Andile Ncube to present E! Entertainment's The Search: E! Host South Africa, Terry Pheto judging; while Urban Brew alums show up in the Urban Brew produced show.

Andile Ncube is the presenter of E! Entertainment's new presenter search, The Search: E! Host South Africa that will start in February looking for a South African presenter for the channel while actress Terry Pheto will be the main judge.

Meanwhile several faces who are already known TV presenters and who worked for the production company before - the same production company now doing the show for E! - form part of the 8 contestant group.

Ordinary South Africans were not allowed to enter for the show seeking "up-and-coming talent from across the country".

The Search: E! Host South Africa, produced by Urban Brew for the African channel feed of the NBCUniversal International Networks channel on MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV platform, will start on 1 February at 20:55.

Similar to SABC3's Top Billing Presenter Search and Presenter Search on 3 and Discovery Networks International's TLC's Next Great Presenter, the 8 contestants live together in a mansion and are whittled down through weekly TV tasks to test their television presenting skills.

Raising eyebrows from a production perspective is that several contestants chosen for The Search: E! Host South Africa has previous TV experience with Urban Brew Studios across various of its productions - the company now doing the presenter search show for E! Entertainment (DStv 124).

Included in the 8 contestant group for The Search: E! Host South Africa are ANN7 news reader Abigail Visagie, Hotel Rwanda actress Mosa Kaiser, former SABC1 YO.TV and Mzansi Insider presenter Katleho Sinivasan, Sian Moss, HashtagRadio presenter Juan-Martin Jordt and former SABC1 YO.TV presenter Jessica Tims.

Also included are the TV presenters Danine Naidoo and Ayanda Nhlapo who both presented shows on the [ED] channel on DStv.

The [ED] channel was also produced and packaged until the end of November 2016 by Urban Brew Studios - the same production company now producing The Search: E! Host South Africa that raises interesting conflict of interest and credibility issues.

Besides [ED], YO.TV where Katleho Sinivasan and Jessica Tims had gigs is an Urban Brew produced show; as was SABC1's One Day Leader where Jessica Tims is a presenter.

E! didn't immediately respond to a media enquiry on Friday seeking comment about why people who have been involved with Urban Brew as TV presenters before have been included in this presenter search show done by the same company.

It's likely that The Search: E! Host South Africa in 2017 will probably add fuel to the fiery existing and ongoing #OpenUpTheIndustry debate about why there's a perceived lack of brand-new TV presenter faces in shows on South African screens, with existing presenters constantly being used and re-used again and again.

In late 2016 Colin McLeod, the managing director for UK and emerging markets at NBCUniversal International Networks said The Search: E! Host South Africa will be "a once-in-a-lifetime chance for up-and-coming talent from across the country to pursue this unique opportunity" to represent E! in Africa.

There were no public auditions for South Africans to become contestants in the show, with the 8 who were pre-selected through a casting process according to criteria that according to E! included "presenting experience, pop culture knowledge, and a passion for the E! brand".

Guest judges who will appear in The Search: E! Host South Africa to help choose the best TV presenter include fashion designers like David Tlale and Gert-Johan Coetzee, as well as Mzansi Magic's Idols presenter and co-producer ProVerb and TV and radio presenter Bonang Matheba who will be the first guest judge.

Similar to the other presenter search shows - this being E!'s first South African reality series - cameras will capture the tension and drama among the The Search: E! Host South Africa contestants in the Johannesburg based mansion.

The camera mansion includes a "glam-room" where contestants have their own make-up artists and stylists as they compete against each other to become E!'s presenter face in South Africa.

Greta van Susteren joins MSNBC from FOX News; will start on Monday 9 January with new hour long show, For the Record with Greta.

Greta van Susteren who abruptly left FOX News in September 2016 amidst the swirling sexual harassment scandal that engulfed then FOX News boss Roger Ailes, is joining MSNBC (StarSat 263).

Exactly as was reported earlier this week, Greta van Susteren is joining MSNBC from this coming Monday, with the official announcement late on Thursday coming a day after news that Megyn Kelly is dumping FOX News and joining MSNBC.

Greta van Susteren will start on Monday 9 January with her new weekday, hour long show, For the Record with Greta. At FOX News Greta van Susteren - who South African viewers also saw before on CNN International before jumping to FOX News - presented On the Record with Greta.

For the Record with Greta at MSNBC replaces the Bloomberg Television show With All Due Respect that was cancelled in early December and that was simulcast on MSNBC.

MSNBC in a statement says For the Record with Greta is part of MSNBC's makeover and its "strategic shift to a break news focus during the day".

Phil Griffin, president of MSNBC, says in the statement "Greta is a true pro with a proven record of tough journalism. Her broad range of experience and sharp news judgment will be of great value to MSNBC as we build on our momentum going into a new year and a new administration".

