SHOCKING FAILURE. 90% EMPTY: Expensive and badly organised Thank You SABC Music Concert a monumental flop as dismal event heaps shame on the SABC.

The shockingly bad and barely publicised Thank You SABC Concert that took place on Saturday quickly turned into a monumental flop and yet another shameful embarrassment for the SABC despite promises of free T-shirts and gifts.

The Thank You SABC Music Concert that was promised to "fill up the stadium and fill up the stomachs of the artists" started hours late with no explanation and quickly went from very bad to worse, taking the SABC's image with it. 

While the Orlando Stadium can seat 40 000, barely 1 000 people showed up.

With a totally abandoned line-up, some invited artists like Jack Parow were barred from performing, waited hours and left and several promised headline artists completely ditched the hastily arranged and totally botched event where even the promised SABC Choir of Hlaudi Motsoeneng was a total no-show.

Meanwhile images of the basically empty Orlando Stadium on Saturday for the Thank You SABC Concert that was supposed to take place from 10:00 to 22:00, showed what an expensive and utter flop it turned out to be, while SABC executives, SABC News and organisers valiantly tried to spin the news and concert into success.

Industry insiders expressed shock in the week when the SABC suddenly announced the Thank You SABC Concert on Tuesday - a promised massive event that usually takes months of preparation and planning.

While the SABC in an original statement confirmed that it is paying for the expensive Thank You SABC Concert, it suddenly backtracked saying the controversial Morris Roda Productions company is responsible for the concert, while artists started saying they were not paid.

Confusion spread with very little publicity of the concert to the public and the event quickly turned into a massive organisational quagmire in the days leading up to Saturday and the resulting flop, embarrassing the SABC and damaging its already battered brand.

The Thank You SABC Concert organised by Mzwake Mbuli was supposed to have 100 South African musicians "from all genres" performing at Orlando Stadium - but it was anything but. Not only were there not 100 artists, the music was definitely not from all genres.

In the week artists slammed the SABC and organisers on SABC television during a live broadcast before they were shut down, saying "the doors are closed to us" at the SABC and wanting to know why young artists are allegedly not given exposure at the Thank You SABC Concert.

Starting more than two and a half hours late, artists like the Soweto String Quartet on Saturday afternoon performed at the Thank You SABC Concert to a virtually empty Orlando Stadium normally seating 40 000 people. 

Even the SABC Choir - promised on the programme line-up which was completely useless and not followed - was a total no-show.

Meanwhile the SABC's SABC News division reporting on the event, kept to close-up angles and cropped shots on Saturday afternoon, trying to make the empty stadium look full while in reality there was no crowd.

That didn't stop some stragglers from telling the SABC during a live interview on SABC News (DStv 404) that the concert is badly organised and that the artists and organisers "have a problem with time-management".

SABC News reporter Mahlako Komane who failed to report the real news, tried to spin the news during cross-overs, and failed to hold SABC executives and organisers accountable by throwing soft questions instead of asking why the concert started hours late, why the Orlando Stadium is empty, why it was badly publicised and organised and where the promised artists are.


In a highly embarrassing interview in the almost empty stadium, the SABC executive Bessie Tugwana who was recently moved to head of the SABC's corporate affairs division, said "today the whole country is standing still, paying tribute to SABC".

"We are humbled by the gratitude and the entire SABC is here to witness this groundbreaking gratitude".



Later Mzwake Mbuli, organiser was interviewed. "Look, young and old are here," he said.

In the week Mzwake Mbuli said the concert is going to break records - so much so that it should be entered as a Guiness World Record. The concert still might - but not for the record he's thinking of.

"What we are doing must go to the Guinness Book of Records," said Mzwakhe Mbuli.

On Saturday night the SABC's controversial chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the minister of communications Faith Muthambi, and the SABC chairperson Obert Maguvhe attended a part of the event.

From the stage Obert Maguvhe bellowed: "Are you there? Are you there?"

Later Obert Maguvhe said "We want to give an assurance to you that local content is here to stay. We want to ensure that talent is unearthed, talent is developed, talent is promoted and talent is nurtured."

By 14:02 on Saturday - although the concert was billed to start at 10:00 - the SABC reported using future tense that "people are trickling into the Orlando stadium in Soweto where the much-anticipated SABC Thank You music concert will take place".

The massive failure of the Thank You SABC Music Concert was slammed by political parties, commentators and artists, while on social media people were having a field day at the SABC's expense.

"The SABC's vainly self-named Thank You SABC Concert aimed at thanking itself is a massive flop and a waste of public money. It demands investigating. We demand an investigation into the SABC's wasteful, 95% empty Thank You SABC Concert. Those responsible should pay back the money," said the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP).

