Programming note: Mario Lopez coming to Vuzu in September with his reality show Mario Lopez: Saved by the Baby.

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Vuzu (DStv 123) has secured the broadcasting rights to Mario Lopez: Saved by the Baby with Mario Lopez starting on Tuesday 13 September at 21:30 for a first season of 10 episodes.

Mario Lopez: Saved by the Baby follows Mario Lopez, the presenter of an American entertainment magazine show Extra not yet seen in South Africa, who's about to swop partying for fatherhood and parenthood as he and his girlfriend Courtney Mazza are having a baby. The show starts 3 months before the birth of their baby as the couple moves into a new house.

BREAKING. M-Net to pay for plastic surgery for Freddie 'Van Dango' Moss after his bar fight since the show's insurance doesn't cover drinking.

M-Net is going to pay for plastic surgery to fix the face of Idols contestant Freddie ''Van Dango'' Moss who got into a violent bar brawl on Friday night, because the show's insurance doesn't cover injuries sustained because of drinking.

M-Net that just offered to pay for Freddie ''Van Dango'' Moss' operation, is setting a new precedent, saying in a just-released statement that ''the future and image of our Idols are very important to us''. M-Net didn't want to disclose, if indeed it had a number, of how much the operation would cost. Asked what the cost of the operation would be and the hospitalisation bill would entail, M-Net responded by saying that ''it's against M-Net policy to reveal expenses such as these. The actual cost is irrelevant.''

Freddie ''Van Dango'' was drinking when he got into a bar brawl in Greenside, Johannesburg on Friday night that then turned violent. The Idols contestant suffered a broken cheekbone and disfigurement to his face and M-Net has now offered to pay for the operation because the production's medical insurance doesn't cover injuries sustained if a person has been drinking any amount of alcohol.

In the statement M-Net says Freddie ''Van Dango'' Moss will be admitted to hospital ''for the necessary surgical procedure in the near future'' but that he will be seen on Sunday night's episode. Sunday night's episode is recorded on Friday.

''To eradicate further or future damage to his face, Freddie's attending pastic surgeon has recommended surgery as soon as possible,'' says M-Net, adding that ''the nature of the operation only requires a short stay in hospital, which means that Freddie - who would like to continue following his Idols dream - should still be able to stay in the competition as long as he has the support of the voting public.''

M-Net is now prepared to pay for the injury that the contestant sustained during off-time and falls outside of the show's insurance policy. ''The well-being of our Idols contestants is extremely important to us and we would have done this for any of the contestants who are still part of the show,'' says Theo Erasmus, M-Net director for general entertainment. ''We believe that the surgery won't disrupt the show and trust that our viewers will understand why we made this decision.''

ALSO READ: Don't ''hate me for the way I behaved Friday night,'' asks Freddie ''Van Dango'' Moss after his violent bar fight.
ALSO READ: After Freddie's bar fight the Idols contestants get a psychologist for the ''unusual situation''. No extra security for now.
ALSO READ: OPINION - After his shocking behaviour Freddie ''Van Dango'' Moss no longer deserves to be a part of a show such as Idols on M-Net.

BREAKING. Don't 'hate me for the way I behaved Friday night,' asks Idols contestant Freddie 'Van Dango' Moss after his violent bar fight.

''I want to ask everyone to vote based on our performances. Not because they feel sorry for me or hate me for the way I behaved on Friday night.''

This is now the plea from the Idols contestant Freddie ''Van Dango'' in a statement the battered and bruised contestant just released through M-Net.

The Idols contestant got beaten up and suffered a broken cheekbone and a swollen face when he went out drinking Friday night and created the first scandal of the 7th season of the M-Net reality show when he was involved in a bar fight.

''We all deserve a fair and equal chance to become the next Idol,'' he pleads in the just released statement.

ALSO READ: M-Net to pay for plastic surgery for Freddie ''Van Dango'' Moss after his bar fight which broke his cheekbone since the show's insurance doesn't cover drinking.
ALSO READ: After frissy Freddie's bar fight the Idols contestants get a psychologist for the ''unusual situation''. No extra security to protect them for now.
ALSO READ: OPINION - After his shocking behaviour Freddie ''Van Dango'' Moss no longer deserves a place in a competition such as Idols on M-Net.

BREAKING. Discovery Channel getting a brand-new and great-looking, refreshed on-air look from 5 September in South Africa.

Just in: Discovery Networks International just announced a brand-new and refreshed look (which looks great!) for the Discovery Channel (DStv 121) that will come into effect for South Africa on Monday, 5 September as well as other countries across Europe and the Middle East around this time.