Greta van Susteren in the statement says "I'm thrilled to start my next chapter at MSNBC. The network is the right destination for the smart news and analysis I hope to deliver every day, and I look forward to joining the talented journalists and analysts I respect there".

Obi-Wan Kenobi coming to Star Wars Rebels on Disney XD in a final duel with Darth Maul on Tatooine.

Obi-Wan Kenobi will make an appearance on Star Wars Rebels on Disney XD (DStv 304) when the third season continues after the midseason break, in a (final?) epic light saber duel against Darth Maul.

What makes it newsworthy is that Obi-Wan Kenobi will appear as his older, Alec Guinness version. The younger character as portrayed by Ewan McGregor previously appeared in Star Wars Rebels and Star Wars The Clone Wars.

Maul has relentlessly been seeking Obi-Wan Kenobi and got his answer in the last episode by again using and exploiting the Character of Ezra Bridger: "a desert planet with two suns" - a reference of course to Tatooine.

We don't know when in the remaining set of episodes Obi-Wan Kenobi will appear, or when he and Darth Maul will fight in their "rematch" of sorts - but it will be a big pay-off.

Maul was first re-introduced back into the Star Wars narrative in Star Wars The Clone Wars since The Phantom Menace, and since then questions abound about his "new" final fate.

Of course Obi-Wan Kenobi was only really "discovered" by Luke Skywalker in A New Hope, meaning that sooner or later, if Maul does find Obi-Wan (and now we know he does), he surely can't remain alive to tell anyone about it.

The Star Wars Rebels third season midseason trailer is filled with all kinds of must-seen amazingness:

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah on Comedy Central on DStv moves to a new later timeslot of 9:55pm from 2017.

Comedy Central (DStv 122) is moving The Daily Show with Trevor Noah to a later timeslot of 21:55 from 2017 for South African and African viewers.

It is the first timeslot change for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah since the version of the show with Trevor Noah as its host started in September 2015.

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah returned on 4 January 2017 to Comedy Central in America and on MultiChoice's DStv and is no longer broadcast at 21:00 but 21:55.

South African and African viewers are still being shown the latest episode of The Daily Show with Trevor Noah broadcast on Comedy Central in America, within 24 hours on Comedy Central Africa.

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah is broadcast Tuesday to Fridays.

Comedy Central Africa and Viacom International Media Networks Africa (VIMN Africa) didn't want to give a reason for the latest timeslot shift, but it very likely has to do with the mercurial nature of The Daily Show that often stops and takes production breaks, making it very difficult to guarantee stability in the form of 4-day a week new content during the 21:00 prime time timeslot.

With The Daily Show moved an hour later, VIMN Africa's Comedy Central Africa bosses can plan better and strip more "regular" 5-day a week, weekday "new" content during the hour that creates more stable ratings.

Girl Meets World on The Disney Channel cancelled after just 3 seasons; 'complete sadness' that 'show is over'.

Girls Meets World on The Disney Channel (DStv 303) has been cancelled after just three seasons.

The Boy Meets World spin-off that finished filming its third season won't be back for a fourth season.

The show finally confirming end of December rumours and tweeted that "it is with incredible pride in our work and complete sadness that things end, that I report to this wonderful audience that our show is over".

In a statement about Girl Meets World's cancellation after just over 70 episodes, The Disney Channel says "we are proud that for over 70 episodes Michael Jacobs, April Kelly and the talented creative team, cast and crew entertained viewers with an authentic and heartfelt look at navigating adolescence".

The series' finale will be broadcast in America on 20 January, and later in the year in South Africa in The Disney Channel on DStv.

The third season's final episode of Girl Meets World will serve as a reunion of sorts, with the Boy Meets World cast that will show up.

Eric (Will Friedle), Shawn (Rider Strong), Mr. Feeny (William Daniels), Mr. Turner (Anthony Tyler Quinn), Cory's parents (William Russ and Betsy Randle), Minkus (Lee Norris), and the Morgans (Lindsay Ridgeway and Lily Nicksay) will all appear in the last episode.

CNN forced to apologise after threatened with defamation lawsuit after Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is called a paedophile on New Day.

CNN has been forced to apologise after it was threatened with a defamation lawsuit after Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was called "a paedophile who lives in the Ecuadorian embassy in London" on CNN's Ameritrash morning show New Day seen globally on CNN International (DStv 401).

The Americentric New Day, like The Lead with Jake Tapper, Erin Burnett Outfront, State of America with Kate Bolduan and others, is one of several bad "news-lite" shows that's been taking over the CNN International schedule in an ongoing and misguided CNN Domestic programming creep that's all steadily worsening CNN International's programming offering.

More and more filling the CNN International schedule with trash-talking and opinionated "infotainment" blabber-programming of often dubious news value, shows like New Day doesn't really serve African or other international viewers watching on platforms like MultiChoice's DStv across the African continent.

