BREAKING. M-Net confirms a new spin-off, Carte Blanche Extra; to replace Carte Blanche Medical and Carte Blanche Consumer.

You're reading it here first.

M-Net just officially confirmed the news that I broke RIGHT HERE yesterday about the current Carte Blanche spin-offs, Carte Blanche Medical and Carte Blanche Consumer, disappearing in 2011. Now I can be first to reveal that the new, single show, spin-off Carte Blanche show on a Monday will be called Carte Blanche Extra.

The new Carte Blanche Extra, also produced for M-Net by Combined Artists, will supplement the flagship Carte Blanche show on a Sunday that will be entering its 23rd year on the pay channel. Carte Blanche Extra will go out on a Monday at 19:00 on M-Net - exactly as I spilled the news yesterday from various sources - and will be a compact, additional addition to the main show, often linking to stories on the Sunday broadcast.

''M-Net will be introducing a new Carte Blanche show that combines the current Carte Blanche Medical and Carte Blanche Consumer spin-offs, named Carte Blanche Extra,'' the pay broadcaster just told me. ''This will take the Monday night Carte Blanche Medical slot in the new year.

''We're very excited to bring Carte Blanche fans brand new, informative investigate content in a jam-packed, condensed format of this nature,'' says M-Net.

ALSO READ: M-Net to cancel both spin-offs Carte Blanche Medical and Carte Blanche Consumer; will debut a new spin-off in 2011.

BREAKING. M-Net to cancel both spin-offs Carte Blanche Medical and Carte Blanche Consumer; will debut a new spin-off in 2011.

You're reading it here first.

Here's another big shocker I can exclusively break first: M-Net plans to dump both its Carte Blanche spin-off shows - Carte Blanche Medical on Mondays and Carte Blanche Consumer on Thursdays- after just a year on air, and is set to replace it with a brand-new Carte Blanche spin-off on most probably Mondays.

Over the weekend I spoke to several insiders who told me that Carte Blanche Medical and Carte Blanche Consumer are apparently gonners on the M-Net schedule come 2011. Meanwhile Combined Artists that produces the flagship Carte Blanche on Sundays at 19:00 for the pay broadcaster is working on a brand-new Carte Blanche spin-off set to replace both these shows. I'm told the new Carte Blanche show will most probably debut early in 2011 in the currently Carte Blanche Medical timeslot of 19:00 on Mondays.

''We are working on a brand-new show,'' an insider told me about a new Carte Blanche spin-off to supplement the Sunday show. ''It's going to be a lot of fun. It's going to be highly interactive. And it's going to depend on the audience. It's going to be about you.'' Another insider source said to me ''This industry is strange, but the shows are ending'' about M-Net's imminent decision to apparently end Carte Blanche Medical and Carte Blanche Consumer after a year.

''Carte Blanche Medical and Carte Blanche Consumer are both going off the air,'' a third source told me. ''The new spin-off replacing it is basically an extra Carte Blanche show. In concept, the Sunday show will now link with the new Monday show.'' I asked M-Net for comment on Carte Blanche Medical and Carte Blanche Consumer being canceled but I haven't received comment from the channel yet.

BREAKING. Its Vuvu vs Devi! Who's show will win in the consumer rights fight for viewers?

Who's better? Vuvu (as 7de Laan's Vuyelwa Booi is known in the biz) or Devi Sankaree Govender?

Get ready for a consumer rights fight as duelling TV shows will now battle it out for viewers' attention - starting this week. SABC2 is bringing back its consumer rights show Speak Out for a second season on Wednesday at 21:30 - but without host Dosto Noge - and M-Net has Carte Blanche Consumer on Thursdays at 19:00 with Devi Sankaree Govender.

I can tell you that those in the know in the industry was simply ABUZZ when word got out that Vuyelwa Booi is the new face in the place of Dosto Noge for Speak Out. Vuyelwa Booi is - make that was - the publicity coordinator for SABC2's 7de Laan until an abrupt goodbye. Of course very few knew that it was to join Speak Out. Vuyelwa Booi will co-host with Duncan Senye who's been working as a journalist at the SABC News division since 2003.

''We believe Speak Out is one show that has helped a number of consumers with serious issues, and will continue solving and helping ordinary citizens,'' says Lebo Malete of SABC2 publicity. ''The person in the streets needs a champion, not just for his or her rights but also for redress and education. Duncan Senye and Vuyelwa Booi will be the force driving this informative consumer show and they are the right fit to take the programme to the next level.''

Devi Sankaree Govender on Carte Blanche Consumer: ''We've been completely inundated by viewers.''

You're reading it here first.

