South African satellite pay-TV broadcaster TopTV has launched a new, locally produced current affairs programme on its flagship channel, Top One (channel number 150). The hour-long weekly show, Real Issues, is broadcast on Wednesday evenings at 20h30 and introduces a new topic each week that provokes discussion among studio participants and makes extensive use of social media for viewer interaction.
Real Issues on Top presents relevant and current burning issues that affect and impact the everyday lives of all South Africans. The programme is produced in-house by Pumeza Bam with TopTV’s David Makubyane as editorial manager. Hermina Matlhong is the researcher on the team and production co-ordination is the responsibility of Yvonne Simpson.
Says Eddie Mbalo, interim CEO of TopTV: “The launch of original programming on TopTV is the culmination of many months of research and hard work behind the scenes. We have a very clear strategic direction as to where and how we want to position locally-produced content on our platform. With the launch of three innovative shows on our flagship channel, Top One, we are confident that we have delivered on this mandate.’
Each week on Real Issues, a topical issue will be introduced by the two studio hosts, Kgopedi oa Namane and Aubrey Masango, and interrogated by a number of studio guests offering their expert insights and varying points of view. Following the commentary that presents opposing opinions, it will be up to the TopTV viewers to make their own conclusions on the issue being debated, and share these viewpoints via the interactive platforms available.
These include email (realissues@toptv.co.za), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/realissuesontop) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/realissuesontop).
The programme is presented by two rising young stars in the broadcast world who are making their television debuts. Kgopedi oa Namane is the midday news anchor on South Africa’s largest commercial radio station, Metro FM. She also hosts the weekday slot, Africa Watch, on the programme, TSI. Her love of the African continent and the medium of radio saw her involvement in the Roll Back Xenophobia campaign and she played a lead role in garnering support for Ghana as the last African team during the 2010 Soccer World Cup. She is a passionate advocate of women and children empowerment.
Aubrey Masango is currently a weekly columnist for the online publication, The Daily Maverick. He is also a talk show host on Talk Radio 702 and Cape Talk 567, hosting the midnight to 04h00 timeslot where discussions with listeners range from politics and current affairs to sport and everything in between. Masango was involved in the corporate world for many years, and was a director of a national records management company until 2009. He started a retail wholesale business in Mamelodi in 2010 and worked in his father’s business – property development and low-income housing. He started hosting the talk show in May 2010, and began writing a weekly column for The Daily Maverick in May this year.