At its most damaging these shows are negatively impacting CNN International's news credibility with its bad mistakes, and at its least damaging a lot of its mindless content is simply wasting time and is irrelevant for specifically African and other international audiences.

The CNN New Day apology came after Wikileaks, on Twitter, threatened to take legal action against CNN for alleged defamation over Julian Assange being called a paedophile, unless CNN, within 48 hours, broadcast "a one-hour show to "expose of the plot".

CNN then apologised for New Day, where the former CIA counter-terrorism official Philip Mudd made the comments, saying "an analyst on our air earlier today asserted that Julian Assange was a pedophile, and regrets saying it".

"In fact, CNN has no evidence to support that assertion. Assange is currently wanted for extradition to Sweden to face sexual assault allegation there, and no evidence suggests that the women involved were minors. We regret the error".

CNN also deleted a tweet that included a video clip from its New Day show.

In late-2016 CNN used the on-air chyron "Alt-right founder questions if Jews are people" on The Lead with Jake Tapper, that was also broadcast on CNN International, for which CNN was heavily criticised.

Megyn Kelly dumps FOX News and jumps to NBC News in a new deal giving her a weekday daytime show and a Sunday night programme.

Megyn Kelly (46) is dumping FOX News (StarSat 261) and moving to NBC News in a new multi-million dollar contract with her last appearance on FOX News in her show The Kelly File that will be this Friday, 6 January 2017.

Megyn Kelly will get a hourlong daytime weekday show from NBC News, as well as a Sunday night prime time slot. The daytime show won't be like the traditional American talk shows.

As with daily and weekly programming like NBC Nightly News, Meet the Press, CNBC and MSNBC (StarSat 263) that's broadcast in South Africa, isn't a given that South African viewers will now get to see Megyn Kelly in the coming year, although she won't be reporting specifically for and appear on MSNBC.

Megyn Kelly will be a part of NBC News' breaking news coverage, and do American political and special events coverage.

In April 2016 Megyn Kelly said that what she wants to do is "a little Charlie Rose, a little Oprah, and a little me all together".

After 12 years at FOX News Megyn Kelly just wants to get away following the sexual harassment scandal of former FOX News boss Roger Ailes, although Rupert Murdoch and his sons, James and Lachlan who now run FOX News and 21st Century Fox, tried their best to persuade her to stay.

On Facebook Megyn Kelly wrote "while I will greatly miss my colleagues at Fox, I am delighted to be joining the NBC News family and taking on a new challenge".

"I remain deeply grateful to Fox News, to Rupert, Lachlan and James Murdoch, and especially to all of the FNC viewers, who have taught me so much about what really matters."

The announcement of Megyn Kelly's departure caught FOX News off guard who had no immediate statement of its own.

Later Rupert Murdoch issued a statement saying "We thank Megyn Kelly for her 12 years of contributions to Fox News. We hope she enjoys tremendous success in her career and wish her and her family all the best."

On Tuesday night's show of The Kelly File on FOX News (StarSat 261) Megyn Kelly at the end closed her show saying "Finally tonight a personal and professional note from me to you. After more than a dozen years at FOX News, I have decided to pursue a new challenge. This was a tough decision for me because I love this show, our staff, my crew, my colleagues here at Fox, and you. All of you."

"I will be leaving Fox News at the week's end and starting a new adventure, joining the journalists at NBC News who I deeply admire. I will be doing a daytime show there as well as a Sunday night newsmagazine, and you'll also see me there on the big nights, for politics and such."

"I am very grateful to NBC for this opportunity and I am deeply thankful to Fox News for the wonderful 12 years I have had here."

In a staff email, NBCUniversal News group chairman Andrew Lack told workers - many caught by surprise by the announcement - that he's "pleased to share some good news with you. Later this year, Megyn Kelly will join NBC News."

"Below is the full announcement that will go out to press momentarily. But in short, she’ll anchor two programs: a new hour-long daily daytime news program and a Sunday prime time news magazine."

"Megyn is an exceptional journalist and news anchor, who has had an extraordinary career. She’s demonstrated tremendous skill and poise, and we’re lucky to have her. I know she'll be a fantastic colleague; please join me in welcoming her to NBC News.

In a statement from NBC News, NBC News says "Megyn Kelly will become anchor of a new one hour daytime program that she will develop closely with NBC News colleagues."

"The show will air Monday through Friday at a time to be announced in the coming months. As part of the multi-year agreement, Kelly will also anchor a new Sunday evening news magazine show and will become an important contributor to NBC's breaking news coverage as well as the network's political and special events coverage."

In the statement Andrew Lack says "Megyn Kelly is an exceptional journalist and news anchor, who has had an extraordinary career. She's demonstrated tremendous skill and poise, and we're lucky to have her."

