Cape Town – e.tv has pulled both its soaps Rhythm City and Scandal! from the Royalty Soapie Awards set to take place on 2 November in Durban, with e.tv saying the broadcaster didn’t get enough information about the planned awards.

With e.tv no longer involved with the planned soap opera awards show, the results will no longer be representative of the entire soap opera TV industry in South Africa, and voters who choose the favourite soap are not able to vote for Rhythm City or Scandal! if they wanted to.

e.tv says the broadcaster decided to pull both Scandal! and Rhythm City from the Royalty Soapie Awards organised by Generations actress Winnie Modise since no information about the judging process, aims and other criteria were forthcoming from the organisers.

Both Rhythm City and Scandal! are now shut out from all categories, similar to when e.tv pulled Rhythm City and Scandal! from the 6th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) in March 2012 when it also cited judging and impartiality issues.

Sindile Xulu, Royalty Soapie Awards project director says “the purpose of these awards is to promite creativity, quality and excellence of local productions”.

Apparently judging for the Royalty Soapie Awards has already taken place and auditing of the process is done by KPMG.

Monde Twala, e.tv’s group head of channels says e.tv has “declined to participate in the Royalty Soapie Awards”.

“We did not have sufficient information about the awards, its judging processes and overall objective. We have plans to meet with the organisers later this year to discuss the prospect of e.tv participating next year.”

Only technical and creative nominees have been announced so far and the Royalty Soapie Awards have not made available a list of the judges or their credentials. Awards are presented in 20 categories, 18 of which are chosen by judges.

Source: Channel24 – Thinus Ferreira