Nickelodeon on DStv: 'We have very, very strict guidelines for advertising' to kids; Viacom's children channel also starting to show content sooner.

Nickelodeon (DStv 305) in South Africa, carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, says the Viacom supplied TV channel targeting kids has very strict guidelines when it comes to the type of TV commercials it allows on the air, especially around food.

Due to pressure from parents and kids, the Viacom packaged and provided channel has also started the process of narrowing the broadcast windows of certain programming between when its shown in America and in Africa, showing newer content quicker and following the lead of broadcasters like M-Net and FOX International Channels Africa.

In the latter part of 2014, Nickelodeon rival The Walt Disney Company in South Africa shocked the TV biz when it announced that it would start targeting kids aged 4 and younger with TV commercials on the preschool channel Disney Junior (DStv 309) from November 2014 - with the consent and blessing of MultiChoice and its advertising sales arm DStv Media Sales.

Disney Junior has formerly been advertising free and TV commercials specifically targeting children - especially very young children - remains a sensitive topic for broadcasters.

"We have some very, very strict guidelines for advertising. When it comes to our parents and our kids, we are very, very careful about what goes on the channel, Tasania Parsadh, the senior channel manager of Nickelodeon in Africa at Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa) told Jeremy Maggs in Maggs on Media on eNCA (DStv 403).

"Any ad that goes on, I will look at it and out legal council will look at it. We'll also decide if its suitable for particular age groups. If not, we'll politely decline, and we'll also advise a brand on why we can't air any particular ads," said Tasania Parsadh.

"Lately what we've been doing with them is working with them even in the creation stage of an age saying, 'This is what's acceptable, and this is what's not - and especially around food."

"There's certain things around food that raises a red flag, in the sense that if any food promotion encourages to eat something every day - which isn't true and it isn't healthy for you."

"It's also the messages that's important with food. So if there's a particular toy with a particular meal, we advise that it's promoted as a treat," said Tasania Parsadh. "And a lot of the brands we've been working with have become very, very fair with that, so it makes our lives a lot easier because brands have become more responsible."

Tasania Parsadh says Nickelodeon has also started bringing Africa's kids new content much sooner than in the past because viewers demand it.

"What we're also seeing is a great interest in new, fresh content. When we launched season 9 of SpongeBob in the United States, immediately on social media there were lots of kids and their parents asking when is season 9 going to be shown on the channel on DStv."

"And then we motivated to have it shown early. So what we've done in terms of our [broadcast] window is we are a few weeks behind the United States," says Tasania Parsadh.

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 6 July 2015.

True TRASH TV: How rivals SuperSport and StarTimes fought behind the scenes.
- First the truly trashy Sam Keengu Nyamweya, the president of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) signed a sponsorship deal with StarTimes as new media partner, then alleging that StarTimes will now show a soccer match between Kenya and Ethiopia in Nairobi.
- The only problem was that SuperSport had the rights to show it on DStv.
- Yet StarTimes blocked SuperSport from the stadium with armed police, and the former SuperSport executive and now StarTimes sport boss Gary Rathbone blatantly lied and said StarTimes would show the match. Gary Rathbone kept lying on social media to fans. The trashy Chinese StarTimes even bought full-page newspaper ads advertising they will show the match.
- Then SportFive, the sole marketing agent, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) got involved, blatantly telling StarTimes to back off, since SuperSport has the exclusive broadcasting rights, and threatening Kenya with expulsion from CHAN.
- And finally FKF and StarTimes backed off after having lied to subscribers with a trashy apology of suddenly "the CHAN rights are held by CAF as opposed to FKF".
- Now StarTimes wants to renegotiate its contract with FKF because "the integrity of the partnership is now compromised".

Truly TV trash you can't make up.


Can Frans Matlala, the new SABC CEO, save the SABC?
- "I was a bit worried about hearing media reports of him saying 'yes, we're going to broadcast the truth but we want to balance that'. How do you balance the truth?" Listen to the whole CapeTalk interview here with Kate Skinner from the SOS Coalition.

