BREAKING. The Jeff Probst Show finally starts on SABC3 as new afternoon talk show on weekdays.

After two false starts and delays The Jeff Probst Show finally started today on SABC3 as the channel's new afternoon weekday talk show at 13:55.

The Jeff Probst Show with Survivor host Jeff Probst only lasted one season. The Jeff Probst Show is currently on M-Net Series Reality (DStv 114) on weekdays at 11:15.

BREAKING. Where is Muvhango? SABC2 fails to start showing its Venda soap on Fridays and 5 days a week; SABC2 silent about soap no-show.

After promises that the SABC's Venda themed soap Muvhango on SABC2 would be extended to Fridays as well, with the first Friday episode supposed to have been this past Friday - which then didn't happen - SABC2 is silent about the soap no-show.

The SABC's famously matricless acting chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng promised in 2013 that Muvhango - SABC2's number one programme in terms in viewership with the highest ratings - would be extended from the next new contract to 5 days a week.

Later in 2013 the SABC and SABC2 twice told TV critics and journalists covering television that Muvhango, produced by Word of Mouth Productions, would kick into a 5 day a week schedule from January 2014.

The soap teasers sent out to the press for January 2014 lists Muvhango episodes for 5 days a week and additional soap teasers for Fridays.

Not only did Muvhango not start on Friday 3 January, but SABC2 is completely silent about the broken promise.

SABC2 is not communicating or pro-actively explaining since Friday when the no-show happened, to South Africa's press why Muvhango didn't start.

There's been no word from SABC2 whether Muvhango might still start on Fridays, if it does extend to Fridays from when that would be if the starting date of the extension has moved on, or what is going on with the soap and SABC2's clearly wrong schedule.

Confused SABC2 viewers also don't know what is going on, since Muvhango teasers - as received by the press and worked on and included into issues sent to the printing presses before Christmas - now contains Muvhango listed on SABC2's schedule on Fridays, as well as episodic teasers in virtually all the newspapers and weekly magazines.

Viewers who use that information and tune in on Fridays on SABC2, however didn't see Muvhango but other filler.

E! Live from the Red Carpet SAG Awards on E! Entertainment on Sunday 19 January at 01:00 kicks off Hollywood's annual awards season.

E! Live from the Red Carpet SAG Awards on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) will cover the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday 19 January at 01:00 (South African time).

The SAG Awards kicks off Hollywood's annual awards season.

BREAKING. Broadcasting Complaints Commission finds Carte Blanche on M-Net not guilty of misrepresentation in 'Visa to Nowhere' story.

You're reading it here first.

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) has found Carte Blanche on M-Net not guilty in a case of alleged misrepresentation of a story about the company Global Visas.

Global Visas made a complaint to the BCCSA over an insert shown in the pay-TV broadcaster's longrunning weekly investigative magazine programme on Sunday evenings entitled "Visa to Nowhere" which were shown in July 2013. 

According to the BCCSA, in its summary of its findings over the case, Carte Blanche broadcast a story about the business allegedly "making inaccurate representations to the public as to the likelihood of obtaining visas and employment in other coutries and to shift the risk of failure to obtain such onto the clients".

The BBCSA found that the Global Visas had itself to blame for "not representing his side of the case".

The BCCSA found that there "was balance in the presentation and that the complainant's right to privacy and dignity were overridden by a legitimate public interest".

"After viewing the programme and listening to the arguments on both sides, we have come to the conclusion that the comments made by Carte Blanche were honest expressions of opinion and were made on facts truly stated or fairly indicated and referred to," says the BCCSA in its judgement.

"No contravention of the broadcasting code of conduct could be found and the complaint is not upheld," says the BCCSA.

Tia & Tamera reality show cancelled after 3 seasons as the prospects of the slowly dying Style channel keeps diminishing.

Tia & Tamera is cancelled - with the end of the reality show which won't see a 4th season - further adding to the dwindling prospects of Style (DStv 173) as a TV channel on MultiChoice's DStv platform in Africa.

Style ended abruptly as a TV channel in the United States in September 2013 and also shut down as a TV channel in the United Kingdom in December 2013.

Universal Networks International (UNI) however maintains that Style will continue on MultiChoice's DStv in South Africa and Africa and will remain a "key channel brand", but it's unclear what kind of content and ongoing new content the lobotomised Style will be able to show, since signature shows which made up the line-up of Style such as Tia & Tamera no longer exists.

Tamera Mowry-Housley (35) announced that Tia & Tamera won't be back for a fourth season on the terminated Style. There was initial talk that Tia & Tamera would move over to E! Entertainment (DStv 124), Style's sister channel, but that will clearly not happen.

"Tia & Tamera will not have a season 4. Thank you for always supporting us throughout the years," wrote Tamera Mowry-Housley.

Tamera Mowry-Housley is continuing with a new American daytime talk show where she is one of the panelists, The Real, while Nickelodeon (DStv 305) viewers will be able to see more of Tia in the new upcoming kids sitcom Instant Mom.

24-part docu-series, Cold War, back on CNN International with a new episode every second Saturday until 8 November.

Cold War, narrated by Sir Kenneth Branagh is back on CNN International (DStv 401) with the 24 episodes broadcast every second Saturday on the international 24-hour TV news channel until 8 November 2014.

Cold War, every second Saturday at 13:00 (South African time; repeated Saturday at 21:30, Sunday at 04:00) explores the half century long military and ideological conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union.

