AS IF SHE NEVER LEFT. The brilliant Christiane Amanpour is back on CNN International, resuming her own weekday show with gravitas.

It was as if she never left: The brilliant Christiane Amanpour is back on CNN International (DStv 401) on weeknights at 21:00 (South African time) with her own (old) show Amanpour which looked like and ran like an incredibly well-oiled news machine.

Everything from Amanpour and Amanpour on its launch episode on Monday night on CNN International was familiar, smooth, fair and objective - just like when she did Amanpour previously.

She started her own show, Amanpour in September 2009 on CNN International but left the news channel and her show in August 2010.

Later in 2010 when I interviewed CNN International executives from London during a trip to Uganda, a high ranking CNN executive - when I asked how they really feel about Christiane Amanpour leaving, told me this (with a wry smile): "We love her. And to be honest I don't think Christiane is really gone. I more think of it as 'she is on loan'. She's on loan from us. We're just allowing her to go and do something else for a bit but Christiane Amanpour is and will always be a part of CNN. She's part of our DNA."

The Amanpour set looks basically the same with a few small adjustments; the opening title and music remains basically unchanged, even the format of the show is the same as before which only added a "The Brief'' section showing Christiane Amanpour's strength and insight over news events and the players shaping the news agenda which she's built up over many years.

Every day's episode can also be watched in full online at  http://www.amanpour.com/

"Let me start by saying how delighted I am to be back broadcasting from this seat again. I aim to bring you the big ideas and the top stories, including tonight an exclusive interview with the Afghan president Hamid Karzai," Christiane Amanpour said in Monday's debut show.

''I also want to explore stories in-depth, so each night I'll be starting the programme with The Brief, drawing upon different perspectives and my own experience in the field to explore the whole picture."

The Style Network announces the creation of Style Media as a global umbrella company.

The Style Network (DStv 183) has announced the creation of Style Media.

Style Media is a new global multimedia content company as an umbrella company.

Under it will fall Style International, which will include all the TV channels from the Style stable such as The Style Network and other international channels which are available to 17 million subscribers; Style Digital, which includes myStyle.com and Style Licensing & Merchandising which will produce branded products inspired by TV shows on Style.

Salaam Coleman Smith will continue to oversee all divisions as the president of Style Media.

BREAKING. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange launches his weekly talk show on RT with Hezbollah leader as his first guest.

Julian Assange has launched his new weekly talk show on RT (DStv 405), The World Tomorrow, with Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Lebanese political and paramilitary organization Hezbollah, as his first guest.

RT is replaying the first episode of The World Tomorrow every 2 hours on Tuesday; more repeats will follow during the week. The interview with Hassan Nasrallah was the first done and shown on Western television since 2006.

The pre-recorded interview, done through a videolink from England where Julian Assange is in house arrest in London, had two Arab translators. "A lot of the things that we have been trying to report have not been carried accurately in the mainstream press," Julian Assange said.

RT describes the guests who will be appearing on The World Tomorrow as "politicians, revolutionaries, intellectuals, artists and visionaries". Julian Assange said "my own work with WikiLeaks hasn't exactly made my life easier, but it has given us a platform to broadcast world-shifting ideas."

M-Net brings 't*ts & *ss' to primetime at 8:30pm: Is Homeland, starting on Wednesday, inappropriate for the timeslot?

The brilliant new drama show Homeland starts tomorrow on M-Net (Wednesday, 20:30), but I'm wondering about, what is to me, some very odd scheduling on M-Net's side. The South African pay TV broadcaster is going to show extremely graphic "t-ts & -ss" to viewers way earlier than usual - and there is some on-air M-Net promo oddities I've noticed as well.

While this terrific drama on the Showtime channel was shown at 10pm in America, M-Net is bringing the extremely graphic content of Homeland to 8:30pm - the same primetime timeslot in which M-Net subscribers on other evenings usually see family dramas and forensic crime shows such as The Good Wife, CSI: Miami, Blue Bloods and The Lying Game.

Homeland has the audible "f*ck" word twice in the opening theme of every episode. It's part of the show but seems inappropriate for the 8:30pm timeslot. Have you ever heard "f*ck" at 8:30pm on South African television before? I was wondering if M-Net is going to bleep it out or not.

Homeland contains graphic nudity in the form of for instance breasts and butts but oddly the on-air promos of 16VLS on M-Net carries no N warning for nudity. Viewers who watch the show from Wednesday, based on the indicated classification M-Net is selling it, could be in for a shock.

M-Net plans to show Homeland which is intended for a mature audience and contains sex scenes and masturbation, way earlier than similar TV dramas such as Californication and Game of Thrones which it more corresponds to in terms of its visual presentation.

I've also heard from upset viewers regarding the Homeland promo on M-Net which contains the bit "look at his hands; he's signaling someone". The one promo I saw clearly shows part of the scene where the forensic agents zoom in on the TV footage at the end. It's basically the premise of what the show is built around: is the marine returning to America now a secret double agent? By including this "spoiler" the Homeland promo reveals that in fact he is.

