Jeremy Maggs gone from eNCA after 13 years 'with immediate effect' after resignation, eMedia's TV news channel says that it has 'nothing to add' after veteran anchor's years of service.

by Thinus Ferreira

Jeremy Maggs is abruptly gone from eNCA (DStv 403) with "immediate effect" following his resignation, with the eMedia Investments' TV news channel that says it has "nothing to add" when asked what it wants to say about the veteran anchor's 13 years of service at the channel.

Jeremy Maggs abruptly resigned with immediate effect from eNCA over reasons which are not yet know. eNCA also doesn't want to say any good about Jeremy Maggs or his exit, indicating possible acrimony behind-the-scenes that preceded his leaving. 

Jeremy Maggs' abrupt and unexplained exit from eNCA is the latest in an ongoing list of damaging public problems that have been impacting the channel's image, reputation and credibility extremely negatively.

Jeremy Maggs was one of the original staffers and anchors who helped to set up eNCA as the eNews Channel when e.tv launched on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform in February 2008.

Besides prime time anchoring of NewsNight that eventually morphed into SA Tonight, and also anchoring special coverage and overseeing election coverage management and anchoring, Jeremy Maggs in later years shifted to anchoring various daypart timeslots like News Day that morphed into Lunchtime.

Jeremy Maggs was also responsible for the long-running weekly marketing and media magazine show Maggs on Media over weekends on eNCA. Maggs on Media eventually ended but was again revived for special editions.

Jeremy Maggs' last eNCA timeslot was anchoring the LunchTime block on the channel.

Norman Munzhelele, eNCA managing director, in an internal email to eNCA staff, said that Jeremy Maggs had decided to resign.

eNCA on Friday evening, in response to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus, confirmed that Jeremy Maggs had resigned with immediate effect but didn't elaborate on any reasons and didn't want to say anything about his abrupt exit.

eNCA was asked if there's any statement from eNCA about Jeremy Maggs and his contribution to the channel over the years.

eNCA responded by saying: "eNCA can confirm that Jeremy Maggs has decided to resign. His resignation has been accepted, is effective immediately and we have nothing further to add".

There's been no statement from Jeremy Maggs so far either.

In March 2018 rumours floated that Jeremy Maggs might leave eNCA for the SABC at the time but it proved to be just that - rumours.

Just over a year ago in February 2020 Jeremy Maggs stepped down as eNCA's acting editor-in-chief citing stress, after he took over the editorial position after another editorial and internal censorship crisis engulfed eNCA.

The rebranded eNCA dumps Africa from the TV news channel's new look without any explanation as to why - and a lot of unanswered questions.

The rebranding of eNCA (DStv 403) introduced this week Monday on eMedia Investments' TV news channel has seen eNCA dump Africa - literally - as in doing away with the 11-point hendecagon symbol representing the African continent.

In May longtime eNCA insiders told TVwithThinus that the outline of the African continent done in blue from the second rebrand - and that was formed out of the tiles of the first eNCA rebrand when the logo changed from the eNews Channel look - will be a gonner when eNCA rebrands in July.

This has now been confirmed with viewers that can see that Africa as far as eNCA's new on-air look is concerned, is indeed gone.

eNCA hasn't explained the news channel's new logo and hasn't explained why the Africa silhouette has been deleted.

eNCA and e.tv didn't respond to any media enquiries made last week about eNCA's on-air rebranding.

According to eNCA insiders who spoke out in May, a top-level eMedia Holdings executive allegedly said in a meeting that he wants the Africa logo removed from the eNCA logo since Africa is synonymous with famine and corruption.

TVwithThinus asked Vasili Vass, eMedia Investments group head of corporate affairs, as well as Michael Pocock, e.tv publicist about this in a written media enquiry and what the company's comment is about this but neither responded.

According to an insider eNCA - formerly an abbreviation of "eNews Channel Africa" - allegedly also "no longer stands for anything. It's now just letters". eNCA and e.tv were asked about this, what eNCA stands for now - or maybe still - but chose to also not to comment and respond.

eMedia Investment's removal of Africa from the eNCA logo fits in with eNCA's dramatic downsizing of first-hand Africa news coverage over the past 3 years, including the shuttering of its Africa bureaux, firing of correspondents, cancelling its news and current affairs shows specifically covering Africa, and largely making use of international wire news service content when there's news in Africa further removed from its Hyde Park, Johannesburg studios in South Africa.

A lot of unanswered questions
A lot of questions about eNCA's latest rebrand - the news channel's third in its 10 year history - remain unanswered.

eNCA didn't explain why the afternoon strand News Day was canned, or why News Night was moved an hour earlier to now start at 17:00, or why Moneyline was dumped. 

The eNCA on-air rebrand comes amidst a wave of defections from eNCA the last few months with staffers who said that "morale is at an all time low". No word on what eNCA makes of that.

