BREAKING. SABC3 adds Survivor back to its schedule with the 32nd season, Survivor Kaôh Rōng, tentatively set to start on 13 May.

The cash-strapped SABC has added Survivor back to the struggling SABC3 schedule, with the 32nd season, Survivor Kaôh Rōng, that has been penciled in for a starting date of Monday, 13 May at 19:30.

It must be noted that South African viewers should treat it as a "tentative" starting date since SABC3 has abruptly dropped the promised start of the last couple of Survivor seasons.

Season premieres got pushed out with SABC3 that then also botched the season premiere episodes. That remains a possibility with Survivor Kaôh Rōng.

However, for now, SABC3 has Survivor back in its schedule and once again scheduled a season of the American Survivor to start just days before the next season of Survivor South Africa on M-Net (DStv 101) - this time the 7th season entitled Survivor SA: Island of Secrets set in Samoa that will kick off on Thursday 16 May at 19:00 following the conclusion of The Bachelor SA.

This is the second time that SABC3 has done this and did the same with the previous season, Survivor: Cambodia that it originally scheduled to start at the same time as Survivor SA: Philippines in mid-May 2018 but then abruptly postponed because of non-payment and non-delivery of tapes, that only saw it start in mid-August 2018.

Because of the SABC and SABC3 financial problems American TV shows like The Bold and the Beautiful, Survivor and to a lesser extent The Amazing Race have vanished from the programming schedule of the South African public broadcaster's only commercial TV channel.

The SABC's contract of The Bold and the Beautiful with BBL was cancelled with the broadcaster that has been silent when asked several times about the fate of the remaining Survivor and The Amazing Race - legacy series on SABC3 that, together with Bold, continued to pull in strong viewership and ratings for the channel.

In February until its cancellation, Bold was the second most-watched regular programme on SABC3 (587 080 viewers) with once-off sport broadcasts stripped out, while both Survivor and The Amazing Race perennially make the list of top 10 most-watched shows on SABC3 when broadcast.

In February 2018 SABC3 made the hollow promise and said that it will catch up and start to show seasons of Survivor on Mondays and The Amazing Race on Wednesdays sooner with smaller breaks between seasons to stop falling further and further behind America.

Instead, Survivor has been absent from SABC3 for months, with The Amazing Race that was moved back to Mondays and finished its 27th season in February with 401 547 viewers as the 9th highest rated regular programme on the channel (the 31st season is set to start in May in the United States).

Earlier this month, Madoda Mxakwe, SABC CEO, told South Africa's parliament that the situation at the out-of-cash broadcaster "is so bad that several major content providers of key programmes actually refuse to engage with us. Understandably, because we have not been able to pay them in the past couple of months".

Now Survivor has popped back up on the SABC3 schedule with Survivor: Kaôh Rōng that was broadcast in 2016 in the United States, that will see contestants get divided into three tribes according to "brains" (intelligence), "brawn" (physical power) and "beauty" (external attractiveness).

Filmed in Cambodia as well - similar to the previous season - this season will introduce the power to remove a member of the jury for the first time.

Out of cash for content: This is why the SABC is filled with rebroadcasts and why The Bold and the Beautiful is really gone.

With the South African public broadcaster in extreme trouble, its programming schedules are filled with repeats and rebroadcasts of old shows with the SABC that admitted in parliament on Tuesday that it's not just out of cash to pay salaries but also out of cash to pay for content.

Since the beginning of this month The Bold and the Beautiful was abruptly gone from SABC3 with the contract that was terminated.

The SABC is now showing repeats of old content even during prime time on its channels. A repeat of 2017, Taryn & Sharon, is now rebroadcast on weekdays in prime time on SABC3, as well as SABC2’s former telenovela Keeping Score that is getting a re-airing now on SABC3 also in prime time.

The SABC previously at least tried to keep repeats out of prime time.

Seasons of long-running shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race that used to alternate on SABC3 no longer appear on the March or even April schedules. Meanwhile SABC2 is dusting off library series like 2010's The Joey Rasdien Show, back for yet another repeat. 

Madoda Mxakwe, SABC CEO, warned parliament that a "black-on-air" scenario will happen soon without a government bailout of the beleaguered broadcaster that is on the precipice of financial collapse and will be technically insolvent at the end of this month.

Last month the minister of finance, Tito Mboweni, revealed after his budget speech in parliament that the SABC needs a whopping R6.8 billion in cash as a government bailout to survive.

Madoda Mxakwe, who said that the SABC's cash flow is completely depleted, said the SABC "cannot adhere to all our committed contracts". "We cannot even commission local content production as a result of all of the severe liquidity challenges that we're facing."

"The situation is so bad that several major content providers of key programmes actually refuse to engage with us. Understandably, because we have not been able to pay them in the past couple of months," added Madoda Mxakwe.

"We can't acquire sports rights. Owing to our liquidity challenges we are not able to do it."

"In terms of the significant suppliers that are due and overdue, you are looking at Sentech, we're looking at SuperSport, Samro, as well as other providers of content that we have not been able to pay."


'Black-on-air scenario is a real threat' - SABC CEO
Madoda Mxakwe told parliament that "the SABC cannot guarantee that it will be able to pay its employees’ salaries at the end of March 2019. Should this crisis not be addressed as a matter of urgency, the SABC would be unable to operate and the 'black-on-air' scenario is a real and highly possible threat."

The minister of communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams said later on Tuesday that the National Treasury will give some money to the SABC in order to pay staff salaries at the end of March. The amount was not disclosed.

