TVwithThinus reported on Monday, that Real Talk on SABC3 has been cancelled.

The SABC in a statement tells me: "The SABC would like to announce that SABC3's talk show programme Real Talk will not be returning for a 5th season, when the current episodes of Real Talk, which are repeat episodes conclude. The decision was taken following the new direction which the channel will be taking."

"The SABC would like to thank Cheeky Media for their hard work and dedication in delivering Real Talk to SABC3 audiences."

SABC denies rumours that scandal-damaged Real Talk on SABC3 is cancelled, says TV division is in a planning cycle and that no ideas around programming have been finalised.

The SABC on Saturday denied rumours that the scandal-riddled weekday talk show Real Talk on SABC3 is cancelled.

The SABC refuted the rumours that started on Friday on the same day that South Africa's broadcasting regulator held a public hearing in a case about the secret "paid-talk" controversy that earlier this year not just derailed and massively damaged the show but also inflicted reputational brand and credibility damage on the show and SABC3.

On Friday the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) held its hearing in a case brought by the SOS Coalition and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) after the SABC and Real Talk, produced by Cheeky Media, did secret and non-disclosed pay-for-play interviews earlier this year.

In December 2017 the SABC and Cheeky Media broadcast two episodes on SABC3 in which host Anele Mdoda interviewed and fawned over the caustic and controversial former minister of social development, Bathabile Dlamini as well as her publicist Lumka Oliphant for which the department paid and SABC took payment, without disclosing to viewers that they are watching paid for "talkomercials".

Taking payment from politicians for interviews, as well as taking payment for interviews without disclosing it to the public are against the SABC's own editorial policy. The SABC board got involved and met about the serious lapse that damaged the SABC's integrity.

Anele Mdoda abruptly quit Real Talk in June as viewership of the already low-rated show tanked further, with SABC3 and Cheeky Media that rebranded the show with the credible Azania Mosaka who took over in mid-June to see out the rest of the current season of Real Talk.

Neither Real Talk, Anele Mdoda or SABC3 ever directly addressed the controversial issue on air although a Real Talk producer said most brands pay to be on the show.

After the SABC admitted its mistake, the SOS Coalition and MMA lodged a complaint with the Complaints and Compliance Committee, in terms of section 17C of the Icasa Act of 2000, against the SABC as a violation of sponsorship regulations.

The public hearing on Friday gave rise to rumours later during the day on social media that Real Talk is cancelled.

Earlier in the week, in parliament Nomsa Philiso, the SABC's group executive for television, said that the struggling SABC3 channel will reposition itself yet again and will focus on "strengthening our talk".

Asked if Real Talk on SABC3 is cancelled, SABC spokesperson Neo Momodu in response to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus denied that Real Talk has been dumped and said that nothing about future programming on SABC3 or the SABC's other TV channels has been finalised.

"The SABC TV division is currently in its annual strategic review and planning cycle," said Neo Momodu.

"Whilst there may be a myriad of ideas and proposals on the table for all programming based on their current and future expected performance, to date nothing has been finalised. The strategies are currently undergoing internal approval processes".

Meanwhile SABC insiders and industry insiders - all with direct knowledge of how the SABC3 channel works - told TVwithThinus they have heard nothing and know nothing about a Real Talk cancellation.

Azania Mosaka taking over SABC3's weekday talk show, Real Talk, from Anele Mdoda; first guest will be Bonang Matheba.

Azania Mosaka is taking over as new presenter of SABC3's weekday talk show, Real Talk, replacing Anele Mdoda from Monday 18 June.

Anele Mdoda abruptly bailed on the talk show, produced by Cheeky Media, after her return to the show following a break earlier this year, during which Azania Mosaka was the sit-in replacement.

Cheeky Media has a contract until October with SABC3, with Anele Mdoda's exit that left producers scrambling to find a replacement.

Monday's first guest with Azania Mosaka as the new talk show host will be Bonang Matheba.

There's no explanation yet for why Anele Mdoda abruptly decided to jump ship after less than two years as SABC3 talk show host. Following a sudden break in April with Azania Mosaka who filled in, Anele Mdoda says Real Talk is no longer part of her "career ambitions".

The show's ratings however tanked following huge damage to both Real Talk and Anele Mdoda's credibility, trust and brands after January's scandal in which it was revealed that payment was made for people to appear on the show, essentially turning it into an infomercial - something that was never disclosed to viewers.

The secret pay-for-play happening on Real Talk breached the SABC's editorial policies and the South African public broadcaster apologised and said it will implement changes to make sure that it doesn't happen again.

The damage to the show's credibility under viewers was however done and also reflected negatively on Anele Mdoda, who said she wasn't aware of payments being made and was just an employee. Viewers immediately started to tune out.

Despite a later timeslot move since February to 18:00 on weekdays when a larger potential viewing audience is available, Real Talk's viewership tanked.

While Real Talk still pulled a low 441 795 viewers for its most watched episode in January to claim the 13th place on SABC3's Top 20 most watched list for that month, the sinking show completely dropped out of the Top 20 list in the months since.

Speaking about Azania Mosaka stepping in to replace Anele Mdoda, SABC3 channel head Aisha Mohamed says "we trust that her contribution and enthusiasm will add value to the SABC3 brand as well as take Real Talk to new heights".

Azania Mosaka says "programme managers have believed in me and I dared to do it and this challenge will be no different".

"By taking on this unexpected opportunity of hosting Real Talk, I aim to engage in conversations that encourage people to dream, motivating young girls and young women as we reinvigorating the audience while reminding them of their hopes and aspirations."