What exactly is eNCA's view and relationship towards Africa regarding news and covering it with breaking news stories when it happens as well as investigative first-person, on-the-ground stories in the way CNN International (DStv 401) and Sky News (DStv 402) do? Why the lack of investment in this area? Because eNCA doesn't want to, or can't afford it?

How will eNCA on MultiChoice's DStv be different than eMedia Investment's new sister TV news channel, OpenNews, that it will be launching on Openview within months and what are the differentials between the two (since eNCA rebrand now presumably took in account that it can't "rebrand" yet again in a few months come November)?

How does eNCA and eMedia Investment execs feel about its ongoing business relationship with MultiChoice that carries eNCA on DStv and what is the future, and long-term future outlook of the channel and this relationship? There are some very clear signs of relationship strain bordering on dislike between the two.

Will eNCA's dalliance with political parties and the way eNCA is courting politicians continue into 2019 - a general election year? How will eNCA try to maintain a semblance of impartiality and objectivity when political leaders are put in eNCA's anchor chair to apparently create social media viral moments instead of bringing the audience news - and will there be more similar "must-see TV" stunts during South Africa's election year?

Finally there's the litany of complaints regarding the new on-air look that eNCA seems to ignore. Was this tested beforehand? Did someone sit down and look how everything would look on camera beforehand? It feels as if eNCA decided to roll it out to viewers as a live on-air test without actually sorting the myriad of issues viewers are complaining about, first.

eNCA celebrates 10 years on air today; will mark its decade old celebration with the debut of a new high-tech studio and a new on-air look within weeks.

The South African TV news channel eNCA (DStv 403) that launched on 1 June 2008 is turning 10 years old today and will within weeks be celebrating this milestone by introducing a new high-tech Johannesburg studio in Hyde Park as well as another on-screen image makeover.

When eNCA made its debut in June 2008 on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform as only the second South African TV news channel ever following the SABC's first attempt called SABC News International that was shuttered after three years, Sabido and e.tv executives were initially somewhat doubtful as to whether the successful eNews brand could translate to a viable local 24-hour TV news channel.

The eNews Channel that underwent a name change to eNCA to more clearly differentiate it from E! Entertainment's E! News and that has undergone two on-air imaging changes since, has however put to rest fears about whether a South African TV news channel could exist on a sustainable basis and lure enough viewers.

Since then the SABC tried again with SABC News, and the now controversial Gupta family launched the disastrous ANN7 that was recently renamed Afro Worldview and that will go off the air in August when it disappears from DStv.

eMedia Investments' news channel consistently lures more than 50% of the total audience tuning to news channels on DStv - grabbing more viewers monthly than the other local news channels like SABC News and Afro Worldview - as well as the international news set of CNN International, Sky News, Al Jazeera, BBC World News, CNBC Africa, Business Day TV and the rest - all combined.

eMedia Investments will now start a second TV news channel, OpenNews, in the last quarter of 2018 as a free-to-air digital terrestrial television (DTT) news channel on its Openview direct-to-home (DTH) satellite service.

Ten years since e.tv launched eNCA at Melrose Arch in Johannesburg at 19:00 with anchors Jeremy Maggs and Redi Direko, the channel has weathered new news channel competition, multiple on-air and behind-the-scenes staff turnover, scandals, must-see exclusive interviews, funny "don't touch me on my studio" viral TV moments and brutal programming downsizing and staff lay-offs.

There were also an American meteorologist adored by the public, the unduplicatable on-air chemistry between Iman Rappetti and Jeremy Maggs as prime time co-anchors, as eNCA quickly became a hatchmill for talent, with various bold names snatched up by other international and local broadcasters over the past few years. 

Within weeks eNCA will once again change, introducing a new studio at its Hyde Park headquarters in Johannesburg, together with another big on-screen refresh of its look  -the channel's 4th in its history.

"While it will look spectacular, we will still hold true to our tried and tested journalism formula of being fair, impartial, curious and asking the toughest questions to everybody," says Mapi Mhlangu, eNCA managing director and editor-in-chief.

"We believe that eNCA then and now continues to make a significant impact on the South African news landscape. We've brought telling pictures into people's lives of the most important news events in the country, including the death of Nelson Mandela and the Marikana tragedy. We've held and still hold politicians and business leaders to account and have also reported on the simple triumphs and agonising despair of millions of ordinary South Africans."

Mapi Mhlangu says "we haven't always got it right. We've made mistakes; sometimes misunderstood tone and mood; and spelled names incorrectly. Twenty-four hour news moves with the speed of light. It's no excuse of course to err and we always move quickly to rectify matters".

"In 10 years we remain entrenched as the country's television news leader across all news channels and we plan to remain firmly in that position in our next decade".

