As troubles mount for television channel ANN7, staff members have lifted the lid on conditions at the station.

MultiChoice announced on Monday that it would not renew its contract with the channel linked to the infamous Gupta family - and which is now owned by businessman Mzwanele Manyi - when their contract expires in August.

Sowetan understands that Manyi has not revealed any plans to save jobs.

The company's management released an internal e-mail, which Sowetan has seen.

The e-mail reads: "We take note of the decision by MultiChoice not to renew its contract with ANN7. We will study the statement and further engage with MultiChoice and various stakeholders."

Employees at the station said management had been holding meetings since Wednesday afternoon but there had not been any positive feedback.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, three staff members said things have been going downhill at the Midrand-based news channel since Manyi took over last year.

"For three days this week we didn't have toilet tissues, milk and teabags, [company] cars didn't have petrol," said one staffer.

A junior reporter said that when these issues were put to their new boss, Manyi claimed to have no knowledge of any of their complaints.

She said that Manyi "is like the rest of us, [he] takes orders from higher powers. He doesn't address staff with conviction, his speeches are scripted."

A senior employee at Caltex garage in Midrand confirmed that it had suspended services for both ANN7 and The New Age. "We suspended their petrol cards from January 15 until yesterday when they paid up their account."

The petrol attendants are warned with a board in the kiosk that reads "No petrol for ANN7 and TNA".

When contacted for comment Manyi did not respond to an SMS sent to him and his phone rang unanswered.

Meanwhile, former Metro FM presenter Tbo Touch has emerged as one of the black entrepreneurs looking to snap up MultiChoice's offer for a 24-hour news channel platform. Tbo Touch, real name Thabo Molefe, who co-owns digital online radio station Touch Central, announced via his Twitter account yesterday that he had submitted his bid to MultiChoice.

Sowetan has also established that another former MetroFM presenter and Power FM founder Given Mkhari was also eyeing the same opportunity. But Mkhari dismissed this when contacted for comment. - Additional reporting by Isaac Mahlangu