The SABC told parliament that since October 2018 the broadcaster's audience share has been declining, with its revenue that is expected to continue to decline in the 4th quarter of its financial year.

Yolande van Biljon, the SABC's chief financial officer (CFO), told parliament that "our audience share is declining as a result of a combination of factors and we anticipate it to continue."

She added: "Of our television stations, SABC1 remains the top-performing station but we're also too heavily reliant on it. It is outperforming the prior year revenue but it is the targets for this year which are not being met for all three TV channels."

Yolande van Biljon said: "We have incidents almost once a month where either there's a fire or a roof caves in as a result of the severe storms we've been having in Johannesburg. All of it are symptoms of our inability to maintain our infrastructure."

TV CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK: The (long-overdue) time has come for M-Net or e.tv to vote out SABC3 and take over the broadcast of Survivor.

The time has really finally come - and it's really long-overdue - for M-Net (DStv 101) or e.tv to take over CBS's American version of Survivor and to vote SABC3 off the TV island over it's ongoing embarrassing and sheer incompetence for its ongoing botching of this show.

After SABC3 finally scheduled the 31st season of Survivor, Survivor Cambodia Second Chance that already aired in mid-2015 in America to start in May this year on SABC3, the channel once again abruptly postponed it to August, as the SABC's only commercial TV channel also did with previous seasons.

Then, this week when it was supposed to start, SABC3 once again horrifically mangled the first episode by entirely cutting out the immunity challenge, going straight to tribal council and playing music videos to fill the dead air on SABC3 until 21:00.

This is the 3rd time in a row that SABC3 completely botched the start of a new Survivor season during playout.

After deciding on Tuesday morning to show the first Survivor episode correctly played out on Tuesday evening - preempting the other scheduled SABC3 programming - the channel once again made viewers furious when it said the episode would repeat on Saturday at 15:00 ... only for Survivor Cambodia Second Chance to be an utter no-show.

Adding fuel to the fire is that SABC3 on Twitter on Saturday morning still said the show would be on at 15:00, only to go totally quiet afterwards when it didn't happen.

Last year I asked the SABC specifically - and this year again - how it will prevent another new season of Survivor being mangled when it's broadcast because of the ongoing previous problems.

The SABC didn't want to answer the question, and, as this week has shown yet again, either doesn't care or simply doesn't have the ability anymore to do better or to broadcast this show properly.

SABC3 is 5 seasons behind Survivor shown in the United States and has objectively speaking been doing an incredibly bad job for the past few years of broadcasting this show. Survivor remains beloved by many viewers locally and in America, but gets shoddy service on and from the South African public broadcaster.

It's time for M-Net, that has found renewed success with more seasons of the local version, Survivor South Africa to take over Survivor for its schedule for the sake of -long suffering South African viewers and fans of this show, who are disrespected and getting awful treatment from SABC3 in terms of the trash way this show is being handled.

If not M-Net, then e.tv could and should consider taking over Survivor from SABC3 and clinch the deal with CBS Studios International in the way that it picked up and took over Days of Our Lives when SABC3 tossed it away.

The Sony Channel (DStv 127) already took over The Amazing Race from SABC3, with Sony showing the latest seasons of this high-quality reality competition show.

The Amazing Race is also a great show and also used to be a jewel in the SABC3 crown. But the channel couldn't bother to keep up properly and fast enough with seasons of this show either.

It's sad that SABC3 continues to buy something like Survivor that it can't showcase properly. It's also sad that South African viewers are on the receiving end of a sloppy broadcast service for which there really are no excuses.

The self-inflicted mess like seen yet again this week, damages SABC3 and it damages Survivor.

After the always unexplained "technical glitches" happened with Survivor the first time, the SABC should have done two things - neither of which it has clearly cared to do the past three years inside its television division.

Firstly, the SABC should have made a very strong and clear statement to tell viewers that it's sorry and that these very preventable mistakes won't happen with Survivor ever again.

This would have built viewers' trust and would have kept more viewers staying tuned to SABC3 for Survivor.

Secondly, the SABC should have put very specific, more, and better logistics and management parameters in place to secure Survivor tapes, to check them before broadcast, and should have introduced more stringent controls in the final control room playout and have competent people overseeing it, instead of people who seem asleep behind the controls.

Very objectively, and very clearly, the people inside the SABC working with Survivor and the Survivor tapes  - from content acceptance to checking to formatting to slotting and stacking and playout - are incompetent and are not able to do what is required for episodes to be broadcast correctly on SABC3. That is a problem.

As it stands, SABC3 viewers interested in Survivor have absolutely no more trust in SABC3 that it will show Survivor, or show the CBS Studios International show correctly - the same way commuters of a badly run bus service don't know when, or if, the next bus might actually show, and if it will be the right bus.

SABC3 has destroyed all of the goodwill, all of the trust, all of the patience, hope and expectations that viewers still had for Survivor.

It's high time for Survivor to switch from the SABC to M-Net, e.tv or elsewhere - where the mere broadcast exercise of just seeing Survivor as a basic, normal playout on air would be a massive improvement from what's been happening with this sorry show.

BREAKING. SABC3 fails to broadcast the Saturday repeat of Survivor Cambodia Second Chance after botching the season's Monday debut, once again leaving viewers angry and confused.

SABC3 failed to broadcast the repeat of Survivor Cambodia Second Chance on Saturday afternoon at 15:00 after it botched the debut broadcast of the season on Monday night, once again leaving SABC3 viewers angry and confused.

On Monday night, SABC3 once again mangled the broadcast of the start of a new Survivor season for the 3rd consecutive time, without explaining why it happened yet again.

