Johannesburg – Monday, 12 July 2021 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has learnt with sadness of the passing away of its former Board Chairperson, Dr. Ben Ngubane.
Dr. Ngubane was appointed as Board Chairperson on 10 January 2010 and he resigned from the organisation on 8 March 2013. Under his tenure the SABC delivered on its public mandate with one of its biggest achievements being the official broadcaster of the historic 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The SABC would like to thank him for his immense contribution and would like to send heartfelt condolences to the Ngubane family.
END
Issued By: Group Communications
Media Enquiries: Ms. Gugu Ntuli (Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)
NtuliGM@sabc.co.za|T. 011 714 3311|C. 071 877 0531
Johannesburg, 7th July 2021- SABC1’s primetime music show Live Amp returns with a new season, themed The Last Dance, as it bids farewell to its loyal viewers and fans after more than decade on screens. The final season premieres this Friday 9th July 2021 at 19:30.
This weekly music show has been the prime destination for Mzansi’s latest hits, the storyboard popular music culture and the party starter meeting point for millions of viewers over the years.
Presented by DJ Speedsta and DJ Lamiez, with cameos and surprise guest appearances Live Amp; The Last Dance will have reminiscent elements; throwing back to some of the most iconic and influential moments from the show, celebrating the musical evolution and taking viewers down memory lane.
“The show has grown to become synonymous with youth Friday night rituals from more than a decade. With season 25 being earmarked as the final season of this flagship title, the series content plan has been devised to reflective and celebratory of iconic moments and success achieved by the show from a talent development, socio-cultural contribution, creative innovation, and all-round leading music tv show brand in Mzansi. The best, most memorable and unique content moments will be reinterpreted for the audiences combined with newly curated music performances. You can’t afford to miss out on a single episode of Live AMP this season. This is set to be one of the biggest seasons and ode to pop culture in Mzansi. “Says Sane Zondi, SABC1 Programmes Manager.
Tune into SABC 1 every Friday at 19:30 as we turn up to the final song in the final season of Live Amp, starting on the 9th July 2021.
For more information, interview opportunities and publicity images please contact the SABC1 PR office.
For media enquiries: –
Caroline Phalakatshela
Publicity Specialist – Video Entertainment
072 382 2032/ phalakatshelamc@sabc.co.za
Johannesburg, 2nd July 2021 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has learnt with sadness of the untimely passing of actor and businessman, Mutodi Neshehe on Thursday, 1 July 2021.
Mr Neshehe was a well-known face to SABC2 viewers for his role as Ndalamo Mukwevho on the popular soapie Muvhango. Other SABC TV productions that he appeared on are Skwizas, 7de Laan, Generations The Legacy and Mamello.
He also featured in the season 4 of a dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing which was broadcast on SABC2 in 2008. The SABC sends its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and industry colleagues of Mr. Mutodi Neshehe.
Mr. Neshehe will be missed for his professionalism, dedication, and commitment to the craft.
For media enquiries:
Caroline Phalakatshela
Publicity Specialist – Video Entertainment
072 382 2032
Johannesburg – Monday, 28 June 2021 – At public hearings held by ICASA today, the SABC welcomed draft regulations requiring that Multichoice and other pay-TV operators may only carry SABC channels “subject to commercially negotiable terms”.
Leading the SABC team, GCEO Madoda Mxakwe said:
“This Must Carry regulatory review process is vitally important not only because our industry has fundamentally changed in the last 13 years but also because ICASA is seeking to correct ‘a regulatory wrong’ first made in 2008.”
In 2008 ICASA’s Must Carry regulations had left out the phrase “subject to commercially negotiable terms”, without any justification for deviating from the language of the statute. The regulations were never changed and have required the public broadcaster to provide its three expensively produced channels to pay-TV operators for free for the last 13 years.
ICASA’s current draft regulations have finally corrected this omission and allow the SABC to exercise its statutory right to commercially negotiate carriage fees for its channels.
