FOX News fires Andrew Napolitano as on-air analyst after male producer accused him of stroking his arm in an elevator while making sexually suggestive comments.

by Thinus Ferreira

The American channel Fox News (StarSat 261) has fired Andrew Napolitano after a male producer (27) has accused him of stroking his arm in an elevator while making sexually suggestive comments.

According to American media reports, John Fawcett, who works on another show on the FOX Business Network with presenter Larry Kudlow, is suing the company and claims that he was sexually harassed by judge Andrew Napolitano who he claims stroked his arm and made suggestive comments while they were on an elevator together.

John Fawcett also claims in his lawsuit that "'sexual harassment, sex discrimination, and racial discrimination are still tolerated at Fox".

FOX News fired Andrew Napolitano on Monday.

"Upon first learning of John Fawcett's allegations against Judge Andrew Napolitano, FOX News Media immediately investigated the claims and addressed the matter with both parties," FOX News says in a statement.

"The network and Andrew Napolitano have since parted ways. We take all allegations of misconduct seriously, are committed to providing a safe, transparent, and collaborative workplace environment for all our employees and took immediate, appropriate action."

John Fawcett started working at FOX News in March 2019.

In the filing of his lawsuit he claims that Andrew Napolitano was with him in an elevator in 2020 when Andrew Napolitano stroked his arm and made sexually suggestive comments.

"You see these hands? They look clean, but they get really dirty,' Andrew Napolitano allegedly said to John Fawcett who tried to extract him from the conversation and elevator ride with Andrew Napolitano who continued to invite John Fawcett to his New York apartment and New Jersey farm.

When John Fawcett reached his office, he told his co-workers who then laughed.

"It was common knowledge that Andrew Napolitano sexually harassed young men at FOX News, and it had even happened to one of the plaintiff's co-workers," the lawsuit states.

A 'zero tolerance' policy for sexual misconduct preached by Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott is 'a fraud,' Fawcett says. 

"Sexual harassment, sex discrimination and racial discrimination are still tolerated at FOX and Suzanne Scott and her executive team will bend over backwards to protect such behaviour," the lawsuit states.

FOX News says that the additional allegations in John Fawcett's lawsuit are "completely baseless and nothing more than a desperate attempt at a payday by trying the case in the court of public opinion as the complaint does not meet the standards of the law. We will defend the matter vigorously in court".

MultiChoice's DStv hit by unexplained outage because of 'system issue' as DStv subscribers fume over lack of communication: 'It's almost 2 hours now'.

by Thinus Ferreira

Angry DStv subscribers are slammed MultiChoice over its lack of communication for hours after an unexplained outage of the pay-TV company's DStv service on Tuesday with MultiChoice that decided not to answer specific media questions sent to the company that represent questions from its DStv subscribers.

DStv subscribers started venting on social media on Tuesday after they lost service, with many saying that they are unable to watch anything on DStv since all DStv channels are down.

DStv subscribers only got the E32-4 error message on their TV screens of: "Smartcard and subscription validation in progress. This may take a few minutes. Do not change channels or press any buttons on the remote. If the error continues after 5 minutes, clear this error using our Self Service channels."

Just before midday on Tuesday, MultiChoice finally acknowledged its unexplained "system issue" publicly, saying on Twitter that "We are experiencing a system issue which has impacted some DStv customers attempting to view programming."

"We are working to resolve the problem. Due to the nature of the issue our service agents will not be able to assist with reconnections until it has been resolved."

Meanwhile, DStv subscribers slammed MultiChoice for not responding to messages, calls messages on Whatsapp or any of the helplines, saying that they've been waiting for hours to hear from MultiChoice.

TVwithThinus asked MultiChoice several specific questions - all received from concerned DStv subscribers, many who tried to watch the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games on SuperSport - in a media enquiry to the pay-TV's corporate affairs division, headed up by Joe Heshu as MultiChoice's group executive for corporate affairs.

Can MultiChoice please say what led to the "system issue" that caused DStv subscribers to lose their DStv? MultiChoice has no response to the question.

Can MultiChoice please say specifically why it has taken hours to communicate and to speak to DStv subscribers to acknowledge the problem? Again, MultiChoice had no response to the question.

Some DStv customers are asking if they will get a refund for losing out on access and viewing, and people saying that they can't trust that DStv will show them the content they want to watch in terms of the Olympic Games when it's on. Does MultiChoice have any answers for these viewers?

