Monday, August 10, 2009

The TV women who control what you watch


It's Woman's Day so let me share a little secret that VERY FEW people know or realize. When you watch television in South Africa you're remote control doesn't really have the power.
Women do.
In a record setting trend, most of our TV channels are controlled and run - as well as a lot of the content - by high powered women in (sometimes) high heels.
SABC1 has a man in charge at the top but that's where it stops.
SABC2's channel head is Bessie Tugwana.
SABC3's channel head is Mathe Mosito.
e.tv's channel head is Bronwyn Keene-Young.
M-Net's channel head is Patricia Scholtemeyer.
Some other women who LOVE television and are PERFECT for their jobs in TV?
Helen Smit (picture) who is the head of local content at M-Net, and Aletta Alberts (previously SABC2's channel head) who is the general manager: content at MultiChoice.
Then you still get powerful women in television like Debora Patta who runs eNews and the eNews Channel, and Patience Stevens whose Tswelopele Productions pumps out shows like Top Billing, Pasella and Top Travel.