Mbali Nkosi Goes From ANN7 Anchor to All Access Mzansi Presenter

The now former ANN7 anchor, Mbali Nkosi, has this past week been announced as one of All Accesss Mzansi's new presenters.

Previously, Nkosi was seen 'anchoring' Weekend Prime on ANN7, along with additional slots here and there filling in for other anchors. She left her gig at ANN7 to pursue things more in line with the fame she was chasing when she entered Big Brother Mzansi, on Mzansi Magic, earlier this year where she made it all the way to the finsl, but finished third.

However, she must have made an impression with the team at Mzansi Magic as she will now be a co presenter of the third version of All Access Mzansi, along with Nomzamo Mbatha (of Isibaya fame) and Anga Makubalo.

All Access Mzansi started life as simply All Access, MNet's (DStv 101) attempt at prime time glamour news. At launch, it was seen exclusively seen on MNet and was based in what was an awesome studio at MNet in the same studio that now houses the massive Superspot set. However, the
2010 SAFTA Award winning show has seen many tweaks over the years, including dropping the studio and becoming more like Top Billing with presenting done from some fancy location, changing and dropping of presenters, and even changing channels from MNet to Mzansi Magic, adjusting to a format targeting what the channel called a "black urban audience" along with adding "Mzansi" to its name. The show has been cancelled before, twice, and is now back for a third time.

'Soft' News Roundup

Firstly, Mzansi Magic's Please Call me has returned to air for its second season on the 18th of April 2015. Here are the main changes to the show:

• The name of the show: From Pls Call Me to Please Call Me
• The show went from airing on Mzansi Magic Music to Mzansi Magic, meaning that the Music channel now has no original presenter-driven shows.
• The show also saw upgrades to its production values: It no longer seems as if it is shot on a cell phone, now having better picture quality, new graphics and a new studio. it now airs from the studio used for Vinnie's House and Channel O's Bassment. 
• The biggest change is the actual presenters. Nestum, Pulie and V Mash are out. They are replaced by Bob Mabena, Thembi Seete and Mandla from Mandla and Lexi.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

eTV is adding a new celeb gossip show called Hush, which starts on April 23rd at 6pm (Ekse Lets Talk loses a day). It will be hosted by  Refilwe Modiselle and Zola Hashatsi. The show will feature 'exclusive' interviews with celeb news makers. They are promising to ask the questions everyone wants answered to which in all honesty is what all other similar shows promise to do.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Starting this Tuesday, Ekse Lets Talk rebrands to Ekse Zwakala and sees Pabi Moloi and Dineo Moeketsi join the ensemble that speaks about topics relevant to South Africans. Tol Ass Mo and Philip Malepa remain part of the team.
The interesting thing though is that Dineo's other show, V Entertainment airs at the exact same time as Ekse. It will be interesting to see if she will be hosting V Entertainment on a Tuesday or Wednesday live while appearing on a taped show on a competing channel. Which show will she ask her 139 thousand Twitter followers to watch? Lets wait and see.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ANN7's Face in the Crowd with Abigail Visagie returned for season 2 this past Saturday, 18th April. It is now a full 30 minute show and not just an extended segment on her news bulletin. The show, which is the brain child of host, Abigail Visagie, aims to inspire young South Africans to reach for their dreams. On its premiere, Abigail Tweeted, "Hahaha! Nervous and happy and scared and excited all at the same time! I hope you guys love it as much as I do!" Face in the Crowd airs on ANN7 (DStv 405) on Saturdays at 10am and repeats again at 9:30pm.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special Freedom Day Boradcasts

As we celebrate 20 years of Freedom in our country, various channels are planning special programming to commemorate the event, our first without our first democartically elected president Nelson Mandela.

As expected, SABC News will be carrying the carrying the 'official proceedings' live from the Union Buildings at 10am, simulcast on SABC 2.

eNCA will be re-airing the documentary The Blood Miracle at 1pm and again at 9pm. Their special coverage starts at 8am with special guests and senior anchors being brought in.

All three local news channels will have special coverage throughout the day.

Carte Blanche (Mnet, 7pm) will be airing Carte Blanche: 20 Years of Democracy. The synopsis is as follows :"
In the run up to the first democratic elections in 1994, a fearless breed of young photojournalists roamed the townships of Tokoza and Katlehong on Johannesburg’s East Rand, documenting a civil war that caused hundreds of deaths and displacement. 