SABC3 completely removed the entire immunity challenge, switching straight to tribal council after an ab break, and had to play music videos to fill the empty airtime until 21:00.

Angry viewers vented their anger and confusion against SABC3 for once again botching the broadcast of the show distributed by CBS Studios International.

The SABC that was asked what specifically went wrong and what caused the problem declined to respond to specific questions from TVwithThinus and said the broadcast was marred when "the channel experienced a technical glitch during the programme, Survivor".

The SABC on Tuesday morning decided to preempt the Tuesday evening's schedule on SABC3 and then showed the debut episode of Survivor Cambodia Second Chance correctly the next night.

The repeat of Survivor Cambodia Second Chance was however set for Saturday, with SABC3 on social media still marketing the show on Saturday morning for 15:00.

Then 15:00 arrived and there was no Survivor Cambodia Second Chance on SABC3, with the channel broadcasting Married to Medicine with no on-screen explanation and SABC3 silent on social media after it told viewers Survivor would be on at 15:00.

Viewers on Saturday again slammed SABC3 as they did on Monday night.

"What happened? Survivor was supposed to replay at 15:00. Instead Married to Medicine is playing right now. Why are you guys like this SABC?" asked Desiree.

"Cannot believe I missed the first episode. SABC3 this is disappointing.How do you start a new season of Survivor with no ads and then fail to air repeat!! Urghhh!" said Mizz Angela.

"Not even the SABC's Twitter team has a clue of what's going on with their scheduling. Saturday repeat of start of Survivor S31 cancelled without notice," said Jacques Rentzke.

Not even the #SABC's Twitter team has a clue of what's going on with their scheduling. Saturday repeat of start of #SurvivorS31 cancelled without notice. #SABC3 @TVwithThinus

— Jacques Rentzke (@JacquesRentzke) August 18, 2018

David Makubyane, general manager for TV channels, now standing in as acting SABC3 channel head after Aisha Mohamed quit last month, said at the end of July that SABC3, struggling in the ratings, wants viewers to come back and is working to repair its reputation as a channel destination for quality content.

"We want someone to say 'I can tune to SABC3 and get the latest local and international content at the quality that you can get on any other platform in South Africa," said David Makubyane.

INTERVIEW. SABC3 channel head Aisha Mohamed on the channel's new schedule, The Amazing Race, Real Talk with Anele, Top Billing and Bollywood - and what's happening with the news and Supernatural.

At the beginning of February SABC3 once again changed its schedule, with SABC3 channel head Aisha Mohamed saying the channel's ongoing prime time evolution "is not the beginning nor is it the end. It's definitely the start of much more. It is our journey".

TVwithThinus sat down with Aisha Mohamed, to hear why the new schedule change happened and what it means, why Top Billing moved to Saturdays and why the news and Real Talk with Anele moved to later timeslots.

Aisha explains how SABC3 is trying to catch up with The Amazing Race, those Supernatural episodes that got cut and new seasons coming, what viewers' response are to the Bollywood content and how SABC3's schedule is responding to viewer feedback.




Why did SABC3 decide to change its schedule again from the start of February?
The changes have been coming for a while and we thought it would be really great to start a new year.

The changes are definitely part of our thinking and our strategy and we've spent a lot of time so that the changes we put forward from February are sustainable but also come with longevity. We decided to launch it in February and it can sustain itself to as soon as May when we get new titles in again, and then in the next 3 months again, we get new titles in again. So it made sense for me to start a new year with a new, fresh feeling.

We also had a lot of feedback and time to get feedback from viewers. So we've spent time reading that feedback, researching that feedback, having a look at what people actually want - you know, what are they saying to us.

What is nice about our audience is that they're very vocal. So they will tell you exactly what are the things that they like and that they don't like. And that actually assisted us in this process, with simple things like Real Talk with Anele that we've moved a little bit later. They're very much a part of those decisions, telling us things like "I'm not home when this is on" and SABC3's schedule is very much about those decisions - so we considered all of those things.

The thing is that you're never going to make everybody happy all the time. It's a competitive schedule for us as a channel, so we can compete aggressively but also make our viewers happy in the same vein.

Can you talk a bit about Top Billing and its 25th anniversary and what a show and a brand like that and its longevity means for South Africa and for the SABC and SABC3 and why did you decide to move it to Saturdays at 18:00?
That Top Billing has been on the air for so many years is a testament to the kind of product that it is and the fact that it has such high value. It is regarded in the viewers' mind as something that's really unique.

Top Billing is a very unique property. It encapsulates a little bit of everything. But also we found that in the viewing experience we're moving into a very different age. So as Top Billing is changing and evolving - and you would have seen if you've watched it for the last couple of months - it's definitely moving to a different direction.

It's moving to the direction that SABC3 is moving, but it's also moving in a digital age, it's savvy about how it's responding to it's viewers from a social media perspective, but it's also about ensuring that we give it a home that it can really shine.

And we felt that Thursdays are definitely our home for reality and for drama and that kind of thing. We found from a viewer perspective those people appreciated watching it over the weekend, so it's about giving Top Billing the opportunity tor really shine on a Saturday, and with a repeat on a Sunday. So we're really hoping to see good things in the new timeslot.

The move of the SABC's English TV news bulletin from 18:00 to 21:00, is that to make a less interrupted flow?
That's exactly what it is. So it was about flow and balance, and also allowing our viewers the opportunity to have news and lifestyle strands where they are.