The refreshing update to the Discovery Channel's look comes after a 5 month review led by Paul Welling, senior vice president and head of channels, looking at each of the Discovery channels within Discovery Networks' Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) territory.

''The refresh of Discovery Channel across CEEMEA is testament to Discovery's committment to provide audiences with programmes that resonate with their lifestyles,'' says Paul Welling. ''The new look reflects a fresh, contemporary feel, symbolising our commitment to deliver unique, entertaining and inspiring programmes.''

Discovery says the new on-air look which includes promo boards like the one above, is part of a ''more confident look'' which includes the new slogan for the Discover Channel of ''Life Unlimited''. The refreshed look speaks to the ''aspirations and core values'' of the Discovery Channel's primary audience, 25 to 39 year old men ''and the unique balance of entertainment and knowledge which appeals to the channel's broader audience''.

The great-looking new on-air concept was devised by Discovery Networks CEEMEA's creative director Stephen Royle. it makes use of a more energetic palette packed with fast pace graphics, as well as new on-screen icons, such as pick-axes and new-look menus that move in a similar flow to the way the screen changes on an iPod or iPhone.

''I wanted to create an on air look that was original, bold and above all energetic - something that reflects our evolving brand position,'' says Stephen Royle in a just released statement by Discovery. ''Discovery Channel has always provided knowledge and satisfied curiosity, but we want to show that it's also a place to come for fun, entertainment and excitement. I'm really pleased with how we achieved this in the new look with a powerful blend of design signatures: an energetic palette, an icon toolkit, up close and personal use of our talent and block type layouts''.

Disclaimer: Based on first impressions the new Discovery Channel look comes across compelling and wonderfully amazing, but of course I fit squarely perfectly within the target audience of this channel - Ed.

BREAKING. Star! snags the rights to the Miss Universe 2011 pageant to be shown on Tuesday 13 September.

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Star! (TopTV 179) has secured the rights to the Miss Universe 2011 Pageant and will broadcast it on Tuesday 13 September at 13:00 (South African time) with a repeat on Saturday 17 September at 12:00.

The Miss Universe 2011 Pageant with a record 89 contestants in the 60th anniversary of this pageant takes place on 12 September, which means that the Miss Universe 2011 Pageant on Star! could actually in fact be broadcast live or delayed live, given the hours that South Africa is ahead of sunny Sao Paolo in Brazil where the pageant will be taking place this year.

Natalie Morales and Andy Cohen are the hosts of the Miss Universe 2011 Pageant and South Africa will be presented by Bokang Montjane.

BREAKING. After frizzy Freddie's bar fight the Idols get a psychologist for the 'unusual situation'; no extra security to protect them for now.

Here's an insert you won't see on Idols: the Idols contestants getting psychological help from a psychologist and trauma councelling in the aftermath of frizzy Freddie ''Van Dango'' Moss' violent bar brawl on Friday night that ended with a broken cheekbone, a swollen face and the first scandal of the 7th season of the reality show on M-Net.

M-Net has made available a psychologist to both Freddie ''Van Dango'' Moss as well as the other 7 Idols contestants to come to terms with this, as the pay broadcaster puts it, ''unusual situation'', as well as to ''address the pressures that come with being in a competition of this nature''. The show is however not beefing up security around the Idols at this point - who already have chaperones as well as a security contingent looking after them when they go to events as a group.

''The safety of our contestants is very important to M-Net,'' says the pay broadcaster after TV with Thinus asked about possible increased security measures around the Idols contestants. ''We will continue to employ security and chaperones while they are under our care.''

''The contestants were granted some free time with their family and loved-ones on Friday night after the show. They had to be back at the Idols house on Saturday morning. Because they were not going out as a group for an Idols activity, M-Net and Nevermachine didn't provide security or chaperones as we normally do. They all wanted to have a breather, were grateful for the opportunity to see their loved ones and were briefed on our expectations,'' says M-Net.

ALSO READ: The battered, swollen face of an Idols contestant.
ALSO READ: OPINION - Why Freddie ''Van Dango'' Moss no longer deserves to be a part of Idols.

Programming note: CNN International will have live coverage on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 for South African viewers; special documentaries.

South African viewers will be able to watch live coverage on CNN International (DStv 401) of the 10th anniversary of 9/11 on Sunday 11 September. I've also confirmed with CNN International that the 24 hour news channel will also be showing the 4 original documentaries marking the 9/11 anniversary that CNN plans to show on its CNN US feed in America.

