BREAKING. Discovery's 3 TV channels on TopTV all go blank; TopTV 'trying to get the problem sorted out' with missing Discovery Science, TLC and ID.

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Discovery's three TV channels on On Digital Media (ODM) struggling pay-TV service TopTV suddenly went completely dark today without warning and with no notice or announcement to TopTV subscribers, as the satellite pay-TV operator is scrambling to fix the problem of the missing Discovery Science (TopTV 302), TLC (TopTV 453) and ID: Investigation Discovery (TopTV 303) - all provided by Discovery Networks International CEEMEA.

Angry TopTV subscribers are fuming about the three missing Discovery channels with no indication of why Discovery Science, ID: Investigation Discovery and TLC suddenly disappeared.

TopTV failed to talk to subscribers today or to give bewildered subscribers any reasons for the channels suddenly being missing. Likewise Discovery Networks International CEEMEA didn't say a word to viewers of their channels on TopTV as to why they're paying for something they're not getting and suddenly can't see.

ALSO READ: Shocking lack of communication from TopTV and Discovery Networks CEEMEA after 3 Discovery channels suddenly disappear.

All three Discovery TV channels of Discovery Networks International CEEMEA on TopTV simply display an on-air sentence: "We apologise for the break in transmission and will be back shortly."

It's exactly what TopTV displayed when other TV channels on its bouquet ceased and never returned. Once again TopTV subscribers - especially pre-paid TopTV subscribers who gave money at the beginning of a month - are not getting the product that they've been promised and paid for.

While TopTV's normal channel offering keeps dwindling, TopTV has put focus and effort behind a second attempt - which was approved by South Africa's broadcasting regulator - to start a separate porn bouquet with three sex channels from Playboy.

No starting dat for the porn channels is known yet which will carry a classification of R18 and for which TopTV will now have to register as a porn distributor with South Africa's Film and Publication Board (FPB).

TopTV would have gone dark on Tuesday night as channel and content suppliers were ready to turn off the taps to their content if ODM failed to get approval for the StarTimes business rescue plan bail-out, but shareholders voted overwhelmingly to approve the bail-out deal.

It's possible that Discovery Networks International decided to pull their channels off of TopTV at the end of April anyway, similar to what Manchester United Television (MUTV) did in November and Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) did in December when Turner yanked its three channels, Showtime, Silver and Star! from TopTV's line-up.

It's now come to light that TopTV owes millions to several content providers who decided to pull their TV channels from TopTV due to outstanding debt.

TopTV owes Fox International a massive R43,8 million which amounts to 3% overall of TopTV's debt to creditors. Warner Bros. is owed R25,4 million or 1,7% of the total, Paramount is owed R13,1 million and Manchester United Television is owed R9,5 million, Turner Broadcasting is owed R6,4 million and The Walt Disney Company R7,2 million.

"Where did Discovery Science, TLC and Discovery ID go? Nothing on air on TopTV," is the response to TV with Thinus from just one irate TopTV subscriber, echoeing the sentiment of several subscribers who can't watch any of their three Discovery channels on TopTV - without any explanation from the company.

TLC (DStv 172) and ID: Investigation Discovery (DStv 171) - which ironically today had a show entitled Disappeared on - are both also available on competitor MultiChoice's DStv channel line-up and are showing uninterrupted and unaffected.

I've made a media enquiry to Discovery Networks International CEEMEA and I'm awaiting a response.

I've also asked TopTV what is going on. TopTV says the pay-TV operator is "trying to get the problem sorted out with Discovery".

I've asked, but TopTV isn't explaining what exactly the problem is, why is happened, what went wrong, or when - or if - the three Discovery channels will be restored.

Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown on CNN International renewed for a second season set to start in September.

Anthony Bourdain's Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown which just started on CNN International (DStv 401) on Saturdays at 21:00 (repeats Fridays at 17:00) will be back for a second season in September.

In the ongoing first season of Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown which South African viewers will still see, the travelogue visits the cultures of Quebec, Tangier, Libya, Peru and the Congo.