"We know the news environment is changing and we're changing with it. We're also aware we occupy this responsible position of leadership through the loyalty of our viewers. For that, we are immensely grateful and we promise to keep trying as hard as we can to bring you the complicated South African story without fear or favour".

eNCA NEWS SCROLL SNAFU. cdkjhiu shdfkj ewer jhsdf - also known as 'new on-air graphics toggle system not yet quite mastered'.

You're reading it here first. 

The switch-over name-change from the eNews Channel to simply eNCA (DStv 403) hasn't been all plain sailing - there's been at least some technical snafus and mistakes, most notably with the "new" on-air news scroll in the bottom third.

Although the eNCA didn't again say that American president George W. Bush has died (which the eNews Channel did erroneously do a few years ago), the news ticker did say ... we'll we can't make out what the news scroll has been saying since it's all gibberish.

Since the eNews Channel switched to the eNCA on Sunday night at 19:00, the eNCA news scroll has shown double text running superimposed on each other multiple times - during normal news shows as well as the weather.

It would appear, disappear, reappear  and disappear as technicians are clearly realising the mistake after a few seconds - but then end up doing it again. The gibberish eNCA double news scroll first happened just before midnight on Sunday night.

The double ticker appeared again, making its most prominent appearance 24 hours since the start of the eNCA during the News Night broadcast on Monday night on the channel.

eNCA PRESS BRIEFING: "We want to be instantaneously recognised as an African news broadcaster,' says eNCA news boss, Patrick Conroy.

"The eNews Channel is changing to eNCA as the channel is branching out to launch on the Sky pay-TV platform in the United Kingdom and introducing our online offering very soon. So it's an exciting time for us," said Patrick Conroy, the group head of news at the eNCA at the press conference and official unveiling of the new eNCA on Friday afternoon at the Radisson Blu Gautrain hotel in Sandton.

The eNews Channel on MultiChoice's DStv remains exactly the same but is rebranding in terms of its on-air look and logo to make it more distinct as South Africa's only 24-hour and independent TV news channel goes intercontinental.

"We are truly excited at the prospects which this change brings," said Patrick Conroy. "We're highly motivated, but we're also quite daunted. It's a huge responsibility. It's a daunting but exciting challenge for us.""

"Now that we're on that platform we can't let the platform down. We've got to make sure that we look as professional as any news network in the world and that we don't embarrass ourselves or you [South Africa] when we are on that stage."

"The reason for our new rebrand and our new look, which - I tried my best to keep secret, and it was outed on Twitter, and where is Thinus Ferreira? Where are you? Thinus had the story long before anyone else. My people talk to Thinus more than they talk to me. So if you follow him you would have seen him put it all together," said Patrick Conroy.

"The reason for our rebrand is that as the eNews Channel its very difficult for the brand to travel internationally. We're very well known in South Africa, but we're an unknown entity in North America and Europe," said Patrick Conroy.

"We also needed something which could be linked to our URL online. The 'e' of eNews Channel clashes with E! Entertainment and anything starting with enews."

"If you do a Google search you find that a lot of the searches which come to the top would be things like the mayor of Wichita has an enewsletter, and we don't want to be confused with them. So it was a balancing act of trying to get the right name, but one which didn't fundamentally depart from what we had, but still retain a lot of the brand equity from our company e.tv. It's a strong, very powerful brand in this market, and we wanted to retain that as much as possible," said Patrick Conroy.

He went on to play the new graphics, promos, stings and show the new moving channel idents for the shows on the eNCA.

"We want to be instantaneously recognised as an African news broadcaster. If in the future we expand to North America, Europe, Australasia, we want everyone to be able to instantly recognise where it is that we're from. We hope very much that through words of mouth and marketing that South Africans in the United Kingdom will be tuning into us on Sky on channel 518."

"We also however hope to attract a fair number of viewers who are global citizens, people interested in South Africa and Africa. We see anyone as a global citizen from an entrepreneur, businessman, tourist, diplomats, politicians, think tank. We want the kind of content and nuance that a local broadcaster such as the eNCA can give you which a foreign broadcaster can't," said Patrick Conroy.

"In this opportunity being available on Sky; herein lies the chance to give a view from an African perspective. Central to this is our Africa division led by Chris Maroleng."

eNCA LOGO. 'We haven't lost what the eNews Channel was. The essential part is still there, we're now just instantly recognisable as from Africa.'

You're reading it here first. 

"In terms of the logos, the design and the look this has been a debate which has been going on within our company for years," said Patrick Conroy, the group head of news at the eNCA when I asked him at the press conference how many different logos and versions and options the eNews Channel looked at before deciding on the mosaic version of Africa with the name eNCA.

The eNews Channel on MultiChoice's DStv has now changed to simply eNCA and is branching out to be available on the Sky pay-TV platform's service from today.

