BREAKING. MultiChoice adds the gay-focused OUTtv as a DStv pop-up channel for October.

The gay-focused OUTtv channel aimed at the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community is coming to South Africa as a month-long pop-up TV channel on MultiChoice's DStv from 4 October to 4 November.

TVwithThinus asked MultiChoice about OUTtv as a pop-up channel on Tuesday, with Naspers' pay-TV arm that confirmed that OUTtv will be added to DStv.

OUTtv, available in Canada, New Zealand and across Europe, will be added to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform and will show programming including movies, drama, lifestyle, comedy, reality, music and travel shows that appeal to the LGBTQI+ community.

The OUTtv channel will be made available to DStv Premium and DStv Compact Plus subscribers and will broadcast shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, Big Freedia Queen of Bounce, Deep Water, Wentworth, Degrassi: Next Generation and Hey Qween!, as well as OUTtv original series Knock Knock Ghost, Sex & Violence, Shadowlands, The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula and Don’t Quit Your Gay Job.

OUTtv will be available on DStv on channel 198.

MultiChoice is only adding OUTtv in South Africa and nowhere else in Africa where DStv subscribers and several African countries' broadcasting and telecommunication regulators as well as censorship board from Nigeria to Kenya have in the past few years vehemently objected against the broadcast of gay-themed TV content.

MultiChoice says 80% of the content on OUTtv has never been seen in South Africa before with some of the content that will also be made available on the DStv Now streaming service.

"It is with a sense of great pride that we find ourselves, after a journey of 5 years, at the point of being able to bring a world-class entertainment product to South Africans," says Warren-Lee Whitcher, managing director of OUTtv South Africa.

"The OUTtv SA TV channel is the perfect first step on our mission of bringing our great quality and diverse content to SA audiences."

Yolisa Phahle, CEO for general entertainment at MultiChoice says OUTtv will add to the diversity of voices on DStv.

"At MultiChoice we celebrate diversity and are committed to providing a platform that allows multiple voices to be heard. We look forward to offering this pop-up to our customers in South Africa.”

Brad Danks, CEO of OUTtv says "we are delighted to introduce OUTtv to South Africa and to share our original programming with a bigger audience.  We also look forward to continuing OUTtv’s international expansion and welcome the opportunity to forge new partnerships to build on our efforts in South Africa, New Zealand and Canada."

As M-Net repositions the youth channel on DStv towards family-oriented programming, it rebrands VUZU with a new black disk logo for a more sophisticated look.

As M-Net repositions its youth channel towards family-oriented programming, VUZU (DStv 116) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform got a rebranded on-air look that rolled out this past Friday.

The new black disk logo with white lettering completely does away with the skewed "V", together with a more elegant looking and sophisticated black title boards used for upcoming programming promos and ad break interstitials. 

TVwithThinus asked VUZU about the on-air brand change.

Wicked Pixels is responsible for the idea and came up with the design after M-Net asked for the VUZU identity refresh.

Asked why M-Net decided to change the VUZU logo and look, Ryan van Heerden, M-Net's PR manager for local entertainment channels, says "VUZU underwent a content revamp in 2018, now with a more family-orientated feel in its programming.You'll notice more family sitcoms alongside local reality shows like My Kitchen Rules and Wedding Bashes airing on channel 116 now."

Lowena Waries, M-Net's marketing manager for youth and music channels says "the new channel imaging reflects VUZU's new positioning, which speaks to a broader audience base. This new imaging will connect the brand with the targeted audience.The aim was to create a beautiful, sophisticated, aspirational brand".

When M-Net rebranded VUZU AMP, the higher-tiered version of VUZU as 1Magic (DSTV 103) at the beginning of the year, M-Net said it will look whether VUZU will remain as a brand. M-Net then said "for now VUZU on 116 will remain as a channel as we will communicate should there be any changes to that channel".

The latest VUZU rebrand indicates that M-Net remains serious about retaining the channel and the name identity and doesn't have plans to shut it down. 

Asked again over the weekend what the future currently is of VUZU and if M-Net feels strongly about the channel and the name and investment in the channel as something important, Ryan van Heerden says "VUZU remains a valued M-Net property".