Again MultiChoice offered no answer to this question from its corporate affairs division tasked to communicate with media.

MultiChoice only had a terse response, not addressing any questions specifically as asked, saying: "We are currently experiencing a system issue, which has impacted some DStv customers attempting to view programming. DStv has communicated the issue to our customers across our platforms and our teams are currently working on restoring our service to those customers who were affected."

The Home Channel adds The Property Game with Koketso Sylvia Milosevic as a new local weekly series looking at South Africa's property investment market.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Home Channel (DStv 176) has added The Property Game as a new, local weekly series with Koketso Sylvia Milosevic as a co-host on Mondays at 20:30.

The Property Game looks at the world of South African property investment with novice real estate investors who have been successful at getting onto the property ladder who share their stories and show viewers how they did it.

The Property Game features "regular people with regular careers who wanted a piece of the property market for their own, and have achieved that ambition" and who discuss how they went about learning the ropes and equipping themselves, and their trials and tribulations along the way.

Koketso Sylvia Milosevic who was added as a co-host on season 4 of All About Property on The Home Channel, sheds more light on their ventures as a multi-million-rand property investment entrepreneur, mentor and guru.

She shares her insights and helps viewers from an expert point of view, the various property investment strategies with The Property Game that has information for everyone from those who want to get a foot into the property ladder, to those who might want to diversify their existing property portfolio.

In shocking leaked production recordings reality star Mohale Motaung accuses Idols judge Somizi Mhlongo of alleged violent physical abuse: 'Threatened to kill me with a kitchen knife'.

by Thinus Ferreira

In shocking, leaked production recordings that have so far been kept secret and away from broadcast while it kept the veneer of a reality TV series fantasy intact, the reality star and actor Mohale Motaung slams and accuses his fellow reality personality and Idols judge Somizi Mhlongo of alleged violent physical abuse and that he threatened to kill him with a kitchen knife.

Somizi Mhlongo allegedly broke some of Mohale Motaung's ribs and almost knocked out teeth in a violent physical abuse incident in 2020; allegedly threatened Mohale with a kitchen knife, saying he would kill them both; and allegedly even tried to drive him off the road after an Idols afterparty.

Mohale Motaung and Somizi Mhlongo's tempestuous relationship has been marred by persistent rumours of infidelity and breakup ever since their over-the-top and tacky reality TV wedding series, Somizi & Mohale: The Union that was filmed for MultiChoice's Showmax video streamer in 2020.

Neither Mohale Motaung nor Somizi Mhlongo responded with any public statement by the time of publishing.

A media enquiry to M-Net's Mzansi Magic and Idols was referred to MultiChoice's corporate affairs division. MultiChoice on Tuesday told TVwithThinus that "We are aware of the allegations made against Somizi Mhlongo. As a strong proponent of a violence-free South Africa, we view these allegations seriously and are giving them the attention they deserve".

This follows an explosive report in the Sunday tabloids detailing the contents of leaked production recordings made by the BarLeader TV production company, in which Mohale speaks of the alleged physical abuse and threats from Somizi, dating back its start to just 3 weeks after their troubled relationship began.

In leaked recordings of interviews with the producers of Somizi Mhlongo's Living the Dream with Somizi that was broadcast on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) Mohale Motaung explains how he had been fearful of Somizi Mhlongo when they exchange wedding vows during their garish Somizi & Mohale: The Union streamer special.

Mohale Motaung claims that Somizi Mhlongo broke some of his ribs and almost knocked out two teeth in a jealous rage during a physically violent domestic abuse incident in 2020 at their Johannesburg home.

Mohale Motaung says that he wants to divorce Somizi Mhlongo, isn't "in love with him" anymore, and claims in the Sunday World article that Somizi Mhlongo threatened him with a kitchen knife and allegedly said that he would kill them both.

Mohale Motaung claims that Somizi Mhlongo loves group sex and suggested threesome sex while they were on holiday in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and that Somizi allegedly asked multiple times to bring other sex partners home.

Mohale Motaung details the first alleged violent abuse incident that happened just three weeks into their relationship when Somizi allegedly "took a knife. I was about to exit, so he said to me 'if you exit I'm going to kill us both'. So, I took my keys and I ran. He grabbed the knife and said 'if you walk out, I'm going to stab you".

Mohale said that he was "shit scared and I walked back into the house".

