TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 9 September 2020.

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

■ "Is this the best you can do for R900?"
DStv Premium subscribers continue to complain about the lack of value and quality content as BBC Studios' BBC First channel is also ripped away and subscribers say they have had enough of "junk viewing".

■ Another reader angry about the axing of ITV Choice and now BBC First, says DStv hasn't bothered to reply while having to pay R1000 monthly to watch repeats.
"What led MultiChoice to the belief thatno-one watched BBC First on channel 119?" asks the reader that wants to move from DStv to Netflix.


■ The disturbing photos from Ghana's trash-bad imitation TV version of M-Net and MultiChoice's Big Brother Naija.
Horrific production values as the so-called Biggy 237 trash show is marred by technical problems; contestant housemates sleeping in dirty, unkept room on student matrasses on the floor; organisers lied about the show being part of MultiChoice Ghana.


■ New BBC director-general Tim Davie against a switch to subscription.

■ New BBC boss Tim Davie to crack down on BBC staff posting their personal views on social media.
- Won't hesitate to shut down BBC TV channels if they no longer offer enough value.
- Says BBC has reached end of linear TV expansion.
- "There is still too much bureaucracy."

■ Star Wars actor John Boyega slams Disney and says he was pushed to the side.

■ How Netflix reinvented entertainment as well as corporate culture.

■ Covid-19 has wiped out 2020's new TV schedule in the United States.

■ Hollywood is filled with fear and loathing over the new stranglehold over cinema of video streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

■ Andrew Lloyd Webber warns that the arts is "at the point of no return".

■ Away on Netflix is another mission-to-Mars TV drama that doesn't achieve liftoff.

■ Reporters from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Australian Financial Review flee China after media crackdown.


■ "Shame on you Unilever! Shame on you TRESemmé!"
eNCA (DStv 403) continues its slide into activism and blended in-news commentary, blurring the line between just reporting the facts in TV news bulletins and giving personal opinion.
- EFF political party harasses eNCA reporter Nobusuthu Hejana.
- EFF political party harasses eNCA reporter AGAIN.


■ South Africa's auditor-general (AG) questions the SABC's R63 million contract with 5 international news agencies - BBC, Reuters, Feature Stories, Associated Press (AP), and AFP awarded in 2017.

■ Ellen DeGeneres will address the behind-the-scenes scandal at her talk show on the air when the new 18th season starts.

■ Global pirate viewing will start on 30 October when the second season of Star Wars' The Mandalorian is released on Disney+ that hasn't yet launched or announced any launch date for Disney's video streaming service in South Africa or Africa.


■ What the end of Keeping Up with the Kardashians on E! (DStv 124) says about the changing TV industry in America.
- The internet today would not be what it is without the Kardashian influence.
- The influencer/creator culture we have today would not exist without Keeping Up with the Kardashians and The Hills and The Simple Life.


■ "Very bad form": Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pull out of a fundraiser linked to a video streaming rival to Netlifx after they had already said yes but are now producers for Netflix (subscription required).

- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's "money panic" played amajor role in their decision to sign a production deal with Netflix.
- Netflix viewers cancel their subscriptions after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announce their Netflix production deal.

British video streamer BritBox expanding into Africa, is MultiChoice adding this streaming service to DStv as well?

by Thinus Ferreira

The British video streaming service BritBox has announced that it is expanding the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service into Africa without naming specific countries, instantly raising speculation that it might be added onto MultiChoice's upcoming launch of its new streaming carousel of SVOD services that will also carry Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

BritBox is a 50/50 joint venture between the United Kingdom's BBC Studios and ITV and announced on Monday that it is expanding besides the UK, Canada and the United States into Europe, Asia, South America, the Middle East and Africa. It's also launching soon in Australia.

BritBox wants to expand to 25 countries worldwide and with Africa now in the mix in stands to reason that South Africa will highly likely be included as the continent's most developed TV market, as well as the best-connected when it comes to broadband internet penetration and speed.

BritBox recently announced its first slate of British Original scripted series commissions including Spitting Image (Avalon), A Spy Among Friends (Sony & ITV Studios); The Beast Must Die (New Regency Television and Scott Free), Crime (Buccaneer Media) and Magpie Murders (Eleventh Hour Films).

With MultiChoice that has overcome its fear of adding streaming services and wants to become a content super-aggregator, will roll out SVOD services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video when it launches its latest DStv Explora decoder in South Africa later this year.

The announcement of BritBox's Africa expansion makes it a strong possibility that BritBox could be housed within MultiChoice's DStv viewing environment given that DStv carries multiple existing BBC Studios channels, carried the ITV Choice channel until recently, and acquired ITV programming after the axing of ITV Choice for the M-Net (DStv 101) and M-Net City (DStv 115) channels.

