Hard Copy back after ten years

The only South African drama series that goes behind the scenes of a newspaper's newsroom, Hardcopy, returned to the air this past week after a break of ten years off the air, probably the biggest such return in South Africa ever.

The only original cast member to return to the show is Jody Abrahams, whose character (Benny Jacobs) has now been promoted to editor of the fictional newspaper, The Bulletin.

Over its first three seasons, which aired from 2005-2006 (before being reran countless times by the channel) covered things like editorial independence and the shift of newspapers from a hard news format to a more trashy and sensational tabloid format, and now back again.

This season, topics range from a newspaper editor burying a story which involves a relative to the battle between digital and traditional media, among other issues it will tackle from the world of journalism.

The co-creator of the show, Anton Harber, is now editor-in-chief at eNCA.

Hard Copy airs Mondays at 9pm on SABC3.

South African Communist Party protests at eNCA

eNCA reporter, Phakamile Hlubi, particpated in the protest

One really has to consider the state of South African broadcast media when there has been a protest at every single domestic news channel in the past 10 days. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

One of the major issues that were protested today were the IPSOS polling eNCA has been carrying out, and broadcasting, over this last month. The organisation and those who marched along with them want eNCA to immediately pull the polling as they feel it is deceiving.

The major so called deception? The claim by the polls that the ruling African National Congress will lose the Tshwane metro in the upcoming local elections. The party has also given ETV 48 hours to explain why they, the party, should not take etv to the electoral court. They further accused the channel of having a political agender behind the polling.

Electoral polling is considered a highly controversial issue where ever such polls are conducted. In the United States, where polls determine who gets to participate in presidential debates, the polls have been accused of influencing who gets elected considering those who do not meet the made up criteria to enter the debate stage do not get the free and highly valuable publicity that comes along with being on the debate stage.

For example, to be on a presidential debate stage, candidates have to average 15% in polls. The current major third party candidate from the Libertarian Party only has 9% and will not get the exposure of an audience exceeding 60 million.

In India, the same company that carries out the polls for ANN7 was accused of faking the results of the polls in order to influence public perception.

The other major point of contention at the protest was the freedom (or allegedly the lack thereof) of etv staff to join trade unions. Protestors held up placards stating that 'Workers are not free at e,' a play on words with the red letter channel's slogan.

Furthermore, the protest aimed to stop gender discrimination at the channel, due to female staff being prohibited from wearing head scarves on air. In addition, the protestors wanted to address the lack of transformation at the channel, due to allegations that senior positions are always just filled by white individuals.

The protestors delivered a memorandum to management, who actually took time tolisten to them (unlike at ANN7 where the management just looked at them, or at the SABC where Chief Operating Officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng did not come out to see them at all).

eNCA's editor-in-chief, Anton Harber, signed the memorandum and stated that they will read it and consider it carefully.

eNCA announces new media show with Eusebius Mckaiser

After 8 years on the air, eNCA is finally launching a show analysing the local news media.

The often controversial Eusebius Mckaiser joins the channel to host the weekly show, titled ''Meet the Media With Eusebius Mckaiser," which will be broadcast live every Sunday morning at 10am.

The launch of the show comes hot on the heels of the SABC's COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, swiftly cancelling all the public broadcaster's programming that featured editors from external media houses.

Editors and journalists from news organisations from across South Africa will be invited to give insight into their editorial decisions and the week’s main stories

“We want to show how the sausage is made, for better or for worse”, said eNCA Editor-in-Chief Anton Harber.

“This show will push journalists to explain what lies behind the decisions they make that affect others – in other words, to practice the transparency they preach to others. I hope that will help people understand better what we do. I think it will be fascinating.”

“I am delighted to be joining eNCA because it is an excellent platform for unashamedly celebrating what works in our country and analyse what's going awry. I look forward to drilling down into the top stories in the media weekly, sparking debate and having plenty of on-screen fun at the same time,” said Mckaiser.

When it comes to political analysts, Mckaiser is among the country's elite. He has hosted radio shows and written for various local and international publications, including the New York Times.

It us uncertain how this new show launch will affect longrunning 'media' show (It's more about advertising), Maggs on Media, which currently airs at 10:30am.

'Meet the Media With Eusebius Mckaiser' premieres live on July 3rd.