Mohale Motaung also details how Somizi Mhlongo allegedly tried to force him off the road and bumped his car in an alleged road-rage incident after Mzansi Magic's Idols afterparty in 2018. 

"By the time we got married, I was very scared of this person," Mohale Motaung says.

In January the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF) slammed Somizi Mhlongo in a strongly-worded statement over his insults levelled against journalists.

Somizi attacked journalists after reports about his alleged infidelity and crumbling relationship and a legal battle over the canned Dinner at Somizi's TV show, after he was approached for comment but declined to comment.

SANEF said that Somizi's "actions have aggravated what is already a hostile working environment, especially for women journalists. This is a direct attack on media freedom in the country. Worldwide similar attacks are being meted out on journalists with the intent to silence their voices, especially that of women and the stories they tell."

"SANEF calls on Somizi Mhlongo to unreservedly apologise to these journalists and the public on all his social platforms for his unbecoming behaviour. He must call on his followers to stop harassing and intimidating them. Further, we call on the journalists to lay charges of intimidation and for MultiChoice to officially distance themselves from Mhlongo's comments."

Shona Ferguson: Private funeral this Wednesday for the filmmaker and memorial service at a later date.

by Thinus Ferreira

The filmmaker and actor Shona Ferguson (47) who died on Friday afternoon from Covid-19 complications will be laid to rest in a private funeral service this Wednesday, his family said in a statement on Tuesday, with a date for the memorial service that might be public, that will be announced later.

Shona Ferguson, who was married to co-producer and actress Connie Ferguson and who owned the production company Ferguson Films, died on Friday afternoon at the Milpark private hospital in Johannesburg after he was admitted a week ago suffering from chest pains and struggling to breathe.

Ferguson Films produced several series for MultiChoice and M-Net's DStv channels like Mzansi Magic and 1Magic (DStv 103) including The Queen, The Throne, Igazi, The Herd, The River and The Imposter, and Unmarried and Step Up to a Start-Up on which he was an executive producer.

Shona Ferguson received the Golden Horn award at the South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) in the Best Actor in a TV soap category, and won another one for Best Achievement by a Lead Actor in a made-for-TV movie.

The 6-episode drama series Kings of Joburg was produced for Netflix by Ferguson Films in 2020.

Ferguson Films recently announced plans to open The Ferguson Film School for aspiring filmmakers.

"The Ferguson family would like to confirm that the late Shona Ferguson will be laid to rest in a private ceremony attended only by family members on Wednesday 4 August 2022," Ferguson films and family spokesperson Thato Matuka said in a statement on Tuesday morning.

"Details of a memorial service will be communicated at a later stage once all the necessary arrangements have been finalised. We would like to thank our friends and the public at large for the kind words of comfort during this difficult period."

ALSO READ: CORONAVIRUS. Ferguson Films owner, producer and actor Shona Ferguson (47) has died from Covid-19 complications.

FIRST LOOK. Lord of the Rings drama series unveils first image, fantasy series will start on Amazon Prime Video on 2 September 2022.

by Thinus Ferreira

The most expensive TV series yet, the as-yet-untitled Lord of the Rings drama series, has unveiled a first look image of the production with Amazon Prime Video that revealed that the first season will start on 2 September 2022 on the video streaming service.

According to Amazon Studios, filming on the first season of the multi-season Lord of the Rings series wrapped on Monday 2 August in Auckland, New Zealand.

According to Amazon Prime Video, the Lord of the Rings series takes place during the so-called Second Age of J.R.R. Tolkien's book series, placing it a thousand years before the events of the Third Age in the Lord of the Rings books and The Hobbit which were turned into films.

Since several of the fantasy creatures within his fantasy universe have very long lifespans, the series will follow an ensemble of characters that will include new faces but some who are also "familiar" and likely younger than what they were in the films. 

While there is peace in the land and mankind lives in on Númenor, "the kingdom of Men", that has been established on an island brought up out of the sea by the Valar in the early Second Age, the multi-season series filmed in New Zealand will build towards the "long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-Earth".

Previously Amazon Studios said that the series "will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien's pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness" - a clear allusion that viewers might get to experience the origin story of the Dark Lord Sauron. 

Amazon Prime Video is available in South Africa at R79.99 monthly and offers a free 7-day trial.

 It can also be accessed through the app on MultiChoice's DStv Explora decoder although DStv subscribers will have to pay Amazon directly and not through their DStv bill, while Vodacom offers its subscribers 6 months of Amazon Prime Video for free and thereafter R79.99 monthly.