I asked M-Net about all of these questions I have around Homeland 's scheduling which as a TV critic and writer I finds out of kilter given M-Net's overall primetime schedule and the content of the show.
Here is M-Net's response.

Will M-Net be bleeping and remove the "f-", "f-" word in the Homeland opening sequence or keep it?
Controlling the language on their decoders is the responsibility of our viewers. They can tune into the Family Soundtrack, which will block offensive words, or listen to the Original Soundtrack.

The promos for Homeland on M-Net runs promoting the show with the age restriction of 16SVL (no N). Why does M-Net deem Homeland not to contain scenes of nudity? Does M-Net consider Homeland's first episode to not contain nudity that viewers shouldn't need to know about?
A preliminary rating is often used for promos, but each episode of our series is viewed by our programming acceptance team and the actual episodes could carry a different rating, based on the team's recommendation. The Homeland episodes in question will have an age restriction of 16SNVL, thus including nudity.

The 8:30pm timeslot for Homeland seems inappropriate from a scheduling point of view, since similar shows such as Californication and Game of Thrones, has a starting time of much later. This will be the first time ever that M-Net will have such as show with such strong graphic content on a weekly basis in the 8:30pm timeslot. Why did M-Net decide to schedule Homeland so early and push boundaries?
The watershed time for South Africa is 8pm and this is not the first time a series with such a rating is scheduled at 8pm on M-Net. By scheduling these programmes at 8:30pm, later than the watershed, we acknowledge its mature content while informing viewers of the age restriction on air at the same time. Californication and Game of Thrones are more risque in terms of theme and visual material and are rated R18VSNL.

Regarding the language profanity and sex scenes it will be the first time that viewers in the 8:30pm timeslot on M-Net will be regularly hearing and seeing some graphic content which M-Net, in terms of regular series, has always broadcast later. Why is M-Net bring the "F"-word to 8:30pm?
The first three episodes contain scenes of nudity and sexual content, but it's not the case in all the episodes and not a theme in the series. Viewers can control the language option, as previously mentioned.

I've heard from upset viewers regarding the Homeland promo on M-Net which includes the scene right at the end of the first episode which is the big reveal ("look at his hands, he's secretly signaling someone"). What is M-Net's current policy regarding possible spoilers and promos?
Our promos are designed to have an intriguing end or cliffhanger in order to entice viewers to watch the episode. We believe the inclusion of this line (not accompanied by visuals) in the promo is such a cliffhanger. There is a difference between a cliffhanger and a spoiler.

Is there anything regarding the context and scheduling and age classification of Homeland as seen on M-Net that M-Net wants to say or give context to.
All M-Net's programmes are viewed by a team of progamming acceptance experts, who have clear guidelines in terms of the way age restrictions are decided upon.


As I've said, Homeland is a great show narrative wise, I just don't think the timeslot of 20:30 is appropriate for what the broadcaster is trying to do with it. I've placed a few screengrabs from the first episode below if you want to judge for yourself whether the graphic content of Homeland is appropriate for the time.
The nature of the scenes and content continues in further episodes.
(If you click on READ MORE below, its because you chose to.)

WHO KNEW? Lingerie football Sexiest Girls (with orgasm sounds), Ronaldo's package and undressed sports specials on Trace Sports.

Little orgasm sounds as sound effects are included to further raise the high production values of Lingerie Football Sexiest Girls. This countdown show with beautiful babes, bouncing, is just one of the shows included on the new Trace Sports (DStv 129) which will start later today on MultiChoice's DStv.

Lingerie Football Sexiest Girls isn't however the only high journalistic effort viewers will be able to find on the brand-new channel which includes profiles of stars from the world of sport, countdown shows around various topics ranging from their cars to their homes and holiday destinations, as well as how much money they make.

Because it's important to know, viewers might want to tune in for shows like Top Female Undressed Specials. What female sports have the flimsiest outfits? (Psst. The Lingerie Basket League gets 4th place.)

In the equal offender stakes - or is it just offsides - Trace Sports also offers introspection of Cristiano Ronaldo's package in shows such as The Sexiest Players in the Spanish Championship.

And how much money does F1's biggest money earners like Jensen Button earn? Trace Sports will count down (or is it up?) their moola.

The pimped out rides of sport champions also don't escaped unnoticed on Trace Sports. Who drives what off of the sport field? You won't believe the wheels (and no orgasm sounds included).

BREAKING. SABC says CEO Lulama Mokhobo looking to find an 'amicable solution' regarding the fight with head of news, Phil Molefe.

As I said on Sunday RIGHT HERE would happen on Monday according to sources, the SABC confirms that the SABC board met yesterday to discuss the latest little public contretemps rocking the public broadcaster and the stand-off between the SABC's new CEO Lulama Mokhobo and the suddenly placed-on-leave head of news Phil Molefe.

In a press statement the SABC says Lulama Mokhobo is looking to deal with "human resources related matters that pertain to Phil Molefe and if possible find an amicable solution".

