I asked all South African broadcasters, TV channels and pay-TV operators for a special 2012 festive, end-of-the year message to reflect on the year that was, look forward to what might be in store for 2013 and to share any and all that they might want to tell their viewers, subscribers, and all stakeholders about their television business for the year past - and the year ahead.
Below are all of their responses.
The channel management of SABC1 would like to express its sincere gratitude to the continued support of our audiences, talent, our content suppliers, media and advertising partners who have continued to support this brand in the current year.
Despite the challenges experienced by the channel as the industry continues to fragment both in terms of the audience base and revenue share, SABC1 has continued to be the most viewed channel with a daily audience of over 20 million viewers with the channel consistently delivering the top ten most watched television programmes. This continued dominance affirms the channel's brand promise as Mzansi's Original Storyteller, crafting content that resonates with and inspires South Africa.
Generations continues to deliver an audience base in excess of 60% audience share per night at 20:00. The channel's daily drama offering at 20:30 that included programmes like the new Shakespeare in Mzansi series Dreaming in Jozi and Room 9 bore testimony to the channel's committment to originate new fresh South African stories and support the local industry and talent.
From an entertainment point of view, the channel was proud to launch our first ever interactive technology-based programme, Zone'd, that allowed the normal South African viewer from all corners of the country to co-create content withthe channel by uploading their own videos shot on mobile phones. In this year we revived our popular dance programme Turn It Out and brought back an old favourite All You Need is Love back to the screen. Our popular documentary slate continued to enthral and educate South Africa about its history with the popular Robert Sobukwe series Why Are We So Angry, My World as well as the series that celebrated the positive impact various women leaders have had in our lives in the I Am, We Are series.
As we move towards 2013, the channel promises to deliver a more exciting schedule starting with the African Cup of Nations from 19 January until 10 February 2013. The channel will also launch new seasons of our successful dramas Skeem Saam and Intersexions alongside new dramas like Hustle and Mawaza on Friday night at 20:30. Next year promises to be an even more exciting year with great empowering, exciting, informative content that resonates with our target market.
Leo Manne
Acting SABC1 channel head
For SABC2, 2012 has been a year of reflection and stocktaking. We recently bid a sad farewell to the iconic Afrikaans newsreader Riaan Cruywagen, who, after a career of 47 years at the SABC, decided to retire.
After 20 years on SABC2, Noot vir Noot continues to draw massive audiences. Muvhango celebrated 15 years of broadcast and Morning Live 13 years.
SABC2 reported some programming highlights: after a successful run of 10 years Stokvel came to an end. SABC2, where everyone feels at home, also brought South Africans the 2012 London Olympic Games. SABC2 comedies, Ga Re Dumele and Stokvel walked away with some Safta Awards.
Bessie Tugwana
SABC2 channel head
On behalf of SABC3 I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in the media who has supported us this year in which SABC3 has become the most watched TV channel in South Africa in daytime (05:00 to 18:00 in LSM 7-10, with an average share of 13,9% Mondays to Sundays, and 15,5% Mondays to Fridays.
The channel broadcast a range of premium content with signature properties Isidingo and Days of Our Lives, Survivor and Amazing Race which continue to dominate the channel's top 10.
New international content included popular variety formats The Voice and The Sing Off, dramas such as The Good Wife, Numb3rs and The Mentalist, retro dramas, notably MacGyver and Mission Impossible, as well as blue chip documentaries in the form of National Geographic and the popular Dr. Oz.
As we look forward to 2013 may we wish you a blessed time over the festive period with family and loved ones and every success in the year to come.
Ed Worster
SABC3 channel head
2012 ends on a high note; the channel viewership has grown by 2,6%. It is leading growth ahead of all terrestrial TV channels and it is ahead of total viewership which is 1,2%. It has been a great year and we are excited about 2013 and ready for all that it has to offer.
Our diverse content portfolio, from drama to reality, factual programming and current affairs programmes were real strengths this year. In true e.tv style we are always willing to raise the bar and are bold enough to roll out creative brand interaction opportunities set to solidify our position in the market and strengthen relationships with our viewers. Through strategic market research we will continue to provide fresh, original content which addresses the issues faced by ordinary South Africans.
