Late Night News comes to an end
Satirical news spoof show, Late Night News (LNN), hosted by Loyiso Gola, has come to an end.
LNN crew Kagiso Lediga, Conrad Koch (Chester Missing) and Loyiso Gola at the Nelson Mandela Bridge on October 17, 2014 in Johannesburg, South Africa.”Late Nite New with Loyiso Gola” has been nominated for its second time Emmy award in the best international comedy show category. Picture: Gallo Images / Sunday Times / Simphiwe Nkwali
eNCA says after several months of negotiations with DiPrente, the production company which produces LNN, the two parties could not reach commercial terms or agree to a new format change. Late Nite News last aired in April 2015.
“We have been negotiating with the LNN team since March. We wanted them to explore the option of short format satirical inserts on a more regular basis rather than a weekly show. Regrettably, they declined to revise the format,” says eNCA Managing Director, Patrick Conroy.
eNCA received an e-mail from DiPrente stating: “We see great value in the current format and wish to continue to produce a 24 minute satirical news show indefinitely. We are not interested in producing a shorter format show”.
Conroy says it therefore made little sense to bring back the show for one more season after such a long break, particularly if the channel had to find new partners for a satirical offering afterwards.
LNN has twice been nominated for an International Emmy Award and LNN was the first satirical news show in South Africa which achieved a mass following. The show also aired on e.tv.
eNCA says it plans to continue with news satire but in a different format and hoped the business relationship with DiPrente would continue.
This is what Twitter had to say about the show coming to an end:
Wait, @eNCA canned @LNN_Etv ? This show was dope.This doesn't make business sense. Something bigger is happening here behind the scenes #LNN
— Mduduzi Seakamela (@MduBeernong) September 7, 2015
https://twitter.com/loyisogola/status/639808514844663808
Unfair for @eNCA to want a regular short version of #LNN instead of a weekly. These folks are comics who live on the road. Not desk journos.
— Nchema (@ShottaZee) September 7, 2015
Best show in SA tv gone for good?? #LNN
— 01010111000101 (@01010111000101O) September 7, 2015
So #LNN with @loyisogola, @chestermissing etc has ended. It will be replaced by #BafanaBafana which is way more funnier.
— Steven Taylor (@StevenTaylorSA) September 5, 2015