We've got a 2 minute bulletin at 6 o'clock that's you'll still get that's very much the headlines. And then a very detailed bulletin at 9. So it's 2 minutes at 6 and then a very detailed bulletin at 9 encapsulating what's been going on the day.

Also our viewers are very savvy. They're aspirational. They are aware. They are aware of what's happening around them. Often a lot of the news stories, they've seen what's going on around them, they know what's happening. So it's about bringing it all together for a more detailed conversation at 21:00, which I don't think we could have done at 6 o'clock.

And then the rationale for moving the talk shows Afternoon Express and Real Talk with Anele to early prime time, is it to leverage the more viewers that potentially available later?
So definitely, definitely in terms of Real Talk with Anele that has been the feedback from viewers who told us "I have to catch it on YouTube", "I can't believe I missed it again today", "I can't believe I missed so and so" - it's all of that feedback.


So the later timeslot is a testament to the show's success?
Yes. Absolutely. Also, it's a SABC3 production. So we're invested it in. And we want to give it the best possible opportunity to shine. So 6 o'clock makes a lot of sense.

And I hoping that people are comfortably at home then and can enjoy the viewing experience as opposed to being still at work, which is the feedback we got.

Also Afternoon Express has sustained itself over time. It came on as a new show, we weren't sure how it was going to do, and it really has improved our schedule tremendously.

A lot of viewers have been scared about the possibility of Survivor and The Amazing Race disappearing from SABC3's schedule?
We've kept Mondays as adventure, so our reality and adventure on Mondays sustain itself. So Survivor is definitely still on a Monday.

We chose to put The Amazing Race on a Wednesday because we want to bring our seasons forward. So we're looking at what's happening with how many seasons there are and where we are at, and to bring things forward so that we can give viewers the next season sooner rather than later.

So we've got season 25 of The Amazing Race on Wednesdays and then we've got Survivor coming in shortly. And we've got further seasons actually. So there'll be a one and then a break and then another one. But again, just to make sure that we maintain interest and make it relevant, because we find that the gaps otherwise are a bit too far apart.


Will SABC3 ever show the last four episodes of Supernatural's stopped season?
We are still playing the last 4 episodes out. In the schedule change one of the shows that were affected was Supernatural on a Sunday night.

Unfortunately it is a little bit later, so it's not in the same timeslot that it was at, but we are most definitely showing it a bit later, so we are finishing the season. And it's nice that we also have the next seasons of Supernatural coming.

Do you know which ones?
I think its 11 and 12. So they're coming in and will come in on a drama slot on a Wednesday.


What has been the feedback in terms of the Bollywood content and will there be more of that?
So we're very excited about that. The viewer feedback has been well around Bollywood, also the pairing of Mela and Bollywood together was also very much in favour. The movies feedback was really great. So we got a lot of feedback around the types of movies.

We've also got really good titles, and we've got a good combination of for instance Hindi, Tamil and how we can pair them together and can ensure that both communities can enjoy that equally. So it is a bit of a touchy area sometimes. So we are very careful how we schedule them; so that we ensure we have enough titles, pair them nicely.

Also we try to get latest movies, we've just acquired a lot of new ones with some new titles coming on as well. I think we acquired 20 or 25 new ones.

M-Net revives Survivor South Africa for a 6th season in 2018.

M-Net is reviving the reality show Survivor South Africa for a new 6^th season in 2018.

The news of a new season comes in the same week as M-Net (DStv 101) confirming that it is also taking over the glitter floor format showStrictly Come Dancing SA from SABC3 and rebranding it as Dancing with the Stars SA for broadcast in early 2018.

Nico Panagio will again be the presenter and the show is produced by Afrokaans Film and Television.

Following South African seasons of the Endemol Shine Group’s format show set in Panama, Malaysia, Santa Carolina off the Mozambique coast, the Maldives and a Champions version that took place in the South China Seas in 2014, the pay-TV broadcaster is bringing the island vote-out show back after a four year rest.

Online video entries will close on 26 November and must be submitted at mnet.tv/survivorsa. 

M-Net will also have "booths" in Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg where Survivor SA teams will help candidates to submit entries.

These booths will be run in Durban (Saturday, 11 November, New Beach, Durban North), Cape Town (Saturday, 18 November, Canal Walk) and Johannesburg (Saturday, 25 November, Mall of Africa).

People who want to enter need to keep in mind that they will have to be available for 2 to 3 days during November or December to meet the producers and the selection team, as well as for physical and medical assessments.

Castaways who are selected to take part in the upcoming 6th season of Survivor SA will also need to be away from work or their normal lives from 8 January 2018 up to 28 February 2018, should you make it all the way to the final Tribal Council.

Do not enter if you can't actually make the time commitment to be away for that duration because that is what the show requires.

M-Net says "strategy is key. We're looking for die-hard fans who will be able to play the best game they possibly can".

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 13 September 2017.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read, and that you should too:

■ The former SABC Lotus FM DJ Vikash Mathura facing fraud court charges.
Allegedly billed Ellerines over R887 000 in secret on-air ad deal at Lotus FM on behalf of the SABC.

■ British government orders in-depth review of FOX's proposed mega Sky take-over deal.
The British government orders a full scale investigation of 21st Century Fox's proposed deal to take over the UK's pay-TV service Sky, and also wants a review of Broadcasting Standards.
It will take 6 months. At issue is also questions over the ongoing editorial independence of Sky News (DStv 402).
- It's a big setback for the Murdochs who hoped to avoid a thorough investigation.

■ How Omarosa is the most despised person in the White House.
The trashy American reality TV star now working for Donald Trump constantly plots against other officials, derails meetings and is notorious for distracting with negative news and gossip.