SABC admits the public broadcaster should have been more hands-on earlier over imploded, high-risk Uselwa; shuttered show taken over by Stained Glass Pictures as SABC has no footage to show for the money.

The SABC admits that the South African public broadcaster should have been more hands-on earlier and should have known sooner that the imploded, high-risk Uselwa production was facing trouble, with the shuttered show that has now been taken over by Stained Glass Pictures while the SABC has no footage to show for the millions it has already spent.

The SABC now says two SABC staffers are facing disciplinary action for not having done enough oversight on the NCA Productions show that dramatically imploded in mid-June when production on the over R4 million show abruptly shut down with just R13.65 left in the bank and the cast and crew who revolved after they haven't been paid.

Production on Uselwa, a new drama series for SABC1 that was filmed at Shakaland in Eshowe in KwaZulu-Natal, imploded when line producer Megan Firth was asked to resign and executive producer Mkhomazi Mashinini faced revolt from the over 80 cast and crew over gross mismanagement.

The SABC asked Stained Glass Pictures, the production company behind the KwaMashu set Uzalo on SABC1 to take over and save the show.

Last week Stained Glass Pictures shut down production completely on Uzalo over the commercially insolvent SABC's non-payment to producers of money owed for shows. Production on Uzalo resumed on Monday after promises by the SABC to pay some of the outstanding money due, but Uselwa remains in limbo.

Nomsa Philiso, the SABC's group executive for television, told parliament's portfolio committee on communications that "NCA Productions was part of those that was identified as an emerging producer. This was the first time that the producer was producing a drama series and we do know that these type of productions do become high risk."

"The SABC does have a responsibility to play an oversight role but also has got to be mindful of the fact that this is an independent production and has got to be run in that way. In this case we do believe that the SABC should have picked it up a little bit earlier."

"As a high risk project the SABC should have been more focused on how the funds are being dispersed. By the time the SABC team that was supposed to be on site reported the problem to us, I think there was R13 left in the bank and therefore the whole thing imploded," said Nomsa Philiso.

"These two employees have since been taken to task and are facing disciplinary action because we do believe that they could have done better."

"We have since exercised a take-over clause, which allows us to then pass this on to another production house that will save the production. We have also interviewed the cast members to ascertain exactly what has gone wrong because there were a lot of allegations."

"On 17 August we have dispensed R600 000 which will be paid by Stained Glass Pictures to some of the cast and crew members, and the other R600 000 is also being paid, it is however waiting for the people to produce invoices and proof so that there can be a paper trail."

"At this stage the SABC does not have any footage because the crew and the directors have held on to it in exchange for their wages. So once we've paid them we will then when we get the footage see how far that is and then we can take it to the next level," said Nomsa Philiso.

Bloated SABC could fire 800 staffers to try and reduce the commercially insolvent broadcaster's staggering wage bill as union warns members 'we will vehemently fight any job cuts at the SABC'.

The bloated SABC could fire 800 staffers to try and reduce the commercially insolvent broadcaster's staggering wage bill as one of the unions has now warned members that it will "vehemently fight any job cuts at the SABC".

After getting rid of fixed-term contract and freelance workers at its SABC News (DStv 404) channel who were told to pack up their desks and leave this past Friday, according to weekend reports the SABC is now allegedly planning to fire up to 800 workers in an attempt to bring its R1.2 billion annual salary expenditure under control.

Around 3 000 of the SABC's staff headcount are permanent employees, while the rest are fixed-term and freelance workers.

A staggering two-thirds of the commercially insolvent SABC's expenditure goes to just paying staffers, although just 60% are directly involved in programming. The SABC is supposed to spend the bulk of its money on creating and broadcasting content.

The SABC allegedly now wants to try and shave R500 million of the broadcaster's expenditure that is once again hovering on the verge of financial collapse and just posted its 8th consecutive, annual loss of R622 million for the financial year until the end of March 2018.

On Monday morning at 06:30 unionised SABC staffers were told by Bemawu that the trade union would vehemently fight against any job cuts at the public broadcaster.