"How do we position the eNews Channel for it in order to be able to travel? We've had many, many discussions and debates; looking at this option and that option. If I had to say to you how many names and how many logos we've looked at ... "

"A logo or a name is just a name until you understand what the value is behind it. Our challenge is to make the eNCA as a brand not only mean something for South Africans who already know it, but for an international audience. They need to get to know what it stands for."

"And I think what it stands for is a more contemporary, modern Africa. If your on Sky and are next to channels such as Discovery HD, you want to look professional. We looked at all kinds of African designs. It's been a long road."

"What works for me personally is that we haven't lost what the eNews Channel was. The essential part is still there - we're just now instantly recognisable as coming from Africa and with South African roots. The challenge now would be to grown Chris Maroleng's division [eNCA Africa editor] to increase the output to tell the best stories that we can possibly get," says Patrick Conroy.

eNCA LAUNCH EVENT. Execs and journalists gather as the eNews Channel officially announces that it is rebranding to the eNCA.

The press events and press conferences of TV news channels are the best ones for me as a TV critic and a journalist covering television to go to - it starts on time, its filled to the brim with intelligentsia, lacks stragglers and clueless people simply showing up just to pack their plates with food and grab goodie bags, lacks uninformed idiots asking retarded questions, is swift, clean, seamless and uber professional.

So it was too on Friday with the press event and press conference of the eNews Channel on MultiChoice's DStv platform rebranding to eNCA (DStv 403), which was held Friday afternoon at the Radisson Blu Gautrain hotel in Sandton.

Iman Rappetti, now the new co-anchor of News Night with Jeremy Maggs was the master of ceremonies as Patrick Conroy (group head of news, eNCA) and Chris Maroleng (Africa editor, eNCA) took turns to speak and took questions during a Q&A session.

During the eNCA press conference TV screens tuned to the eNCA inside the room co-incidentally showed the live press briefing from the Lonmin mine, as news executives from both the eNCA as well as invited journalists undoubtedly itched to get back to their BlackBerrys and offices to cover the news.

After the succinct press briefing advertising executives from the eNCA and elsewhere, sponsors, eNCA staff and executives, the press, and invited guests snacked on a wide array of five star delicatessen in the side lobby on the 3rd floor of the Raddison Blu Gautrain hotel.

Outside on the pool deck (which is looking out over competitor CNBC Africa's head office) guests mingled around the wet bar. The talk wasn't idle chit-chat on a Friday afternoon however - it was all biz.

The top executives of the eNCA were all in attendance from Patrick Conroy to Seamus Reynolds (news editor) to Rob Brown (the head of technical operations). Jeremy Maggs' camera team from Maggs on Media on the eNCA was filming.

IT NEVER RAINS ... it pours: The eNCA's clever gift to journalists - an umbrella.

What do you give journalists, TV critics, advertising executives and news executives when you rebrand your independent 24 hour news channel - when its winter and raining, when your TV channel will now be seen in the United Kingdom (where there's even more rain), and when journalists and news bosses are all too familiar with how major news stories seem to break all at once?

An umbrella of course.

The eNews Channel which rebranded to eNCA (DStv 403) handed out white and navy eNCA branded umbrella's at the news channel's press conference at the Raddison Blu Gautrain hotel in Sandton on Friday.


It's simple and very clever and reinforces what secretly every good journalist believes and knows: When news happens it never rains. It pours.

eNCA news channel on DStv unveils its excellent new anchor line-up; adding Eleni Giokos as permanent new anchor.

eNCA (DStv 403) unveiled its new anchor line-up to co-incide with the name change of the eNews Channel to simply eNCA and its expansion to the United Kingdom from tomorrow.

The new eNCA anchor line-up is excellent. It not only shows what's possible when you invest in people as a news media outfit, but the experienced telegenic news anchors are all qualified and the eNCA has a cache of talented TV news stars making several options possible.

The eNCA's new line-up will fully and officially come into effect from Monday 20 August although Iman Rappetti and Jeremy Maggs already co-anchored News Night together on Thursday night last week as their very first - and very successful - try-out. 

Here is the new eNCA line-up:

06:00 - 09:00 Morning News Today

Gareth Edwards, Ayanda Allie-Payne

Gareth Edwards and Ayanda Allie Paine will co-anchor the morning broadcast from now on. 

Ayanda Allie Paine will have to go to bed early so as to not fall asleep on the job. 

Ayanda Allie Paine is the least experienced of all the permanent new anchors; but is very able supported by the excellent Gareth Edwards who've transitioned extremely successfully from sport to anchoring the general news. 

Bonus points for the times when Gareth Edwards has already shown to be able to suddenly integrate the latest sport scores into news bulletins and immediately provide context and insight without the help of a teleprompter.