■ Riverdale's Camila Mendes was told she doesn't look Latin-American enough.
The starlet seen on VUZU AMP (DStv 103) says "that mentality is so backwards".

■ Nigerian journo Femi Solaja t/hypes up SuperSport's acquisition of WWE wrestling for DStv.
Will the wrestling on SuperSport translate into any significant ratings?

■ Jeff Probst wants Survivor to stay in Fiji permanently.
Despite major cost-cutting that saw Survivor film 4 seasons in Fiji, the show's host says Survivor should permanently stay there: "This is our home. I hope we end our show here".

■ Research: Pay-TV faces a period of unprecedented change.
The global transformation of the pay-TV industry is creating a "perfect storm" of slowing pay-TV growth - but Africa excluded.
A whopping 67% of TV executives agree that competition from SVOD services will have a negative impact on pay-TV, pushing prices down and increasing churn.
In order to grow, in order to grow, pay-TV service providers will have to innovate strongly over the next 5 years.

■ The good/bad side of streaming services is that they will have to start invest more in actual TV production and marketing of their shows.
The same holds true for the likes of Showmax, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in South Africa. Traditional pay-TV says subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services have some great content but do little to have premiere parties, marketing and to get traction with the media and viewers.

■ Mozambique wants to learn 'best media practices' from their Chinese trainers.
Mozambique wants to import more Chinese TV series like the Chinese soap opera, A Beautiful Daughter-in-Law Era that has "a great influence on the country".

■ Botswana's state broadcaster doesn't want to share its infrastructure with private broadcasters.
Btv tells Botswana's parliament is has rejected recommendation's from Botswana's broadcasting regulator, the Botswana Communications Authority (Bocra), to share its infrastructure that it's not using with private and other broadcasters to help the country's TV, film and radio industry.

■ The long-struggling plan to launch a SADC Television bouquet has been postponed again.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries have been trying for years now to start a local content TV exchange network for various Southern African countries to show some of their TV shows in each other's nations to promote regional African integration.
It's still going nowhere.

■ Uganda has suspended the ABS Television's TV licence indefinitely.
The Christian church owned TV station "repeatedly breached minimum broadcasting standards" according to Uganda's broadcasting regulator for broadcasting, Kalondoozi, a soft-core pornographic show that's a local Uganda version of the catch-cheaters-in-the-act Cheaters show.

■ Nigeria plans to start the Nigeria Police TV channel in November 2017 with 5 000 staffers.
And apparently CNN International will help with training.

FremantleMedia buys Australian independent production company.
Takes over Essential Media and Entertainment, one of the largest independent producers in Australia, rebranding the drama business under the name Easy Tiger.

■ uBaba Buhari is simple; watches on a 32 inch.
Nigeria's president Muhammadu Buhari watches television on a small TV set that is still LCD, not even LED. Such a selfless, humble man, even sitting on old furniture.

■ MultiChoice Africa donates after Sierra Leone mudslide disaster.
Gives 500 mattresses, 150 school bags and LED lights to survivors.

■ 15 TV bosses talk about the new TV season's trends.
What show would they steal, what worries them about the TV biz, and the new trends they're seeing.

■ Could Netflix (take a deep breath) ... spend $20 million on a single hour of a TV series?
Yes, says Netflix's COO. Netflix now has 104 million users worldwide and the economics of its global audience base makes such never-before-seen and outrageous production budgets possible.

SABC worlds apart after shocking and confusing viewers as SABC3 only shows the first half hour of new Survivor season.

The SABC is once again silent after yet another disastrous and botched start to a new season of Survivor after SABC3 on Tuesday night shocked and perplexed viewers when the channel kicked off the 30th season, subtitled Worlds Apart, by only showing the first half hour and then cutting to commercials and filler.

On the SABC3 schedule, Survivor Worlds Apart was supposed to run until 20:20 but only half an hour ended up being broadcast.

The SABC offered up no explanation to viewers about why it only showed the first half of the first episode of Survivor Worlds Apart - the first time that ever happened - with no on-screen advisory or apology on SABC3.

The struggling SABC3 is a TV channel that remains in an ongoing ratings freefall with programming mistakes like Tuesday aggravating and chasing away more viewers.

SABC3's Survivor Worlds Apart blunder comes just three months after the SABC's only commercial TV channel also botched the beginning of the previous season's start, when Survivor San Juan Del Sur, set for 5 April, was suddenly a no-show and caused the channel's entire primetime schedule to collapse in unplanned chaos due to an unexplained technical problems.

The SABC was asked what steps, if any, the public broadcaster took with specifically Survivor to prevent a repeat occurence of possible problems with the show - distributed by CBS Studios International - but didn't respond to a media enquiry.

Besides embarrassment and confused viewers, SABC3's Survivor Worlds Apart bungle will also end up costing the SABC money and lost revenue yet again for one of the SABC's last remaining premium international TV series on its programming grid.

The SABC will have to pay back all of the money to commercial advertisers who booked spots during the second half hour of the unaired show when commercials were not shown in the programming advertisers bought airtime for to reach the specific demos Survivor attract to SABC3.

It's not clear what led to SABC3's cut short Survivor Worlds Apart on Tuesday night.

On social media the SABC failed to interact with viewers wondering what's going on.

On Wednesday morning SABC3 on Twitter said that Survivor Worlds Apart will continue next week  "for the usual full hour" as "episode 1 continues".

The bulk of viewers who tuned in on Tuesday night won't know that and it remains to be seen how exactly SABC3 wants to broadcast the next chunk of the show without any lead-in, cold open or proper context.