Musician Jack Parow whose real name is Zander Tyler and who was asked to perform slammed the SABC, saying he couldn't perform and left "after more than an hour of trying" to get on stage.

"No one knew what was going on and made us feel so uncomfortable and unwelcome, and basically like we shouldn't be there. We came all the way and trusted your word after everyone else pulled out, and you begged us to still come," said Jack Parow.

"SABC come on. Kak swak my bru."

BREAKING. M-Net to broadcast special month-long comedy pop-up channel, M-Net Movies BlockParty, on DStv in October to celebrate its 30th anniversary.

M-Net is set to broadcast a special month-long comedy pop-up channel, M-Net Movies BlockParty, that will run for the month of October on MultiChoice's DStv platform on channel 109 for DStv Premium subscribers to celebrate M-Net's 30th birthday.

Besides the M-Net Movies BlockParty channel, M-Net is also producing an exclusive M-Net TV special to celebrate its 3 decades of existence, that will look back and forward at where it started and where it's going, and that will be shown across M-Net's various channels on DStv in early November.

M-Net is now in almost 50 African countries and has grown from a single encoded analogue channel into more than 40 channels ranging from M-Net Edge, kykNET and Mzansi Magic to VUZU AMP, Channel O and the Africa Magic channels, producing channels in 10 different languages.

The M-Net Movies BlockParty channel on DStv will be accessible to DStv Premium subscrribers on DStv channel 109 for M-Net's birthday month of October, and will feature comedy movie hits as well as comedy shows and stand-up performance specials.

Marquee comedy names who will be seen on M-Net Movies BlockParty include Seth Rogen, Eddie Murphy, Amy Schumer, Jim Carrey, Leon Schuster, Steve Martin, Mike Myers, Kevin Hart, Trevor Noah, Ellen DeGeneres, Martin Lawrence and others.

The M-Net Movies BlockParty channel will run for 24 hours per day, for 30 days. M-Net Movies BlockParty will show a "seriously funny" classic series every weeknight from 19:30, a movie at 20:30 and stand-up comedy shows from 22:00.

"M-Net Movies BlockParty will have something for everyone and provide shows for the whole family to enjoy together," says Yolisa Phahle, M-Net CEO.

"Comedy is always popular and we would like our viewers to have some fun, so we look forward to celebrating our big birthday with as many people as possible".


And new M-Net channels programming in October: 

The new reality show Shark Tank South Africa in which entrepreneurs pitch their ideas will start on M-Net (DStv 101) on Sunday 2 October at 18:00

The new American science fiction and forensic crime solving drama series Frequency will start on Thursday 6 October at 20:30 on M-Net (DStv 101). 

The new science fiction drama series Westworld with Ed Harris and Anthony Hopkins, based on the film and book of Michael Crichton about robots who go rogue at a futuristic themepark will start on M-Net Edge (DStv 102) on Monday 3 October at 21:00.

The new dramedy Divorce with Sarah Jessica Parker whose character is contemplating separating from her husband and starting over, will start on M-Net Edge (DStv 102) on Friday 14 October at 21:00.

A new season of singing talk show Die Republiek van Zoid Afrika with Karen Zoid starts on kykNET (DStv 114) on Tuesday 11 October at 20:30.

A new season of the cooking travelogue show Edik van Nantes with Nataniel starts on kykNET (DStv 144) on 11 October at 20:00.

A new season of the reality dating show Boer Soek 'n Vrou starts on kykNET (DStv 144) on Thursday 20 October at 20:30 with new presenter Minki van der Westhuizen.

The new advertiser-funded game show PowerPlay Coalition starts on VUZU AMP (DStv 103) on Saturday 15 October at 18:00 in which creatives showcase their work to expert event promotors.

A new season of the coming-of-age drama It's Complicated with Atandwa Kani and Fikile Mthwalo starts on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) on Sunday 9 October at 21:00.

BREAKING. To celebrate its 30th anniversary, M-Net is producing a nostalgic look-back TV special to air across its various DStv channels in November.

Brilliant decision!: To celebrate its 30th anniversary, the South African pay-TV operator M-Net that has morphed into a pan-African broadcasting giant over the past 3 decades is producing a nostalgic looking-back, looking-forward TV special.

The once-off TV special to mark M-Net's 3 decades as a TV channel that not only became TV channels and a pay-TV broadcaster that spawned satellite operator MultiChoice and DStv, will be shown across several of the M-Net packaged and provided channels across DStv during early November.

ALSO READ: M-Net broadcasting a month-long pop-up channel, M-Net Movies BlockParty, on DStv during October for its 30th anniversary.

