Communications minister Faith Muthambi told axed SABC board member Hope Zinde: 'but Baba loves Hlaudi. We must support him.'

Shocking correspondence between the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi and an axed SABC board member shows how Faith Muthambi allegedly directly interfered in the purging of SABC board members who were against the appointment of the SABC's famously matricless boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng, with ousted former SABC board member Hope Zinde writing that Faith Muthambi told her "But baba loves Hlaudi".

Faith Muthambi's reference "baba" is a reference to president Jacob Zuma.

Faith Muthambi told SABC board member Hope Zinde - who got axed because she voiced opposition to Hlaudi Motsoeneng: "but baba loves Hlaudi. He loves him so much. We must support him."

As the unstable SABC board keeps lurching from crisis to crisis, former SABC board members Hope Zinde, Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi were all axed the past few months, allegedly through Faith Muthambi using the Companies Act, not the Broadcasting Act to interfere in the running of the SABC board.

While Dikeledi Tsotetsi, the acting chairperson of the ANC study group on communications said in June that "we have received no formal complaints from those who may have felt they had been treated unfairly" and that "we are of the view that its time to close this chapter and allow the minister of communications space to continue her work with the SABC", is now come to light that the ousted SABC board members wrote several letters to Faith Muthambi, and to complain about her alleged undue interference.

Hope Zinde also wrote that she had "dire concerns" about the contract in which the SABC sold access to the public broadcaster's archives to pay-TV behemoth MultiChoice.

Hope Zinde also complained about Hlaudi Motsoeneng -.

The Public Protector in February 2014 in a damning report found that the controversial chief operating officer (COO) should "never have been appointed at the SABC" and lied about having a matric.

As SABC board member, Hope Zinde wrote that Hlaudi Motsoeneng is "a stumbling block" in the proper functioning of the SABC board.

"At [parliament's] portfolio committee on 22 June, Daniel Mantsha, [Faith Muthambi's lawyer] argued that none of the SABC board members had contested their dismissal and that there was therefore no reason to consider their reinstatement."

"Yet a few days after the committee meeting, one of the axed SABC board members, Ronnie Lubisi made a public statement declaring that he had in fact lodged a complaint," says Gavin Davis, the Democratic Alliance's (DA) MP.

Interestingly it has now also come to light that Daniel Mantsha was struck off the roll of attorneys in 2007.

It was on Daniel Mantsha's advice that Faith Muthambi told parliament she intervened in the governance of the SABC which led to the purging of Ronnie Lubisi, Rachel Kalidass and Hope Zinde.

Hope Zinde wrote to Joyce Moloi-Moropa, the chairperson of parliament's portfolio committee on communications, writing that "only the members who did not support the appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng received these threatening letters [from Faith Muthambi] and are as such targeted".

In another letter Hope Zinde wrote in March this year to Joyce Moloi-Moropa, she said that the SABC chairperson prof. Obert Maguvhe  "is representing Hlaudi Motsoeneng's interests" and not that of the SABC board.

Hope Zinde wrote that Faith Muthambi then informed her that: "But baba loves Hlaudi. He loves him so much. We must support him."

Appointment of Prof Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe as SABC chairperson condemned by South African political parties, IFP, DA and COPE.

The political appointment of Prof Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe as new permanent SABC chairperson by president Jacob Zuma on Friday has been swiftly condemned by South African opposition parties like the IFP and the Democratic Alliance (DA), saying Maguvhe is being rewarded for getting rid of independently-minded SABC board members and protecting the SABC's controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

On Friday president Jacob Zuma announced that Prof Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe, who happens to be blind and who had been the acting SABC chairperson, has been appointed to the position permanently and that SABC board member Leah Khumalo has been appointed as new deputy SABC chairperson.

Prof Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe took over as acting SABC chairperson at the beginning of 2015 after the scandalous exit of the disgraced and shamed Ellen Tshabalala who left in December 2014 after she was exposed for lying about tertiary qualifications she didn't have.