There is a big rift between Lulama Mokhobo and Phil Molefe, and the SABC board chairperson, Thami ka Plaatjie, is trying to reconcile the two SABC executives in the latest infighting within the SABC's top executive level.

The SABC says in the statement that the SABC board met to discuss the special leave that Phil Molefe was placed on and that the SABC board supports Lulama Mokhobo who "was within her rights to place an executive on special leave in terms of the SABC's employment policies. She is also, in terms of the editorial policy, editor-in-chief and as such is finally accountable for the quality of news on our platforms."

The SABC said Phil Molefe's special leave "has nothing to do with interfering with editorial independence of the news division" and that the SABC "remains committed to fair, objective news coverage and supports innovative journalism so that the burning issues in our country and the world can be covered fairly and that the stories can be told."

WHO KNEW? Another SABC board member gone as Clifford Motsepe resigns; half of the new SABC appointed in 2010 now gone.

Who knew? Nobody.

Another SABC board member is a gonner with Clifford Motsepe who is out as a SABC board member since he became the Limpopo Cooperative Governance MEC.

The SABC board members who have now resigned since the new SABC board took office in 2010 is a staggering 6.

Clifford Motsepe quietly resigned and his resignation is awaiting the official stamp of approval of president Jacob Zuma.

Career politicians can't serve as SABC board members (although their political loyalties are always very obvious) and Clifford Motsepe was forced to resign when he took political office in the province.

BREAKING. MultiChoice removing the Islam Channel; replacing it with Islam Television from mid-June.

MultiChoice is taking away the Islam Channel (DStv 347) at the end of May and replacing it with a new Muslim channel, Islam Television (ITV) in the middle of June.

Islam Channel will be taken off on 31 May. On 18 June Islam Television will start. MultiChoice says the swap in channels is in response to Muslim subscribers of DStv expressing a need for more locally produced Islamic content.

"Islam Television is a vibrant and informative channel with a wide spectrum of programmes underscored by an Islamic ethos," says MultiChoice. The change will take place in two phases with Islam Channel being removed on 31 May and there will be a break in transmission as testing for the new channel is undertaken.

Islam Television CEO Farhad Omar said the programming of the channel includes a mix of Islamic themed spiritual, social entertainment and lifestyle programmes. "This diverse mix of programming ensures balanced and culturally appropriate television content 24/7."

DIGITAL DONGA: M-Net on how the 'endless delays' of starting digital television in South Africa is hurting its pay TV business.

The numerous delays of the successful commercial implementation of digital terrestrial television (DTT) in South Africa is having a "uniquely negative impact" on M-Net, the South African pay TV broadcaster has told South Africa's broadcasting regulator.

South Africa's transition to DTT, a process known as "digital migration" is mired in long running government and broadcasting industry gridlock with several other countries which have passed South Africa in the migration process which internationally has to be completed by June 2015. The government just pushed the commercial launch date back yet again to September of this year.

The department of communications is warning TV viewers that they will have to pay R700 for a set top box (STB) to decode the digital TV signals or lose their signals once the analogue TV signals are switched off.

In a document regarding South Africa's digital migration regulations to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), M-Net says the delay in starting DTT is hurting the pay TV broadcaster which has its own STB for subscribers to decode its analogue signals.

M-Net will have to market and sell a new DVB-T2 decoder when it starts to broadcast its digital signal and a brand-new bouquet of several new M-Net channels - but can't yet do so.

Meanwhile M-Net stopped selling its analogue decoders years ago because the pay TV company didn't feel that it would be right to sell "old" outdated technology to subscribers. The result is plummeting subscriber numbers for M-Net.

"As far back as 2001 M-Net commenced testing digital terrestrial television. In February 2007, when the then-minister announced that cabinet had approved 1 November 2008 for digital switch-on, M-Net decided to stop selling analogue STBs, since we felt that we couldn't continue to sell those to subscribers in the knowledge that this technology would soon become redundant. This has now meant that M-Net has been unable to maintain and grow its subscriber base," writes the pay TV broadcaster.

"In addition, the ageing analogue technology used by our existing subscribers has become expensive to maintain and repair."

"The endless delays over the past four and a half years in finalising the framework for the migration to digital television in South Africa has exacerbated these negative consequences for M-Net’s television subscription business," writes M-Net. "The further delay of the commencement of DTT will only compound these difficulties."

M-Net warns that "the absence of an attractive digital television offering will undermine consumer adoption of DTT".

At the last meeting on DTT of parliament's portfolio committee on communications, M-Net showed and explained to government that expensive STB are not necessary and argued for much cheaper STBs, also called "digital converters". M-Net explained to government that STBs or "digital converters" are actually available and could retail for R350 or less which has all the functionality and can do exactly what the government wants it to do with DTT.

M-Net showed examples of the devices to government. The pay TV broadcaster said STB technology would eventually be built into TV sets and that the "very expensive" STB option of R700 is only supposed to be an interim solution.

ALSO IN THIS SPECIAL SERIES
DIGITAL DONGA: South Africa's "shambolic" digital migration process: Pay R700 or lose your free TV signal.