The SABC tells viewers: Switch off EVERYTHING because Eskom is out of power (even though it will presumably impact their ratings).

Now I've seen everything: The SABC is telling its own viewers, in Eskom banner ads running on the SABC channels, to "please switch off everything".

Yes.The SABC is instructing its viewers to turn of "everything" in Eskom commercials - something which will obviously impact SABC TV ratings when viewers well, switch off their TV sets.

The SABC appears unperturbed about the impact of telling viewers in red on-screen banner messages to "switch off everything".

Obviously the SABC has cut a deal with Eskom to run the intrusive daily banners, which on Tuesday evening turned red after Eskom warned earlier that there might not be enough electricity capacity in South Africa due to maintenance issues.

Besides the abnormal Eskom - so unlike a "normal" company which will always actually advertise to users and consumers to please buy and use more, not less - the SABC's deal with Eskom shouldn't come at the SABC's own expense.

Why would the SABC run something which could lead to its own possible viewership loss and its own ratings being impacted negatively?

For the SABC to tell viewers to "please switch off everything" impacts the SABC in a negative way.

The SABC willingly helps its competitors by giving M-Net, DStv, TopTV, e.tv and community TV stations a bigger share of the remaining viewers when people whose TV sets are tuned to the SABC, follow the on-screen lurid prompts and switch their SABC-tuned TV sets off.

Less of the remaining TV sets which are then still turned on, will be tuned to the SABC.

SABC3 on canning All My Children: 'It has seen declining audiences in recent times on SABC3 which means people were losing interest.'

Tomorrow, Wednesday 20 November, will be the final episode of the weekday soap All My Children, since SABC3 is removing the show from the schedule, and now SABC3 is finally responding to multiple media enquiries made over the past few weeks, telling TV with Thinus that SABC3 is canning the soap because viewers lost interest.

"The soap has seen declining audiences in recent times on SABC3," says Lefa Africa, SABC3's acting channel head, "which means that more and more people were losing interest in the soap."

"All My Children has been removed from the television schedules of most broadcasters worldwide, and it continues on the internet."

ODM and StarTimes breaks its first 'new' promise as StarSat to existing TopTV subscribers: 'free' channels now apparently only in December.

Not the way to run a company: On Digital Media (ODM) and China's StarTimes has just broken its first "new" promise to existing TopTV subscribers after apparently falsely promising them that "free" TV channels will be made available in November.

After ODM and StarTimes promised "free" new TV channels in November to all TopTV subscribers, ODM and StarTimes is now suddenly saying it will only happen in December.

The struggling South African pay-TV operator trying to turn a new leaf with TopTV rebranded as StarSat, has again made a promise to its pay-TV subscribers it now appears it will again not keep.

Telling subscribers one thing and then not keeping that promise damages customer trust, StarSat's reputation and brand, and subscriber loyalty.

In a brand-new message to TopTV subscribers, ODM and StarTimes is now saying that "for December you will be charged your current package price, but will receive additional channels".

That is suddenly completely different from what ODM and StarTimes told TopTV subscribers at the end of October when "free" TV channels for sampling were promised for November.

Then ODM and StarTimes said that "On 1 November the new brand StarSat will replace TopTV. A number of channels will be added in the Variety package during the month for you to sample."

So far nothing of this promise has materialised with only a few days remaining in November, and the sudden new message once again moving the goalpost of a broken promise on to a new month.

It's not clear how or why existing TopTV subscribers should now believe ODM and StarTimes about channels in December if the first message and promise of channels for November has not been kept.

TopTV as StarSat orders a lot of Chinese off of the menu for subscribers for its new TV dinner.

On Digital Media (ODM) is ordering Chinese off the menu for its new TV dinner.

It follows China's StarTimes TV conglomerate which is in the process of acquiring a 20% foreign interest in ODM after a capital injection into the South African satellite pay-TV operator. Through this StarTimes gets a 65% economic interest in the second company being set up to manage the operations.