"This international expansion plan will firmly establish BritBox as a global premium brand in a rapidly growing sector," says Carolyn McCall, ITV CEO in a statement.

"Offering subscribers the best and biggest collection of British content has enabled BritBox to rapidly grow in our existing countries and as streaming continues to expand worldwide this rollout will give our distinctive streaming business truly international scale."

Tim Davie, BBC Studios CEO, says "BritBox has very quickly found a place in viewers' hearts and we know there is further appetite amongst international audiences who love great British content. We are actively appraising new markets to introduce the service and are very excited about the imminent launch in Australia".

BBC Studios CEO Tim Davie appointed as new BBC director-general.

by Thinus Ferreira

Tim Davie (53), the BBC Studios CEO, has been appointed as the new BBC director-general.

Tim Davie will take over from Tony Hall who announced in January 2020 that he is stepping down after 7 years

Tim Davie briefly acted as BBC director-general in 2012 after he joined the BBC in 2005.

Tim Davie became BBC Studios CEO in April 2018, and previously was BBC Worldwide CEO and director of global since April 2013.

"This has been a critical time for the United Kingdom and these past few months have shown just how much the BBC matters to people," says Tim Davie in a BBC statement.

"Our mission has never been more relevant, important or necessary. I have a deep commitment to content of the highest quality and impartiality. Looking forward, we will need to accelerate change so that we serve all our audiences in this fast-moving world."

"Much great work has been done, but we will continue to reform, make clear choices and stay relevant. I am very confident we can do this because of the amazing teams of people that work at the BBC."

Tony Hall describes Tim Davie as a fantastic leader" and says "I wish him every success for the future. I know that the BBC is in safe hands".

A lof of BBC programming is available across Africa and South Africa, with several of its commercial BBC Studios channels carried on pay-TV services across Sub-Saharan Africa including BBC First, BBC Brit, BBC Lifestyle and CBeebies on MultiChoice's DStv, the recent addition of CBeebies to China's StarSat, and its global TV news channel BBC World News on both.

The BBC has adapted several British TV formats with South African versions, while its BBC News Africa division continues to expand with original TV news and radio programming on BBC World News and in expanding syndication across terrestrial TV channels in Africa.

BBC Studios announces appointments of 4 genre programming bosses and 3 managing directors for different global regions.

BBC Studios - the new single commercial entity when BBC Worldwide is folded into BBC Studios as one production and distribution business - has announced its new global leadership team that will have 3 global regional bosses and 4 genre programming bosses.

In November 2017 the BBC announced that it's ending its BBC Worldwide commercial arm brand and folding its operations into BBC Studios starting April 2018.

At BBC Studios Hannah Wyatt will be the managing director for factual entertainment and events, Lisa Opie the managing director for factual, Nick Betts the managing director for scripted, and Suzy Lamb the managing director for entertainment and music.

For BBC Studios' global regions Ann Sarnoff will be president of the Americas, Marcus Arthur will be president of the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australasia, while Paul Dempsey will be president for global markets covering the rest of the world.

Each regional president will be responsible for leading content sales, branded services including joint ventures, consumer products and other commercial exploitation activities in their market. The appointments will take effect in April with the formation of the new company.

“We are looking forward to getting on with growing BBC Studios as a world-class home for British creativity,” says Tim Davie who will be the BBC Studios CEO.

BREAKING. BBC is ending its BBC Worldwide brand; folding it into BBC Studios as a new single commercial entity that will be known as BBC Studios.

The BBC is announcing that it is ending its BBC Worldwide commercial arm brand and folding it into BBC Studios. The combined, single commercial entity will be known as BBC Studios.

The BBC in a statement on Wednesday says that moving forward with one combined unit "will ensure the BBC is best placed to succeed both creatively and commercially and will better serve licence fee payers".

"At a time of an increasingly competitive and global market for production and distribution, this new organisational structure will bring the BBC into line with the rest of the industry, integrating programme production, sales and distribution in a single entity," says the BBC.

The commercial activities already carried out by BBC Worldwide - including content financing, sales and commercial channels - and BBC Studios, the BBC’s main programme production arm, is being combined into a simplified organisation.

BBC Studios launched as a commercial subsidiary in April 2017 and makes over 2 000 hours of programming a year.

Following the restructure, BBC Studios will employ approximately 3 000 permanent staff.