I ran past Devi Sankaree Govender from Carte Blanche and the anchor of the new Carte Blanche Consumer Thursdays at 19:00 on M-Net, who quickly stopped for a chat. Devi tells me that it's amazing to work on Carte Blanche Consumer and a TV show giving a real voice to viewers. I asked her how the past few months since January has been for her.

''It's been fantastic because we've grown a huge lot since January. What's been amazing for me is that we've really, really tapped into our market of viewers. We've always had people calling us and people begging us to do this story, or that story – and now we've been completely inundated by viewers. The quality of stories have absolutely been fantastic coming from our viewers. We've always thought we could research our own stories better ourselves. But a lot of our viewers who send us stories to Carte Blanche Consumer have all the records, they've kept everything, and they make it easy for us to tell and air their grievances with companies and service providers.''

Devi Sankaree Govender tells me although Carte Blanche Consumer is still finding its feet, its firing on all cylinders trying to get resolution for consumers who approach the show with a myriad of complaints. ''Carte Blanche Consumer is really only a few months old at this stage and the show is still finding its place,'' she says, ''but for Carte Blanche Consumer one thing has been very clear right from the beginning and that's ''go-go-go!'' for the crooks.''

ALSO READ: My January interview with Devi Sankaree Govender.

INTERVIEW. Devi Sankaree Govender on Carte Blanche Consumer.

Carte Blanche Consumer started tonight at 19:00 on M-Net, hosted by Devi Sankaree Govender, as a brand-new weekly Carte Blanche addition to the Sunday night show, that will be focused on consumer issues.

I asked her a few questions on what viewers will get to see on Carte Blanche Consumer, how she feels when confronting crooks and what consumer advice she has for people. Devi talked about being a working mom, a home-body and her ''off the wall'' diary.

Click on READ MORE below to access the full interesting interview!

First look! Carte Blanche Consumer.

You're seeing it here first.

I was first with the news on 10 December RIGHT HERE of course that M-Net's weekly investigative magazine show Carte Blanche, is getting a spin-off this year, entitled Carte Blanche Consumer. A few hours later that day I also broke the news RIGHT HERE that the host of the new show will be Devi Sankaree Govender.

Now I can show you first of everyone how the new logo of Carte Blanche Consumer will look when it starts on Thursday, 21 January at 19:00 on M-Net. The normal Carte Blanche remains on Sundays at 19:00 on M-Net.

Carte Blanche Consumer will address some of the big consumer issues in the country, expose exploitative consumer practices and champion consumer rights in all its forms.

BREAKING. Extending Carte Blanche 'a natural progression for the show' - George Mazarakis

You're reading it here first. M-Net just officially confirmed the news that I broke here first yesterday with the news of the presenters after I went through M-Net's January schedules: that the pay channel is extending the multiple award winning investigative TV show Carte Blanche with Carte Blanche Medical and Carte Blanche Consumer from January.

''Extending the Carte Blanche brand was a natural progression for the show,'' says executive producer George Mazarakis. ''The scope of Carte Blanche has become enormous over the past two decades. The 2 new shows provide the opportunity for the entire Carte Blanche team to show off their skills.''

''We’re also extremely excited to be able to have Bongani Bingwa and Devi Sankaree Govender anchor the shows.''

''Carte Blanche has built up a loyal following of hundreds of thousands of viewers every Sunday night,'' says Astrid Ascar, executive producer for the 2 new shows. ''They respond particularly to stories of a consumer rights nature and we are absolutely inundated with emails and telephone calls – Carte Blanche Consumer is a response to this demand. It’s a show for all viewers and about the things that touch all viewers’ lives, and their pockets, every day. It will give them a voice.''

Carte Blanche Medical starts on Monday 18 January at 19:00 on M-Net.
Carte Blanche Consumer starts on Thursday 21 January at 19:00 on M-Net.

BREAKING. Devi Sankaree Govender the anchor of the brand new Carte Blanche Consumer.

You're reading it here first. Carte Blanche presenter Devi Sankaree Govender will become the new anchor of the brand-new weekly half hour Carte Blanche spin-off Carte Blanche Consumer that will start on Thursday, 21 January at 19:00 on M-Net.


M-Net tells me that there's been a huge need to tell more consumer related stories. ''Carte Blanche gets inundated by consumer stories of all kinds that can't make it on the flagship Sunday show that can only accomodate four or five stories each Sunday.''

''M-Net has decided to create Carte Blanche Consumer to address some of the big consumer issues in the country and to champion consumer rights as it's set out and protected in the Consumer bill of rights.''

M-Net says it doesn't mean that consumer stories will just be contained to Carte Blanche Consumer, but that the new spin-off is an additional platform to come to consumers' aid. Carte Blanche will give consumer tips and advice as well and do investigative consumer stories.