- Interestingly, the SABC's controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng is holding the hand of Frans Matlala and is accompanying him to media interviews, asserting his control, like to an interview on 702 radio. Is that really necessary?
- Hlaudi Motsoeneng continues his awkward statements at the SABC's announcement of Frans Matlala as new SABC CEO.


Botched on E! Entertainment (DStv 124) renewed.
The reality series about Hollywood plastic surgeons trying to fix horrific plastic surgery mistakes renewed fir a 3rd season.


It's 25 years since Star Trek The Next Generation's "The Best of Both Worlds" cliffhanger.
A fascinating behind-the-scenes oral history of how the cliffhanger changed the show forever, and other interesting facts you never knew.
And Forbes reveals the intricate shared rights issues and complex rights problems which is keeping a new TV series of Star Trek off the air - while next year will be its 50th anniversary.


The BBC will fire more than 1 000 people.
Dramatic cuts on the cards in massive restructuring at the British public broadcaster.

The TV industry "is hideously middle-class," says British TV producer.
One of Britain's leading TV executives from Endemol Shine laments the lack of diversity.

SACP wants the scrapping of the controversial MultiChoice and SABC archives deal.
The South African Communist Party (SACP) and the ANC political parties are against the "privatisation" of the "country's national archives". Also worrying signs that these political parties want to clamp down on media regulation in South Africa.

M-Net's new Zambezi Magic TV channel on DStv just South African soapies.
The new Southern African DStv channel is so far a channel "for archive South African soapies".
Africa's TV and film industry needs to stop making mediocre productions, says producer, and improve the quality.
South Africa's Connie and Shona Ferguson also went to the Zambezi Magic launch and also said producers need to up their game.


TV isn't dead. It's just evolving.
The consumer is in charge and the TV industry needs to evolve, and the pay-TV business model is changing.

Viacom is having a midlife crisis.
Bloomberg looks at why nobody wants their MTV (DStv 130) anyomore.

Some problem with MultiChoice's set-top boxes in Zambia.
Zambia's broadcasting authority is warning of "sanctions" if the problem with defective decoders isn't solved soon.

New Pay-TV player Siyaya TV and the SAFA fighting.
More sports rights drama behind the scenes as Siyaya TV and the South African Football Association (SAFA) are sparring despite a 10-year Bafana Bafana sports rights deal.

How television won the internet.
The New York Times on how television as a "tired" technology is taking over the internet and how its TV which is making people willing to pay for digital content online.

Soon you'll be able to to build your own Game of Thrones.
The fantasy drama series on M-Net Edge (DStv 102) is coming out with its own amazing construction sets - from the Iron Throne room to Attack on the Wall, and even a Mother of Dragons set.

Is StarSat's 'expanding' FX coming to MultiChoice's DStv as a new TV channel from FOX International Channels?

Is the expanding FX (StarSat 133) TV channel on On Digital Media (ODM) and China's StarTimes Media SA's StarSat coming to MultiChoice's DStv as well soon?

FOX International Channels (FIC) which packages and distributes FX and FOX International Channels Africa (FIC Africa) says it is in the process to "extend the distribution of FX in South Africa".

FX has been available since May 2010 in South Africa on TopTV, which has since rebranded as StarSat.

In May this year FX as a TV channel itself rebranded with a new on-air look.

Since MultiChoice's DStv is the only other satellite pay-TV operator available in South Africa running a commercial service besides ODM's StarSat, "extending the distribution of FX" would appear to strongly suggest that FX is coming to DStv - since its the only other pay-TV platform available that can possibly currently accommodate FX.

FOX International Channels Africa didn't respond to a media enquiry specifically asking whether FX as a TV channel will be added to DStv.

MultiChoice, responding to a similar media enquiry asking whether FX will be added to DStv, responded and said when there's news to share of new channels MultiChoice will make the necessary announcements.

FIC decided to remove its FOX Movies and FOX Movies+2 channels from StarSat which will go dark at the end of this coming weekend.