In a memo TVwithThinus saw, SABC staffers were told that the trade union has noted with concern sources talking about the allegedly planned 800 staff cuts, saying "we believe not only legally, but also morally, the SABC was obliged to inform us that they contemplate cutting at least 800 jobs".

"We have seeked urgent legal advice and possible intervention to ensure your rights will be protected at all times. The process seems to be advanced if a number of at least 800 jobs have been decided on, unless the SABC arbitrarily decided to simply cut a number of jobs."

"We do not believe the SABC would be able to function at all with 800 people less, as currently we have a shortage of staff in many areas. Be assured Bemawu will vehemently fight any job cuts at the SABC."

MultiChoice says the Nigerian government needs more laws to protect the TV and film industry and a lot more enforcement of laws to clamp down on content piracy and to protect content creator's intellectual property.

MultiChoice says the Nigerian government needs to do more to combat piracy of video content and more and better laws to protect intellectual property in order for Africa's TV and film industry to grow.

"One key thing which a lot of people overlook is piracy. The government - we need laws that protect intellectual property. That's the basic foundation. That's the best thing we need to do.We need to respect people's creativity," said John Ugbe, MultiChoice Nigeria managing director.

"Once we begin to do that, then people will pay for those products, because they're not freely available. You'll then see more investment come in,so we need the right laws bit not just laws - we need enforcement of the laws."

John Ugbe was asked what the Nigerian government needs to do to boost the film industry.

CNBC Africa (DStv 410 / Cell C black 512) interviewed John Ugbe on Saturday evening on the red carpet at the 6th 2018 Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards, where for the first time CNBC Africa had a dedicated spot and did interviews.

CNBC Africa asked John Ugbe what specific Nigerian laws MultiChoice wants the Nigerian government to review that would help the Nigerian film industry.

"It's more enforcement, as I touched on intellectual property. We need a lot more enforcement of anti-piracy activities. We need to stop people from selling that odd DVD on the street - that's stealing."

"No matter where the content comes from, pirated content ends up destroying the industry locally," said John Ugbe.

John Ugbe said there's big opportunities in Africa for filmmakers. "Africa, we have the best stories. We can tell the stories ourselves."

BREAKING. Commercially insolvent SABC posts R622 million loss for 2017/2018 financial year as SA's auditor-general says he can't say whether the South African public broadcaster remains a going concern.

The beleaguered South African public broadcaster described as "commercially insolvent" has posted a loss of R622 million for the 2017/2018 financial year with the country's Auditor-General (AG), Kimi Makwetu, saying he can't determine whether the cash-strapped South African public broadcaster remains a going concern.

This is the SABC's 8th consecutive, annual financial loss the past decade with the South African Broadcasting Corporation that is once again hovering on the brink of financial collapse and desperate for another government bailout in the form of a R3 billion government guaranteed loan or some other urgently needed cash injection.

So bad is the SABC's financial management that the SABC also received its 8th consecutive qualified audit in 8 years for its 2017/2018 financial year, as well as again a disclaimer from the Auditor-General.

A qualified audit from the Auditor-General (AG) means that it found types of situations which are completely out line with the generally accepted accounting principles - as opposed to an unqualified audit which the SABC is supposed to be getting.

The SABC also again got a disclaimer from the Auditor-General. 

A disclaimer of opinion is the worst audit opinion from the Auditor-General and the most disturbing rating, where the auditor says an entity, like the SABC, is unable to provide sufficient supporting documents for its financial statement.

The SABC's latest annual report was presented to South Africa's public broadcaster on Monday with the broadcaster posting revenue of R6.6 billion, but owing creditors over R500 million.

The SABC also listed an eye-watering R5 billion in irregular expenditure but because of a lack of verification it could even be more, with the AG saying it's impossible to confirm the true extent.

The SABC massive loss of R622 million for the financial year ending 31 March, is however less than the R977 million loss of the 2016/2017 financial year.

Kimi Makwetu, auditor-general said in his report included with the SABC's annual report, that the "SABC was commercially insolvent as it was not able to pay its debts as and when they came due".

The SABC's financial statements were once again, as has bee the case for several years in the past, slapped with a disclaimer - the worst possible auditing opinion.

