Wednesday, February 26, 2014

BREAKING. Nikiwe Bikitsha out as senior anchor at eNCA after almost 5 years; final date on-air not certain.


You're reading it here first.

Nikiwe Bikitsha is leaving eNCA (DStv 403) after four years on air; a final on-air appearance date for the senior anchor is not known.

eNCA tells TV with Thinus that Nikiwe Bikitsha is leaving the 24-hour TV news channel "in order to further her studies and to pursue other interests".

eNCA says Nikiwe Bikitsha "has been a great asset and has contributed immensely to the channel during her tenure".

"eNCA can confirm that Nikiwe Bikitsha has resigned to further her studies and pursue other interests," Mapi Mhlangu, eNCA news director tells TV with Thinus. "We wish her everything of the best in her future endeavours".

It's not clear who would be taking over Nikiwe Bikitsha's daytime anchoring slot on eNCA and whether it would be a temporary or a permanent replacement.

"The channel is in the process of finalising her departure date and will announce her replacement in due course," says Mapi Mhlangu.

Nikiwe Bikitsha left her primetime spot as co-anchor of NewsNight next to Jeremy Maggs in August 2012 when eNCA was still known as the eNews Channel.

Nikiwe Bikitsha worked for 567 Cape Talk radio and then Talk Radio 702 before joining the eNews Channel in May 2009.

After joining the eNews Channel, she left in August 2012 for an American study programme - but thereby also her very visible primetime role as one of the faces on the channel's most prestige daily news bulletin.

Nikiwe Bikitsha returned to eNCA a year later, but not to primetime and a much more marginal role - bouncing around as anchor on the afternoon and later afternoon eNCA schedule. Although eNCA said during her return that Nikiwe Bikitsha's new role would be announced and clarified, it never really happened.

In essence the well-studied TV newser was at eNCA for almost five years, four of which viewers saw her on-air.

Nikiwe Bikitsha recently did live outside broadcast coverage on eNCA earlier this month during the Democratic Alliance's disrupted Johannesburg march.