Prof. Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe then presided over the purging of the SABC board members Hope Zinde, Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi, leaving the unstable and gutted SABC board without a quorum.

"Prof Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe proved his political usefulness further this year when, as acting chairperson of the SABC board, he illegally removed Hope Zinde, Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi," says the DA member of parliament and member of the portfolio committee on communications, Gavin Davis.

"It has since been confirmed by parliament's legal advisors that Maghuve's decision to remove these SABC board members was unlawful."

"He is now being rewarded for getting rid of excellent and independently-minded SABC board members and protecting Hlaudi Motsoeneng when he should have been fired."

"Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe's appointment is bad news for all South Africans who want the SABC to be the independent public broadcaster envisaged in our Constitution," says Gavin Davis.

The IFP said it rejected the political appointment of Prof Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe and that the SABC and the SABC board will only become credible and effective when the struggling public broadcaster is separated from politics.

"For as long as it is treated as a cadre-deployment division of the ANC, it will not be able to fully and independently executive its mandate in the public interest," says the IFP member of parliament Liezl van der Merwe.

The IFP called Prof Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe and Leah Khumalo "loyalists" of the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi and of Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The IFP says it rejects Prof Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe appointment as new permanent SABC chairperson "because he must still be held to account for the unlawful and illegal removal of three independent-minded board members - Hope Zinde, Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi earlier this year."

The Congress of People (COPE called Prof Pbert Mbulaheni and Leah Khumalo "praise singers" and said "Luthuli House will in effect control the SABC," in a statement.

"The SABC, like the ruling party in parliament, will continue with whitewashing misdemeanours and continue to regard all us fools."

Prof. Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe appointed as permanent new SABC chairperson; Leah Khumalo appointed as deputy SABC chairperson.

Prof. Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe, the current acting SABC chairperson has been appointed to the position permanently on Friday by president Jacob Zuma.

President Jacob Zuma appointed SABC board member Leah Khumalo as new deputy SABC chairperson.

In a statement on Friday afternoon from the presidency, president Jacob Zuma says the appointments take immediate effect.

The appointments of Prof. Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe and Leah Khumalo were swiftly condemned by opposition political parties, the IFP and the Democratic Alliance (DA) calling it "ANC cadre-deployment" and that the struggling SABC and SABC board will only start to function effectively when its separated from politics.

Prof. Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe took over as acting SABC chairperson at the beginning of the year after the scandalous exit of the disgraced and shamed Ellen Tshabalala who left in December 2014 after she was exposed for lying about tertiary qualifications she didn't have.

Prof. Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe, who happens to be blind, then presided over the purging of the SABC board members Hope Zinde, Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi, leaving the unstable and gutted SABC board without a quorum.

The SABC board is supposed to have 12 board members but only 6 remain after ongoing resignations in 2014 and the firings in 2015. The SABC board requires 9 SABC board members for a quorum to exist.

"President Jacob Zuma has wished Professor Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe and Leah Khumalo all the best in their new responsibilities," says presidential spokesperson Harold Maloka.

'The SABC is not in crisis,' says minister of communications, Faith Muthabi; promises a new SABC CEO 'any time now'.

The SABC is not in crisis.

So says Faith Muthambi, South Africa's minister of communications about the beleaguered South African public broadcaster, promising that a new CEO for the position which has been vacant for months will happen "any time now".

Faith Muthambi was one of the panelists, together with the SABC's controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng, at the latest breakfast briefing of The New Age newspaper held in Fourways, Johannesburg.

Faith Muthambi denied that she was the one who fired SABC board members Hope Zinde, Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi in March.

"Can I say upfront I didn't dismiss any SABC board member. I don't have the power to do that. That was a decision of the board of the SABC to do that. And then they've done that, empowered by the provision of section 71 of the Companies Act.

"There's no crisis," said Faith Muthambi. She denied that the gutted SABC board which has no permanent chairperson and which lost several members since last year, no longer has a quorum. "They quorate. They are still quorating. They still form a quorum."