The second season of Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown will have 8 episodes and Anthony Bourdain will visit countries and cities including Spain, New Mexico, Israel, Copenhagen, Sicily, Detroit, Tokyo and India.

"Zero Point Zero Production has created a spectacularly beautiful, informative and entertaining series for CNN that has resonated with viewers in a profound way," says Jeff Zucker, CNN Worldwide president in a press statement.

"In addition to its runaway ratings success, it is also quite the conversation starter, as anyone who follows social media can attest. We are so happy to announce season two, and I can assure you that audiences will love what is coming up on the show."

Dallas seen on M-Net, renewed for a 3rd season in America, 'has many stories left to tell' and will continue to honour JR's memory.

Dallas, which will conclude its second season on M-Net in South Africa on Tuesdays at 20:30 with a two hour finale, has been renewed for a third season in America.

The third season of Dallas produced by Warner Horizon Television will have 15 episodes and is set to start early in 2014.

"Dallas has built a passionately loyal following with its expertly woven storylines, clever twists and turns and numerous outstanding performances by a cast that spans generations," says Michael Wright, the president and head of programming at the American TV channel  TNT in a press statement announcing the renewal.

"Although we said goodbye to Larry Hagman and his iconic character JR Ewing this year, Dallas has many stories left to tell and the Ewings will continue to honour JR's memory by keeping its audience surprised and delighted."

Producer J.J. Abrams to receive the Founders Awards from the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

J.J. Abrams the prolific TV creator and producer who is not only in charge of the big screen Star Trek and Star Wars reboots but also behind the TV shows Person of Interest, Fringe and Revolution will receive the 2013 Founders Award from the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

J.J. Abrams will receive his Founders Award at the 41st International Emmy Awards gala which will be taking place on 25 November in New York.

"J.J. Abrams is a master of all forms of entertainment who has made an indelible mark on our global culture," says Bruce L. Paisner, the president and CEO of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in a just released statement.

"Even at this comparatively early stage of his career, he has earned this international recognition and we look forward to presenting the Founders Award to him."

J.J. Abrams who've been responsible for Felicity, Alias and Lost is the founder and president of Bad Robot Productions.

SABC Sport looking for a new sports presenter in a new talent search reality show with Minnie Dlamini set to start on 2 June on SABC1.

SABC Sport is looking for a new sports presenter to join the public broadcaster's sports division and will look for new on-air talent in the form of a TV reality show presented by Minnie Dlamini.

The as-yet-untitled reality show from SABC Sport currently only referenced as Talent Search Show which will start on Sunday 2 June on SABC1, will whittle away the sport presenter wannabe's from the sport presenter professionals.

Contestants need to be able to be verbally proficient in more than one language, need to have a great general knowledge of various sports, sports news, need to be older than 21, and can enter at the various venues. Producers will be doing a background check.

The reality show will do auditions from Friday 3 May in seven provinces across South Africa with Minnie Dlamini who will attend all the regional auditions to talk to contestants.

Friday 3 May
Durban, SABC offices, 09:00

Friday 10 May
Mafikeng, SABC offices, 09:00

Saturday 18 May
Cape Town, GrandWest, 09:00

Friday 24 May
Polokwane, SABC offices, 09:00

Friday 31 May
East London, venue not yet known, 09:00

Friday 7 June
Bloemfontein, SABC offices, 09:00

Friday
Johannesburg, SABC Auckland Park head office, 09:00

Maria Shriver returns to NBC News, will appear on MSNBC, CNBC Africa and NBC Nightly News.

Maria Shriver is returning to NBC News.

Maria Shriver used to be a TV correspondent for NBC News in America, and is the wife of, but is currently separated from, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

South African viewers will soon start to Maria Shriver again on NBC News with Brian Williams (seen on CNBC Africa, DStv 410, daily at 00:30), the 24-hour business news TV channel CNBC which means CNBC Africa (DStv 410) due to content sharing, and she will be doing stories for the 24-hour American TV news channel MSNBC (TopTV 410) as well.

In a press statement NBC News says Maria Shriver will be "reporting on the shifting roles, emerging power and evolving needs of women in modern life."

