TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. MultiChoice lies and says in its financial report presentation it 'enhanced content discovery' - in reality the pay-TV operator did the exact opposite during the year and made it more difficult and worse.

MultiChoice that released its financial year report to 31 March 2019 on Tuesday blatantly lied in its presentation document, noting how it had "enhanced content discovery" - in fact, the pay-TV operator did exactly the opposite.

The truth is that MultiChoice's "content discovery" - through deliberately failing to help and do for DStv subscribers what works for them, meeting them where they are at, and doing it properly, had for the financial year in question been more sh*t than ever.

In its 2018/2019 financial year, MultiChoice deliberately did things, and did some things so badly, that all combined are making it now much more harder than ever before for ordinary DStv subscribers to know when what content is on and where to find it.

"Content discovery" is the phrase used to describe both the process and the state-of-being of viewers finding out, knowing or searching for content; and knowing what content to watch, on what platform or channel, when, and what it's about.

For instance, "content discovery" is the process through which a DStv subscriber would know or come to know that The Queen is back for a new season on Mzansi Magic, that it's on channel 161, at what time the story resumes, and what The Queen is about, who is in it, and why it's something a subscriber would like to see.

How about Game of Thrones? How does a viewer discovery that it's on M-Net (DStv 101), a final season; but also on Showmax, but also Express from the US, shown live at 03:00 in the morning, but again in prime time at 22:00, when repeats are, that previous seasons are stacked on the Showmax library-carousel, that there's a making-of documentary, who's in it and what the show is about?

MultiChoice has the audacity to tell investors in its presentation that it "enhanced content discovery". Meanwhile, it later mentions how it "discontinued print magazine" as part of "improved operational efficiencies".

Taking information away from customers isn't "enhancing content discovery" - it's taking away something that helped.

While millions of DStv subscribers, especially older customers, are now without a physical DStv TV guide magazine and don't know anymore about what's showing and where on DStv there is something that they might want to watch, the same holds true for the millions of hotel guests who used to get a magazine in their rooms.

They now have nothing except remote controls with a prominent Netflix button that they'd rather press for on-demand programming. MultiChoice sacrificed physical space where it literally owned a strong and embedded DStv brand space in every room and literally just capitulated without a fight, handing it to its biggest rival, Netflix, on a silver platter.

In a country where data is expensive and universal broadband penetration lacking, MultiChoice wants its customers to pay to use data to go online to struggle with a temperamental and mistake-riddled online DStv channel guide using mobile phones if they want to search for something they want to watch.

Newsflash: That's not going to happen.

Neither does MultiChoice call centre operators have a physical magazine to quickly tell callers when programming is on as used to be the case. M-Net analogue subscribers - again largely older, yet extremely loyal customers, who were moved to a special DStv bouquet - got their schedules abruptly ripped away as well.

That isn't "enhancing content discovery" - it's taking away something that helped.

Where DStv subscribers had access to 30 days schedules for channels they now have just 7 days.

Spare a thought for the person going overseas or travelling who would have noticed and have asked someone in the house to record something to watch later that they discovered would be on because DStv subscribers had access to a schedule stretching further into the future than a week in advance. No longer possible.

Remember The 101 with Donovan Goliath on M-Net (DStv 101) that was specifically created as a "content discovery" show to help viewers watching TV to know what's going to be showing across the various M-Net channels on DStv? Cancelled. Replaced with ... nothing.

Cancelling a "content discovery" show and replacing it with nothing on television isn't "enhancing content discovery" - it's taking away something that helped.

In addition, the DStv guide online worsened with less specific information and often generic population of the same stale, non-descript one-liners repeated for every episode. That isn't "enhancing content discovery".

Neither does empty, incorrect and old DStv TV channel grids online that constantly lack the latest updates and changes "enhance content discovery".

On Showmax and DStv Now the mess and multiple little mistakes have been more than ever during the past year. Wrong and old publicity photos, wrong show descriptions and wrong episodic information or no episode information litter the whole place. That is not "enhancing content discovery".

Soni Methu was fired from CNN years ago and actually died in mid-April this year.

Quite surreal MultiChoice that apparently can't care less and probably never even watched the show or the bulk of shows it leaves to viewers to "discover", still uses Soni Methu's publicity photo for Inside Africa on CNN International (DStv 401) on the DStv guide and DStv Now.

It's one of literally many, many blatant mistakes that are not fixed and that collectively hugely damages what MultiChoice wants to call "enhancing content discovery".

On social media it doesn't look as if DStv cares either.

If it did, or people running things like its Twitter actually watched shows, it again wouldn't run well past sell-by date information and repeat the same worn-out and ridiculously stale info about shows that had already come and gone. Again, that doesn't quality as "enhancing content discovery".