On when the SABC will see a new permanent CEO - something she promised would happen by September 2014 - Faith Muthambi said "the matter has been finalised. We're still dealing with the due diligence part of it. Any time from now."

"The CEO will be appointed. You know need to do all those due diligence issues that you need because you don't want a situation where someone comes in, that person is not vetted, then you have problems," said Faith Muthambi.

Like Eskom and South African Airways, the SABC has been lurching from crisis to crisis, constantly battered by a barrage of bad press.

Since Lulama Mokhobo abruptly quit in February 2014 after just 14 months into her 5 year contract without any explanation, the SABC has been without a CEO for a year and three months now.

In February the Public Protector, in a scathing report, found that the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng was "dishonest", lied about having a matric which he admitted to in a recorded interview, and committed fraud by making up symbols for a matric certificate he knew he couldn't produce.

The Public Protector also found Hlaudi Motsoeneng irregularly and rapidly increased the salaries of various SABC staff members and that his own salary also increased three times in one year with 63% to R2.4 million.

The Public Protector found that Hlaudi Motsoeneng was directly involved in purging all the SABC staff who testified against him in an earlier disciplinary hearing, and that the "dysfunctional" SABC board is part of "pathological corporate governance deficiencies at the SABC".

The Public Protector said that Hlaudi Motsoeneng should be suspended; instead the SABC responded by permanently appointing him as chief operating officer (COO). After the Western Cape High Court twice ordered that he be suspended, the case is now moving to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in September.

The unstable SABC board has been without a chairperson for months after the lying chairwoman Ellen Tshabalala resigned in December following the highly embarrassing, highly publicised scandal of faking her tertiary qualifications. She initially also went to court.

SABC board member Bongani Khumalo abruptly resigned in January and Hope Zinde was purged from the SABC board in March together with Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi.

The SABC's most watched TV show and biggest TV revenue earner, Generations, abruptly disappeared for months from the airwaves at the end of 2014 due to a talent strike which SABC executives failed to resolve and which saw the cast abruptly being fired and replaced.

The SABC's suspended TV boss Leo Manne resigned and left at the end of April, leaving the position of general manager for TV channels vacant.

In April ongoing concern was raised in parliament over the SABC's audience share which is flat at 53%.

The SABC wasted R3.39 billion on irregular spending in three years according to the Auditor General (AG) and the public broadcaster has so far received 4 consecutive annual qualified audits from the AG.

SABC spends a whopping R3 million a year on its choir - to sing the praises of its famously matricless COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The SABC spends a whopping R3 million a year on its choir and among their songs is one singing the praises of the crises-riddled public broadcaster’s famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, told parliament that the SABC spends a massive R3 million per year on its choir.

The SABC choir has 40 choristers, 25 freelancers and 15 permanent SABC staff members. The splurge of R3 million per year by the SABC includes a monthly salary of a massive R10 000 for each of the freelancers, as well as travelling costs.

The SABC choir sings songs of praise in SABC staff meetings for the embattled COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng with lyrics like “Hlaudi Motsoeneng reya o leboha” (Hlaudi Motsoeneng we thank you.”)

The embattled Hlaudi Motsoeneng is embroiled in a protracted court fight after the Western Cape High Court has already twice ordered the SABC to immediately suspend him – a judgment he's appealing.

Last year the Public Protector in a damning report implicated Hlaudi Motsoeneng in maladministration and corruption at the public broadcaster, finding that "Hlaudi Motsoeneng should never have been appointed at the SABC" and that he should be suspended.

According to the Public Protector, Hlaudi Motsoeneng lied about having a matric certificate and made up symbols for a matric certificate he knew he didn't have and couldn't produce.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng was implicated as having been involved in getting rid of everyone who testified against him in an earlier disciplinary hearing at the SABC, and his salary increased from R1.5 million to R2.4 million at the SABC in one year.