09:00 - 13:00

Macfarlane Moleli, Eleni Giokos

Macfarlane Moleli has more than paid his dues and continues to do so (and how wonderful that someone who studied on a rugby bursary can become a news anchor!). Eleni Giokos who joined the eNews Channel in July - news I scooped RIGHT HERE and who have done anchor duty during the day during August now gets this fixed anchor position. 

Macfarlane Moleli is well experienced as a TV anchor and holding down mid-morning coverage - as is Eleni Giokos.

Eleni Giokos must be so glad to be away from the doldrum pre-recorded CNBC Africa sponsored seminars which is so embarrassing to that business news channel while real news is happening. Eleni Giokos took the floor running and is a formidable asset for the eNCA in the anchor stable. 

With business news coverage starting mid-morning she's also perfectly placed to bring immediate insight and analysis on business matters if that's required. Her sterling acquisition by eNCA has immediately been put to good news.

13:00 - 16:00 News Day

Andrew Barnes, Bhavna Singh

There is simply no better agenda-setting, real-time TV news show in South Africa during midday than News Day anchored from Cape Town by the already-good-wine-getting-better Andrew Barnes, recently paired with Bhavna Singh.

News Day on the eNCA does for South African TV viewers what American local city broadcasts have been doing for years and which Americans take for granted - it's real news, told visually, as it happens. 

News Day not only report the news, but responds to it before the story is done - very difficult to do when you don't yet have all the answers or the complete picture and can't get guests to studio because they're still making the news.

Bhavna Singh is the next new co-anchor for Andrew Barnes. Will she last in this new timeslot? Since they all seem to leave, leaving Andrew Barnes almost constantly having to settle in with a new changing co-anchor dynamic. 

He does pull the musical chairs of changing co-anchors off very well however - as well as being the de facto voiceover go-to guy for the eNCA news promos.

Bhavna Singh is a tad more serious in her on-screen presence than Andrew Barnes' previous co-anchors - it's not necessarily a bad thing. Being less breezy means overall more grativas for News Day as her demeanour more closely echoes that of the formidable Andrew Barnes.

16:00 - 18:00

Joanne Joseph

Currently on leave with Debora Patta sitting in temporarily on late afternoons on the eNCA, Joanne Joseph keeps her berth during the later afternoon when the tier in which the day's biggest news stories of the day are going to rank start to crystalise with more in-studio guests already talking about the day's news events and newsmakers doing phone interviews.

18:00 - 21:00 News Night

Jeremy Maggs, Iman Rappeti

Oh my. the eNCA immediately captured lightning in a bottle with the new pairing of Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti for the news channel's flagship 2 hour nightly news show. 

I'm so immensely impressed by the instant chemistry, utter flowing professionalism and spontaneous exuberance which has been unlocked by moving and pairing Iman Rappetti with Jeremy Maggs.

Is this powerful news duo now together on News Night the start of the greatest era for this nightly news broadcast yet? 

Together Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti makes News Night simply ooze sexy news appeal. They're television news stars in primetime in their prime; they're pulling the wagon together like workhorses who don't need to be told what to do - and they're very clearly and visibly having a lot of fun doing it. 

You simply want to watch News Night now - with sly grins Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti know they're doing the very best appointment television news bulletin in South Africa. 

Having the luxury of two hours, the scope to do in-studio interviews and the resources to cover breaking news instantly incorporated into the show as well as perspective and analysis, News Night is a veritable tour-de-force of TV news coverage - strikingly well-done. If News Night isn't on you're PVR you're not getting the day's best TV news in South Africa.

The eNews Channel on DStv changes to eNCA as it expands to Sky's pay-TV service in Britain tomorrow.

The eNews Channel (DStv 403) on MultiChoice's DStv platform and South Africa's only independent 24 hour news TV channel has officially changed its name into simply eNCA (pronounced E.N.C.A.) with a new logo - a mosaic of blue and red triangles depicting the African continent.

TV with Thinus was first to report the coming change back in June. The name and logo change is to make the brand better suited for international expansion, with the eNCA starting to broadcast from tomorrow on Sky's pay-TV platform in the United Kingdom.

"The two red triangles symbolise our South African roots," says Patrick Conroy, the group head of news at eNCA.

ALSO READ: News boss Patrick Conroy on the changing eNews Channel: "Exciting things are happening on the African continent."

"The launch of the eNCA in the United Kingdom is a historic achievement," says e.tv CEO Marcel Golding in a press statement. "This marks a real breakthrough for news broadcasters in Africa. It is the first time a home-grown service has been able to provide news and current affairs to audiences beyond the continent."

"The eNews Channel Africa (eNCA) will be available in many more territories in future. This is just the beginning of our efforts to expand beyond and across Africa. We are an authentic and genuine voice for the people who live here," says Marcel Golding.