The exclusive and as yet untitled M-Net TV special will revolve and include a look back at the history and the ongoing evolution of the Electronic Media Network (did you know that's what M-Net stands for?).

The TV special will also include a look at the way in which M-Net has developed the African film and television industry and positively changed the lives of many people across the entire continent.

The M-Net TV special will give viewers the change to hear from M-Net's biggest stars.

"M-Net would not have been where it is today without the loyal support of our viewers," says Yolisa Phahle, M-Net CEO.

South African artists lash out at the SABC and boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng on live television; saying they're not benefitting from 90% local needletime, 'doors are closed to us'.

South African artists have lashed out at the SABC over controversial boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng's order of 90% localmusic airplay on SABC radio stations and Saturday's upcoming Thank You SABC Music Concert at the Orlando Stadium, saying they're not benefitting, are being excluded and that despite multiple promises "the doors are closed to us".

The SABC got a rude wake-up call on Thursday morning during the live broadcast of the latest The New Age Breakfast briefing during Morning Live from Woodmead on SABC2 when musicians started to take Hlaudi Motsoeneng and the SABC to task for allegedly not making good on promises to give airplay to everybody's music.

Although the topic was about the benefits of Hlaudi Motsoeneng's local needletime diktat introduced in May, the famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) who regularly appear as a panelist at the TNA Business Briefings was absent.

Furious artists told the SABC they're angry and not benefitting from the SABC's 90% local airplay decree, nor from the upcoming and hastily arranged Thank You SABC Music Concert that wants to fill the 40 000 seater Orlando Stadium on Saturday for a 12-hour concert from 10:00 to 22:00 with 100 artists.


'The doors are closed to us - trust me'
After Tebogo Sethatho from the Music Association of South Africa told artists that Hlaudi Motsoeneng has ensured that the "doors are so open you wouldn't believe" over the 90% local music quota, an artists named Patello objected and said "I've made extensive research. The doors are closed - trust me. I phoned Hlaudi twice and he got surprised. The doors are closed."

Presenter Palesa Chubisi promptly cut him off.

Then artist Romeo Ramuada, from the South African Young Music Forum said "as young people, we've been promised dreams for a long time. When you're talking about music festivals, the line-up only has artists who appear on TV 100 times a day and so on".

"But you're coming here and telling us you've got festivals and it's Heritage month and so on. We are saying as the youth we want to see development. We don't have to be promised dreams."

"The doors are closed. Us as young people, our music don't play on radios. So we mustn't come here and pretend as if we are happy. When we talk about the context of Thank You SABC Music Concert. Where are young people there? But now you tell us we must be happy."

Again Palesa Chubisi interrupted and shut him down.

Vusithemba Ndima, acting director-general of the department of arts and culture, said the department support festivals like the SABC's Thank You SABC Music Concert, but doesn't control the line-up.

"As we provide support to all the organisers of these particular festivals, we stress the point that opportunities should be given to the youth".

Poet and organiser of the Thank You SABC Music Concert, Mzwakhe Mbuli said "the line-up that we are going to introduce. It's known names and names that are not known."

"This has never happened before. So there is no template of what is going to happen on Saturday."


'Howling is not going to solve anything'
Bessie Tugwana, new SABC head of corporate affairs said accusations of "closed doors" are unfair "because last month we had an indaba with the musicians at the SABC."

"We said, come to us as a one voice, united voice, which was agreed. So we are waiting for that voice at SABC. So it's unfair that today we are accused of not opening our door. But besides that, anyone who knocks, who comes to the 27th floor, the office of the COO. He stops anything and listens to you. It's a fact," said Bessie Tugwana. "But can we as SABC, hear this one voice".

As the broadcast continued to become more and more awkward, angry musicians then started shouting and Palesa Chubisi struggled to maintain control. "Can I call for calm?" asked Tebogo Sethatho from the stage.

"Really, this is something to be a celebration mode. Not fighting. And there must also be an element of respect shown," said Palesa Chubisi.

"Who is celebrating?" asked another artist to loud applause. "We need inclusivity in this thing. The process must be transparency. We filled the busses to protect the 90%. But not the performances, that line-up has no-one who has been at the protection of the SABC. And SABC we have one voice."

Tebogo Sethatho said local musicians "shouldn't put sour grapes into this celebration" of the Thank You SABC Music Concert. "I am appealing for calm and howling is not going to solve anything. And as leaders sitting here we understand the concerns."

Quinne Brown Huffman back on the 7de Laan set; returns to the SABC2 soap after a decade to reprise her character of Connie who's back with a big secret.