Yusuf Stevens, Cheeky Media managing director, says "Azania is joining an award-winning team and we are very excited about what she will be bringing. Having worked with her briefly before, we know that her humility, passion, empathy and grace will be well-received by our audience and we look forward to putting the 'real' back into Real Talk. Azania was born to be in front of the camera."

SHOCKER. SABC3 entire new local content slate a TV ratings flop; ratings collapse in July as not a single new local programme finds favour with viewers.

The SABC's disastrous move to suddenly dump international content and flush the SABC3 schedule with cheap and badly produced local content from July has seen SABC3's ratings collapse, with viewership for all the new shows so low that not a single one of the new programmes managed to even make last month's top 20 most watched shows.

After an abrupt order for his plan of 90% local television by the SABC's controversial chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng that was hastily implemented in July, the plunging ratings for SABC3 spells disaster for August and beyond since some foreign films and the weekday soap Days of Our Lives that were still shown in July, largely propped up the SABC3 schedule for July.


ALSO READ: Viewership plunge for SABC shows in July after schedule moves; SABC2's 7de Laan sheds hundreds of thousands.


Not a single one of the flurry of new local shows on SABC3 rushed to production managed to become a viewership hit, nor got enough viewers to rate anywhere close to the top 20 most watched programmes on the channel in July.

Despite collectively costing the SABC a lot of money to produce, all the new local SABC3 shows are viewership flops according to South Africa's TAMS TV ratings.

With too low viewership to make the top 20, the local SABC3 TV flops range from the panned Divas of Jozi (replacing Survivor), Top Chef South Africa, The Sober Companion, Fun-Natix and Frontier Vets, to the new local weekday talk shows like Anele Mdoda's Real Talk, Jason Goliath's Larger Than Life and the panel talk show Trending.

Also viewership failures are Siv Ngesi's Jou Ma se Chef and the new weekend edition of Expresso.

The Janez Vermeiren produced The Man Cave eaked out a barely-there 20th spot in the ratings for July with a lowly 597 635 viewers (a 1.8 AR) - but that was for the last time it was broadcast in its Sunday evening slot before again being shunted yet again for a third time to its new timeslot on Friday nights where it doesn't rate at all.

Shockingly, existing local shows on SABC3 like the telenovela High Rollers that's meant to prop up the weekday schedule that ranked 10th in June, completely dropped out of the top 20.

The fact that not one of the new SABC3 local shows rate - meaning that very few viewers are watching these - means that the troubled SABC3 must adjust advertising rates for timeslots down due to the fewer viewers it's getting. That means less income.

By having replaced popular shows with local shows that has lower production values, higher income TV households - those that advertisers want to reach - have fled SABC3.

It also means that SABC3's overall ratings - it's combined audience figures for August - will be lower, a problem for SABC3 that is already struggling in the viewership race as the SABC's only commercial TV channel.

When the top 20 programmes list, now made up out of less of the more-watched international content, consists out of more lower-rated local shows that people don't want to see, it means that SABC3's combined viewership tally will be lower in August.

In early July ad agencies warned the SABC that the public broadcaster is going to experience huge losses in terms of advertising revenue if the sudden new slate of programmes don't manage to lure viewers and rate.

The American soap The Bold and the Beautiful - the type of content that Hlaudi Motsoeneng said the SABC will dump - is still by far the most watched programme on SABC3, number one in the channel's ratings in July with 1.55 million viewers (4.6 AR / 16.9 share).

It's followed by the Chinese science fiction comedy film, CJ7 in second place with 1.2 million viewers (3.6 AR / 12.2 share) and then the weekday local soap Isidingo remaining in 3rd place with 1.17 million viewers (3.5 AR / 10.1 share).

While Hlaudi Motsoeneng in June and again in July said that viewers don't watch Days of Our Lives, it remained a perennial solid performer in July for SABC until it was yanked from the schedule, with 1.07 million viewers in 7th place (3.2 AR / 17 share).

International movies in July helped to prop up the SABC3 schedule with Jinxed, A Knight's Tale, Click, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Spanglish and Fired Up taking six places out of the top 20 most watched content on the channel above any of the new local shows.

One better performer on the SABC3 schedule after moved to a later afternoon timeslot from July was Afternoon Express, now ranking 13th and managing a place in the top 20 for the first time.

Here is the list of top 20 highest-rated programmes on SABC3 in July:

1.The Bold and the Beautiful   1.55 million       4.6 AR
2.CJ7                                        1.2 million         3.6 AR
3.Isidingo                                 1.17 million       3.5 AR
4.Jinxed                                    1.14 million       3.4 AR
5.Filler: Winter on Air              1.145 million    3.4 AR
6.Gourmet                                 1.142 million    3.3 AR
7.Days of Our Lives                 1.078 million     3.2 AR      
8.Places to Be                           1.071 million     3.2 AR
9.Places to Be (repeat)              976 406             2.9 AR
10.English news                        876 992             2.6 AR
11.Wildest Africa                      827 848            2.5 AR
12.A Knight's Tale                    820 983             2.4 AR
13.Afternoon Express               731 290             2.2 AR
14.Click                                     679 119             2 AR
15.The Sorcerer's Apprentice    675 510            2 AR
16.Spanglish                              633 039            1.9 AR
17.Top Billing                           621 536             1.8 AR
18.Fired Up                               612 356             1,8 AR
19.Filler                                     604 805            1.8 AR
20.The Man Cave                      597635             1.8 AR


ALSO READ: Viewership plunge for SABC shows in July after schedule moves; SABC2's 7de Laan sheds hundreds of thousands.