On the 10th anniversary of 11 September 2001 CNN International will broadcast live from New York, Washington DC, Shanksville and Afghanistan from 14:30 (South African time) on 11 September next month with the broadcast that will be anchored by Anderson Cooper and Candy Crowley from New York's Ground Zero as well as Becky Anderson, dr Sanjay Gupta and Soledad O'Brien. Wolf Blitzer will anchor from the Pentagon in Washington DC and Nic Robertson will be in Afghanistan.

At 19:00 (South African time) on 11 September Fareed Zakaria will interview the former US secretary of defence Donald Rumsfeld for Fareed Zakaria GPS.

Leading up to 11 September CNN International will broadcast 4 special documentaries, similar to CNN US, meaning that South African viewers will be able to see it as well.

Footnotes of 9/11 on Sunday 11 September at 11:00 (South African time) will feature interviews with people who went to work on 11 September 2001 and unexpectedly became a part of history - 8 people ranging from a ticket agent, a maintenance technician and a lt. col. in the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

Dr Sanjay Gupta Reports: Terror in the Dust on Saturday 10 September at 13:00 (South African time) (repeated Sunday 11 September 21:00) looks at those affected by the environmental hazards of the World Trade Center disaster site and the toxic dust and fumes. The report includes never before seen broadcast footage of the collapse of the Twin Towers, the medical consequences of the killer dust and safety recommendations for future crisis responses.

Beyond Bravery: The Women on 9/11 on Saturday 10 September at 14:00 (South African time) will profile some of the overlooked female rescue workers who raced to the Twin Towers in the wake of the attack. Soledad O'Brien will look at the work of these rescue workers over the decade following their life-altering experiences.

Beyond 9/11: Portraits of Resilience produced in association with TIME and HBO will be a must-see documentary on CNN International on Saturday 10 September at 22:00 (South African time) (repeats Sunday 11 September at 12:00). Beyond 9/11: Portraints of Resilience will capture in words and moving images untold stories from 40 women and men who led and sacrificed for America in the hours, days and months after the attacks. The award-winning photographer Marco Grob produced an astonishing set of  portraits that will be coupled with dramatic recollections from people who've experienced that tragic day.

ALSO READ: MSNBC's special programming to mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11 on 11 September and its plans for 3 hours of live coverage on the day as well as documentries.
ALSO READ: 10th anniversary of 9/11 commemmorated on the National Geographic Channel in September with several documentaries.
ALSO READ: A special 3 part series, The 9/11 Decade, coming to Al Jazeera to mark a decade since the attack of 9/11.
ALSO READ: The captivating 6 part series, The Rising: rebuilding Ground Zero, to start on 11 September on the Discovery Channel at 20:55.

Nickelodeon expands its African reach to a further 36 countries in Central, East and West Africa to now reach 3 million African households.

The youth channel Nickelodeon (DStv 305) has expanded its reach into Africa by becoming available in 36 additional countries on MultiChoice Africa's DStv pay TV platform in Central, East and West Africa since yesterday.

The Viacom-owned kids' channel that launched in South Africa first in July 2008 will now reach 3 million households in 47 countries across Africa on MultiChoice Africa's DStv Premium, DStv Compact Plus, DStv Compact, DStv Family and DStv Access bouquets.

''We are delighted to expand Nickelodeon's 'orange' footprint to a new fan base in Central, Eastern and Western Africa with our partners at DStv,'' says Alex Okosi, senior viceo president and managing director of MTV Networks Africa in a statement.

''We're pleased to make the Nickelodeon channel available to our subscribers across the continent on several different bouquets,'' says Collins Khumalo, president of MultiChoice Africa. ''This serves to further diversify our already strong line-up of youth focussed channels. I am confident the channel will bring hours of fun, family entertainment to our audiences.''

The Food Network orders a second original and non-American food show exploring Indian cuisine, Reza's Indian Food Palaces.

The Food Network's (DStv 185) channel feed seen in South African (from Britain) has commissioned a second brand-new, non-American TV show viewers will get to see soon - a programme dedicated to Indian cuisine called Reza's Indian Food Palaces (working title).

The Food Network's British version - a joint venture between Scripps Networks Interactive and Chello Zone - is making a second series of 10 episodes that will be folowing chef Rez Mahammad around palaces in Rajasthan to discover this history of royal food and feasts.

''Supporting local talent and delivering more original [UK] commissioned programming is high on our priority list,'' says Nick Thorogood, The Food Network's managing director in a statement. ''Reza's Indian Food Palaces is a perfect mix of adventure travel and recipe-based advice coupled with local flavoursand represents only the beginning of what's to come on Food Network''.

At the beginning of this month The Food Network announced its first non-American show, Andy Bates' Street Feasts after The Food Network made crucial appointments in June with the vision of starting to produce and fill the schedule with more non-American food shows.