After an ongoing string of exists from the soap, a familiar face is returning to 7de Laan with actress Quinne Brown Huffman reprising her beloved role of Connie.

Quinne Brown Huffman has been back on the Lonehill set of the Afrikaans SABC2 soap for almost a month since 12 August with the character of Connie who will make her first on-screen appearance in the fictitious Hillside suburb on SABC2 on 31 October.

Quinne who played one of the original characters and appeared in the first episode, left 7de Laan in 2004 and then move to America.

Now after a decade, with her husband Ryan and two children Charlotte (5) and Lara (2), she is back in South Africa and reached out to the soap about possibly reprising her old role.

This time Connie, who started as a waitress in Oppiekoffie, is back with a secret, with the Hillsiders who won't know the real reason why the character is back.

"We can't be happier about the decision [to rejoin the soap]," says 7de Laan. "7de Laan is proud to have one of our old favourites back".

Star Trek turns 50, with all the episodes from all the series now available on Netflix, as well as William Shatner's documentary, Chaos on the Bridge.

Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek turns 50 years old today, marking half a century of boldly beaming viewers up to a science fiction television and film odyssey that continues to show what a better future for mankind could look like.

Sadly there's no Star Trek special pop-up channel from MultiChoice and M-Net on DStv like last year's Star Wars channel.

Such a DStv channel from MultiChoice would have been wonderful, given that South African and African viewers haven't yet seen the recently remastered in high definition (HD) episodes of Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Enterprise (that was filmed in HD but broadcast before the M-Net Series channel went HD) on TV.

A Star Trek pop-up channel in HD would have been able to fill two months worth of airtime, given all of the remastered in HD movies, and the multiple seasons and long episodes lists stretching from the original Star Trek's first episode "The Cage" to when Captain Janeway finally got her crew home at the end of Star Trek: Voyager.

Luckily there's Netflix, with all of the Star Trek series and their episodes - and in the new remastered HD where it exists - that's now available on Netflix South Africa.

Also included and available on Netflix for South Africa and Africa for the first time to watch is the recent documentary film by William Shater, Chaos on the Bridge, that's a definite must-see for any Star Trek fan.

The hour-long documentary from 2014 has William Shatner, who played Captain James T Kirk in the original series, as host and narrator, looking at the tumultuous behind-the-scenes drama during the start and first two seasons of the second series, Star Trek: The Next Generation as he interviews the cast, Paramount Studios executives, crew and writers.

Chaos on the Bridge reveals a lot of fascinating secrets about Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation:

1.Denise Crosby who played Tasha Yar: "We didn't have a lot of perks. I used to go and steal food from the craft table of Cheers. It made you feel like the illegitimate bastard in the backlot."


2.Patrick Stewart who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard: "I thought there was a lack of concentration and focus on the set."


3.Patrick Stewart said the problem with Star Trek is there isn't enough "effing and effing" - "fighting and fornicating".


4.According to John Pike, president of Paramount Network Television Patrick Stewart almost left the show because he said he was "creatively unsatisfied". John Pike with a poker face set up a meeting in the cafeteria and lied, saying "just bear with us for a few more weeks, we've already set up the script to write your character out. One thing I don't want is my lead actor unhappy". Patrick stayed.

5.According to Maurice Hurley, co-executive producer, ego's kicked in, like cast members refusing to say certain lines. So he suggested that they fire them all, blow up the Enterprise in the story and start anew with a story of finding a new crew.


6.Michael Okuda, scenic art supervisor: "This is a low-budget television show and it had enormous expectations. Star Trek has always been a low-budget production. And has always had enormous expectations."


7.It would have been a one-hour pilot episode, but the studio wanted a 2-hour pilot episode. Gene Roddenberry didn't want to do a 2-hour episode. DC Fontana wrote the original script for "Encounter at Farpoint". Gene then added the character of Q, fleshed out that addition to the story, and then said it's his script, put his name on it and got residuals as writer for the episode.


8.Ronald D. Moore, writer: "If we had not shifted from plot to character in the third season, the show would have continued. But I don't think it would have broken through the way it did. It would have been that other series they did of Star Trek. There would not have been a DS9 or Voyager."


9.Rick Berman, producer: "Most science fiction that we experience today has a relatively dismal view of what the future is going to be like. Gene Roddenberry was obsessed with the idea that the future was going to be better."


The latest Star Trek series, Star Trek: Discovery will start in January on Netflix worldwide.

Discovery Networks veteran James Gibbons appointed as executive vice president heading up business development in Africa, Middle East and parts or Europe.

James Gibbons at Discovery Networks has been promoted to executive vice president, head of product and business development for the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) region.

