Z News - On a small screen near you?

Watching the pilot of a potential television program by cartoonist Zapiro (Jonathan Shapiro), it seems a shame the SABC has taken around nine months not to make a decision whether to commission a series called Z News.
Fashioned on the UK institution Spitting Image, the show proposes to take the (in)famous Zapiro critical look on the South Africa's politicians and current affairs to a much broader audience. The producers, Zapiro and Thierry Cassuto, were hoping to have the program aired before this year's elections with the aim to help educate the voting public to critically analyse candidates, parties and issues. However nine months after the pilot was handed to the SABC nothing was come to fruition.

So we can currently view offerings here and at this Facebook group.

You can also click here and add you voice to get this show on to South African television.

SABC News Blooper

I couldn't help but watch this over and over again!

Online, and accurate, SABC TV schedule

Here's a little online gem for those of you stuck with SABC programming.
The SABC press tool is a great online back door to check the latest TV schedules for their various TV channels including SABC Africa.
I find the SABC's various channel websites are not user friendly and are often out of date, so utilise this sight on the odd occasion. It's simple,quick and ,being a press tool, as accurate as you are going to get.

Link : SABC Press Tool

SABC imploding

Just a day after SABC's chief executive Dali Mpofu announced the suspension of group executive of news and current affairs Snuki Zikalala, he finds himself suspended.
While no mention was made of any link between the two suspensions, it is pretty obvious that there is one.
Yesterday, while refusing to divulge any details of the Zikalala suspension, Mpofu claimed "This is a matter that has to do with information that we received about sensitive documents of the organisation" but denied reports that the suspension had anything to do with the leaking of alleged differences between himself and the SABC board "It is actually unrelated to the media speculation around this issue. So timing in that sense was quite strangely unfortunate."
Snuki Zikalala was instrumental in and highly criticized for the creation of the SABC News' blacklist of political analysts critical of President Thabo Mbeki and his suspension was lauded by many.
My initial reaction to the Mpofu suspension was that this is the ANC laced SABC board taking action against someone threatening their important, strategically placed ANC apologist. After all Inside Politics wrote earlier today of the SABC board "board chairperson Eddie Funde has a list of ANC credentials that run from managing the placement, education and training of the hundreds of young ANC exiles during the 1970s to serving on the ANC’s NEC as recently as 2002. Another board member, Solly Mokoetle, ran Radio Freedom for the ANC in exile and Christine Qunta, when she’s not attacking the DA, is taking out full page adverts in various newspapers that do everything from criticise the media for not supporting the President enough to simply wishing him happy birthday. "
However you can add Mpofu himself to that list as he served the ANC as deputy head of its Social Welfare Department.
So is the nation, once again being dragged through the mud, embarrassingly, as the repercussions of the Polokwane power struggle continue to be played out in all institutions in which the ANC has, or wants control?

It seems as if this is going to get dirty!

Calling SABC3's Webmaster

As part of the research I was doing for what was going to be today's post in the upcoming drama series on SABC 3, Jozi H, I went to the station's website(www.sabc3.co.za).
This site needs to be seen to be believed! The opening page wished me "a wonderful New Year 2007." I kid you not!
Now obviously with each refresh they like to highlight different programmes, one assumes that they would particularly like to advise of new shows that will be airing soon. Right? Wrong? Did you know that "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" will be airing from Monday 06 November @ 19:30? Maybe they mean November 2007? Maybe they do, but I sincerely doubt it.
I decided to click on "What's on today." For some reason SABC3 has decided that "today" is the 26th March. GO figure. (btw. if you missed the CWC game it's showing at 6:30am, who needs a PVR?!)
The list goes on, The Tyra Banks Show is coming in August, has to be 2006. If you are looking forward to some comedy, don't. Look back! "8 Simple Rules" & "Joey" start on the 26th February. "The Amazing Race" is apparently currently being aired on Tuesdays? At the time of writing I was still waiting for the 'On Air Schedule" to load, so I can't comment in it's accuracy, or if it even exists.

But, perhaps the most irritating feature is the incessant scrolling of a message telling not to forget to watch "3Talk with Noeleen"! Ironically,probably the most accurate bit of news available on the opening page.

Eish! Come on guys, get you act together.

FYI : Jozi H airs on the 19th April ... or is it 26th April ...?

The Most Amazing Show!

What do you find yourself doing on a Thursday evening @ 10pm?
If you have not yet done so, watch SABC 2, yes SABC 2, and check out The Most Amazing Show .
It's a show that's difficult to describe. Silly? Yes. Funny? very often. Deep? They seem to think so! But, you will (okay maybe you won't) find it hard to flick the remote to another channel.
I dare you to give Corne and Twakkie, the main protagonists, a watch this Thursday.
If you like, Corne has a special request for the Eish readers...
'... please just tell those what see your blog
to also vote and to also love you as much as what I do.'
You can do so by popping over to their website, declare that you are not kak and cast your vote. They are desperate for a 3rd season!

You can't lose. At the very worst you will see Twakkie do his very best to 'moer' someone!

Lotsa love, Eish!!