FIC Africa says it is "currently involved with the process of strengthening and extending the distribution of its local portfolio of channels in a strategic move to ensure the brands continue to flourish locally [in South Africa] with compelling and engaging content and in line with the company's global strategy".

FIC Africa says "exciting plans" are underway for FX.

FIC Africa says that the extension of FX - presumably to include DStv as well - "will bring new audiences to the channel that since May 2015 offers a revamped version with a fresh on-air look and feel".

FX has shows such as Archer, Entourage, Hell on Wheels and Copper.

eNCA's Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola loses comedian David Kibuuka who joins Trevor Noah at The Daily Show on Comedy Central as writer.

"Thank you, Loy."

eNCA's Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola is suffering yet another creative and on-screen setback with the loss of brilliant comedian David Kibuuka who won't be returning to the weekly satirical faux news show when the new season start on the 24-hour TV news channel and e.tv.

The 34-year old Ugandan born David Kibuuka is joining South African comedian Trevor Noah when he takes over from Jon Stewart as host of The Daily Show from 28 September on Comedy Central (DStv 122).

The brilliant stand-up comedian David Kibuuka appeared on the Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola as the hilariously outspoken, off-script foreign correspondent the past few seasons and was a mainstain as the show cycled through comedians and segment replacements the past few years as Riaad Moosa and Tats Nkonzo left. 

David Kibuuka will join the writing staff of The Daily Show.

eNCA has not yet announced a starting date for the new season of Late Nite News with Loyios Gola, besides playing on-air promos saying "returning soon".

Meanwhile Loyiso Gola has become a contributor to the similar The Weekly with Charlie Pickerin, an Australian satirical news show on Australia's ABC which is currently on, and which is part of the reason for the delay of the new season of LNN.

Kgomotso Matsunyane to present a second weekly TV talk show, Sex Talk, on CTV from 9 July; promises 'frank, fun' discussion of sexuality.

Multi-tasking, multi-talker Kgomotso Matsunyane isn't staying with just the SABC, next week she will start her second nationally shown TV talk show, Sex Talk on community TV station Cape Town TV (DStv 263) at 19:30.

Kgomotso Matsunyane who is the moderator of the recently started panel discussion talk show Rise on SABC1 starts another talk show on Thursday, 9 July on Cape Town TV, opening up the discussion about sex and sexuality.

Sex Talk promises to be CTV's most provocative show yet and since the terrestrial community TV station is carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform making it accessible for DStv subscribers nationally, viewership will likely spike for Cape Town TV with the addition of the weekly talk show.

Episodes of Sex Talk will repeat on CTV on Saturdays at 21:00.

Kgomotso Matsunyane promises that Sex Talk will be a frank discussion about sex, "yes – sex, that topic that we dare not talk about, even though people are thinking sex, wanting sex, reading sex, watching sex, having sex, avoiding sex, or even worse, hurting or killing someone through sex".

Like SABC1's Rise, Kgomotso Matsunyane's new concurrent talk show which will be "a fun, frank and entertaining weekly talk show" will also have panelists and guests in conversation to talk about sex. Sex Talk topics will range from masturbation and deception to infidelity and impotency.

Sex Talk will also tackle issues of social concerns, such as sexual equality, teenage pregnancy, the role of the parents, violence based on sex and sexuality, but also the pleasures of sex.

"By allowing guests to interact in dialogue rather than being interviewed, Sex Talk enables free flowing and uninhibited conversation - and what emerges is revelatory," says Kgomotso Matsunyane.

Growing concerns about the process followed and the validity of the appointment process of the new SABC CEO Frans Matlala.

Concerns are growing around the process followed and the validity of the appointment of Frans Matlala who the South African Broadcasting Corporation yesterday announced as its new CEO.

The rudderless SABC, which is also limping along with a gutted SABC board, hasn't had a CEO for a year and five months since Lulama Mokhobo abruptly quit in February 2014 without explanation and left with a golden handshake just a few months into her 5 year contract

At its Auckland Park headquarters the SABC yesterday announced that Frans Matlala, a former banking executive who've been an advisory consultant for the SABC for a year, has been appointed as the new SABC CEO.