Also to launch fully by the end of the year is the eNCA website at www.enca.com to expand into a full online news service. TV with Thinus broke that news first in July last year.

FIRST LOOK. And here it is ... The brand-new logo of the eNCA channel which is what the eNews Channel will be changing to on Sunday.

Here it is: The brand-new logo of the eNCA channel which is what the eNews Channel (DStv 403) will be changing into.

TV with Thinus of course exclusive broke the news back in June that the eNews Channel will be changing to the eNCA with a new name and on-air look - a press briefing is taking place this afternoon where everything will be officially revealed.

I also told you already that the eNews Channel will officially switch over to the eNCA on Sunday 19 August at 19:00 in South Africa and Africa; and a day later, Monday 20 August when it officially starts in the United Kingdom. Test broadcasts have been conducted in recent months.


ALSO READ: News boss Patrick Conroy on the changing eNews Channel to eNCA: 'Exciting things are happening on the African continent'.
ALSO READ: The eNews Channel going intercontinental when it changes to the eNCA and starts broadcasting on the Sky platform in the United Kingdom.

ODE TO JOY. With instant chemistry, Iman Rappetti sits in to co-anchor News Night with Jeremy Maggs on the eNews Channel.

They were brilliant. And it was lovely.

A day after TV with Thinus wrote that there is no replacement yet on News Night for Bikiwe Bikitsha opposite Jeremy Maggs in the co-anchor chair on the eNews Channel (DStv 403), Iman Rappeti sat next to Jeremy Maggs tonight.

And together they were phenomenal.

Iman Rappetti and Jeremy Maggs shared a very clearly visible instant on-screen chemistry - any possible permanent team-up of the experienced and joyful two will surely work. The sophisticated, brilliant and in-tandem terrific twosome shined and made for a wonderful broadcast of News Night on the eNews Channel.

As a viewer you could feel the kinship, joy and professional reparte between the two during the whole broadcast. Iman Rappetti looked lovely and smiled often, despite the often grim breaking news to report.

The crowning glory of tonight's immensely enjoyable to watch News Night came right at the very end. As the camera pulled out it was incredibly clear that Iman Rappetti and Jeremy Maggs enjoyed the show - and co-anchoring with each other as they shared a laugh almost bordering on giddy giggles.

It was delightful to witness on the usually staid flagship news show of the channel. Permanently pairing Iman Rappetti and Jeremy Maggs will surely galvanise and reenergise News Night - that much is absolutely clear.

NOT A CLOSE SHAVE. Derek van Dam of the eNews Channel now has more than just rough weather to show you.

Derek van Dam, the chief meteorologist of the eNews Channel (DStv 403) is done with a close shave - he now sports a beard.

Maybe Derek van Dam had one to many close shaves in 2012 already, which might be the reason for the the five o' clock shadow sitting on the sides of the weather man. In March he was involved in a very scary yachting accident which kept him off the air for days. (He then talked about it.)

Then in July Derek van Dam had his second serious accident during a soccer game injuring his left hand and finger. He took medical leave, had a hand operation and was back at the beginning of this month on 2 August.

Now, besides reporting on some rough weather, Derek van Dam is sporting some rough growth on 'em chinny-chin-chins.

Jeremy Maggs anchoring the eNews Channel's flagship show, News Night, solo with no word on a replacement for co-anchor Nikiwe Nikitsha.

You're reading it here first. 

Jeremy Maggs is anchoring News Night on the eNews Channel (DStv 403) with no new female co-host stepping in ... for now.

TV with Thinus broke the news back in May that Nikiwe Bikitsha is jettisoning the show as co-anchor besides Jeremy Maggs from August for overseas studies.

She's the second woman in four years leaving Jeremy Maggs high and dry in the co-anchor chair at the 24 hour news channel's daily flagship news show News Night. His first co-host Redi Thlabi (then Redi Direko) left him and News Night in May 2009 citing work fatigue.

Two weeks in, and Jeremy Maggs is going it alone. Asked whether Jeremy Maggs will be getting a new co-anchor on News Night, whether it will again be a female co-host, and when that would happen, the eNews Channel tells me only that "no one has been confirmed yet".

Debora Patta anchoring temporarily in the afternoons on the eNews Channel; filling in while permanent anchors are on leave.

You're reading it here first. 

Afternoon viewers of the eNews Channel (DStv 403) are not mistaken: they have been seeing Debora Patta, anchor of e.tv's investigative weekly magazine show 3rd Degree as news reader on the channel for the afternoon hours.

Debora Patta is now the sit-in substitute news anchor during the afternoon on the eNews Channel which tells me that Debora Patta is "anchoring temporarily while some eNews Channel anchors are on leave".