The SABC committed to ICASA that universal access remained an ongoing public mandate requirement for the public broadcaster. Mxakwe noted that the three SABC channels are now simultaneously accessible on several free, non-subscription platforms. These include satellite via Openview and Sentech, on DTT via Sentech and streaming via TelkomOne, Viu and others.
Mxakwe said:
“The SABC regards its Universal Access obligations as an ongoing, sacred and non-negotiable public mandate that does not end simply because it may have been achieved on a multiplatform basis”.
“It is therefore unfortunate that Multichoice has sought to portray SABC’s statutory right to have the law correctly applied as having a ‘purely commercial’ motivation and that SABC wants to ‘sidestep its public broadcasting mandate in favour of its financial interests’. This is an extraordinary, unsubstantiated and untrue claim. The public broadcaster is simply seeking to exercise a legitimate statutory right to negotiate carriage fees which has been denied to it for 13 years”.
Multichoice had previously claimed that the “purpose of Must Carry is not to create a revenue stream for SABC”. Mxakwe responded that Multichoice had ignored the language of the legislation which clearly envisaged commercial negotiations.
“We ask the Authority today – if there is to be no revenue from the carriage of SABC channels, what would be the purpose of commercial negotiations?”
That said, the SABC’s over-dependence on commercial revenue is no secret and the public broadcaster has made submissions to government on increasing government grants and introducing a public broadcasting household levy. But this dependence on commercial revenue is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Mxakwe said:
“The SABC cannot sit on its hands and fail to protect the interest of the Corporation while lengthy policy and regulatory processes unfold. The Board and management of the SABC have a fiduciary duty to ensure that the long-term interests of the Corporation are protected. This includes the lawful exercise of the SABC’s commercial rights”.
The SABC presentation to ICASA demonstrated that, in terms of overall audience numbers as at March 2021, twenty of the top thirty most-watched programmes on DStv were SABC programmes. While the presence of SABC channels on the DStv platform were often not the primary reason for subscriber take-up, Mxakwe said it was clear that:
- The growth, retention and targeting of so-called “mass market subscribers” is a core commercial strategy for the Multichoice Group;
- SABC’s programming has the highest audience numbers on the DStv platform; and
- This programming is a material factor in the growth, retention and targeting of mass market subscribers.
Mxakwe said:
The Authority should also note that nearly one-fifth of the cost of SABC programming is funded by public funds (via licence fees and government grants). It is clearly iniquitous for the largest video entertainment company on the African continent to be guaranteed free content that has been partially funded by the public. In effect, you have a public broadcaster and public funds partially subsidising the programming costs of the largest video entertainment business in Africa. This is not sustainable. Nor is it fair”.
The SABC opposed MultiChoice’s proposal that “the Authority place the proposed amendments to the Must Carry Regulations on hold pending policy certainty”.
Mxakwe said:
“After 13 years of SABC enduring an unfair, ultra vires regulation, it would not be in the public interest to place these draft regulations on hold, potentially for another few years. The regulations should be amended as soon as possible to align with the Act – as an interim solution – with a sunset clause to scrap regulations once policy and the enabling legislation changes”.
END
Issued By: Group Communications
Media Enquiries: Ms. Gugu Ntuli (Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)
NtuliGM@sabc.co.za|T. 011 714 3311|C. 071 877 0513
Johannesburg – Thursday, 24 June 2021 – Tonight the South African Broadcasting Corporation, will be hosting a live broadcast of the official launch of its Sports Channel, following the successful soft launch of its 24 Hour Sports Channel on the SABC DTT service, the Openview set-top-box and the TelkomONE mobile streaming platform in April 2021. This launch will also feature Team SAs announcement of the second team squad for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games on the Sports Channel.
The event will be live on SABC Sport Channel on Openview 124, the SABC’s DTT service and TelkomONE’s mobile platform from 19:00.
In addition, the public can also view the launch live on Youtube on SABC Sport Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CfGWDqEe40.
The live broadcast of Team SA’s announcement of the second team squad for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games will be carried on the public broadcaster’s free to air channel SABC 2 at 20h00.