Kimi Makwetu, said he wasn't able to say whether the SABC remains a going concern.

Bongumusa Makhathini, SABC chairperson, says in the annual report that the SABC's financial problems are continuing "and the pattern seems to continue with even greater severity for the year ahead", citing "endemic levels of corruption and maladministration that had been prevalent at the SABC for many years".

"The corporation is still paying the price for years of ineffective leadership, failed governance and prejudicial decision-making. Self-inflicted actions like the arbitrary 90-10 decision [unilaterally enforced by the now-fired former COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng] continue to impact on the SABC’s revenue."

"The corporation sits on a huge and unsustainable cost base built up over time without proper consideration for a workable operating model."

"Our three analogue television channels cannot sustain the impact on commercial schedules from sport in particular. A successful digital migration [from analogue broadcasting] is therefore vital to the public broadcaster’s future in many ways," Bongumusa Makhathini writes.

The SABC in its annual report again raised and placed emphasis on the issue of the SABC that wants to become more commercialised and that now wants to be paid, in addition to the so-called "must carry" regulations, by pay-TV providers like MultiChoice, StarTimes, Deukom and others.

Commercial pay-TV companies in South Africa are forced by the broadcasting regulator, Icasa, to carry the SABC's channels to ensure wider public distribution and access, but don't have to pay for these channels that they must carry.

"The SABC has submitted to Icasa that this regulation was in conflict with the enabling legislation that envisaged 'commercially negotiable terms' being agreed to between the SABC and subscription broadcasters," says Bongumusa Makhathini.

"The SABC 'must carry' channels are some of the most watched channels on pay TV bouquets and therefore the corporation should receive market value for its television content."

The SABC also wants a review of sport rights licensing and public broadcasting regulations by Icasa.

"The regulations should be reviewed in order to promote fair competition for sports rights and prevent unfair sub-licensing and hoarding practices".

Discovery revives its shuttered Real Time channel brand for Africa, added to MultiChoice's DStv and StarTimes and StarSat.

Discovery has revived its Real Time channel brand it shuttered in 2010 with the lifestyle channel that is being added to both MultiChoice's DStv as well as China's StarTimes in Africa and StarSat in South Africa as part of channel carriage agreements.

The logo above is Real Time's logo at launch in Africa, slightly different than the logo (right) of when Real Time was shuttered in 2013 where it ran as a channel in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe.

The teal and coral colours have been switched, the coral changed to red, and the word "Discovery" dropped from the logo.

"We are incredibly excited to present Real Time to the market, and further expand and diversify our local portfolio offering," says Amanda Turnbull, vice president and general manager for Discovery Networks in Africa and the Middle East in a statement.

"With an already successful suite of pay-TV brands, Real Time affords us the chance to bring our world-class content to even more audiences across South Africa, in the form of a channel designed to provide much-needed ‘me time’ to the modern African woman and her wider family."

"With so much in store for our viewers and commercial partners, we look forward to establishing Real Time as Africa's newest go-to destination for quality female-skewed programming," says Amanda Turnbull.


Real Time on MultiChoice's DStv
On MultiChoice Real Time is the supposed "replacement" channel for the dropped Animal Planet at the end of 2017, although not really.

While Animal Planet was aimed at higher pay-TV subscriber tiers, Real Time that was added on Monday 3 September is "tailored specifically" for DStv EasyView subscribers - the cheapest package.

What that means is that Real Time will probably irritate (or be ignored by) a lot of existing DStv subscribers since it will likely be packed full of repeats - programming that DStv subscribers have already seen on other Discovery channels.

Discovery literally chose to highlight People Magazine Investigates that will be on Real Time and that is literally currently showing on ID" Investigation Discovery - which just serves to underscore the already-kinda-rerun fatigue world Real Time will inhabit.

Also strange is that MultiChoice would take away something like Animal Planet that was somewhat distinct, and replace it with something like Real Time that as a "female-skewed" channel, will be competition for the existing TLC (DStv 135) that is also from the same Discovery stable. Why make additional competition for yourself?

Discovery says Real Time is a "general entertainment channel for female audiences" and will be "bringing the best of Discovery's lifestyle and factual storytelling to a whole new fan base" on channel 155.