Now, two decades later, these middle-aged and hardened lens-men remember that pivotal era of transition and the man who led the pack. 

Ken Oosterbroek died in a hail of bullets in the streets of Tokoza just days before the election, leaving a legacy of definitive photographs of those dark and dangerous days. This Sunday Carte Blanche looks back at a time etched in blood. "

Mzansi Magic has the documentary Countdown to Freedom at various times on Sunday and throughout the week on their group of channels. The synopsis is as follows: "Countdown To Freedom, a ground breaking documentary which was filmed 20 years ago in April 1994 at the personal invitation of then President in Waiting, Nelson Mandela, will be broadcast for the first time on television on Freedom Day, Sunday, 27 April on Mzansi Magic at 16:00. "

Kyknet has various special editions of their programs Jukebox (focussing on music in a free South Africa), Toks 'n  Tjops (Focusing on Sport in the new South Africa) and Robinsons Regstreeks (focussing on the upcoming elections).

 PERSONAL ANALYSIS: The Mzansi group of channels along with Vuzu, all local channels, all have special on air idents celebrating 20 years of freedom. I find that it is quite eyebrow raising that not one of the local channels that do not have primarily black target markets have on air logos like these channels. These include Kyknet and MNet, all of which have versions exculsive to the South African market. Do viewers of these channels not celebrate Freedom Day? The excuse that those channels are broadcast in other countries does not stand considering that we often see on air idents celebrating freedom in other countries on the Africa Magic channels yet here they seem to be 'protecting' the rest of the continent from knowing that South Africa is celebrating Freedom Day.

The Oscar Pistorius Trial: a Carte Blanche channel

Press release issued this morning:

MultiChoice to launch pop-up Oscar Pistorius trial channel on DStv.

On Sunday, 2 March 2014, MultiChoice will launch a 24-hour pop-up channel on DStv Channel 199. The Oscar Pistorius Trial: A Carte Blanche Channel will feature round-the-clock coverage of the legal proceedings, as well as exclusive documentaries, profiles and in-depth expert analysis.

This is the first time DStv is using a pop-up channel to cover a major news event. “We previously added dedicated channels for special events such as Idols and Big Brother. This pop-up channel will give our viewers in-depth coverage of the Oscar Pistorius trial, with a rich variety of content and social media integration,” says Aletta Alberts, Head of Content for MultiChoice.

The channel will be put together by the producers of Carte Blanche, well known for their excellence in investigative journalism. “The Carte Blanche producers were the obvious choice to create and package the channel. Their mantra of ‘You have the right to see it all’ ensures viewers will get fair and balanced coverage of the trail,” Alberts added.

The channel will be available exclusively to DStv Premium, Extra and Compact customers. The Oscar Pistorius Trial: A Carte Blanche Channel will be a conduit to the inside information on the most talked about and controversial subject in recent South African history.

Pistorius’ criminal trial is scheduled to run in the Pretoria High Court from Monday, 3 March to Thursday, 20 March 2014. The trial judge will decide whether any part of the trial will be broadcast live closer to the start date.

========================================================================

Let's analyse:

First time ever something like this is put together and the Carte Blanche team involved.

It is going to be interesting to see how the Cart Blanche team will manage going from their well structured news magazine   show to providing rolling coverage.

One has to wonder if these guys have enough time to man the channel AND to continue putting together such a high quality weekly show.

While the channel will be available for Compact and upwards, the show itself (and thus the brand), is premium exclusive, meaning a great deal of their potential audience is unfamiliar with their product and thus are likely to stay with their current news provider of choice. However, considring that the channel is sandwitched between both SS Blitz and Big Brother Mzansi, both of which are hugely popular on the lesser packages, they are definitely counting on people to channel surf in the region

 It is also going to be interesting to see how exactly this 'pop up channel' concept will work as it is being described as the channel will "disappear" if there is nothing going on. Disappear as in go the message that says 'Service Not Available' or disappear as in a static on air graphic. The channl also cannot do these disappearing acts too often otherwise the viewers wont enjoy it.

This can only lead to greater things from these guys in the future as we gt to see what Cart Blanche is really capable of.