The official hashtags for the event are #SABCSportLaunch and #RememberTheUnforgettable
Mr. Gary Rathbone – GM: SABC Sport stated that “SABC Sport has always been the ultimate sporting home to the nation and has brought to South Africa unforgettable sporting events over the years. We are excited that as SABC Sport we will be part of the historic moment of unveiling the athletes who will be proudly representing the nation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. For the public broadcaster, we are aware of the role we also play in touching the hearts and minds of the public. Through the events we showcase on the SABC platforms, we want to inspire up-and-coming athletes in the various sporting disciplines to reach for their dreams”.
Mr. Rathbone further commented “Our newly launched Sports channel on the DTT, Openview and TelkomONE platforms, must also be commended. Since the Channel became operational in April this year, its audience figures have been positive, with latest TAMS figure showing a total reach of over 2 million, a 5 % share of the National Television Market. On Openview alone, the channel has established itself amongst the top 10 on the bouquet, with a total reach of over 1.4 million, representing a 24% share of the Openview market. This is really positive start for an exciting new Sport Channel that South Africans will be able to access without needing to pay a subscription”.
The SABC Sport Channel is committed to providing compelling and exciting local and international sporting content for all sports loving South Africans.
END
Issued By: Group Communications
Media Enquiries: Ms. Gugu Ntuli (Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)
NtuliGM@sabc.co.za|T. 011 714 3311|C. 071 877 0531
Johannesburg, 22nd June 2021 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has learned with sadness of the untimely passing of actor Luzuko Nteleko on Monday 21st June 2021 at the age of 36.
Mr. Nteleko appeared in several SABC productions such as Muvhango, Gauteng Maboneng, Isidingo, Keeping Score, Mfolozi Street, Streets of Mangaung, and Zone 14.
In joining the industry in mourning the loss of another talented actor the SABC sends its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and industry colleagues of actor Luzuko Nteleko.
Mr. Nteleko will be missed dearly for his dedication and commitment to the craft.
For media inquiries:
Caroline Phalakatshela
Publicity Specialist – Video Entertainment
072 382 2032
Johannesburg, Tuesday, 22 June 2021-The South African Broadcast Corporation (SABC) radio station SAfm, would like to announce the resignation of its afternoon lifestyle show host, Ms. Phemelo Motene. Ms. Motene joined SAfm in July 2019 as an anchor of ‘SAfm Life Happens’ which is broadcast weekdays from 13:00 – 15:00. Ms Motene began her radio career in 1999 as a newsreader on Metro Fm, known then as Radio Metro. Shortly after joining the station, she took over from Romeo Khumalo as the weekend lunchtime host before leaving to a more demanding television job two years later. She thereafter joined Generations where she played Khensani Moroka, a lead role that was dearly loved by audiences until her departure in 2004. Her radio experience includes presenting The Weekend Breakfast on 702 as well as producing talk radio shows for broadcasting veterans like Jenny Cwrys Williams and Bruce Whitfield and the executive producer of the popular Friday Stand Ins.
Ms. Motene will be leaving SAfm at the end of June to pursue an opportunity outside of the SABC and KG Moeketsi will be standing in until a replacement is finalised.
The station would like to wish Ms. Motene well on her future endeavors. She is well versed in the radio talk show fraternity and we really value her contribution to the station and its listeners. SAfm will in due course announce the new anchor of ‘SAfm Life Happens’ and will keep its listeners informed of any further developments – Fortune Combo Acting Business Unit Manager, Kina Nhlengethwa.
END
Issued By: Group Communications
Media Enquiries: Ms. Gugu Ntuli (Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)
NtuliGM@sabc.co.za|T. 011 714 3311|C. 071 877 0531
Johannesburg, Friday, 18 June 2021-The SABC regrets to inform the public that the free-to-air broadcast of the upcoming Springbok Rugby inbound tour matches, including next month’s British and Irish Lions Tour, will not be possible due to rights restrictions imposed by Supersport. The public should be aware that Springbok matches are defined as national sporting events by ICASA and that free-to-air broadcasters are mandated by the regulator to make these events available.