The Public Protector's report advised the SABC to appoint a new COO within 90 days. Instead the SABC appointed Hlaudi Motsoeneng in the position permanently.

Gavin Davis, a member of parliament (MP) of the Democratic Alliance (DA) and a member of the portfolio committee on communications says in a statement that "the question needs to be asked whether the SABC can justify spending R3 million per year on an in-house choir. Surely it would be cheaper to commission the services of a professional choir if and when the need arises?"

"The fact is that the SABC can't afford unnecessary extravagances such as its own choir. As internal SABC financial documents recently brought to light by the Sunday Times show, the public broadcaster faces a loss of R501 million in this financial year," says Gavin Davis.

"The disbandment of the SABC choir should be at the top of the SABC’s list of cost-cutting measures."

Earlier this week, Faith Muthambi told parliament that the SABC is "in a sound financial state" and that "the SABC is on the move".

Faith Muthambi told parliament that during this financial year R173 million from the department of communications’ budget has been allocated to the SABC.

While Faith Muthambi promised parliament that a new SABC CEO would be in place by the end of September 2014, nine months later the position is still vacant.

The unstable SABC board characterised by vicious infighting has been without a permanent board chairperson for months since the resignation of Ellen Tshabalala following the embarrassing revelations that she had lied about her qualifications.

With originally 12 SABC board members but several resignations last year and purging of three further SABC board members – Hope Zinde, Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi – earlier this year, the SABC board no longer has a quorum to legally constitute meetings.

'SABC is in crisis, the scale of which is only starting to become clear,' says Democratic Alliance's Gavin Davis; SABC 'facing financial ruin'.

South Africa's minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, was slammed on Wednesday as "willfully misunderstanding her role in relation to the SABC" for saying the beleaguered public broadcaster is a state-owned company.

Gavin Davis, a Democratic Alliance (DA) member of parliament and a member of the portfolio committee on communications on Wednesday said the SABC is in crisis, "the scale of which is only starting to become clear" and that "the SABC is facing financial ruin".

He slammed Faith Muthambi, saying she "believes that the SABC is a state-owned company instead of an independent public broadcaster" and that South Africa will face "humiliation on a global scale" in less than a month when the country miss the internationally agreed to deadline to complete the switch from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT), a process known as digital migration.

Gavin Davis told parliament that Faith Muthambi has failed in her promise of a new SABC CEO to be appointed by September 2014 and that the SABC is being taken back to an apartheid era tool in the hands of ruling party politicians.

Gavin Davis told parliament that since a year ago "we've had an SABC board chairperson [Ellen Tshabalala] resign because she was caught lying about her qualifications. But this was only after 6 damaging months of postponed hearings, court cases and other delaying tactics".

"We've had an SABC chief operating officer (COO) [Hlaudi Motsoeneng] who has been shielded and promoted when the Public Protector said he should have been fired".

"We have a Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) that is abused to promote the majority party, including the channeling of public money into the coffers of a government-friendly newspaper owned by the president's friends".

"In a few weeks on 17 June, we face humiliation on a global scale because, on that day, we will miss the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) deadline to switch over from analogue to digital television".

"If Faith Muthambi had not spent the last year meddling with the Digital Migration Policy, and waging an obsessive turf war to control the process, it is unlikely that we would be in the embarrassing position we now find ourselves in," said Gavin Davis.

While she promised that a new SABC CEO would be in place by the end of September 2014, nine months later the post is still vacant.

"Faith Muthambi wants to take us back to the apartheid era when the SABC was a tool in the hands of politicians, instead of a resource belonging to the people of this country. This is why Faith Muthambi thinks there is nothing wrong with unilaterally seizing the powers of the SABC board, even though this is in clear contravention of the Broadcasting Act," said Gavin Davis.