BREAKING. The eNews Channel changing to eNCA on Sunday 19 August at 19:00 and a day later on Sky in the United Kingdom.

I can reveal that the eNews Channel (DStv 403) will officially rebrand on-screen to simply the eNCA on Sunday 19 August at 19:00 (South African time) in South Africa and Africa; and will switch a day later in the United Kingdom on the Sky pay-TV operator on Monday 20 August.

No official date of switch from the eNews Channel to the eNCA has yet been made.

ALSO READ: Let's play: Can you construct the new channel logo of the eNCA out of 15 red and blue triangles?
ALSO READ: South Africa's eNews Channel goes global as it starts broadcasting on the Sky platform in the United Kingdom.
ALSO READ: Toldja! The eNews Channel confirms its going intercontinental and is being added to Sky's pay-TV platform in the United Kingdom.
ALSO READ: 'Goodbye, eNews.' eNews Channel reporters dump the "eNews" at the end of the sign-off in segments in preparation for the switch to simply eNCA.

The eNews Channel has basically now been giving away its new on-air logo of the eNCA it will be changing to on Sunday 19 April in a new on-air promo teasing the change. In the screengrabs above, and below, the new mosaic logo construction forming the outline of the continent of Africa by using blue and red triangles can clearly be seen.

LET'S PLAY. Can you construct the new mosaic channel logo of the eNCA channel out of 15 red and blue triangles?

As a TV executive your working hard on your local reality show (danger: race problem looming), a number "shuffle", HD plans, a new gossip show, PVR and voucher plans, digital terrestrial television, and a litany of other things.

Take a brief respite. But don't play Soduku - play "Let's build the new eNCA channel logo".

The eNews Channel will be changing to simply eNCA - as I broke the news back in June already. Of course I have seen the new eNCA logo myself and I have refrained so far from actually revealing it despite lapses by the eNews Channel themselves to keep their secrets secret.

On Friday I gave you the first glimpse of the new eNCA channel logo and told you that it consists of red and blue triangles. What I didn't tell you was how many of them, and what it forms.

Well, now I'm going to exclusively spill that the new eNCA logo is a mosaic image of the continent of Africa - a good idea since the 24 hour news channels covers news in South Africa and across the continent with an African perspective.

Let me also tell you that the new eNCA logo is constructed out of 15 tiles - 15 triangles of which 2 are red and the rest blue. There's 1 rectangle and one square. Are you able to construct Africa out of 15 triangles, like the shapes below?

Hint: I've already placed two of them in their right positions in relation to the overall logo and in relation to each other.

Here's the first peek at the new on-air look of eNCA when the eNews Channel rebrands.

Here's the first peek and indication of what the eNews Channel (DStv 403) will be looking like when it rebrands and changes its name to simply eNCA  and with it, also it's on-air look.

TV with Thinus can exclusively reveal that I've seen the new eNCA logo and that it consists of blue and red triangles, and a few blue blocks.

(I won't yet tell what shape or form the blocks and triangles form to make the new logo - maybe I'll do a puzzle out of it over the weekend for people who want to play.)

Although I initially reported a few months ago when I broke the news in May that the eNews Channel has embarked on an image and branding change that the normal black, white and blue colours will remain, the changes are actually much more pronounced now and a much bigger departure from what I was initially told it would be - and from what the eNews Channel originally planned.

The new eNews Channel, or eNCA, has much more "edge" in terms of sharp edges. And South Africa is "red" (another clue). And get ready for a mosaic.

Absolutely nothing has been revealed yet and the channel is officially mum on everything; waiting to have an official press briefing and unveiling. But of course people are talking and I''ve been hearing directly from a lot of people overseas watching the channel on the Sky pay TV service in the United Kingdom for quite some time now.

The eNews Channel's casual sexism: constantly referring to South Africa's female Olympic athletes as 'girls' on National Women's Day.

South Africa's eNews Channel (DStv 403) keeps referring to South Africa's female Olympic athletes in London as "girls" while the male Olympic athletes are called "men" in relentless and ongoing casual sexism from the media outlet  - embarrasingly ironic even on National Women's Day in South Africa.

Multiple times the eNews Channel's Peter Stemmet, the eNews reporter based in London would mention and talk about specific South African female athletes and use the patronizing moniker of "girls".

They're not "girls" of course; they're woman. Male athletes are not called "boys"; they're called men.

"All that these guys or girls are trying to do, is just make sure and book their place in the final," Petter Stemmet told Jeremy Maggs during News Night, after he's used the word "girls" numerous times this week and today.

About Bridget Hartley Peter Stemmet said "how appropriate that on National Women's Day that one of our girls should win a medal."

Earlier today and in a constant loop, the eNews Channel called Caster Semenya "another one of the country's girls in action".