The veteran Discovery Networks executive who was the executive vice president and country manager for emerging business, will report to Kasia Kieli, president and managing director of Discovery Networks CEEMEA.

In his new role James Gibbons will now look at the creation of new partnerships and consumer offerings from Discovery.

"CEEMEA is a complex and diverse region, with tremendous potential in both the linear and digital space, and I'm looking forward to tapping into every opportunity, bringing Discovery and Eurosport content to more people, across more screens than ever before," says James Gibbons.

Kasia Kieli says "James has pioneered the way in establishing transformative partnerships and creating new products in territories like Turkey, Africa and the Middle East, and I now look forward to seeing his entrepreneurial spirit and risk-taking mentality in action across the wider CEEMEA region."

Former SABC presenter and producer Sylvia Vollenhoven loses court case over Project Spear documentary although SABC ordered to negotiate over buyback.

Sylvia Vollenhoven has lost her court case over copyright against the South African public broadcaster over the rights of the controversial documentary Project Spear she produced, although the Gauteng High Court ordered the SABC to start negotiating with her within 14 days over the possibility of a "buyback" of the rights.

Project Spear: Stolen Billions, Lies and Spies is a feature length documentary Sylvia Vollenhoven made for the SABC and that was commissioned by the SABC, detailing an alleged ex-MI6 spy who presented the South African government with a plan - dubbed Project Spear - to recover billions of rands misappropriated by apartheid-era bankers, officials and politicians from state coffers.

According to Project Spear, the ANC government allegedly refused to take any action despite being given a strategic plan to recover the stolen billions.

After the SABC refused to broadcast Project Spear in September 2012 as it said it would although it paid R559 169 to Sylvia Vollenhoven's production company VIA for it to be made, the former SABC presenter and veteran documentary maker Sylvia Vollenhoven was adamant to show it - which led to a court case.

Judge Lawrence Nowosenetz in the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg has now issued a final interdict against Sylvia Vollenhoven, preventing her from broadcasting or distributing Project Spear or making an adaptation of it or offering it for hire or sale.

The court ruled that the Project Spear copyright belongs to the SABC - even if it decides not to show or do anything with Project Spear since the SABC commissioned the documentary.

Judge Lawrence Nowosenetz however also ordered the SABC to start negotiating within 14 days with Sylvia Vollenhoven over possibly buying back the rights to the Project Spear documentary.

Until now the SABC simply refused to negotiate with Sylvia Vollenhoven to adapt the material or sell it back to her.

Sylvia Vollenhoven - who argued that she was entitled to keep all the raw footage - also has 14 days to hand over all raw footage of the documentary to the SABC.

According to the judge, Sylvia Vollenhoven can still tell the Project Spear story - she's just not allowed to use any of the footage that was created and used for the SABC's Project Spear documentary she made.

Lawrence Maleka the latest 'pop-out, pop-in peg' presenter for e.tv's revolving door Club 808 Friday evening music show.

The revolving door at e.tv's Club 808 that has become a Red Pepper Productions joke-show keeps spinning faster than a fan in summer with Lawrence Maleka that's the latest new-new newly added presenter replacing the new-new-gone Cyprian Ndlovu.

While even insiders struggle to keep up - let alone viewers who've long ago abandoned the show given its low ratings after disastrous timeslot, date and channel changes from which it's never recovered - the latest two presenters are now Lawrence Maleka and Boity Thulo ... for now.

In response to a media enquiry about the ever-ongoing revolving-door show, e.tv says Cyprian Ndlovu "left Club 808 at the end of July to pursue other opportunities in the entertainment industry and continue his studies".

Earlier this year Lawrence Maleka replaced Bonang Matheba as the presenter of Mzansi Magic's (DStv 161) Clash of the Choirs and will now do the weekly Club 808 for the Red Pepper produced show on e.tv until at least March next year.

The 27-year old will make his first on-screen appearance on Club 808 this Friday, 9 September at 18:00.

In a e.tv statement - devoid of any mention of Cyprian Ndlovu as if he never existed as a part of the e.tv show - Lawrence Maleka says "I'm very excited about joining the e.tv and Club 808 teams. One of my first gigs in the industry was hosting a music show where Boity was a frequent guests, so we go way back."

"Viewers can expect me to do what I always strive to do; the best I can. I hope to use my knowledge of the local music industry to give Club 808 fans the inside track".

Marlon Davids, managing director of e.tv channels division says "Lawrence Maleka has loads of charisma and a very special charm that we, as a channel, are always looking for. We are confident that Lawrence and Boity will work brilliantly together and we are excited to see what they bring to Club 808 as a team."