The truth is that DStv subscribers are less well taken care of, with access to less programming information, that are less easily available that what the case was a year ago.

MultiChoice calls that "enhanced content discovery".


ALSO READ: MultiChoice does little to stop the drop of DStv Premium subscribers other than have the call centre phone them after they had already cancelled; top-end segment still 'a long way off' from being 'unable to wash itself' and being unprofitable. 
ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. MultiChoice CEO, Calvo Mawela, has started spouting some inane gibberish about millennials not wanting or able to watch 90 minutes of something. Get a child - and get a grip.
ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. Higher prices are not killing DStv Premium - MultiChoice's lack of showing DStv subscribers why it's worth it, constantly diluting it, and failure to add value is what's damaging it.
ALSO READ: TV CRITIC's NOTEBOOK. If you want to see some really hilarious sh*t, look no further than MultiChoice's surreal no-numbers presentation in its financial results comparing Showmax and DStv Now with rival Netflix.
ALSO READ: DStv subscribers keep increasing although MultiChoice continues to lose top-end DStv Premium customers who no longer see it as offering enough value for money.

Landmark 20th CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 with Zain Asher and Mark Masai set to celebrate journalism with 700 guests in Nairobi.

A large group of the continent's media and journalists are set to converge on Kenya's capital Nairobi - Africa's Green City in the Sun - from Thursday for the auspicious CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 taking place for its landmark 20th time this year.

The 20th CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2015 will be held on Saturday evening in Nairobi's  Kenyatta International Conference Centre, refurbished to the tune of millions earlier this year for the state visit of America's president Barack Obama, with CNN International's Zain Asher and NTV's Mark Masai.

It's here, in the continent's most prestigious annual competition to reward excellence in African journalism, where journalists from across the African continent will be honoured on Saturday night and where an expected 700 guests will converge.

Chosen from entries spanning 39 African countries, journalists will be honoured in various categories for their great reporting work in various mediums - telling harrowing, moving and important stories to their readers, listeners and viewers through inserts, interviews and articles often sourced and produced under extremely difficult circumstances.

The competition was last held in Nairobi a decade ago, in 2005.

While the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards usually alternates between South Africa and different African country from one year to the next, the awards ceremony which was held last year in Tanzania, is taking place in Kenya on Saturday and not in South Africa.

CNN International (DStv 401) denies that Kenya was selected to somehow make up for the global news channel's gaffe earlier this year when the East African country was described on CNN as "a hotbed of terror" in July.

After the on-air incident the Kenyan government demanded an apology and Tony Maddox, the executive vice-president and managing director of CNN International personally flew to Nairobi to apologise to Kenya's president Uhuru Kenyatta.

"The CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards have been held in South Africa on several occasions, but there hasn't been a formal arrangement between South Africa and other countries," CNN International told TV with Thinus.

"Our commitment is to the whole continent and we will always try to go to new locations when logistics and circumstances permit."

CNN International says CNN and MultiChoice decided upon Nairobi as the location for this year's CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards very early this year and that this has been long in the planning well before the summer.

Besides Zain Asher well-known CNN reporters are set to attend the 2015 CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards and who have covered and continue to cover the African continent incisively.

Barring any breaking news commitments, Robyn Kriel who joined CNN International from eNCA (DStv 403) earlier this year covering East Africa, David McKenzie who moved from China to South Africa to covering Africa again and Soni Methu, the presenter of the magazine show Inside Africa will all attend the awards.

Over the next few days journalists and the 31 finalists will attend various media forums with topics like "20 Years of African journalism", Storytelling in the digital age" and hear more about Africa's developmental challenges. On the itinerary is also a tour of the SuperSport studios.

CNN doesn't want to reveal exactly what and how the 20th CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards will be different on Saturday but says "it will be fantastic to be joined by the vast majority of previous winners on the night".

"As well as recognising the very best of African journalist from the last year, the event will be a real celebration of 20 years of the awards. Special video content has been created which will draw on the experiences of some of those who have been involved and made the awards so special over the years".

DATELINE DAR ES SALAAM: CNN International's Soni Methu of Inside Africa: 'There's so much beauty, growth, happening right now in Africa.'

The wonderfully friendly, funny, and simply beaming Soni Methu is the new presenter of the weekly magazine show Inside Africa on CNN International (DStv 401).

Following in the footsteps of Isha Sesay and Errol Barnett who presented Inside Africa before her, Soni Methu from Kenya says she simply loves the travelling aspect of the pan-African show, visiting various African countries on a weekly basis and getting to talk to a wide variety of people.

On Saturday TV with Thinus met up with Soni Methu in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for a quick chat during her visit to the East African country for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2014.


