Magazine show RGB back with new episodes on SABC1 after months of repeats, as co-host Sinazo Yolwa mocks gossip spread by 'fake news merchants' about show's rumoured cancellation.

The long-running and so-called "cancelled" RGB magazine entertainment show on SABC1 returned on Saturday 8 June with a new episode at 19:30 with presenters Sinazo Yolwa and Samora Mangesi, putting to be bed trash reports and peddled rumours about the show's demise.

The Real Goboza and other locally-produced shows on SABC1 like Nyan' Nyan have been on a repeat loop of old episodes for months and missed new season debut dates due to the South African public broadcaster's ongoing financial problems and inability to pay for new content.

The Real Goboza, produced by Urban Brew Studios stopped airing new episodes in January 2019 and have been on repeats since for the past 4 months since the SABC's failure to sign a new contract due to not having the money.

That however didn't mean that RGB, luring over 2.5 million viewers as one of the most-watched shows on SABC1 and in South Africa, was cancelled - just that there wouldn't be further new episodes until the broadcaster can sign a new contract and pay for it.

Yet untrustworthy rumour-peddlers started spreading fake news on social media that RGB was supposedly cancelled, uninformed about how the TV business works and that the show and its intellectual property, although produced by an outside production studio, belongs to the SABC, and that the broadcaster wouldn't can a top-rated show.

It's not clear where and how the fake news around RGB started.

"SABC1, together with Urban Brew Studios is in negotiation for the next season and has already worked on developing a new and improved season with exciting changes that viewers can look forward to. The show is planned to be back on-air with a new season in the coming months," said SABC1 in a statement.

SABC1 didn't issue any programming note or press release to the media that newly-produced episodes of RGB would return to the channel in June on Saturday 8 June but the former co-presenter Sinazo Yolwa who is back, did make mention on camera of the fake social media and rumours about the show's supposed cancellation.

Sinazo Yolwa and the show shared one of the fake messages that circulated on social media about The Real Goboza rumoured demise, poking fun at rumours that RGB was apparently "getting decommissioned" and that "production on the show has already halted and an official screen blackout will happen soon".

"Word on the street is that RGB is dead," said Sinazo Yolwa, with the rumours that were spread by "fake news merchants and reporters".

"But RGB is back baby".

RGB has added Roxanne Robertson and Sibu Mpanza as new field presenters who will be doing red carpet interviews and gossip about social hot topics.

Hectic Nine-9 producers and presenter Samora Mangesi apologise for racist remarks, 'what I said on live TV was very ignorant and extremely childish'.

The producers and a presenter of the SABC2 afternoon youth timeslot Hectic Nine-9 are apologising for the racist comments the presenter Samora Mangesi made last week, saying his behaviour on live televsion was "distateful, insensitive and completely unacceptable".

The SABC2 youth presenter will now undergo formal tolerance counselling.

Samora Mangesi on Wednesday on SABC2 mocked coloured people's pronunciation of the word "Pac-Man" on-air, similar to eNCA anchor Andrew Barnes who was suspended and given a disciplinary hearing earlier this year after mocking the minister of basic education, Angie Motshekga's pronunciation of "epitome" during a news broadcast.

In a recorded message, Samora Mangesi who joined Hectic Nine-9 in mid-2013 is now apologising, saying "I was talking about old-school gaming and I made a joke regarding coloured people's pronunciation of the word Pac-Man".

"I know that my remarks were grossly distateful and very inappropriate and I know that I offended a lot of avid fans and avid viewers of the show as well and I'd like to apologise wholeheartedly for that".

"I know that what I said was very ignorant and extremely childish. I regret what I said and it was never my intent to hurt anyone's feelings or make anyone feel bad about themselves. It was sincerely just a joke between two colleagues and two friends," said Samora Mangesi.

"I have since learnt that anything that I say, even if it's in jest, can impact people's lives in a negative or positive way. I am extremely sorry and I promise to do better next that I'm on air."

Shelly Scheepers from Okuhle Media says  the production company doing the show for SABC2 wants to sincerely apologise for the racial comment made by Samora Mangesi during the live broadcast.

"The producers of Hectic Nine-9 fully acknowledge the severity of his comment and we are taking it very seriously."

"As we are a live show it is not always possible for us to have 100% control over what happens while we are on air, this is the one unfortunate thing about the live television environment."

"We agree that what Samora said in jest was distasteful, insensitive and completely unacceptable, and wish to distance the show from this view."

Samora Mangesi will now undergo formal counselling in tolerance, says Shelly Scheepers.

Samora's Apology
We would like to sincerely apologise for the racial comment made by our presenter Samora Mangesi on the live broadcast of Hectic Nine-9 on Wednesday, 3rd February 2016.The Producers of Hectic Nine-9 fully acknowledge the severity of his comment and we are taking it very seriously. As we are a live show it is not always possible for us to have 100% control over what happens while we are on air, this is the one unfortunate thing about the live television environment.We agree that what Samora said in jest was distasteful, insensitive and completely unacceptable, and wish to distance the show from this view.We are in discussion with Samora and he will offer a more formal apology to our viewers. He will unreservedly retract the statement and undergo formal counsel in tolerance.RegardsHN9 TEAM
Posted by Hectic Nine-9 on Tuesday, February 9, 2016