He also noted that with Faith Muthambi directly interfering with the governance of the SABC and instrumental in the purging of three SABC board members - Hope Zinde, Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi - earlier this year, the unstable SABC board which has had only an acting SABC chairperson for months and originally had 12 board members, no longer has a quorum to legally constitute meetings.

"No wonder the SABC is in crisis, the scale of which is only starting to become clear," said Gavin Davis.

"The SABC faces a projected loss of R501 million for the financial year just ended on March 31. This loss is projected to double to R1 billion in the next financial year. The SABC is not on a 'sound financial footing but facing financial ruin," said Gavin Davis.

"We need to work together to find the most qualified and independently minded candidates to take up positions on the SABC board and then they need to be left alone to do their jobs in the interests of the public we serve. These steps will go some way to get the SABC back on track," said Gavin Davis.

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 22 April 2015.

Deplorable. A subscriber of Sky's satellite pay-TV service struggles for 90 minutes to cancel.
Sky operator simply refuses to help him; focuses on attention of how pay-TV subscribers of Sky struggle to cancel their contracts.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng wants SABC to make doccies to unite Africa.
After the xenophobic violence rocking South Africa, the SABC's famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng says the SABC will now make documentaries "to sensitise the nation" and dramas to promote unity among Africans.

Meanwhile Hlaudi Motsoeneng was in Cape Town to meet with advertisers and investors of the SABC. "You need to ask those difficult questions," Hlaudi Motsoeneng tells advertisers.

Paramount Television is working on a TV series spin-off of the movie Galaxy Quest.
The film spoof will likely become a new TV series.

Held against her will in hotel and prevented from calling her family?
The Sunday Times reports that the Big Brother Mzansi contestant who was allegedly raped in the Endemol Shine Africa and Mzansi Magic reality show has been kept against her will, allegedly, in a hotel and she allegedly "sneaked" in a call and told a family member she was told not to talk to "the outside world".

Nominations asked for 2 new SABC board members.
Apparently the 2 recently fired SABC board members Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi by minister Faith Muthambi using the Companies Act instead of the Broadcasting Act, are really fired.

Jon Stewart's will say farewell on The Daily Show on 6 August.
The Daily Show host on Comedy Central (DStv 122) will say goodbye on 6 August after which the show will go on holiday and Trevor Noah will take over sometime in September only when the new American TV season starts.

Full House revival as Fuller House gets picked up for 13 episodes.
Fuller House will be shown on Netflix with most of the original cast returning.

Dramatic global growth fro Netflix.
Netflix had 16.8 million paid subscribers at the end of 2014 across the world.

KwaZulu-Natal actors feel entitled to get roles in SABC1's telenovela Uzalo.
Angry KwaMashu actors who are from the township where the show is filmed say they feel its their right to be in it.

Two men were arrested for stealing from the SABC News' crew in Durban covering the xenophobic violence.

"Faketopia": A drunk producer stumbles into Germany's Utopia and gives contestants directions.
Drunk producer fired after scandal, production company says contestants are never told what to say or do or what stories to act out in the reality show and that the "incident was due to human error".

Creator of the Teletubbies warns about a funding crisis with kids' television.
Says traditions of producing great children's content are being eroded; warns about a crisis in the funding of the United Kingdom's children's content on TV and a "North American mono-culture creeping over everywhere".

Patrick Dempsey might be out of Grey's Anatomy.
The actor has allegedly turned into "a diva" behind-the-scenes at the longrunning medical drama infuriating creator Shonda Rhimes.

SABC salary bill set to balloon by another R100 million as latest corporate plan notes revenues are constrained due to non-performing programming.

The SABC is set to spend R100 million more on staff salaries and paying SABC board members, while the public broadcaster warns in its new corporate plan for 2015/2016 to 2017/2018 that revenues are "constrained" since advertising clients are cutting back "as a result of declining TV audiences due to non-performance of critical programming".

Meanwhile president Jacob Zuma is weighing in on the ongoing instability at the SABC where three SABC board members were fired the past two weeks and says in a statement that the presidency is "looking into the matter with a view to finding a solution".