The SABC's SABC Encore channel on DStv is ONCE AGAIN in breach of its MultiChoice contract as it fails to provide proper programming information.

It's no secret that the beleaguered South African Broadcasting Corporation is the problem child sitting in the back of the class struggling to keep up.

2017 is starting off awkwardly for the SABC due to utter laziness and incompetence, with the SABC once again in blatant breach of its MultiChoice contract for SABC Encore (DStv 156) - the apartheid era library channel it supplies to DStv.

Paying DStv subscribers who want to know what is showing on SABC Encore and want actual programme and episode information can't get it for a string of shows since the SABC failed to give that information to MultiChoice, although MultiChoice is paying the SABC to do so.

Once again the SABC Encore programming schedule on the DStv electronic programme guide (EPG) for 2017 simply shows "Channel did not supply programme information".

Keep in mind that this is not new content - it's old stuff. The SABC's programming, library and publicity staff can't even bother to watch their own programming to write short synopsis and programming info, or can't be bothered to provide and send it through.

The result is of course that the SABC shows just how much little it values its own channel and how dismissive it is of SABC Encore - it's own product.

While the SABC treats SABC Encore like irrelevant trash it presumably wants viewers and DStv subscribers to care about the channel that MultiChoice is paying the SABC millions of rands for. Yet it can't bother to do the very basics of providing apt programming descriptions and episode synopsis.

The SABC's incompetence icon and famously matricless boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng signed the MultiChoice contract in which the SABC undertook as part of the contract, to provide programming information for SABC Encore.

On page 25 of the controversial MultiChoice SABC contract, the SABC signed and agreed that "the SABC shall provide MultiChoice South Africa at the SABC's cost with monthly programming highlights and programme information on the channels, including the programme sequence, title, synopsis, duration and details of the programme production" at least 90 days before the start of the month in which it will be shown.

Clearly the SABC isn't doing this and is in breach of its contract with MultiChoice - even on the very day of broadcast, MultiChoice is forced to tell DStv subscribers the SABC "did not supply programme information".

According to the MultiChoice SABC contract, Hlaudi Motsoeneng and the SABC signed that it will ensure its programming information the broadcaster provides to MultiChoice "shall be as accurate as possible".

While the SABC is in breach of its contract with MultiChoice, DStv subscribers who has to pay for it and casually scroll through the line-up, just want to know Mokgonyana Mmatswale is about and what the specific prime time episode will be about - but they can't because the SABC fails to do its job.  

Entries open for M-Net's Magic in Motion Academy 2017, looking for 12 TV and film student interns; Magic in Motion Expo also returning with new scholarship programme.

Entries has opened for M-Net's Magic in Motion Academy for 2017, the pay-TV broadcaster's one-year practical internship programme for TV and film students.

Entries close on 31 January 2017, with M-Net who will choose 12 students who completed their 3-year diploma or degree in film and TV or a related studies in 2015 or 2016, with at least a C pass mark.

The internship primarily takes place in Johannesburg and the greater Gauteng and South Africans from all race groups can apply. Successful interns must be willing to move to Johannesburg for the duration of the internship programme.

2017 will be the 4th year that M-Net is running its Magic in Motion Academy.

The chosen 12 interns will receive hands-on training in producing, directing, cinematography, production commissioning, concept creation, script writing, sound, art direction, editing, post-production and more during the course of the year as they work and get practical experience across multiple M-Net shows across all of M-Net's various TV channels packaged for MultiChoice's DStv.

At the end of the year, M-Net will again choose three of the interns to produce their own films with funding from M-Net, with their work that could be broadcast on some of the M-Net channels.

The Magic in Motion Academy begins in May 2017, again under the guidance of Academy director Bobby Heaney and M-Net's CSI and skills development manager, Ashika Kirpal.

Besides the Magic in Motion Academy, M-Net will again host its hugely popular 4-day Magic in Motion Career Expo showcasing the exciting world of film and TV and the jobs available inside it to school children across South Africa.

M-Net will also announce details about a new scholarship programme soon.

"As M-Net celebrates 30 years as the pay-TV pioneer on the continent, we understand the importance of investing in stories for Africans, by Africans, and we are once again showing our commitment to taking talented youngsters under our wing to bring more local content to life," says Yolisa Phahle, M-Net CEO.

"It is so deeply humbling to be able to give the new generation of filmmakers, producers and writers an opportunity to learn the skills that could make their dreams a reality," says Yolisa Phahle. "Graduates from our two previous classes have proven themselves and have gone on to become successful professionals and entrepreneurs".

More details can be requested from MagicInMotion@mnet.co.za and the entry form and entry criteria for the Magic in Motion Academy 2017 can be found here online:

http://mnetcorporate.co.za/bigger-picture/magic-in-motion/applications-2017