Frans Matlala was already identified in October 2014 as the frontrunner to become the new SABC CEO as fears grew that Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) would be appointed as CEO.

SABC executives Tian Olivier and Anton Heunis who had both served as acting SABC CEO in the past were the other two contenders for the position. In April Anton Heunis suddenly left the SABC as acting CEO.

Frans Matlala said he hopes to serve as SABC CEO for the entire length of his contract. Since 2009 several SABC CEO's either left or were fired long before the end of their tenure.

The non-profit media monitoring organisation Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) slammed the lack of transparency in the SABC CEO appointment process.

"It is very difficult to comment on a process where there has been so little transparency," William Bird, MMA director tells TV with Thinus.

"We would like to know: When was the SABC CEO position advertised? Who were the top three candidates, when did the interviews take place, who made the decision at SABC board level and when was person appointed?"

"We heard contradictory statements at the SABC press conference. We we told that Peter Matlala was appointed by the current reduced SABC board. Hlaudi Motsoeneng then said that actually the SABC CEO appointment had taken place under the older SABC board before the two members were removed, and that the delay was in the minister of communications agreeing to the appointment."

"It cannot be both," says William Bird.

"It seems that yet again instead of improving corporate governance we have another controversial SABC appointment that is likely to yield more challenges in the future."

The SOS Coalition, a public pressure group representing a vast number of the biggest industry stakeholders in South Africa's public broadcasting sphere, is also raising concern about the appointment process.

"We need to know when the recommendation was made and whether the SABC board that made this recommendation was, indeed quorate, or whether, yet again, it operated unlawfully to push for an appointment viewed as suitable by government," Sekoetlane Phamodi, SOS Coalition coordinator tells TV with Thinus.

"There remains the tender issue of the legality of the Memorandum of Incorporation," says Sekoetlane Phamodi.

"[It] is incompatable with the basic tenets of public broadcasting which require the institution to be demonstrably independent of government influence in how it allows the government of the day to cherry-pick the editor-in-chief of the SABC as well as the very people that direct the operations and finances of the SABC."

"This cannot be allowed to be the case lest the SABC is reverted back into a state broadcaster as we had under the erstwhile apartheid regime," says Sekoetlane Phamodi.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) political party also says there are questions around the appointment process of Frans Matlala.

"With only 6 members, the SABC board is three short of the quorum it requires to make legally binding decisions such as the appointment of a new CEO. The DA is looking into this," says Gavin Davis, DA MP and a member of parliament's portfolio committee on communications.

The Congress of the People (COPE) said it doesn't support Frans Matlala's appointment as SABC CEO.

"He is a close ally of Hlaudi Motsoeneng. We don't think that there will be any changes because Hlaudi Motsoeneng will still be in control. This man will only be a flower pot and Hlaudi Motsoeneng will still run the show," said COPE.

Leah Khumalo, new SABC board deputy chairperson, said that "we believe we had enough quorum to make the appointment. We are sure all legal requirements were satisfied".

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said at the Auckland Park press conference that "Frans Matlala was appointed even before the three SABC board members left the organisation. It is not a new matter. The only issue that was outstanding, it was the approval from the minister".

The minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, congratulated Frans Matlala who is a supporter of Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"We wish Frans Matlala all the best as he undertakes the important task of ensuring that our public broadcaster delivers on its mandate of fulfilling the public's right to know, educate, and entertain as well as nation building."

"We are looking forward to working with him, the SABC board and the entire leadership of the SABC in realising their obligation to serve the whole population."

New SABC CEO Frans Matlala: Broadcaster will be 'telling the truth but balancing the perspective'; political parties react to his appointment.

The new SABC CEO Frans Matlala says the South African public broadcaster going forward will tell the truth but be "balancing the perspective" and that he will be spending the next 3 months talking to various people to find out what happened at the SABC in the past and what issues there are.

Frans Matlala was announced as the new permanent SABC CEO yesterday at the broadcaster's Auckland Park headquarters, a year and five months after Lulama Mokhobo quit just a few months into her five year contract.