Amazon's Lord of the Rings series that would have started this year before the global coronavirus pandemic delayed TV and film productions worldwide, will now start on Friday 2 September 2022 and be available in 240 countries and territories, with new episodes that will be released weekly.

It means that the TV series will start 85 years after J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit was first published on 21 September 1937.

A first look still image from the first episode - of which Amazon is deliberately not identifying the character dressed in white in a field or the pastoral setting - depicts a utopian-like city built on a hill with white stone, waterfalls and lush vegetation. 

"The journey begins 2 September 2022 with the premiere of our original The Lord of the Rings series on Prime Video," says Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, in a statement.

"I can't express enough just how excited we all are to take our global audience on a new and epic journey through Middle-earth. Our talented producers, cast, creative, and production teams have worked tirelessly in New Zealand to bring this untold and awe-inspiring vision to life."

J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay are the showrunners on the series that is produced by Amazon Studios in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment.

"As Bilbo says, 'Now I think I am quite ready to go on another journey'. Living and breathing Middle-earth these many months has been the adventure of a lifetime. We cannot wait for fans to have the chance to do so as well," said J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay in the statement.

The ensemble cast of the Lord of the Rings series includes Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman and Sara Zwangobani.

ALSO READ: My precious! Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV series will be the world’s most expensive ever at over R6.68 billion - for just the first season.

ALSO READ: Amazon Studios' Lord of the Rings fantasy drama series will be set during the Second Age and include the island of Númenor.

ALSO READ: Yes my precious, new Lord of the Rings map starts to provide tantalising clues to not just where - but when - Amazon Prime Video's fantasy drama series will be set.

eNCA switches to broadcasting from new eMedia Investments building and new studio, plans to install biggest video wall in 3 months.

by Thinus Ferreira

eNCA (DStv 403) on Monday morning, 2 August, finally switched to broadcasting from eMedia Investments' new building in Johannesburg and from new studio space within this building, featuring a wall-to-ceiling window behind the anchor desk, showing how it looks outside and with plans to install the biggest video wall in Africa with 3 to 4 months here.

The move to a new eNCA studio from e.tv's Hyde Park headquarters in Johannesburg has been a long time coming, with eNCA that told TVwithThinus three years ago in July 2019 that the TV news channel plans to move to a new Johannesburg location.

Copying CNN and its iconic James Earl Jones tagline, eNCA also added a male announcer voice-over at the top of the hour, saying "This is eNCA".

eNCA's implementation of new studio space - with the new building that is located very close to the previous 5 Summit Road building in Hyde Park and studio 102 where eNCA used to broadcast from until this past Friday - comes after the rival South African TV news channel Newzroom Afrika (DStv 405) introduced its new studio space in March this year after a 4-month revamp.

The new eMedia Investments building is in Albury Road, right next door to 5 Summit Road, where the so-called "west block" building was redeveloped.

The new eNCA studio-look immediately suffered two very evident problems: dirty windows and glare. Viewers could see that eNCA forgot to clean the windows properly. 

The studio also suffers from a reflection problem. 

Viewers can see what's behind the eNCA cameras, as well as "offside" to the sides since the windows behind the anchor desk reflect back - like a mirror from certain angles and depending on darkness and light - various things like doors, the desk and studio, monitors and even the ceilings lights that create more on-air clutter than is necessary.

Besides eNCA staffers, the building also houses e.tv, eMedia Sales, Openview and YFM radio station employees.

Norman Munzhelele, eNCA managing director, in an interview at 8:30 on Monday morning on the channel, said that "it's been a long journey because of Covid" getting to move to and broadcasting from the new building.

"We've got the biggest video wall in Africa, this building will enable us to use that video wall to the maximum," he said, with eNCA that will still move to a bigger studio space within the building within months.

"We had to move fast from 5 Summit Road to here. But I think in the next 3 to 4o months we will be in that studio where we will have the biggest studio in Africa."

eNCA celebrated the first broadcast from the new building on Monday with a silver and white cake.

CORONAVIRUS. YouTube bans Sky News Australia and blocks the TV news channel for a week from uploading new content because of spreading Covid-19 misinformation.

by Thinus Ferreira

YouTube on Sunday confirmed and said that it has banned Sky News Australia from uploading any new content for a week because of spreading Covid-19 misinformation, AFP reported.