Cold War takes viewers on a journey through the most dramatic moments in modern history and revealing how these events changed the face of Europe and continue to define our world today.

"Cold War is an epic series that captures the dynamics of one of the most important eras of recent times," says Mike McCarthy, senior vice president of programming for CNN International. "We are thrilled to offer viewers one of CNN's most comprehensive and informative productions starting this January."

Cold War starts with the rise of the Iron Curtain and follows the flash points and global confrontations leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the 25th anniversary of which is taking place this November.

More than 500 eyewitnesses and participants contributed to Cold War, including world leaders and notable figures like Mikhail Gorbachev, George H.W. Bush, Fidel Castro, Henry Kissinger, Robert McNamara, Sergei Khrushchev, Pierre Salinger, Eugene McCarthy and Jimmy Carter.

Cold War was executive produced by the award-winning filmmaker Jeremy Isaacs and former CNN executive Pat Mitchell.

Thomas Roberts the new presenter of Way Too Early on MSNBC, will take over the new timeslot from 13 January.

Thomas Roberts is the new presenter of Way Too Early on MSNBC (StarSat 410) taking over from Brian Shactman from 13 January at 12:00 (South African time), the American 24-hour TV news channel announced.

Thomas Roberts who used to be on during afternoons, is moving earlier and will also contribute to the morning programme Morning Joe following Way Too Early.

"Thomas Roberts' unique personality and point of view are just the right mix to lead-in to Morning Joe," says MSNBC president Phil Griffin in a statement. "Thomas has really found his voice in the past year and joining the Morning Joe table gives him the opportunity to further develop it."

"This is a very exciting opportunity and right in line with my career goals and aspirations," says Thomas Roberts. "I really admire what Joe, Mika, Willie and Brian have build with Morning Joe and Way Too Early. I am flattered to join this morning family. I also appreciate Phil's faith in me and can't wait to get started."

BREAKING. M-Net grabs Vikings; also has Almost Human, as two great new drama series for early in 2014.

You're reading it here first. 

M-Net has grabbed the broadcasting rights to the quality historical drama series Vikings which History (DStv 186) showed in the United States but didn't show to South African viewers, with the new series which will complement the South African pay-TV broadcaster's programming line-up which already has the similar Game of Thrones.

M-Net also has Almost Human, the futuristic, high-brow and quality new drama series with big-budget special effects with a Blade Runner-esque theme, in which a troubled policeman in the future in teamed up with a new android partner, solving cases as well as slowly trying to solve a crime mystery from his past.

Both Vikings and Almost Human are quality drama productions and are expected to be on the M-Net channel (DStv 101) very soon.

Vikings has nine hour long episodes and it second season will start soon overseas, with South African viewers who will finally get the chance to start watching it soon on M-Net very soon.

Vikings was filmed in Northern Ireland and other locations in Northern Europe similar to where the first seasons of the fantasy shows Camelot and Game of Thrones were filmed.

The well-done fictitious historical family drama chronicles the exploits of historical figure Ragnar Lothbrok and his band of Viking brothers as Lothbrok rises to become king of the Viking tribes.

At number one, eNCA with a massive viewership lead, remains South Africa's favourite and most watched TV news channel in 2013.

eNCA (DStv 403) remains South Africa's favourite, most watched and biggest 24-hour TV news channel by audience share.

During 2013 eNCA continued to kick dust in the eyes of international rivals available on MultiChoice's DStv platform such as CNN International (DStv 401), Sky News (DStv 403) and BBC World News (DStv 400).

Meanwhile the new 24-hour TV news channels, SABC News (DStv 404) - which launched on 1 August 2013 from the SABC - and ANN7 (DStv 405) - the hysterically mediocre and mistake riddled channel from Infinity Media which launched on 21 August 2013 - have both proven to not be a patch on the massive viewership and audience share that eNCA commands.

Even more telling: the new viewers who did tune in to SABC News and the few who tried ANN7, didn't "steal" existing viewership away from eNCA - the biggest TV news channel in South Africa interestingly maintained its audience share.

South African viewership data (Arianna) for November (December isn't available yet) for the year from November 2012 to November 2013 shows eNCA far on top with a massive ratings lead when it comes to viewers watching TV news channels in South Africa.

More than 50% of all DStv subscribers who tune to a TV news channel, watches eNCA. Sky News trails far below in 2nd place (and has been falling since August), as SABC News showed a sampling spike, and the shoddy ANN7 marred by ongoing bloopers barely registers.

Taking just the month of November (December isn't available yet) eNCA had more than half the total audience share at 54%, while BBC World News, CNBC Africa, ANN7 couldn't get even 5%.

Besides eNCA maintaining its strong lead as South Africa's number one most watched TV news channel in 2013, Sky News, SABC News and Al Jazeera combined managed to pull another one third of the total news viewership.

It's also noteworthy that when it comes to the two new 2013 upstarts, that SABC News which started just three weeks before the bumbling ANN7, has three times the audience of the struggling ANN7.

With a 3% audience share, ANN7 is just one percentage point higher than CNBC Africa which comes in last place at 2% with the least viewers in South Africa.

Further 24 hour TV news channels such as Fox News Channel (StarSat 405) and MSNBC (StarSat 410) are available in South Africa on the much smaller StarSat platform from On Digital Media (ODM) but its a given that that viewership - due to StarSat's much smaller market penetration - is negligible.