Zandile Nkonyeni, head publicist for SABC TV channels, didn't respond to a media enquiry made Tuesday night about Survivor, asking what happened, why the SABC didn't communicate on-screen with viewers, and why only half an hour was shown of what is supposed to be a longer episode.

On Twitter on Tuesday night, a viewer expected something to go wrong, with one noting before the episode started that "It might happen that SABC3 can't find the Survivor tape like last time with the last season".

It might happen that @SABC3 can't find the survivor tape like last time with the last season

— I AM JEFFREY 👑🔮👑 (@jeffdaddy_mb) July 18, 2017

After SABC3's abrupt half hour Survivor cut, confused and angry viewers were quick to comment.

"BrigM said "SABC3 only 30 minutes Survivor and then rubbish to fill time? Seriously? The stage is not yours", with Tallic saying "Another Survivor cut and paste debut SABC3 what an upset". "What just happened to survivor cause the last time I checked its an hour show," asked Papirazzi.

Colleen Ranck wondered "where is the rest of Survivor? Since when is it only 30 minutes?" "Went off to make a cuppa, tuned in and just like that - poof - Survivor ended," remarked Debra Schonknecht.

@SABC3 only 30 minute survivor and then rubbish to fill time? Seriously? The stage is not yours

— BrigM (@BrigMinne) July 18, 2017

another survivor cut & paste debut @SABC3 wt an upset😞

— TALLIC. (@Tallic_SA) July 18, 2017

What just happened to #Survivor cause last time i checked its an hour show 😭 @SABC3

— #FillUpParkingLot3 (@Papirazzi_) July 18, 2017

@SABC3 WHERE IS THE REST OF SURVIVOR???? SINCE WHEN IS IT ONLY 30 MINUTES WFT

— Colleen Ranck (@RanckColleen) July 18, 2017

very confused with the first airing of the new survivor series it ended abruptly.

— Ronwyn G (@GautengWizard) July 18, 2017

Went off to make a cuppa, tuned in and just like that...*poof* survivor ended lol

— Debrà Schonknecht (@dsch61) July 18, 2017

SABC3 alerts that Survivor: San Juan Del Sur starting tonight has a longer debut episode duration; will push other shows all 20 minutes later.

After last week's no-show, the SABC is now alerting and pro-actively warning viewers that the debut episode of the new season of Survivor: San Juan Del Sur - moved out a week and now starting tonight - will run longer than usual, and will result in shifting the starting times of other shows later.

SABC3 caused controversy and a viewer uproar last Tuesday night when schedule chaos engulfed the public broadcaster's commercial TV channel after unspecified technical problems prevented the debut episode of the new 29th season of Survivor from starting.

It created a chaotic and unmanaged schedule cascade failure that saw as viewers flee SABC3 after the channel broadcast an erratic and jumbled, start-stop-repeat collection of other shows out of order.

The situation was made worse by the fact that it was the first time in the history of the show since it started on SABC3, that Survivor was moved away from Monday nights to Tuesdays, with viewers who also have to adapt and get used to watching it on a new day of the week.

SABC3 says the broadcast of the first episode of Survivor: San Juan Del Sur, distributed by CBS Studios International, will run for 62 minutes tonight, instead of the usual 48 minutes.

The extended duration of Survivor will affect all of the shows following after Survivor.

It means that The Hostess with Lorna Maseko, Driving in Heels, Trending SA and Days of Our Lives will have an expected delayed starting time of around 20 minutes after its usual starting time.

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 16 May 2015.

The Good Wife's Julianna Margulies and ArchiePanjabi absolute HATE each other.
The Good Wife lied to viewers and filmed scenes separately in which they appear opposite each other in the season finale and then spliced it together so that the actresses don't have to appear together. Body doubles were also used.
The final scene on The Good Wife between the two actresses was a complete fake and neither were there together, reports Entertainment Weekly as well due to a long running feud.


More behind-the-scenes drama in South Africa's derailed and fracturous digital terrestrial television (DTT) migration.
One of the latest scandals involve different manufacturers who all want in on the lucractive contracts as the government bail-out millions (the process was hijacked by manufacturers, among others, leaving viewers in the cold) squabbling over getting quoted different prices to make the set-top boxes (STB's).

Al Jazeera America's hated CEO Ehab Al Shihabi who refused to leave is gone now and back in Doha.
CNN Money reports that since Al Anstey, peviously the managing director of Al Jazeera English (DStv 406 / StarSat 257) was roped in to take over last week, and that staff feel that wilEhab Al Shihabi gone "people are relieved and hopeful".


Disney's CEO has the vision of wanting to create entire TV channels dedicated to Star Wars and Marvel Comics.
Bob Iger says Disney wants to take these creations directly to the consumer, like it is doing with Star Wars Rebels on Disney XD (DStv 304) for instance.

Survivor as a reality show has managed to outwit and outlast the now cancelled American Idol ...
... because of Jeff Probst.

David Lynch is finally onboard the reboot of Twin Peaks.
Salary and budget problems have finally been overcome. David Lynch will direct all 9 episodes.

It's 15 years ago that Beverly Hills, 90210 ended after 10 seasons.
What would the original characters' names be today if they were in West Beverly High?


Why is it so difficult to end a really great TV show?
The New York Times Magazine says the past 2 decades of great TV has proven that the better the TV, the harder it has become to say goodbye to it.
"The underlying problem is that a TV series' life span is an exceedingly unnatural thing, determined more by ratings, contractual obligations and other corporate-side concerns than by the ideal length of the show's narrative and a writer's original vision."


