In the interest of fairness and as a thorough journalist, I've just spent 45 excruciating minutes watching our latest 24-hour news channel ANN7 to see if, after a few days on air they've managed to sort out their 'glitches'...
In fact 'glitches' is a very kind word for what we've been seeing since their launch. So two big questions remain, where have they gone wrong and is it fixable?
As someone who's trained people in all fields of media for over 20 years I have to say I doubt, with the current employees (odd exception being Chantal Rutter Dross - what are you still doing there?) if this is saveable.
Firstly they proclaim themselves as being 'the new in the news'. Well, you can't be new when you're showing one-to-three-day-old news over and over and over again.
But let's cut to the chase and look at the real issue here - the presenters. I really can't bring myself to call these people newsreaders or journalists in any form. We all know now that they were chosen on their looks - and certainly not on their general knowledge. As my trainees hear me say non-stop, that it's not enough to write a story, you have to know and understand the background of each story. In other words what's going on in the world you're reporting on, local and international!
I have just heard a very pretty young lady, Cleopatra (I joke not) reading the 11am Monday news make the following bloopers (that you won't see now on YouTube as the Gupta's have stopped them being shown):
• William Ho grr - who according to ANN7 is the British foreign minister (William Hague)
• Tunesshuns - a new race of people in the middle east
• Refrundum - is what the Tunesshuns want
• Oliver Tombo Airport
• And my personal favourite - the Dalia Lama- a Ti bettun called 'a wolf in wonk's robes' - whose house is in need of referbrishment
• The winning British cricketers did a 'lab of honour'
Now no one said reading from a teleprompt was easy but the very nature of a teleprompt is just that - to 'prompt' you. Because you are supposed to have read your script through before you go on air - at least two or three times and judging by the amount of makeup these girls wear, their make-up time would be a good couple of hours to use reading.
But let's take a step back and look at what you really need to set up a successful 24 hour news station.
Surround yourself with an experienced BROADCAST news team. I highlight this, because as good as Moegsien Williams was as a print editor, that's a long way from television where your journalists have to not only write but actually deliver the news.
Hire newsreaders who know how to pronounce, at the very least the names of all our political parties - I ask you, with tears in my eyes, 'A gang'...
Seriously, we do have tons of talent in this country who are trained to do this job and if they don't look like a beauty queen, at least they'd give the public what they want when they turn on news. To be able to get the 'latest' news read in a clear voice by someone who isn't battling to read what's in front of them.
The Sunday Times reported yesterday that ANN7 had hired an international team to train presenters on the highly technical equipment - but that won't help if they don't understand or can't read news! In other words aren't trained journalists...
I do however feel a modicum of pity for these hapless souls who sit there after announcing a story only to find their link isn't there, no pictures and so dead air. Maybe this is why they needed pretty girls, so we wouldn't notice the blank bits...
Anyway you have to take your hat off to them, they don't mind starting stories again - and again - and sometimes again.
This morning whilst running the SAA strike story, the presenter announced they were crossing to her colleague at the airport. What we got eventually - after nothing - was a very bad telephone line with a bewildered voice on the other side. Then suddenly up on the screen appeared the reporter looking startled. The presenter said - as one would do on a call 'Hello, can you hear me?' Amateur hour, whichever way you look at it.
Having just looked at one of their ads for copy editors (something they need desperately) a lot is explained. They insist one of the requirements is someone who is a 'strictler for facts...'
In between this drivel are the so-called ads, which are ironically funny. Making claims as Africa's newest English language, world class television news channel...
And then there's the star talk show host, the one and only Jimmy Manyi, whose show hysterically uses the slogan 'No comment is not an option' which for a government spokesman is a good one. So far his first in depth interview was with Water Affairs Minister Edna Molewa, who he gave a carte blanche invitation for a party political broadcast on her work. What's really puzzling is why five days later this is still being shown at least six times a day. She's certainly not that interesting...
I also tuned in over the weekend (couldn't resist my daily comedic fix) to Hashtag and saw a nasally but pretty (of course) young woman excitedly going into a Sandton hotel where we were going to meet swimmer Chad le Clos and learn all his secrets. I couldn't wait. The poor guy was interrupted whilst loading up his plate for lunch and faced with the softest and probably the most amusing interview he's ever had. I mean how often does an Olympic champion get asked what his favourite dessert is? The best thing about this interview however was the presenter's comments on hearing his answers: 'Wow' 'Amaaaazing'. Thank goodness this was over in about three minutes - hardly worth the schlep of lugging the equipment all the way there...
I could go on and on - about the strange people walking behind the sets, the voices and noises over the sound of the presenters... To sum it up ANN7 is a disaster of unmitigated proportions. I only hope that visitors to our country don't turn on channel 405 by accident and think this is a representation of our best in news!