However, Supersport has imposed restrictions on the SABC that would limit its broadcast of the inbound tours matches to SABC1, 2 and 3 but only via “terrestrial free to air television” platforms. This means that the broadcast and streaming of the games on SABC channels via other platforms such as Openview and via mobile and OTT, is prohibited by Supersport.
The SABC believes that the viability of the new SABC Sports channel is dependent on its simultaneous distribution via several different platforms, including DTT, OpenView and TelkomOne. The Supersport restrictions would make this impossible.
The restrictive imposition of unfair sublicensing conditions by the dominant player was one of the key problems raised by the SABC which ICASA has unfortunately failed to deal with in its new Sports Rights regulations.
The SABC maintains that Supersport-imposed sublicensing restrictions are prejudicial to the SABC and its commercial partners as they limit the reach of the games to platforms decided upon by Supersport. These restrictions also go against the spirit of the current broadcasting regulations that seek to ensure that all South Africans can access South African national sporting events, regardless of the platform or channel.
The SABC has requested that the restrictive clauses be removed but unfortunately this has not been accepted by Supersport. Therefore, it has not been possible to reach an agreement to bring these Springbok matches to SABC screens. It is the SABC’s view that attempting to place sublicensing limitations on which platforms SABC can broadcast or stream content is anti-competitive and directly undermines the public broadcaster’s mandate to provide free access to national sporting events to all South Africans.
END
Issued By: Group Communications
Media Enquiries: Ms. Gugu Ntuli (Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)
NtuliGM@sabc.co.za|T. 011 714 3311|C. 071 877 0531
Johannesburg, Wednesday, 16 June 2021-The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) welcomes a total of 89 nominations for the Radio Awards 2021.The Corporation is pleased that its radio portfolio has once again proved that the public service broadcaster’s radio programming remains excellent and dependable.
This year’s number of nominations also bears testimony to the credibility and sustainability of the Corporation’s radio portfolio. The Group Executive of SABC Radio, Ms Nada Wotshela stated that “We are delighted that our radio brands and personalities continue to be recognized as the best in the industry. This is affirmation for the good work that our management at stations’ level, content producers, presenters and everyone involved with the production value chain, delivers on a daily basis. I would like to congratulate each and every show and employee nominated this year, and encourage everyone to continue doing their best in discharging our public service mandate”.
These nominations are proof that SABC radio stations remain true to their public service mandate while delivering entertaining and relevant programming to all South African citizens in their indigenous languages.
For the full list of the nominations, kindly see the attached document.
END
Issued By: Group Communications
Media Enquiries: Ms. Gugu Ntuli (Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)
NtuliGM@sabc.co.za|T. 011 714 3311|C. 071 877 0531
Johannesburg – Monday, 14 June 2021 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) would like to alert the public of a scrolling message appearing on all SABC television channels (SABC 1, 2 and S3), broadcast through analogue TV transmitters.
The primary purpose of this message is to alert the public of the impending analogue switch off and the need to change to alternative digital technologies for television viewing. This is in keeping with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement during this year’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), wherein he pronounced that all analogue transmissions will be switched off by April 2022.
This message will only appear on analogue television platforms and not on our digital platforms (i.e. DTT, DTH, DSTV, OpenView and OTT platforms).
The scrolling message reads as follows:
“This analogue broadcast service will be switched off permanently. To continue receiving this and other high-quality broadcast services, visit your nearest post office to enquire and to register for a government-subsidized digital decoder. WhatsApp 060 062 5458 or call 0860 736 832 for more information”.
The message will run for one week a month until the end of March 2022. The SABC will endeavour to keep the public informed as and when new developments occur.
END
Issued By: Group Communications
Media Enquiries: Ms. Gugu Ntuli (Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)
NtuliGM@sabc.co.za|T. 011 714 3311|C. 071 877 0531
