''We're back in business.'' That's the words of the SABC to South African ad buyers and media planners who attended the SABC Television Sales' first new Upfront Roadshow held in years.
The public broadcaster that struggled through well-documented problems the past 2 and a half years, is adamant that its 3 TV channels are not only the best platform with the widest reach for advertisers but that the sales division is getting back on track with what it used to do best: informing ad buyers of the opportunities and on-air properties across the 3 TV channels and doing so well in advance.
''In many ways the SABC stopped a while back doing some of the things that made the broadcaster great,'' said Afzel Mohamed, the acting general manager of SABC Television Sales to expectant ad buyers and planners at the Upfront Roadshow where SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 unspooled their plans, schedules, changes and new and returning programmes for the upcoming months. ''We're here to say we're back, we've been back and we're getting back to what we did that worked,'' he said. ''We're going to talk more; we're going to communicate more about the terrific opportunities that exist across the SABC TV channels that offer by far the best value for money.''
Afzel Mohamed was back up by an in-person appearance by all 3 of the SABC's new TV channel heads who were appointed in an acting capacity since March - Leo Manne at SABC1, Pulane Tshabalala at SABC2 and Ed Worster at SABC3. All 3 were honest about their TV channels, their challenges but also showed what they're doing to correct, improve, move and create scheduling stability and opportunities for advertisers. Afzel Mohamed promised a return to regular Upfront Roadshow events for the broadcaster to talk to ad buyers and show what's going on on the channels, and said the next one would happen around July.
The SABC Upfront Roadshow created immediate buzz and ad buyers who attended approved. ''The last SABC television upfront we attended was a few years ago at then it all stopped. It's a great sign of improvement at the SABC that the broadcaster is bringing this back,'' said one. ''It's shows a degree of normalization at the SABC. The SABC is slowly breaking out of its cocooned shell again after the pummeling they took. This is a great sign.''
Another media planner present said: ''What makes me happy is that they're talking to us again. The SABC is realizing the opportunities it used before. It shows the broadcaster is thinking very strategically about marketing and sales again. It's a very, very good sign that on an operational level things are getting attention and are actually starting to improve.''
''There's still too many repeats and schedule disruption on all 3 the SABC channels that clients simply abhor,'' said another ad buyer, ''but it's great that the broadcaster actually has programming to show - and first-run programming. It's evident that were seeing the start of the SABC's comeback of sorts. It's a good thing.''