BBC Studios and BBC Worldwide already worked together on for instance the new documentary series Blue Planet II, currently shown in the United Kingdom, Asia and parts of Europe and set to debut on MultiChoice's DStv in Africa around February 2018.

"Joining forces will allow them to operate more simply and efficiently," says the BBC.

"All of the major established United Kingdom industry players integrate their programme production and distribution in this way."

"The TV industry has been changing fast and major global players are investing vast sums in content - but not primarily in British content reflecting British lives," says the BBC.

"A successful new BBC Studios will be better placed to make the investments others will not."

"Production arm BBC Studios is internationally recognised for making high-quality British programmes across a broad range of genres and specialisms. Boasting 81 awards so far this year, its output includes the highly acclaimed Blue Planet II, Strictly Come Dancing, Antiques Roadshow, EastEnders, Top Gear, the award-winning drama Three Girls, Louis Theroux’s latest documentary series and Drugsland".

"In a fast-changing TV industry, securing the future success of the BBC is vital," says BBC director-general, Tony Hall.

"Creating a single BBC Studios will bring the BBC in line with the industry, be simpler and more efficient."

The new BBC Studios will be led by Tim Davie as CEO and Mark Linsey as chief creative officer.

"Creating one company, in line with market norms, is a natural step in this market," says Tim Davie in the BBC statement.

"The new BBC Studios will be focused on the highest quality British content, underpinning our future financial return to licence fee payers."

"It will allow us to better serve customers, independent partners and the wider industry, resulting in world-class British productions for audiences in the UK and overseas. I am excited about the prospects ahead, and delighted to be part of the new organisation".

Mark Linsey says: "Bringing BBC Studios and BBC Worldwide together will help secure the BBC's future and guarantee our unrivalled creativity, risk-taking, quality and range."

Two African countries - Nigeria and Tanzania - included in top 10 list of biggest BBC News markets; BBC sees strong growth through non-English TV news bulletins.

Two African countries - Nigeria and Tanzania - are included in the top 10 list of biggest BBC News user markets, while the BBC says massive growth it is international audience is largely being driven by new TV news bulletins in languages other than English.

According to the BBC's latest BBC Global Audience Measure (GAM) that tracks the combined reach of its international content in both news and entertainment fare for the year 2015/2016, the BBC's weekly global audience has increased by a staggering 38 million people (13%) to 320 million.

For the second year in a row, TV (162 million) is a bigger platform than radio (147 million) for the BBC's international news services, which means that the BBC World News (DStv 400 / StarSat 256) channel is globally luring more people than the BBC World Service radio channel.

In what makes an interesting sidenote for the struggling South African public broadcaster and its English only SABC News (DStv 404) channel produced and packaged for MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform in Africa, the BBC says the strong growth in its reach is largely driven by new TV news bulletins broadcast in languages other than English.

"These are fantastic results which show the BBC going from strength to strength around the world and demonstrate the global appetite for accurate, impartial news," says Francesca Unsworth, director of the BBC World Service Group in a statement.

"BBC Worldwide continues to fuel international audiences’ appetite for premium content and in the second year of the Global Audience Measure, we've reached 36.4 million people per week across our owned and operated TV and digital platforms," says Tim Davie, the director, Global and CEO of BBC Worldwide.

Two African countries - Nigeria and Tanzania - show up in the BBC's top 10 markets  in 2nd and 7th place for the BBC's international news service.

The top 10 countries are the United States (35 million); Nigeria (35 million); India (23 million); Pakistan (13 million); Iran (12 million); Egypt (11 million); Tanzania (10 million); Brazil (8 million); Afghanistan (7 million) and Bangladesh (6 million).

The end of BBC Entertainment on DStv? BBC Knowledge becoming BBC Earth? BBC Worldwide unveils new global TV channels strategy.

BBC Entertainment (DStv 120) and, or BBC Knowledge (DStv 184) as channels on MultiChoice's DStv platform - supplied by BBC Worldwide - could end or be transformed into new channels BBC First and BBC Earth as part of a new wide-ranging international TV channels change and realignment from BBC Worldwide.

BBC Worldwide, the BBC's commercial arm has announced that its new premium international channel brand will be known as BBC First with one of the existing BBC international TV channels which will be rebranded but not yet specifying which one it will be.

BBC First will carry premium drama and high quality first-run British programming. Australia will be the first country in August next year to get BBC First.

It could spell the end and the transformation of BBC Entertainment which currently carries the BBC's drama and premium entertainment content internationally.

BBC Knowledge could likewise face a transformation and change to BBC Earth.