K.C. Undercover renewed for a 2nd season.
The Disney Channel (DStv 303) comedy with Zendaya will be back for another season.


Discovery also orders a special documentary after the Nepal earthquakes.
Following National Geographic Channel (DStv 181) making the Earthquake on Everest TV documentary special by Sky Vision Productions, Discovery Networks International (DNI) has commissioned Aftershock: Disaster in Nepal made by ITN Productions.


CBS Reality (DStv 132) is going to gets its very first original show.
CBS Reality, which is run by AMC Networks International, is going to get Donal MacIntyre: Unsolved, the channel's very first original series. The 12 episode, hour long series will follow the investigative journalist and presenter Donal MacIntyre analysing notorious unsolved crime stories. He will use interviews and case files to explore why the cases in question were never solved.


And finally ...
Non-TV: The New York Times' brutal and brutally honest review of Mariah Carey's Las Vegas residency.
The great critique of the fading elusive chanteuse and "her laserlike shrieks" at her new Las Vegas gig might give the poor thing an emotional breakdown.

Reality show Survivor heading to the Philippines with 3 returning players previously injured and evacuated in previous seasons.

Survivor (SABC3) is heading to the Philippines for the new 25th season of the  longrunning American reality show, and will see three returning players, each of whom was medically evacuated in previous seasons.

Survivor host Jeff Probst revealed the Philippines location as well as the twist at the end of the usual reunion show which capped the end of the just-concluded and 24th Survivor: One World season in America.

Each of the 3 returning players will be on a different tribe which will mark the first time that the reality show will have a 3 tribe format again since the Survivor: All Stars season.

BREAKING. SABC3 dropping The Amazing for another season of Survivor immediately following Survivor: Samoa on 7 May.

You're reading it here first.

Although not announced officially, I can exclusively reveal that the 15th season of The Amazing Race will no longer be following the current season of Survivor: Samoa on SABC3 and that the next season of Survivor, the 20th season entitled Survivor: Heroes vs Villains will replace the scheduled The Amazing Race.

What this means is that South African viewers will see two seasons of Survivor without a break. Although the SABC isn't yet making the news official, I'm told from multiple insiders knowledgeable about the programming change coming for SABC3 that the broadcaster has not yet sorted out the broadcasting rights and the license for The Amazing Race.

"Instead of waiting until the last minute and then not getting The Amazing Race in time, they decided to just go with the 20th season of Survivor in the meantime immediately following the conclusion of the 19th season."

What it means is basically the first ''double season'' of Survivor on South African television coming, ever.

Programming note: Expresso on SABC3 has Survivor Xtra with TVSA and Tashi Tagg Tuesday mornings at 06:45, about the Monday's episode.

If you're watching Survivor Tocatins on SABC3 Mondays at 19:30 you will want to watch Survivor Xtra with TVSA and Tashi Tagg on Tuesday mornings at 06:45 on SABC3's breakfast show Expresso. Tomorrow morning will be the 3rd episode.

My dear frenemy Tashni Tashi Tagg who does excellent work covering television is also brilliant with Survivor coverage and came up with the idea of having an on-air panel discussion on TV with insider gossip the day after an episode. Survivor Xtra with TVSA is a companion insert to Survivor Tocatins with extra information, insights, secrets and gossip about the season and opinion, chatter, debate and critique by Thrashey Tashi Tagg, the Expresso presenter and guest viewers and fans of Survivor Tocatins.

Survivor Xtra with TVSA sees Tratchni Tashi Tagg discussing the Monday night episode with a panel of fans of the show. For years the CBS Early Show in America has given time to the previous night's episode of Survivor on the CBS network because so much more exists in terms of footage, interviews, voted out contestants and possible discussions. Finally South African Survivor fans can also have more insight, perspective and analysis thanks to Survivor Xtra with TVSA recapping and doing talking points on the just-seen episode.

I'm told guests who want to form part of the panel (and everyone I've watched so far early in the morning in my living room or in hotel rooms across South Africa the past few weeks have been great) can email survivorxtra@tvsa.co.za or expresso@expressoshow.com (you have to be in Cape Town).

BREAKING. Survivor Gabon - Earth's Last Eden set to make its debut on SABC3 two days after Christmas.

You're reading it here first.

I have to apologize. Last month I asked asked SABC3 whether a next Survivor season will follow-on directly after The Amazing Race. SABC3 promised me it was done with low-rated reality shows over the killer end-of-the year/beginning-of-the-year. I remained sceptical.

Now I can exclusively break the news that Survivor is back and that Survivor Gabon: Earth's Last Eden, the 17th season of the long-running American reality show will start on SABC3 on Monday, November 27 at 20:00. Survivor Gabon is the first of the Survivor seasons to be shot in high definition (HD) although SABC3 will still show it in SD, has 18 contestants and was filmed in the Wonga-Wongue Presidential nature reserve in Gabon, Africa.

It will be interesting to watch whether it gets blurred now on SABC3: In the original American broadcast of Survivor Gabon the penis of one of the contestants made an unsensored appearance since the producers didn't notice Marcus Lehman's ''wardrobe malfunction'' and his manhood swinging out of his boxers during one of the immunity challenges.

FIRST LOOK! GiGi and Ashley Hayden of Survivor SA Santa Carolina come out swinging.

You're seeing it here first.

After Cape Town for some ''fish''-iotheraphy, then Durban for some high tea and rock-climbing, and then Port Elizabeth for absailing where Okkert Brits joined them, Survivor SA Santa Carolina's final two celebitants GiGi and Ashley Hayden took to Pretoria on Monday for some adventure golf and talking at an all girls school.