Does this mean that the "best of Discovery's lifestyle and factual storytelling" is no longer on TLC? How are the two channels different, while Discovery Family is also lurking as the third triplet in the closely related channel grouping?

Also on MultiChoice, besides Real Time's linear offering, a selection of Real Time's programming will also be available to stream or download on the DStv Now platform.

Real Time on StarTimes and StarSat
Real Time is also being added to China's StarTimes across Africa, as well as in South Africa to StarTimes Media SA and On Digital Media's (ODM) StarSat.

This is part of a new carriage agreement signed between StarTimes and Discovery Networks that had that public show-and-tell channel deal signing ceremony in August in Beijing, China.

StarTimes and Discovery switched out Discovery Science for the bland more mass-market Discovery Family, and is adding Real Time.

Several things to note here: On StarTimes Real Time becomes competition for Discovery's own TLC on DStv.

Secondly, StarTimes and StarSat blatantly lied when it released the Real Time channel logo to make it look as if it's a channel packaged for StarTimes and StarSat as one of StarTimes' own channels, under its own logo.

StarTimes and StarSat literally marketed Real Time as the "StarTimes Real Time" and "ST Real Time" channel on channel number 179.

This is however not the case - Real Time is packaged and distributed by Discovery Networks and doesn't carry any StarTimes channel logo as part of its real design and as StarTimes pretended.

Questions in previous weeks to gain clarity on this embarrassing gaffe, what went on here, and why Real Time was initially shown with this logo, have been ignored and went unanswered.

Thirdly, Real Time on StarTimes and StarSat isn't on this pay-TV service seen as a "cheapo" addition. Real Time on StarTimes and StarSat is only available to the two most expensive packages, Super and Special.

It's weird how the inherent channel value proposition can sometimes be so arbitrarily defined or interpreted. It's the exact same channel, with the same channel logo and branding.

Yet only those paying the most will be able to get Real Time on StarSat, while those paying the least and everybody else will get Real Time on DStv.


Disappointment
After waiting 8 months for the Animal Planet replacement and wondering what channel it would/could be, Real Time is, sorry to say, a real disappointment-addition.

Why this sort of retread channel for South African and African audiences when TLC and Discovery Family already exist?

It feels like way too much duplication, like McDonalds adding yet another Big Mac version when the customer already has too many choices with/in one product line.

And why is Africa getting a UK/Europe reject channel? And again in a market where TLC already exists?

It's a bit weird that Amanda Turnbull would actually say Discovery Networks is "incredibly excited to present Real Time to the market" since nothing about Real Time really looks incredibly exciting.

I really thought and expected something more "wow-ier" from MultiChoice and Discovery - something that South African pay-TV subscribers haven't seen or experienced before, like maybe Velocity (soon to rebrand as Motor Trend Network) as a cool 1080p HD channel, or maybe DIY Network, or something like that.  But it's not to be.

Sky News unveils a new daytime line-up and adds correspondents; Kay Burley gets her own self-titled show, as news channel says it's going for anchors 'giving their own take on the day's stories' to give Sky News more personality.

Sky News (DStv 402) is changing its daytime line-up, adding correspondents, giving Kay Burley the The Kay Burley Show during the afternoons and adding former ITV News anchor Mark Austin as the news channel says its going for anchors "giving their own 'take' on the day's stories" to give Sky News more personality.

The Kay Burley Show with Kay Burley will now run four days a week from Mondays to Thursdays between 15:00 and 18:00 South African time.

Sky News says in a statement that "as well as covering the breaking news, Kay’s show will deliver her own perspective on the day’s stories, with interviews, quirky off beat stories and spiky opinion and debate, challenging the status quo and reflecting the views of the United Kingdom audience."

The News Hour with Mark Austin, shown Mondays to Fridays at 18:00 (South African time) will provide "a round-up of the day’s news for the teatime audience, with a recap of events plus analysis from Sky News’ expert correspondents and interviews with the key players at the centre of the day’s stories," says Sky News.

Mark Austin is returning to Sky News' London studio after he was in the Washington bureau the past year.