"Through a series of special projects, prime-time reports and appearances across multiple NBCUniversal properties – including NBC News, CNBC, MSNBC Maria Shriver will examine the profound impact that women's rising influence and leadership has had on all aspects of American culture and society."

"I've always believed that television can inspire and elevate humanity, and that's my mission with this new partnership," says Maria Shriver in the statement.

"I look forward to shining a light on all areas of a woman's experience – from faith and finances, wellness and work, to relationships and the new realities of modern life - and exploring these issues in a way that brings the voices of men into these critically important conversations."

SABC2 talk show Motswako with Penny Lebyane moving much earlier on Wednesdays from 8 May in a dramatic timeslot change to 18:00.

The local SABC2 talk show Motswako with Penny Lebyane is moving much earlier from next Wednesday, 8 May in a dramatic timeslot change to 18:00 on Wednesdays.

The radical adjustment from 21:30 of previous seasons to 18:00 will likely lift Motswako's viewership since the pool of overall potential South African viewers on public television available are bigger during early primetime than late night when viewership decidedly shifts to pay-television offerings.

Motswako is also moving from Mondays to Wednesdays. The show targets women with female-skewed topics and guests.

While Motswako did well as a late night show viewership wise, it also fits in in the new timeslot bookended in the late afternoon and early primetime slot where soaps, talk shows and other lifestyle magazines froth, catering to an aspirational female demographic.

"The move of Motswako to the Wednesday 18:00 timeslot will give more viewers the opportunity to engage in relevant and critical issues that affect women," says Jacqui Hlongwane, SABC2's acting programme manager.

From next Monday SABC2 will move the Monday night movies timeslot earlier to start at 21:30 in the former Motswako timeslot instead of 22:00.

MultiChoice collaborates with the ANC political party to digitise the ANC archives.

The South African pay-TV giant MultiChoice has been working with the ANC political party to digitise the ANC archives.

MultiChoice is the sponsor of the digital equipment used by the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape to convert the original ANC archives - which consist out of video and audio tapes, paper and printed photographs - to digital formats.

The digital ANC archive - spanning a period of 92 years from 1910 to 2002 - can be accesses through an online portal providing access to basic material from the ANC repository.

Institutions and researchers who want broader access can register to gain access to the full ANC digital archive housed at http:/ancarchives.org.za

Over a period of 6 months the digitisation project of the ANC archives converted 25 000 documents, 2 193 audio tracks, 20 000 photos and 774 videos. The University of Fort Hare will manage the digitised ANC archive.

TopTV workers very scared of the Chinese; with StarTimes bail-out workers fear job losses and bad Chinese TV content.

Happy Workers' Day - but not for those working at TopTV: TopTV workers at the beleaguered South African pay-TV service are very scared of the Chinese and fear lay-offs, job losses and bad Chinese TV content now that China's StarTimes pay-TV operator has been given approval to implement its business rescue plan by TopTV's shareholders and pump millions into the loss-making operation.

TopTV's workers is accusing StarTimes of "bullying" tactics. StarTimes was already brutal in its scathing assessment of TopTV and the mistake riddled pay-TV operator's numerous problems from StarTimes' point of view, including "inexperienced" TopTV management, "high remuneration", a "general lack of business management experience" and "high operation cost".

As part of the agreed upon business rescue deal, StarTimes warns in the business rescue plan that job losses may occur as part of the radical restructuring of On Digital Media's (ODM) suffering pay-TV operation.

StarTimes now gets the right to install its own CEO at TopTV - a CEO who have been a previous employee of StarTimes. StarTimes said it will "implement a complete restructuring of TopTV's affairs and business and debt".

Advocate Musa Sishange, TopTV'semployee representative, told the shareholders and creditors meeting yesterday that TopTV workers are extremely concerned about their jobs and the decision which will be made regarding television programming due to the Chinese StarTimes' business plan.

TopTV workers feel that TopTV's television content will be diluted by the Chinese with generic programming as opposed to locally developed content.

TopTV is lacking in local content but the South African regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) last week announced that TopTV is approved to start a new separate porn bouquet with a trio of sex channels provided by Playboy UK.