What do you enjoy about being the new presenter and host of the weekly Inside Africa on CNN International?
Soni: So far the best is the travelling across the continent and meeting so many influential people who are making such a huge difference across Africa. So travelling and meeting wonderful people everywhere.


Why do you think that a programme such as Inside Africa is important to be on television, and especially on a globally watched TV news channel like CNN International?
Soni: Well, Inside Africa gives viewers across the world the positive stories about Africa and its people.
Just like everyone's life where it's important to have a "feel good" thing about you, so while the most stories getting coverage is not always very positive, Inside Africa is a show where viewers can see the positive things happening across Africa, that there's so much beauty, growth, development and wonderful talent happening right now in the whole of Africa.
Inside Africa is a weekly passport to that.


You're the next in the line of succession after Isha and Errol and now viewers are seeing you as the face of Inside Africa. For young girls watching you, people seeing you in their homes, and who maybe also want to go into television or become a TV presenter, what advice would you have for them?
Soni: Just be yourself. Don't listen to other people wanting to tell you who you should be or how you should be, or why you should be different. If you are just yourself, if you're true to yourself that's the best thing you can do to join the TV industry and to be good in the industry.
It's good to have someone to admire and to look up to, but stick to who you are.

DATELINE DAR ES SALAAM: Isha Sesay oddly absent as host, as Soni Methu steps in to present CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2014.

The CNN reporter and anchor Isha Sesay who did fly to Tanzania and who was announced and supposed to be the host, was oddly absent on Saturday evening when Soni Methu suddenly stepped in to be the host of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2014 in Dar es Salaam.

The journalist-filled studio audience at the Mlimani City conference centre in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania  instantly started to buzz, wondering and asking aloud: "Where is Isha?" when the new CNN International (DStv 401) presenter of Inside Africa, Soni Methu, appeared on stage to welcome the audience.

The organisers of Africa's most prestigious competition recognising and honouring excellence in journalism across the continent, earlier announced Isha Sesay as the host of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2014, and she is the one people expected to see as the presenter for the evening.

It is also Isha Sesay's name who appeared in the official, high-gloss printed programme for the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2014 as host for the evening.

Yet neither CNN International nor MultiChoice ever announced that Isha Sesay would no longer be the host, and no prior mention was made that Soni Methu would be the new host.

There was no explanation as to her absence and why Isha Sesay disappeared.

Earlier on Saturday morning in Dar es Salaam as part of the three day long media forum series of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2014, the always eloquent Isha Sesay was part of a panel discussion regarding media coverage of Ebola, and on Friday evening she also showed up at a thank you dinner at the Akemi Revolving restaurant.

At the gala dinner on Saturday night following the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2014 journalist buzzed about Isha Sesay's absence. With no explanation from the organisers, multiple "conspiracy" theories bloomed.

Did Isha Sesay suddenly fly to Nigeria to cover the latest news about the missing Nigerian school girls - a story she gave exceptional coverage to earlier this year - since she was now again a hop skip and a jump away in Africa from that country?

Was Isha Sesay somehow pushed out at the last minute with Soni Methu pushed in?

Did Isha Sesay suddenly take ill?

Did Isha Sesay quickly fly to Sierra Leone to see her family and parents who still live there and to check on them, since she is very concerned about their well-being in the African country which is the epicentre of the struggle with Ebola?

Or was Isha Sesay "jealous" of Soni Methu also being a part of the event and refused to take part? Journalists thought this last theory was unlikely - both Isha Sesay and Soni Methu took several photos together, chatted the whole evening, and posed together with guest for photos at Friday evening's dinner.

Soni Methu suddenly takes over as new presenter of weekly magazine show, Inside Africa, on CNN International.

Soni Methu has suddenly taken over as the new presenter of Inside Africa, the weekly magazine show covering the African continent on CNN International (DStv 401), with no word on what has happened to Errol Barnett.

Soni Methu from eNCA (DStv 403) where she was an East African correspondent, replaces Errol Barnett who became the Inside Africa presenter two and a half years ago in January 2012 when he replaced Isha Sesay.

There's been no word from CNN International as to why the replacement took place, what Errol Barnett will no be doing, and why Inside Africa is suddenly changing presenters in the middle of the year. Errol Barnett has been anchoring over weekends from Atlanta the past few months.

Soni Methu will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, and from there visit various African countries.

"We're delighted Soni Methu is joining CNN and Inside Africa," says Mike McCarthy, CNN International's senior vice president.

"She brings a wealth of first-hand experience, knowledge and passion for Africa in all its many facets, and will be a real asset to the ongoing development of the show, a cornerstone of CNN International feature programming".