The struggling Woodmead based pay-TV operator is rebranding the damaged TopTV name into StarSat. At the same time ODM and StarTimes is  in the process of launching and restructuring a new bouquet of TV channels with new packages, heavy with Chinese TV channels and Chinese sourced content.

Besides multiple self-compiled channels which will now bear the StarSat name and logo - Star Music, Star Gospel, Star Guide, Star Movies 1, Star Movies 1 + 2Hrs, Star E1, Star One, Star Africa 2, Novela E1, Novela E2, Kung Fu 1, Star Chinese 2, and Star Bollywood - ODM and StarTimes is adding a new StarSat Chinese package from January.

Like the StarSat Indian additional package and StarSat's pornographic package, StarSat Chinese will be available as an additional bolt-on subscription for R149 per month for 17 further Chinese TV channels.

Also included in the new StarSat channel line-up is Chinese news and documentary channels such as CCTV9 Documentary, CCTV News and the Times Now news channel sourced from India.

A new white high definition (HD) enabled StarSat HD decoder manufactured in China is now available in South Africa. A StarSat installation costs R599 but existing TopTV subscribers who want to upgrade can order the new StarSat decoder for R300. No HD channels will be available however until 2014 according to the pay-TV operator.

e.tv's newly launched "e+" TV channels are also being added to ODM and StarTimes' StarSat bouquet according to the new StarSat website.

Sabido Investment Limited's eKasi+, eAfrica+ and eMovies+ channels are coming to StarSat which is already available since mid-October on Platco Digital's new OpenView HD (OVHD) platform but not on MultiChoice's DStv.

e.tv, asked for comment about the additional e.tv channels to be added to StarSat says "e.tv's policy is platform-neutral and we aim to be on as many platforms as possibe. A media statement will be issued as and when e.tv becomes available on new platforms."

StarSat's porn channels are already running although ODM and StarTimes is not publicising the fact. Instead of the three sex channels ODM applied for and for which South Africa's broadcasting regulator granted permission, two of the pornographic channels - Private Spice and Playboy TV - are available in a separate sex TV package of R159 per month.

Although no mention is being made of the porno package in press releases or marketing materials, the package is available to subscribers who call the ODM call centre and request the porno bouquet specifically.

In response to a media enquiry ODM says "the Playboy package is being managed and marketed in a very targeted manner". It's not yet clear why the third applied for sex channel, Desire TV, is not available, and whether it would be added later.

Other new TV channels ODM and StarTimes is planning to add to StarSat according to the StarSt website include Nat Geo Gold and FOX Crime. FOX Crime is already available since June on MultiChoice's DStv. While still lacking a proper sport offering, StarSat is adding NBA TV with basketball coverage, and retaining Fuel TV and Setanta Africa.

Other new planned StarSat channels which were not available on TopTV before include Animaux (a French TV channel about the animal world), news channels CNC, TVC News and Bloomberg Television.

StarSat says it hopes to have "over 100 channels" by 1 January 2014. Eddie Mbalo, ODM's acting CEO who will soon be replaced by a CEO from StarTimes, says in a statement that "the new [channel] structure offers more channels per package, and at more competitive prices."

Although TopTV subscribers were promised at the end of October by ODM that they will get free access in November to new channels, no further channels have so far materialised.

On Sunday ODM and StarTimes broke the promise and told subscribers free channel sampling will now only take place from December.

"For December you will be charged your current package price, but will receive additional channels. In January you will be charged the new package price. If you would like to choose a different package, you should call before 10 December," ODM has now told existing TopTV subscribers.

BREAKING. FOX Crime and Nat Geo Gold are added to StarSat as Fox International Channels Africa expands its reach.

FOX Crime as well as Nat Geo Gold as TV channels are both being added to On Digital Media (ODM) and China's StarTimes' South African pay-TV platform as TopTV is morphing into StarSat, expanding the foothold and reach of Fox International Channels Africa (FIC) in South Africa and the African continent.