In its latest corporate plan, "a 7.5% increase has been included for permanent staff, board fees, freelancers, and various temporary staff requirements" by SABC executives. Meanwhile revenues from SABC TV licence fees are projected at R1 billion.

The SABC's latest corporate plan however cautions that the public broadcaster's commercial revenues are constrained due to tough economic conditions causing advertisers to "reduce their marketing and resultant advertising spend".

The SABC's latest corporate plan comes as four of the six SABC board members who were opposed to the permanent appointment of the SABC's famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng as chief operating officer (COO) have now been axed.

SABC board member Bongani Khumalo abruptly resigned in January, Hope Zinde was fired earlier in March and last week the remaining SABC board fired Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi. Krish Naidoo and Vusi Mavuso who were also opposed to Hlaudi Motsoeneng's permanent appointment remain.

Rachel Kalidass told Business Day that she is "still a member of the SABC board because the process used was unlawful. People are misquoting the Companies Act and taking no notice of the current parliamentary and legal process that is under way. This shows that the removals are motivated by malice and it is a purge."

In a statement Ronnie Lubisi says "the decision was illegally made in contravention of the Broadcasting Act 4 of 1999" and that he is seeking legal advice.

After the SABC board said Ronnie Lubisi and Rachel Kalidass were fired due to alleged fraudulent conduct and non-disclusore of conflict of interest among board members, Ronnie Lubisi says he views "the decision of the board and such statements as unfortunate".

"I have been registered as an auditor with the Independent Regulatory Board of Auditors and South African Institute of Chartered Accountants for the past 14 years. In all that time I have always conducted my business with absolute adherence to the professional and ethical requirements of my profession."

"I shall welcome an independent enquiry by a duly authorised body into my conduct as an SABC board member," says Ronnie Lubisi.

In a statement issued Monday evening president Jacob Zuma's spokesperson Mac Maharaj says "the president, who appoints members of the SABC board on the advice of the National Assembly, views stability and good corporate governance at the SABC as being of paramount importance. He is looking into the matter with a view to finding a solution".

On Thursday, 2 April, parliament's portfolio committee on communications will start the interviews with the shortlisted candidates to replace the disgraced former SABC chairperson Ellen Tshabalala who resigned in mid-December 2014 after she was mired in a scandal about lying about tertiary qualifications she never had.

The five candidates shortlisted to become a new SABC board member are Saskia Janine Hickey, Ntomizandile Lesame (academic), Keabatswe Modimoeng (businessman), Jenni Irish-Quobosheane (former civilian police secretary) and Ashwin Trikamjee (attorney).

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 28 March 2015.

The new The Walking Dead spin-off will be called Fear The Walking Dead.
Fear The Walking Dead will be seen in South Africa and Africa on MultiChoice's DStv and on On Digital  Media's (ODM) StarSat on the AMC channel who will have the spin-off zombie drama.

Top Gear producer will not press charges against Jeremy Clarkson.
Oisin Tymon will not make a case against the fired presenter of Top Gear on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) after the violent attack which saw the BBC sack Jeremy Clarkson.

Does the SABC fall under the Companies Act?
The SABC as a public broadcaster falls under the Broadcasting Act. Yet the minister of communications Faith Muthambi says the SABC falls under the Companies Act which is used as the excuse for her and the SABC board to purge and get rid of SABC board members at will.

The Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to intervene over DStv price hikes.
As anger continues over MultiChoice's increase from April for DStv subscriptions, the NBC says it had received several complaints DStv subscribers in Nigeria.

David Duchovny is nervous about the return of The X-Files.
Says "I'm amazed that there's still an appetite for it and I'm touched".


Fired SABC board member Rachel Kalidass says its unlawful.
After Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi were both dumped from the SABC board on Thursday, Rachel Kalidass says "the removals are motivated by malice and it is a purge" and that the Companies Act is wrongly used to get rid of SABC board members.
The unstable SABC board has now lost 6 members since the middle of 2014.


