Purple-branded VIDI from Times Media Group launches as new streaming video-on-demand (VOD) service with '1 000 hours of entertainment'.

Times Media Group (TMG) has launched its VIDI video-on-demand over-the-internet commercial service as a competitor to MultiChoice's DStv BoxOffice and DStv Catch Up services with South African consumers who can rent and watch TV shows and movies for R149 per month or watch blockbuster movies for R27 and older library titles for R15.

The R27 per movie that TMG's new purple-branded VIDI is charging is exactly the same as the R27 price tag of MultiChoice's DStv BoxOffice.

The Times Group owns TV channels like BusinessDay TV and newspapers like Business Day, The Sunday Times and The Sowetan.

VIDI, the Latin for "saw", calls itself an "online streaming TV service built for South Africans" and gives people a 30-day free trial period for its service which is trying to mimic overseas on-demand internet services like Netflix that's not yet been available in South Africa.

For the subscription free service users need a credit card and a fast enough internet connection and can stream and watch the content on PC or Mac, as well as smartphones and Apple and Android tablets, or on a TV set through one of these connected devices.

VIDI says it is launching with "over 1 000 hours of entertainment".

TMG made a deal with Disney's ABC Studios for older already broadcast seasons of drama series and comedies from American studios that's available as ABC on Demand like Grey's Anatomy, Cougar Town, Brothers & Sisters, Pretty Little Liars and Lost.

Besides that there's new movie releases, older library movie titles, kids movies and library TV series like Breaking Bad, The Shield and The Tudors, and documentaries like Walking with Dinosaurs - 21 TV series in total.

VIDI is ad free and will carry 100 films in deals with studios like Warner Bros, Sony, Disney, Lionsgate and Relativity with more which will be added in future.

It's not clear what the internet data size will be for a 40 minute TV show or a 90 minute movie using VIDI which is making use of Microsoft Silverlight as its player technology. It's not known whether VIDI content will be available and streamed in high definition (HD) or standard definition (SD), or a combination.

South Africa's foray into online video streaming and on-demand television services remain hampered by slow broadband, limited broadband penetration, as well as exorbitantly high costs for consumers.

It led the satellite pay-TV platform MultiChoice to develop the DStv Explora decoder as a way to try and circumvent someof these issues by mimicking a VOD service through the PVR, using a direct-to-home (DTH) satellite service.

Local teen high school drama, Signal High, returning to SABC2's Hectic Nine-9 for a second season.

The locally produced high school drama set in Cape Town, Signal High, is returning to SABC2's afternoon youth programming block Hectic Nine-9 for a second miniseries season.

The second season of Signal High produced by Okuhle Media will start on SABC2 in Hectic Nine-9 on Tuesday, 16 September and continue dealing as an educational dramatic show with issues like bullying, deceit, lying, homosexuality and cheating.

"At the heart of the show are topics ranging from prescription drugs, sexuality, disability and even initiation," says Noleen Nagel, the content producer of Signal High's second season.

"Not only are the youth able to be represented, but they also gain insights into the circumstances affecting the lives of other young South Africans across the traditional and cultural spectrum".

"I felt a real sense of intensity on set in this year," says David Stein, Hectic Nine-9 producer. "I believe that this was because the issues we were addressing are so real and cut so close to the vein for many young people in this country".

David Stein says Signal High is made as great drama and entertainment, but that the show is committed to dealing with real issues in a responsible and sensitive way.

The second season of Signal High was shot at Delia Sainsbury & Paul Griffiths' Waterfront Theatre School with last season's cast which returned to set.

"The Waterfront Theatre School is once again delighted to be associated with Signal High and the creative team from Okuhle Media," says Paul Griffiths. "The benefits for our students of having this opportunity to work closely with an experienced production team on such an exciting project cannot be underestimated".

The shoot schedule for this season was significantly longer and more elaborate with a more extensive narrative and an epic and dramatic ending, including the much anticipated Signal High talent show".

Shock, pandemonium, as the women of The Talk on M-Net start to scream uncontrollably on live television for 3 minutes following a surprise revelation.

The new season of The Talk, seen on weekdays at 13:00 on M-Net, just started this week in America and the women just lost it and started screaming uncontrollably for 3 minutes on live television following a shocking revelation ...

... The Talk's Sara Gilbert is pregnant.

M-Net is just a few episodes behind in South Africa from The Talk episodes broadcast in the United States, so M-Net and DStv subscribers will see the touching, funny, hilarious and very genuine TV moment here soon.

What happened is that the season started with "Face Your Fears" - and each one of the women getting a turn - one per day - to try and face their biggest fears. Today was Sara Gilbert's turn.

She was supposed to lie on a bed of nails and get another slab of nails put on top of her with a block being broken on her stomach.

That's when she suddenly became emotional, explaining to her co-hosts that she can't do it. And then said that it's because she's pregnant.