FOX Crime is already available on MultiChoice's DStv platform since June and now FOX Crime will also become available on StarSat to replace FOX Retro which was removed from TopTV

TV with Thinus reported in July that talks were underway between ODM and Fox International Channels to possibly add FOX Crime.

FOX Crime will be added to StarSat channel 131. Nat Geo Gold will be added to StarSat channel 300. Both channels are supplied by FIC Africa.

Nat Geo Gold, abbreviated as NGG, first became available in Africa as a bespoke TV channel for the continent in June 2012 as a channel for StarTimes' platform in other Southern and Central African countries as well as Nigeria.

Then Alessandro Tucci, Fox International Channels Africa general manager said that it was National Geographic Channel International's first channel on the African continent designed to cater for the new pay-TV platforms on the continent.

"Programming from the National Geographic library stock relevant to an African viewership, and based on the NGCI programming tent poles of science, technology, history, culture and natural history has been sourced" for Nat Geo Gold.

In September this year when the ZukuTV pay-TV platform replaced its Nat Geo Adventure channel with Nat Geo Gold, exactly the same drop-in quote was again reused for the channel's positioning.

Nat Geo Gold marks the third TV channel from the National Geographic stable which will be available in South Africa. MultiChoice's DStv already has the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild, with ODM and StarTimes adding Nat Geo Gold.

Nat Geo Gold shows programming also seen on the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild, such as Megafactories, Dog Whisperer and Air Crash Investigation.

BREAKING. TopTV's new StarSat pornographic TV channels are already available - but only 2 sex channels for R159 per month.

StarSat's porn channels - the pornographic TV channels which On Digital Media (ODM) were granted a licence to broadcast is South Africa is already running and accessible to pay-TV subscribers, but ODM and its Chinese backer StarTimes is only making 2 sex channels available, not yet the applied for 3, for a monthly additional subscription fee of R159 per month.

Although the impression has been created that StarSat's Playboy package would only become available from 1 December 2013, the TV sex offering is already available.

No mention has been made or is being made of it in any ODM and StarTimes media statements and its existence as an available StarSat package was kept quiet at the media briefing where ODM and StarTimes announced the new StarSat rebranding last month.

TopTV, soon to be StarSat subscribers, can get access to the pornographic channels already however which ODM confirming that the sex package is running and available.

The Playboy package is already available but subscribers have to call the ODM call centre and request the porno bouquet specifically.

ODM says "the Playboy package is being managed and marketed in a very targeted manner".

ODM applied for and wanted to launch the pornographic channels package with 3 channels - Playboy TV, Desire TV and Private Spice. However only Playboy TV and Private Spice are available and cost R159 per month for the two channels. It's not yet clear why Desire TV is not available, and whether it would be added later.

BREAKING. StarSat to add a new Chinese add-on package to On Digital Media and StarTimes' new channels bouquet from January.

On Digital Media (ODM) and Chinese shareholder StarTimes will add a new Chinese TV channels package for its rebranded StarSat offering - similar to the existing pornographic Playboy channels package and Indian channels package - as a separate bolt-on offering, which will become available from 1 January 2014.

The South African satellite pay-TV operator is creating a new Chinese additional bouquet with the help of Chinese backer StarTimes which will cost R149 per month for 17 TV channels.

TopTV, soon to be StarSat subscribers, will be able to add the "StarSat Chinese" package as it will be known, to any standard package for an additional monthly subscription fee.

The planned channels on StarSat Chinese will include a collection of China sourced TV channels: STAR CHINESE 2, Fujian Strait TV, Shanghai Dragon TV, TIANJIN TV, Phoenix CNE, Kung Fu 1, Zhe Jiang Star, Hunan TV world, Phoenix Info News Channel, STAR中国影视, Jiangsu TV, CCTV 4, TVB DRAMA, China Movies Channel, Beijing TV and CTI Asia.