BBC Worldwide says BBC Earth will now become the BBC's premium factual content portal. The BBC also plans another, male-skewed TV channel will will focus on factual entertainment and "the maverick spirit of the BBC's best shows". A show such as Top Gear would seem to fit on this as-yet-unnamed channel.

The changes are part of BBC Worldwide's attempt to compete with global content rivals.


ALSO READ: Plans for BBC Earth still in development, BBC Worldwide will speak to South African pay-TV operators about it.
ALSO READ: BBC set to launch BBC Earth as a new natural history TV channel.

Asked what is going to happen to BBC Entertainment and BBC Knowledge, BBC Worldwide tells TV with Thinus that "we have a successful and established channels business in South Africa and we will be working with our channels partners to find what we think will work best according to market conditions and audience needs."

BBC Worldwide says "it's too early to say what format this will take, but linear channels are just one way in which we can see these new brands rolling out in the market."

Tim Davie, BBC Worldwide CEO said "BBC Worldwide has a good track record of taking British content to the world, benefiting international audiences, licence fee payers and the wider industry alike. But the time has come for a step-change, reflecting the rapid development in our markets.

"In particular, we will invest more into the unique content that powers everything we do, and realise the full potential of the BBC brand with audiences around the world."

The new channels, BBC First, BBC Earth and the third unnamed channel will be introduced on a market-by-market basis around the world from 2014.

"They combine an increased commitment to content investment with new BBC content brands alongside a more powerful and unified digital engine," said Tim Davie.

"Taken together, these three investment priorities will serve to grow the BBC's footprint across the world, both via our own services and our important third party sales, resulting in greater access by audiences to BBC and British content and sustainable cash flows back to the BBC."

Paul Dempsey named the new interim CEO of BBC Worldwide until Tim Davie can fulfill the position permanently in 2013.

Domino effect: Paul Dempsey has been named the new interim CEO of BBC Worldwide - having to step in to replace Tim Davie who is actually the new CEO of BBC Worldwide, but had to suddenly fill in at the scandal-ridden BBC as the new acting director general after the resignation of George Entwistle.

BBC Worldwide Channels runs the TV channels BBC Entertainment, BBC Knowledge, BBC Lifestyle and CBeebies on MultiChoice's DStv in South Africa.

In a statement BBC Worldwide says that Paul Dempsey will be the interim CEO of BBC Worldwide from December until Tim Davie becomes available again in 2013.

Paul Dempsey, currently the managing director for consumer products at BBC Worldwide, will oversee the BBC's commercial arm from December. "I am proud and privileged to have been asked by Tim to take on these responsibilities as an interim measure until he arrives early next year. BBC Worldwide is a dynamic company with exciting times ahead of it. My immediate priority will be to provide the company with leadership and direction so it can keep on delivering great returns to the BBC."

Tim Davie says that Paul Dempsey has "a great track record at BBC Worldwide and a sound understanding of the commercial imperatives that have made it an international success. I have every faith that he is the right person to lead BBC Worldwide over the coming months and make sure it carries on supporting the BBC brand around the world."

BREAKING. George Entwistle resigns as the director general of the BBC as the British public broadcaster is mired in growing scandal.

You will never see anything remotely resembling this happening at the SABC where no top executives ever step down due to scandal: George Entwistle, the new director general of the BBC has resigned after a widening scandal at the British Broadcasting Corporation.

George Entwistle just resigned after he admitted that the latest - the second - lapse of journalistic integrity and journalism standards at Newsnight, the BBC's version of Carte Blanche, has caused a crisis of trust between the British public and the BBC.

"I have decided that the honourable thing to do, is to step down from the post of director general," George Entwistle said. Wrong journalistic decisions and shoddy journalism at the BBC and the Newsnight programme has done terrible damage to the BBC's reputation.

George Entwistle was only appointed in July and is now out the door at the BBC after seven weeks due to his bad handling of the BBC's journalistic lapses amidst mounting pressure on himself and the BBC.

"In the light of the fact that the director general is also the editor in chief, and ultmate responsible for all content; and in the light of the unacceptable journalistic standards of the Newsnight film broadcast on Friday 2 November, I have decided that the honourable thing to do would be to step down from the post of director general."

"The BBC should appoint a new leader."

The acting director general will now be Tim Davie as the BBC looks for a new permanent director general. Why is this important? Well Tim Davie, currently in charge of the BBC's radio output and who joined the BBC in 2005, was supposed to take over from the beginning of December as the new chief executive of BBC Worldwide, the BBC's commercial arm.

BBC Worldwide of course supplies the channels such as BBC Entertainment, BBC Knowledge, BBC Lifestyle and CBeebies to MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV service in South Africa. That will clearly now not be happening.