Pandemonium ensued. Uncontrollable screaming started as all of the women went of completely off script with the unexpected news that Sara Gilbert's expecting a baby. Watch:

M-Net's Carte Blanche to show rhino horn injection insert this coming Sunday after story was pulled from the planned line-up at short notice.

M-Net's weekly investigative magazine show Carte Blanche will show the promised, then suddenly pulled follow-up rhino horn injection insert this coming Sunday after it was inexplicably pulled by producers shortly before broadcast.

Both George Mazarakis, Carte Blanche's executive producer and Patricia van Rooyen, M-Net CEO for sub-Sahara Africa were out of the country when the call was made to drop the insert - the second one about the same topic and apparently done to give a more "balanced" view - from this past Sunday's episode.

The previous Sunday, 31 August, Carte Blanche broadcast an insert on the injection of rhino horn with dyes and chemicals to deter rhino poachers, but the insert also cast aspersions on the methods of the Rhino Rescue Project (RRP) and asked whether its little more than a money-making scheme.

Viewers were highly critical of the programme.

A second part, a follow-up insert, was promised and planned to be broadcast Sunday, 7 September.

Last week, following the first insert, Carte Blanche said it's looking at the "infusion debate" and that "the effectiveness of rhino horn infusion is hotly contested and an emotional issue for animal lovers and conservationists alike".

"According to some scientists there is no evidence that the toxin and dye used actually infuses throughout the entire horn. But is it more effective as a psychological deterrent? While infusion has its detractors, some rhino owners swear by it."

The insert never aired.

Carte Blanche does make it very clear that it is a current affairs investigative magazine show and that the weekly line-up is subject to change at short notice.

On Sunday night just before the end of the Carte Blanche episode, anchor Bongani Bingwa told viewers "thank you for your response on social media to last week's story on rhino horn infusion. It seems this issue has really hit a nerve with concerned South Africans, and rightly so".

"Carte Blanche will revisit the story as the debate continues over this controversial method. We will keep you updated".

Amidsts falling ratings a new logo for e.tv's soap Rhythm City from 29 September, new opening title sequence from late October.

You're reading it here first.

Amidst a big ratings slump which has e.tv executives worried, Rhythm City on the free-to-air channel which also just lost its weekend omnibus timeslot will be getting a new logo on Monday 29 September and a new intro theme and title sequence from late October.

The weekday soap in e.tv will change its logo on-screen on 29 September and the title sequence will be changing a month later towards the end of October.

The new Rhythm City logo which TV with Thinus has seen, retains the basic concept and outline and changes the colours and the spheroid 3D effect to a circle. A softer orange-amber and blue is introduced, instead of the white and dark orange.

The viewership of Rhythm City, produced by Quizzical Pictures at Sasani Studios, has fallen since mid-July, taking a massive plunge from an average of 3.5 million as the most watched soap and most watched TV programme on e.tv, to around 2.5 million viewers since SABC1 moved Skeem Saam to the 18:30 timeslot opposite Rhythm City.

Longtime TV producer Jessica Pitchford now managing editor for investigative magazine show Checkpoint on eNCA and e.tv.

Veteran South Africa TV producer Jessica Pitchford has joined the weekly investigate magazine show, Checkpoint, on eNCA (DStv 403) and e.tv.

Jessica Pitchford is now the managing editor of Checkpoint where Nkepile Mabuse is the executive producer and host.

Jessica Pitchford is most recognised for her work at, and most closely associated with, M-Net's Carte Blanche where she was most recently the managing editor as well for the past half a decade.

The award-winning TV and longtime producer was however for years a TV reporter for SABC News for news and current affairs and worked for SABC3's Special Assignment and others actuality shows.

Last year with Carte Blanche's 25th anniversary on M-Net, Jessica Pitchford authored the commemorative book Carte Blanche: The Stories Behind the Stories.

CNBC viewership plunges to 2nd lowest level ever; CNBC Africa on DStv in South Africa similarly barely watched by subscribers.

The TV business news channel almost nobody's watching? CNBC.

The viewership of the American business news TV channel has plunged to its second lowest viewership month ever this August in the United States, and in South Africa the viewership of CNBC Africa (DStv 410) is also at dismal levels.

In America in August CNBC scraped the bottom of the barrel with only 28 000 viewers in the demographic of 24 to 54 - just 1 000 viewers more than the lowest viewership ever of 27 000 back in November 1992.

CNBC's viewership in the United States keeps going down and if the trend holds September should be the month during which CNBC reaches the lowest viewership of the business news channel ever - ironically despite there being more TV viewers available who could possibly be watching than ever before.

Of course CNBC Africa in South Africa of the ABN group (viewership figures for other African countries are not available) is as "barely there" as CNBC in the United States.

With CNBC Africa getting an almost negligible 2% of the total audience share of all DStv subscribers who watch the TV news channels (compared with eNCA at 51%, SABC News at 17% and Sky News at 11%) its perhaps time for the business network to actually tell the press, TV critics and viewers what there is to tune in for, and when.