Also joining the team are a number of new correspondents who will bolster Sky News' specialist reporting.

Jason Farrell moves from Westminster to become Sky News' first home editor, covering stories affecting the United Kingdom audience. Beth Rigby becomes deputy political editor, while Nick Martin takes on a new role, reporting on politics but from outside the Westminster bubble.

Rowland Manthorpe is Sky News' new technology correspondent, Kate McCann joins the political team from The Telegraph and Martha Kelner is leaving The Guardian to become Sky News sport correspondent.

The Times former defence correspondent Deborah Haynes is joining Sky News as foreign affairs editor.

"With a fast growing digital audience on the Sky News mobile app, our viewers know what’s making the headlines. But what they want is more appointment-to-view shows," says Cristina Nicolotti Squires, Sky News director of content, in a statement on Monday announcing the Sky News programming changes.

"Kay and Mark are experienced news presenters, each with their own ‘take’ on the day’s stories. Embedding them more firmly in our schedule gives us a chance to give Sky News more personality and more editorial heft at a time when being a trusted news brand has never been more important."

Jonathan Levy, Sky News' director of newsgathering, says "the appointment of these great reporters not only boosts our specialist journalism, but is also a strong signal of how Sky News is in better shape than ever. Our future looks bright and it’s great we’re attracting top talent from across the industry".

Daily Maverick reveals it was a bidder for MultiChoice's new local TV news channel on DStv, says that despite 'the all-round silence, no comments' around non-transparent bidding process and bidders list, the questions are not going to go away.

The Daily Maverick online commentary and news analysis publication on Monday morning revealed that it was one of the bidders who applied to run a new local TV news channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform  to replace the corrupt and cancelled "Gupta-news" ANN7/Afro Worldview that was shut down on 20 August.

MultiChoice's highly-fraught and controversial South African TV news channel war is once again hotting up with public calls for Naspers' pay-TV arm to be open and transparent and to stop the secrecy around its TV news channels dealings.

Political parties ranging from the EFF to the Democratic Alliance (DA), as well as broadcasting public pressure groups are calling on MultiChoice to release the Newzroom Africa contract, as well as the information around the various bidders who applied, and their eventual ranking.

It comes after MultiChoice last week announced that it has chosen Newzroom Afrika as the new 24-hour local TV news channel to replace Mzwanele Manyi's dumped Afro Worldview channel on DStv.

Newzroom Afrika will launch in early 2019 on DStv and will take the channel number of 405 on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, the one where ANN7 that turned into Afro Worldview, launched and was dumped a week ago.

Newzroom Afrika, following after eNCA (DStv 403) and SABC News (DStv 404) will be made available to all DStv subscribers, meaning that it will have a wider reach that eMedia Investment's eNCA.

The two directors heading up Newzroom Afrika are Thokozani Nkosi of the production company Eclipse TV, and Thabile Ngwato of Rapid Innovation.

Daily Maverick, run by Branko Brkic as editor-in-chief, on Monday in an opinion piece by Ufrieda Ho, said that the Naspers-owned MultiChoice's dominance in the pay-TV sector "makes its operational decision-making processes matters of public interest".

"It has the de facto monopoly on subscription-based TV, with a 52% share and a penetration of 11.9 million households in 2017. Its influence in deciding who gets to launch a news channel, in the 2019 election year, makes its motives fair game for questions."

Daily Maverick quotes William Bird of Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), who says that MultiChoice's bidding process around the new local TV news channel has lacked transparency and openness from the beginning.

"The way MultiChoice is behaving - only telling the little they want to disclose to seem like they are making the effort to be transparent - undermines not just their own, but all, media credibility. It's why we've called for the shortlist of bidders to be made public and for clarity on ownership and who's funding Newzroom Afrika".

Jackie Rakitla, MultiChoice general manager of corporate affairs, in a quote to Daily Maverick said "We are not sharing the shortlist, evaluation and scoring of bidders as we are respecting the privacy of unsuccessful bidders who are employed within other media companies".

Daily Maverick said that "the all-round silence, no comments and off-the-record-only comment has caused rumours to fly - all of them untested - but unanswered, they are not going away".