Goodbye SABC. I can break the news and reveal that M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) has picked up the broadcasting rights to the Royalty Soapie Awards 2015.
Mzansi Magic will be the broadcast partner of the Royalty Soapie Awards set to take place for a second year, later this year, after a difficult first try in 2014.
In 2014 the SABC showed the first Royalty Soapie Awards more than a month after it already took place in March 2014 and dumped the broadcast of the Royalty Soapie Awards on SABC1 in a late-night timeslot just before the Easter weekend in April.
The SABC was probably unhappy with having to promote M-Net and Mzansi Magic's popular Isibaya soap which won the most awards during the awards evening aimed at honouring soap and telenovela productions.
There was further controversy since e.tv pulled both its soaps Rhythm City and Scandal! from the first Royalty Soapie Awards, citing a lack of transparency over the voting and judging process, with the organisers refusing to reveal who are actually judging the awards.
There was further controversy since e.tv pulled both its soaps Rhythm City and Scandal! from the first Royalty Soapie Awards, citing a lack of transparency over the voting and judging process, with the organisers refusing to reveal who are actually judging the awards.
Now the Royalty Soapie Awards 2015 has found a new TV home.
It instantly raises questions as to whether SABC soaps - like the new Generations The Legacy - will not only feature, but whether its soap stars will appear (or be allowed to appear), walking the red carpet and accepting awards should some of the public broadcaster's soaps win.
The Royalty Soapie Awards was started in 2013 as a new genre-specific awards ceremony set to honour soap opera television in South Africa, but behind-the-scenes infighting between the organisers Winnie Modise and Sindile Zulu, as well as other problems, saw it postponed to 2014.