Frans Matlala, who is a supporter and ally of the SABC's controversial and brash famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng and who was an advisory consultant for the SABC for a year, admitted that there was room for improvement at the beleaguered SABC.

The public broadcaster has been lurching constantly from crisis to crisis and scandal tot scandal since 2009 when it came to the brink of financial collapse and got a billion rand bailout in the form of a government guaranteed loan from Nedbank.

Frans Matlala, the umpteenth CEO to take the reigns at the SABC since 2009, has to try and rightsize the broadcasting behemoth.

The SABC - fraught with ongoing insider politics, executive and SABC board room power struggles and growing perception concerns about news bias, maladministration and undue political interference - faces big internal challenges.

There's also the looming and expensive switch from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT) which the SABC will now only start with a paltry 5 TV channels one of which will be the rerun channel SABC Encore (DStv 156), as well as complex and difficult questions over the future funding of the public broadcaster.  

"Over the next 100 days I'm going to spend time with the SABC executive team, and of course I'll spend time with the SABC board and different people outside the organisation, including the minister of communications Faith Muthambi, parliament's portfolio committee of communications and different stakeholders so that I can appraise myself of things that have happened in the past, current realities, as well as future issues that I need to be aware of," said Frans Matlala.

Frans Matlala very closely echoed president Jacob Zuma's speech last month he gave at the SABC media launch event when the broadcasting footprint of the SABC's 24-hour TV news channel, SABC News (DStv 404) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, was extended into several African countries.

"I think it's important that we take advantage of the role and the opportunity we have to be able to serve the nation and Africa as a continent and lead that narrative. And it's a narrative of telling the truth but at the same time balancing the perspective that we put on the table," said Frans Matlala.

Political parties in South Africa reacted over the appointment of Frans Matlala.

The ANC congratulated Frans Matlala. "The appointment of a CEO for the SABC is long overdue and therefore we congratulate him on his appointment and wish him well in his position particularly in terms of continuing to deepen the mandate of the SABC as a public broadcaster," said the ANC.

The Congress of the People (COPE) said it doesn't support Frans Matlala's appointment as SABC CEO.

"He is a close ally of Hlaudi Motsoeneng. We don't think that there will be any changes because Hlaudi Motsoeneng will still be in control. This man will only be a flower pot and Hlaudi Motsoeneng will still run the show," said COPE.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it tentatively welcomes the appointment of Frans Matlala, but cautioned that Frans Matlala will have to "put Hlaudi Motsoeneng in his place".

"The new SABC CEO is not Hlaudi Motsoeneng. This, in itself, is a positive development," said Gavin Davis, DA MP.

"Frans Matlala has an opportunity to learn from the experiences of his predecessor, Lulama Mokhobo, who resigned as CEO after just 11 months. The Public Protector found that her position was made untebale by Hlaudi Motsoeneng's campaign to bully and undermine her."

"The key to Frans Matlala's success in this new role is for him to quickly stamp his authority as the top administrator at the SABC. Already the signs are good that Frans Matlala will put Hlaudi Motsoeneng in his place."

"There are some question marks around the process to appoint Frans Matlala. With only 6 members, the SABC board is three short of the quorum it requires to make legally binding decisions such as the appointment of a new CEO," said Gavin Davis.

BREAKING. Frans Matlala appointed as the new permanent CEO of the SABC, says he needs 'to acknowledge the honour I've been given'.

Frans Matlala has been appointed as the SABC's new CEO, saying "I need to acknowledge the honour I've been given".

Frans Matlala, a banking executive and consultant to the SABC for project management and strategic advisory services, has been a keen supporter of the SABC's controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng,

The appointment comes almost a year and a half since Lulama Mokhobo abruptly quit in February 2014 after just 14 months into her 5 year contract without any explanation.

Like Eskom, South African Airways and the South African Post Office, the SABC's new CEO faces  a daunting and herculean task to try and right the struggling broadcaster which came to the brink of financial collapse in 2009.