YouTube's weeklong ban of Sky News Australia, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp that also owns 21st Century Fox and the Fox News channel in America, comes after the TV news channel uploaded broadcast content questioning whether there is really a Covid-19 pandemic, featured a host claiming that lockdowns because of the coronavirus pandemic have failed, and criticising state authorities in Australia for extending Sydney's latest stay-at-home orders.

"We have clear and established Covid-19 medical misinformation policies to prevent the spread of Covid-19 misinformation that could cause real-world harm," YouTube  says in a statement.

Sky News Australia confirmed its ban on YouTube and says in a statement that the channel "supports broad discussion and debate on a wide range of topics and perspectives which is vital to any democracy".

CORONAVIRUS. Talented scriptwriter Christian Blomkamp (44) has died from Covid-19: 'He may be gone from this world, but his stories will live on'.

by Thinus Ferreira

The talented South African scriptwriter Christian Blomkamp has died from Covid-19 complications. He was 44.

Christian Blomkamp who was born on 25 November 1976 has been hospitalised after contracting Covid-19 and died on Friday 30 July with friends and colleagues who said that although he’s gone his stories will live on.

"Our beautiful son and brother to Cath died this afternoon," his father, Paul wrote on Facebook. "Tonight we travel a different road. A scary and utterly lonely road. Our love for him is the one light we have to show the way. We love you dear Christian. For always."

As a TV writer Christian Blomkamp scripted numerous episodes for several of the country's most-watched shows.

Christian Blomkamp was a former head writer for the Morula Pictures-produced Generations on SABC1. 

He also wrote for The Wild on M-Net (DStv 101), as well as series on M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) channel like Isibaya produced by The Bomb Shelter, Gomora produced by Seriti Films, and The Omen produced by Magic Drum Films.

Christian Blomkamp was also a scriptwriter on SABC3's Isidingo, as well as a storyliner and senior writer on e.tv's weekday soap Rhythm City produced by Quizzical Pictures until that show's conclusion in mid-July.

Zeli Zulu, Rhythm City head writer, in a tribute, told TVwithThinus that "Christian Blomkamp was, like the, characters he created and the stories he wrote, a special human being".

"He was kind, gentle and generous. Everything he did, he gave of himself completely - a talented writer who, in his own words, 'just wanted to tell a good story'. And he gave us great stories, the greatest one being the story of his life. To know Chris was to love him. He had a cheeky sense of humour, a natural ability to bring light, even in the darkest of times."

"His loyalty to those he loved was steadfast and unwavering. His commitment to the industry, unmatched."

"This is an incredible loss, but we take heart in knowing that right up until the very end, he was doing what he loved the most - telling stories. He may be gone from this world, but his stories will live on. Until we meet again, friend, brother, son and scribe".

The producer, writer and actress Tiffany Barbuzano told TVwithThinus about Christian Blomkamp in a tribute that "We met when we were bright-eyed and ready to take on the world. We shared so many incredible moments at university together. Broken hearts, beautiful dreams, secret crushes".

"You loved to tease me with your 'soft hands'. Your beautiful piano player hands. You wanted nothing more than to be loved and deserved nothing but the best kind of love. You understood story and character on a level most only wish they could."

"Nothing made me laugh more than your astute commentary on our industry and the people who work in it. Dearest friend, we never got to write that script together ... I never got to taste one of your incredible patisserie creations. But I will always hold our friendship deep in my heart. Rest gently beautiful friend. You'll always have a place at our table."

The radio presenter Bailey Georgiades (Schneider) who does The Bailey Boost podcast host, and who now lives Athens, Greece and blogs at vanillablonde.co.za described her friend to TVwithThinus as "an incredibly special man, with some of the best storytelling skills I've ever come across".

"I am absolutely devastated to lose Christian Blomkamp - one of the most talented, kindest, funniest and most thoughtful! I was one of the lucky ones to have him as one of my best friends and I adored him."

"Christian was one of the best storytellers I've ever met! He created the best stories and characters for TV viewers all over SA, scriptwriting for The Wild, former headwriter of Generations, Isidingo, Isibaya, Rhythm City and more."

"His talent didn’t end with writing, he was doing an impressive pastry chef course, which just showed how he could do anything he put his mind to. Proud is an understatement!"

"I'm going to miss him more than I know how to put into words - he has left a massive void in my life and I am heartbroken! Rest in peace my incredible friend ... until we meet again."