South Africa has a vibrant television industry and as a key player we need to ensure that we stay ahead of all trends and continue to satisfy the growing appetite for original high quality local and international content. We will continue to capitalize on South Africa's rich social, economic and political climate to elevate our programming offering.
We kick off 2013 with a refreshed brand image which is a clearer expression of the channel's vision to inspire free thinking and to celebrate the diverse South African cultural landscape. 2013 is also a special year because the channel will celebrate a hige milestone - 15 years of being the only free-to-air commercial TV station in South Africa.
Over the years the channel's remarkable growth has seen it become a major force in the South African broadcasting industry and we remain grateful to all our loyal viewers who have contributed to this growth.
As we prepare for a multi-channel environment, it is crucial that we stay plugged into what our viewers need and broaden our content portfolio by being more innovative. This requires development of new ideas and talent; it also means taking more calculated creative risks.
Monde Twala
e.tv channel head
2012 has been a remarkable year in the history of M-Net - Africa's leading television network.
Being a passionate and innovative content provider, everything we do revolves around bringing our viewers the best entertainment possible. That's why our family of channels expanded like never before this year.
The company launched eight new genre-based movie channels, two dedicated music channels (Mzansi Music and kykNET Musiek) as well as several AfricaMagic channels, of which two - AfricaMagic Entertainment and AfricaMagic Movies 1 - now also keep South Africa viewers updated with what's happening on the continent.
In total, M-Net is now the custodian of more than 40 channels, aimed at diverse African audiences - quite a feat for any television operator.
On top of that, we created dozens of fantastic shows for a variety of channels, as well as watercooler showstopper such as Idols, Big Brother StarGame and MasterChef. Idols Season 8, a co-production between M-Net and Mzansi Magic, delivered the highest Idols SA viewership figures ever, while Big Brother StarGame became the most interactive show in the stable. It had Africa buzing on the social media networks, with hundreds of thousands of tweets and more than 900 000 likes on Facebook.
Furthermore, M-Net's corporate social investment brand, M-Net Cares, made a difference where it's needed most. Our M-Net Cares projects include upgrades at several schools where basic fascilities were lacking and we are extremely proud of the M-Net Naledi initiative, which teaches grade three learners the joy of reading. This year, M-Net Naledi not only included more schools in more provinces; it also reached out to the Sive School for the Deaf.
Salutations to all of the passionate behind-the-scenes magic-makers at M-Net, whose boundless creativity and dedication led to many success stories, who excelled with our new ventures, and who ensured that existing products remained in shipshape form.
A huge thank you to all our international and local suppliers as well as the production companies and on-screen stars that kept the magic flowing. We're proud to know that our channels have been the home of top-performing series, those shows that raked in accolades at international awards ceremonies, such as the Golden Globes and Emmy Awards.
On the local front, many of our channels have also initiated award ceremonies to honour the best in the business. Congratulations again to the winners of the Channel O Music Video Awards, the kykNET Fiestas, the MK Awards and the kykNET Silwerskerm Awards.
The most important charm attached to the chain of magic, however, is our viewers. Thank you for welcoming us into your homes and hearts. We look forward to sharing more unforgettable moments with you in 2013.
Wherever you are, enjoy every minute of the holiday season. We're wishing you a magical time in the company of loved-ones, now and into the new year.
Koo Govender
M-Net Director: Corporate Marketing and Communications
Collins Khumalo
MultiChoice South Africa CEO
Reflecting on 2012 for TopTV, I think the word "eventful" best sums up the year for us!
I took over as interim CEO in February and it's been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride since then. We've enjoyed a number of highs - including the launch of the first and exclusive prepaid payment option for pay-TV in South Africa, the introduction of three new local productions and providing the exclusive platform to showcase top international programmes such as The Walking Dead and new channels including Setanta Action and Tshwane TV.
On the downside we took the decision at the end of October to place TopTV in business rescue as a safeguard while seeking an equity partner.
With more than 50 channels that offer a variety of international and local programming to entertain our viewers 24/7, we are hard at work to ensure that this continues into the New Year.
Eddie Mbalo
TopTV interim CEO