Call it a small, barely noticeable thing. And you may be right. But discourse analysis wise, it is of course embarrassing and noteworthy that a media platform - something as powerful as a TV channel - would subconsciously do this.

The eNews Channel is of course not the only culprit; but it's indicative of how South African media have not yet really moved to true bigger gender equality. Of course media is powerful in supporting entrenched behavioural attitudes - but media can also help to change certain media memes if they actually really consciously try to do so.

If the eNews Channel really wanted to support National Women's Day it wouldn't run several sad, emotional stories about marginalised women in South Africa. It would do what media does best by doing real lip service and not call and refer to female Olympic athletes as "girls".

[The eNews Channel reporter Shahan Ramkissoon in his story filed about the Olympic swimmers' homecoming today do refer briefly to Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh as "golden boys".]

TERRIFIC. Tech Report on the eNews Channel turns out its 50th episode tonight at 21:30.

Although e.tv publicity does flat-out nothing for this extremely well-produced weekly show and which is actually a feather in the cap for the eNews Channel (DStv 403), the second season of Tech Report (Thursdays, 21:30) is turning out its 50th episode of the series tonight - a quite remarkable achievement.

Tech Report - which in my view should become a permanent year-round show on the eNews Channel (with Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola which is another well-produced local production getting renewed for limited seasons) - are made by people who clearly know the field of expertise, in this case technology and gadgets, and translate it to television very well.

Tech Report (as is Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola) is quality television and fills a distinct niche with distinction. Because the production values are so high, it adds and enhances the weekly TV programming value proposition of this 24 hour South African news channel - it gives and provides the South African TV viewer something which you can't find anywhere else.

It's clever, it's smart, it's funny, it's well researched, it's spot-on with current news and developments and it's out front with consumer breaking news on the tech and gadget front wonderfully customised with South African context.

With Tech Report marking the milestone of 50 episodes tonight, hopefully the extended episode running order of this weekly half hour show, produced by Homebrew Films in Cape Town, indicates that Debbie Meyer, the eNews Channel's executive producer for current affairs and the eNews Channel powers-that-be have realized the value, quality and smarts that this programme brings to the eNews Channel stable.

I can't say for sure whether Tech Report has indeed become a year round show, or how many episodes there will still be, or how long its current extended season will continue, since e.tv is doing nothing to promote or publicize the show - not with weekly episode synopsis, not with any regular updates, or any talk about the show's ongoing future.

According to an on-air promo Thursday night's episode of Tech Report on the eNews Channel - it's 50th - will have "a kaleidoscope of tech with something for everyone. We'll take you behind the scenes of the Square Kilometre Array project with a visit to the engineering hub. Then we're off to a green building in the heart of the winelands and we go shopping with news on the latest 3D tech."

Tech Report, the weekly tech-news show which has given the South African 24 hour news channel an added edge when it comes to news about technology was originally conceived by André-Pierre du Plessis, who pitched the show to Greenwall Productions back in July 2009. Nicky Greenwall changed the original working title Web Report to The Tech Report to form part of her collection of current affairs programmes produced for e.Sat such as The Showbiz Report and The Style Report. It took the team 6 months to put the show's pilot together, but after a successful pitch they only had another 6 months to produce the show's first 10 episodes.

Celia Ncalane, who was the presenter of the original pilot (which was never aired), was only seen presenting the first episode after which Bongo Mbutuma became the presenter for the first season.

After Nicky Greenwall fell pregnant, Greenwall Productions declined to produce another season and various production companies pitched to take the show further. The current second season is the result, with the The dropped from Tech Report.

Since 10 November 2011, when Homebrew Films' Tech Report premiered, Ndoni Khanyile has been presenting the show which has been renewed for further episodes continuously. Tonight will be the new team's 40th episode bringing its total to a small TV milestone of 50 episodes.

Correspondents who have been part of show since its inception are Jonathan Allan-Barrett, who's based in Johannesburg and is assisted by producer JP Pienaar. Juliet McGuire and Seth Rotherham, both based in Cape Town, have also been with the show since the start. Simon Hartley assists Seth Rotherham on his often hilarious scripts while Liebe Calitz produce their inserts and acts as the show's very competent production manager. Rusty du Preez, also a full-time Homebrew Films employee, shoots these inserts as well as the studio links at their Gardens offices, with Ben Heyns assisting as co-producer.

Contributions since the current second season of Tech Report include presenter Jason Maneveld and radio DJ Tapfuma Makina.

With the eNews Channel that will soon be available on the Sky satellite TV platform in Europe, it will be interesting to see how European audiences respond to Tech Report which will now be seen beyond Africa.

The eNews Channel would make a wise decision to keep this show as an all-rounder weekly programme on the schedule. Despite limited and no publicity, Tech Report is a consistent, well done addition to the news channel's TV programming brand.