Frans Matlala becomes the SABC's 9th CEO - including those who were appointed in an acting capacity in the position for a period of time - to be in charge of the public broadcaster since 2009.

Over the past 6 years several SABC CEO's left before their terms ended, several got golden handshakes of millions of rand when leaving and several took legal action when their contracts were terminated.

The appointment of a permanent CEO at the SABC is crucial to try and repair stability at the beleaguered public broadcaster which keeps lurching from crisis to crisis and which is constantly battered by a barrage of bad press.

Serious concern has also been growing the past two years about the SABC news coverage; the unstable SABC board lost several members, and former chairperson Ellen Tshabalala was forced to step down in December 2014 after she exposed for lying about fake tertiary qualifications she didn't have.

In April ongoing concern was raised in parliament over the SABC's audience share which is flat at 53%.

The SABC also wasted R3.39 billion on irregular spending in three years according to the Auditor General (AG) and the public broadcaster has so far received 4 consecutive annual qualified audits from the AG.

Since Lulama Mokhobo abruptly quit in February 2014 after just 14 months into her 5 year contract without any explanation, the SABC has been without a CEO for a year and five months until now.

That left Hlaudi Motsoeneng in charge as the next highest ranking SABC executive, himself embroiled in litigation over his appointment and fingered in a scathing report from the Public Protector, implicating him in maladministration, corruption and abuse of power at the SABC.

Frans Matlala's held a number of senior executive positions at places like Standard Bank, African Life SA, First National Bank and South African Breweries, and lists a graduate diploma in engineering, a B.Sc in chemistry and a M.Sc degree.

Frans Matlala's studied at the University of Cape Town, Duke University and Wits.

Bonang Matheba dropped, Lerato Kganyago and Pearl Thusi added as the South African talk show hosts of Moments on EbonyLife TV.

Bonang Matheba has been dropped and replaced with Lerato Kganyago and Pearl Thusi in the new talk show Moments starting today on EbonyLife TV (DStv 165).

Bonang Matheba would have been seen in the new Moments with Mo talk show spin-off simply entitled Moments, but was barred from finalising the deal after extending her existing Top Billing work on SABC3 to become one of the talk show presenters of the weekday talk show Afternoon Express which started at the beginning of May.

"We wanted to work with her but unfortunately she has a talk show on SABC3 whose format is the same as ours, so we couldn't proceed because it was a conflict of interest," says Sandra Amadio, head of entertainment at EbonyLife TV in a statement.

EbonyLifeTV turns two years old today and is launching Moments as a spin-off talk show from Mo Abudu's Moments with Mo which EbonyLife TV calls "Africa's first and only syndicated daily talk show".

Moments will closely mirror Moments with Mo in structure and style.

Mo Abudu, who is also the EbonyLifeTV CEO, will now only "appear occasionally for only a limited number of very important interviews," says EbonyLife TV. Moments with Mo will have fewer episodes as Moments become the main talk show.

Moments will be broadcast in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana. Lerato Kganyago and Pearl Thusi will only be seen in South Africa as would have been Bonang Matheba.

Earlier reports erroneously reported that Bonang Matheba would have been seen continentally on EbonyLife TV but it's not true.

Each of the four countries get their own local talk show presenters for the Moments' spin-off, with Wanjira Longaue and Amina Abdi presenting Moments in Kenya, Berla Mundi and Ama K. Abebrese presenting the version in Ghana and Bolanle Olukanni, Toke Makinwa and Michelle Dede the talk show trio of Moments in Nigeria.

Each of the spin-off's versions will also have its own guests.

"We are excited to see the Moments with Mo brand expand across the continent of Africa," says Mo Abudu.

"The purpose behind the creation of Moments is not only to connect more with audiences across the continent as well as offer a much wider and more divergent platform for truly pan African conversations, it is also calculated to be an exponential brand extension strategy targeted at delivering greater brand visibility and larger market shares," says Mo Abudu.

"With nine beautiful, intelligent and stylish presenters spread across four African countries, Moments is set to capture an even wider audience by connecting Africa like never before," says Damilola Amele, the series producer.