Disney Junior (DStv 30X) is making Fancy Nancy a TV show.
The children's book seeries about a girl who always dresses up is becoming a TV series.

Masi Oka will be back for Heroes: Reborn.
The Hawaii Five-0 star will be back in the miniseries reboot of Heroes.

Downton Abbey's Julian Fellowes talks The Gilded Age.
After the announcement that Downton Abbey is done after 6 seasons, the creator and writer says the new period drama for American television is "looming large in my future".

New season of Sherlock "frightening".
The 4th season of the British Sherlock on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) is "frightening, tough" and filled "with emotional upheaval".

The upcoming Killing Jesus on National Geographic Channel is shallow.
The Boston Globe says Killing Jesus which will be shown in South Africa on National Geographic Channel (DStv 181) on Sunday 5 April at 19:10 is "lackluster" and is "terribly overbaked".

Empire is the first black TV drama that isn't being "ghettoized".
The hit drama on FOX's (DStv 125 / StarSat 131) idea's about race "operate at a higher idea of difficulty".

BREAKING. SABC fires two more SABC board members: Rachel Kaladiss and Ronnie Lubisi dumped as unstability once again engulfs SABC board.

The latest SABC board purge continues with the SABC board which has, as expected, rid itself of the two further SABC board members - Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi - who the SABC board couldn't dump on 13 March since there was no longer a quorum left.

Now Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi are also immediately out after they received letters in March accusing them of fraudulent conduct.

Their firing follows that of Hope Zinde earlier this month, where both Rachel Kaladiss and Ronnie Lubisi walked out, causing the planned ouster of the further two SABC board members to be postponed.

The SABC confirms that Rachel Kaladiss and Ronnie Lubisi have been terminated from the SABC board, saying in a statement they've been "removed as non-executive directors with effect from 26 March" and that the shareholder - meaning the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi - has been informed.

Unstability has once again engulfed the SABC board in 2015, amidst allegations of undue interference from the minister of communications into the workings of the SABC.

Last week Faith Muthambi told parliament that she rejects the Broadcasting Act and that she can directly interfere with the workings of the SABC since the South African public broadcaster is a state-owned firm falling under the Companies Act.

While parliament has yet to decide on a new SABC board member to replace the disgraced Ellen Tshabalala who resigned after lying about bogus qualifications, there will now be a further three positions to be filled yet again.

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 24 March 2015

You don't want DStv and StarSat to sell their TV channels individually.
If MultiChoice and On Digital Media and StarTimes Media SA s"unbundle" their pay-TV channels, guess what ... you are going to be paying a lot more for DStv and StarSat.
Meanwhile Canada will offer pay-TV subscribers a la carte pay-TV channels from next year - but it will mean higher "per-subscriber carriage fees".


MultiChoice to add a new TV channel for Southern Africa soon.
The new TV channel from M-Net on DStv will be for movie producers to broadcast their local content across the Southern Africa region. The new DStv channel will be in standard definition (SD) and M-Net is looking for movies from localfilmmakers.

"The SABC is now a propaganda machine."
The COPE political party says the SABC is no longer an authentic public broadcaster but increasingly a propaganda machine for the ruling party.


Meanwhile the SABC is getting ready to fire 2 more SABC board members.
SABC board members Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi received letters in March accusing them of fraudulent conduct and they've been threatened with suspension. The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) says it is extremely concerned with what is going on at the SABC and the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi's, interference.
Meanwhile former SABC board member Lumko Mtimde who resigned in 2013 could be making a comeback as SABC board member - he is one of 97 candidates nominated for the new position after Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's disgraceful exit.


Anger keeps building over massive 20% and DStv price increase in Zambia.
Meanwhile a consumer watchdog body in Zambia says DStv's massive price hike from 1 April is too steep and untimely.