Since its start in June 2007 in South Africa on DStv, CNBC Africa has done extremely little in consistently (or even non-consistently) publicising its schedule, programming highlights and shows or bringing it's line-up, special programming and breaking business news coverage under people's attention.

Ironically the myriad executive shuffles, content scandals and on-screen talent exists at CNBC Africa have been well-documented and publicised over the years.

No South African TV channel and no TV news channel had a worse launch than ANN7 (DStv 405). Yet ANN7 at one year old already has around 7% of the TV news viewers in South Africa.

CNBC Africa after 7 years couldn't even get a third of the viewers and audience share that ANN7 amassed in a year.

If CNBC Africa wants to grow it needs to lure viewers. Viewers however - with a bunch of choices - are not going to tune in if there's no reason for them to do so - and sadly CNBC Africa never tells anyone why or what for they should.

Opening bureaux across Africa isn't going to grow a TV news channel and you can do all the most incisive and exclusive and comprehensive reporting, talk shows with panel guests and stories you want.

If CNBC Africa viewers don't know about it - and in time to tune in and why it matters - none of it matters.

Several executive changes and moves at CNN International, Mike McCarthy the new senior vice president and general manager of CNNI.

CNN International (DStv 401) made several executive changes at the 24-hour TV news channel with Mike McCarthy who has been appointed as the new general manager and senior vice president of CNN International.

Mike McCarthy will oversee all CNN International programming from the news giant's headquarters in Atlanta in the United States and will also oversee all compliance and regulatory issues.

Ellana Lee has been appointed as the new senior vice president and managing editor of CNN International and will be in charge of overseeing all feature programmes.

Deborah Rayner is moving from heading up Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) news gathering in London to being senior vice president of international news gathering for TV and digital from Atlanta.

Tommy Evans has been appointed as the new vice president and London bureau chief who will take over from Deborah Rayner's old position, and in his new position still report to her.

BREAKING. SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala fails to provide proof of her qualifications, certificates; now investigated by parliament.

SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who lied about her tertiary qualifications - just like the SABC's controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng - has failed to provide any proof of her qualifications and certificates and parliament is now going to investigate her.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala will most likely be suspended as SABC chairperson - the next SABC chairperson in a revolving door of gonners over the past half a decade - once the investigation into her (non-existent) qualifications starts.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who is now mired in problems regarding her own qualifications or absence of it, has been a staunch defender of Hlaudi Motsoeneng and his lack of qualifications.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala was appointed as permanent SABC chairperson in September 2013 after having served six months prior to that as the acting SABC chairperson when the SABC board imploded.

In February South Africa's Public Protector in a scathing report said that Hlaudi Motsoeneng who in a recorded interview admitted that the lied about having a matric certificate and made up symbols for a matric certificate he knew he couldn't produce "should never have been appointed at the SABC".

In July the City Press newspaper in its front page story and Rapport revealed that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's claimed qualifications are fake.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala falsified claims before parliament in her CV that she had a M.Com degree from the University of South African (Unisa) and a postgraduate diploma in labour relations.

Unisa said that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala had neither of these qualifications and denied that she holds these qualifications.

"According to our records, no qualification was awarded to the mentioned individual," Unisa told the newspapers.

It means that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala lied to South Africa's parliament since these qualifications are what she indicated to parliament she had and which formed part of the basis why she was appointed to serve on the SABC board.

It's not clear why parliament's portfolio committee on communications didn't check and verify Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's claimed qualifications when she applied for the position and why parliament's portfolio committee failed to vet the details of her CV.

It's also not clear whether it's only Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's CV which parliament clearly failed to verify at the time, or if none of the prospective SABC board members' CV's are ever checked for accuracy and vetted against stated qualifications and prior experience.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications gave Ellen Zandile Tshabalala initially until 11 August to provide proof of her qualifications and certificates which she claimed to hold when she applied for the position of SABC chairperson.

She then said she couldn't do it by that date and parliament gave her an extension until 26 August. Ellen Zandile Tshabalala again failed to provide the necessary proof of her qualifications and certificates to parliament.

Today, 9 September, Ellen Zandile Tshabala informed parliament's portfolio committee on communications, the oversight body of the SABC, that she is still trying to locate her certificates.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications will now invoke Section 15 of the Broadcasting Act and constitute an inquiry into whether Ellen Zandile Tshabalala lied or has the qualifications which she claimed. if she doesn't she will be removed as SABC chairperson.

"There is strong prima facie evidence that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala lied to parliament about her qualifications during the application process," says the Democratic Alliance political party in a statement today.

"In the CV submitted t o parliament, Ellen Zandile Tshabalala claimed to have a B.Com and diploma in labour relations from Unisa. A letter from Unisa's legal department indicates that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala has neither a degree nor diploma from Unisa," says the DA.

"The chairperson of the SABC board, as the custodian of public broadcasting in South Africa, needs to be held to the highest standards of ethics and accountability".