GiGi and Ashley Hayden did a motivational speech and appearance at the Afrikaans Meisies Hoërskool in Pretoria and then tried their hand at some mini golf.

For some more photos of their day, talking at the school and trying their hand at mini golf, click on READ MORE below.

BREAKING. The amazing chace: SABC3 trying hard to get The Amazing Race back.

You're reading it here first.

SABC3 is trying to get The Amazing Race back - but it's not a done deal yet.

With the SABC's money problems last year, SABC3 dropped the ball for viewers when the TV channel was no longer able to alternate season of the American hit reality shows Survivor and The Amazing Race in SABC3's Monday night reality slot. The timeslot gave way to low rated reality trash. But now SABC3 is clawing its way back.

SABC3 already got roadblocked by Sony Entertainment Television (DStv 113) that brought the premiere rights to new seasons of The Amazing Race, and then SABC3 also couldn't afford to even buy the second window airings of the show anymore. (The Amazing Race XV is set to start on Sunday, 15 April at 19:45 on SET by the way.) But SABC3 is trying to get back in the race.

The new Survivor season, Survivor Micronesia, is set to start on SABC3 on 28 June at 20:00 on SABC3. But what happens after that? I wanted to know whether viewers will get to see The Amazing Race again, alternating with Survivor.

''That alternating strategy of SABC3 of showing Survivor and The Amazing Race will hopefully get back to normal,'' Buli Siwani, SABC3's acting marketing manager tells me. ''At this stage we are in discussions with distributors to bring back The Amazing Race,'' she said - but warned: ''At this stage nothing concrete has been done or signed yet. But you will be first to know.''

BREAKING. Viewers will choose the winner between the final two Survivor SA Santa Carolina contestants.

You're reading it here first.

I broke the news RIGHT HERE in January -and knew it from November last year already - that viewers will get to choose the winner in Survivor SA Santa Carolina in April.

There will just be two contestants left at the end, and besides the votes of the Survivor SA Santa Carolina jury in the M-Net show, viewers will get to participate and cast a vote as well for the finale on Wednesday, 21 April at 19:30. The show will be live and happen - as I broke the news on Saturday, from M-Net's studio 6 which is where All Access, the original Big Brother and the Idols Monday eviction shows took place.

I can tell you that M-Net will imminently announce the twist of the viewers' vote, probably during the course of next week and will give viewers most probably a week's time to cast their votes for either of the final two contestants.

BREAKING. M-Net on Survivor SA's Jub Jub car crash fallout: ''We'll let the law take its course.''

''We'll let the law take take its course.''

That is the very short and terse response from M-Net I just got regarding the Survivor SA Santa Carolina problem-celebitant Jub Jub (Molemo ''Jub Jub'' Maarohanye).

Jub Jub's penis problems and alleged fake charity problems completely pale in comparison to what the Glug-Glug Jub Jub is involved in now. Four teenagers died yesterday and three were injured in Soweto when a Mini Cooper plowed into the youngsters in a horrific street accident, believed to be linked to illegal street racing. The one Mini Cooper driver is allegedly Jub Jub who was arrested by the police and also allegedly injured in the accident.

I asked M-Net how the latest Jub Jub scandal will impact his continued involvement in the local reality show and whether viewers will still see him in the Survivor SA Santa Carolina live finale on Wednesday 21 April.

''M-Net has not yet made any decisions regarding this and we'll let the law take its course,'' the broadcaster says.

''Our hearts go out to the loved-ones of the deceased and everyone affected by this incident,'' says M-Net.

Survivor SA Santa Carolina island items go on auction.

From Cindy Nell's mother-of-pearl necklace, to Izak Davel's red speedo, fans of Survivor SA Santa Carolina can now own some selected island items that will go on auction at the official Survivor SA Santa Carolina website RIGHT HERE.

The online bidding for the selected items will start the moment a new item becomes available and will last until 08:00 on Wednesday, 21 April on the day of the live finale of Survivor SA Santa Carolina on M-Net at 19:30. The money from the online auction will go to the respective charities that the contestants have chosen.

The items on the auction will grow as the celebitants are voted out, so there will already be items by Garth Collins (2 pairs of fitted underwear)
Cindy Nell (mother-of pearl necklace)
Craig Jacobs (straw hat)
Lady Lea (1 pair of Hi-Tec shoes and island-made jewellery)
Darren Maule (1 Panama hat)
Sandi Schultz (1 ''one-dress'' from her own fashion line Sass Designs)
Hanna Grobler (1 blue and black dress)
Christina Storm who left the show as the first contestant also contributed a water bottle. New items will be added weekly.

EXIT INTERVIEW - Survivor SA Santa Carolina Hanna Grobler: ''I had peace, it felt like the right time.''

You're reading it here first.

I can bring you the VERY FIRST independent exit interview with Survivor SA Santa Carolina celebitant Hanna Grobler who was the first celebitant booted off the island earlier tonight after the tribes merged in a twisty-puzzle-challenged filled seventh episode.

The tribes merged, Proverb had to spend some alone time on the beach, they all got to rank each other in terms of strength and there was an intriguing skull challenge right after the end to decide whether Louw or Hanna gets to go home.

I spoke with Hanna Grobler to find out about the 30 second skull challenge and asked her about the surprising strength for a girl she displayed mentally and physically. She talks about who irritated her, who she bonded with, why she agreed to be in this reality show and ''not being the poppie that many people think''.

For my full interview with Hanna Grobler, click on READ MORE below!