Meanwhile Sky is hiking its subscription fees from June.
Sky usually increases its subscriptions in September every year but is now starting to do it twice a year.


Jeremy Clarkson says he's been fired by the BBC.
The star of Top Gear on BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) tells an audience at a charity auction he was sacked by the BBC. In an obscenity-laced tirade Jeremy Clarkson said the BBC "f*cked up" Top Gear.
Meanwhile BBC Worldwide has been forced to cancel the first of the Top Gear Live shows, with the Norway one which is getting postponed after Jeremy Clarkson's "fracas".
Meanwhile The Hollywood Reporter asks whether the BBC will really fire Jeremy Clarkson.


Sky News (DStv 402) reporter "devastated".
Martin Brunt tells inquest he is "devastated" after death of woman he interviewed who was an online troll.

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Interviews for candidates for the new 12-member permanent SABC board will start next week in parliament.

Interviews for candidates for the new 12-member permanent SABC board will start next week Tuesday in parliament until Friday with the list of applications which has been narrowed down to 37 potential candidates.

A multiparty task team was set up last week to cull through the 147 applications which were received to be on the SABC board.

The SABC is currently governed by an interim SABC board who's term will expire at the end of September.

The interim SABC board members were appointed temporarily after the mass exodus and resignations of the entire SABC board in March this year. That followed after claims of undue interference by the then-minister of communications, Dina Pule, who has now been found guilty of corruption by parliament's ethics committee.

The names of members of the current interim SABC board appears on the list of 37 shortlisted candidates, among which are Ellen Tshabalala (the current interim SABC chairperson), Noluthando Gosa (the current deputy SABC chairperson), Ronnie Lubisi and Vusumuzi Mavuso.

The list of 37 names also includes Lumko Mtide who was on the SABC board previously and resigned earlier this year, as well as Darkie Africa, a North West province politician.

The list also includes the name of the highly respected Kate Skinner, the previous co-ordinator and now a member of the vast public pressure group SOS Coalition, a group striving for responsible and quality public broadcasting in South Africa.

Bongani Khumalo, CEO of the Lotto operator Gindani, Thembinkosi Bonakele, the deputy commissioner of the Competition Commission, Charlotte Mampane who is a former SABC chief operating officer and Hope Zinde, a former SABC Africa presenter also made the shortlisted 37.

Also under the shortlisted 37 candidates are Zola Majavu, the lawyer and Premier Soccer League prosecutor, together with the columnist William Gumede and veteran journalist John Mattison.

Connie Seoposengwe, a former speaker of the Northern Cape province is also on the list as a candidate, together with Joe Makhafola, a former spokesperson for the department of communications.

Names of the SABC interim board members rubber stamped by president Jacob Zuma following the implosion of the SABC board last month.

The names of the new interim SABC board - the second interim SABC board the public broadcaster is getting within 4 years - has been approved by president Jacob Zuma.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications rushed names through the general assembly last month without investigating why the SABC board resigned.

The portfolio committee was primarily interested in just putting together an interim SABC board after the destruction and total meltdown of corporate governance at the beleaguered public broadcaster, following bitter in-fighting between the SABC board, and the board and the minister of communications Dina Pule over the matricless  Hlaudi Motsoeneng's tenure as acting chief operating officer (COO) at the SABC.

It's a position Hlaudi Motsoeneng now still holds, after he was removed by the now dissolved SABC board.

President Jacob Zuma has now rubber stamped Zandile Tshabalala as the new chairperson of the interim SABC board, Noluthando Gosa as deputy chairperson who has resigned twice before as SABC board member, and as interim SABC board members the economist Iraj Abedian, the former public service commissioner member Vusumzi Mavuso, and the chartered accountant Ronnie Lubisi.

The minister of communications, Dina Pule, met with the new SABC interim board on Thursday.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications now has to start the process of opening applications and nominations to yet again - the umpteenth time the last five years - appoint a new permanent SABC board.