The StarSat Indian package as TopTV's new Indian bolt-on package will be known as, contains 9 TV channels for an additional subscription fee of R99 per month.

BREAKING. e.tv's new e.tv+ channels - eKasi+, eAfrica+ and eMovies+ - to be added to ODM and StarTimes' new StarSat channel bouquet.

e.tv's newly launched "e+" TV channels are being added by On Digital Media (ODM) and China's StarTimes to its TopTV - soon to be called StarSat - satellite pay-TV platform.

Sabido Investment Limited's eKasi+, eAfrica+ and eMovies+ channels are being added to ODM and StarTimes.

eToonz+ will however not be added. Although the channels are broadcast in high definition (HD) they will not be seen in HD on StarSat at launch.

Sabido launched eKasi+, eAfrica+, eMovies+ and eToonz+ in mid-October on Platco Digital's new OpenView HD (OVHD) platform.

The channels will remain on OVHD but will now also become available on ODM and StarTimes' StarSat pay-TV platform as part of StarSat's new channel bouquet offering, according to StarSat's website.

e.tv, asked for comment about the additional e.tv channels to be added to StarSat as well, says "e.tv's policy is platform-neutral and we aim to be on as many platforms as possible."

e.tv says "a media statement will be issued as and when e.tv becomes available on new platforms."

BREAKING. SABC says words have not been banned by the broadcaster, following fall-out over coverage of Westgate mall terror attack.

The SABC and its SABC News division has "disciplined" a journalist for a story regarding a terrorist attack and using the word "Islam" with it, but the SABC tells TV with Thinus that a press statement from the Muslim community claiming that "the SABC has put a ban on referring to the religion of militants when a terrorism attack is reported" is "over-exaggerated and that the SABC has definitely not agreed to ban anything".

In a statement the Al-Jama Ah political organisation claims "the SABC has put a ban on referring to the religion of militants when a terrorism attack is reported and ordered that the name of the alleged organization rather be cited."

"The SABC has apologised on behalf of its journalist who blamed Islam and 'generalised any religion when terrorism is involved'. The journalist was severely disciplined," says the statement from the group.

The SABC says there is no ban.

The statement from the political party follows SABC News coverage over which a complaint has been made with the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA). The case is ongoing and will be heard again by the BCCSA on 2 December.

At issue is news coverage of the SABC following the Westgate mall attacks in Nairobi, Kenya on 21 September.

Al-Jama-Ah political party leader Ganief Hendricks wants a ban on using the terms "Islamic militarism" and "military Islam" in media reporting when a terrorism attack occurs.

In response to a media enquiry the SABC's spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says the broadcaster "has not agreed to ban anything".

"We went to the BCCSA and have given a committment for journalistic training around the issue and a deeper understanding of how to report stories. To say that the SABC has 'banned' terminology is exaggeration."

"To say that something is banned means that it was allowed and that it is now no longer allowed. The fact of the matter is the statement is an exaggeration which is not correct," says Kaizer Kganyago.

"We undertook that how the story the story was reported will not happen again and apologised. Words have not been banned. The SABC will again appear before the BCCSA and we will again put our position forward," said Kaizer Kganyago.

Talk show host Faizal Sayed with a talk show on Deen TV (TopTV 355 / OVHD), who is the vice president of the TV channel with an Islamic ethos, is weighing in, saying in a statement that "the terms 'Islamist' and similar terms are an ideology created by Western media."

"The matter is a delicate matter but one that must be clearly defined to ensure no further related problems in the future".

Faizal Sayed says "the media is there to ensure that the authenticity of a report is delivered to the public without it being tainted with the personal notions of the reporter, especially as South African media, who hail from a county which was ravaged in a bitter oppressive past, being labelled all kinds of terms without justification."

In October the Press Ombudsman turned down a request to ban the use of the words from South African newspaper reports, following a letter by the United Muslim Nations International (UMNI) organisation.