by Thinus Ferreira
The South African public broadcaster says that its SABC News (DStv 404) channel now has an audience market share of 40% of the total news audience who tunes in to watch the TV news channels on MultiChoice's DStv service, and a 42%-share under digital terrestrial television (DTT) viewers.
"The SABC is once again thrilled to note the substantial growth that SABC News continues to register across its various platforms," the broadcaster says in a statement.
While SABC News ratings are up and SABC news consumption increase drastically because of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, eNCA still had the most-watched news show on pay-TV during April with Nightline that lured 1.503 million viewers for its most-watched edition on 23 April 2020.
eNCA is however facing harsh headwinds with ongoing and increasing self-inflicted scandals that is severely damaging the trust and credibility of the eMedia Investments' TV news channel supplied to MultiChoice's DStv.
In the latest widening eNCA scandal inflicting further damage on the Hyde Park based channel, the maligned eNCA morning anchors Xoli Mngambi and Jane Dutton have been missing from the airwaves for two days after a shocking and incendiary in-news commentary that angered viewers, following by an on-air apology that rankled a whole other group of viewers.
The SABC says that "the SABC News channel now leads the 24-hour news market in the country," citing latest ratings data from the Broadcast Research Council (BRC).
"Considering that four years ago the SABC News channel accounted for only 14.7% audience share, with the main competitor [eNCA, DStv 403] at 54%, the current performance data is a demonstration of growing public trust and confidence in the public news service," the SABC says.
"Additionally, Covid-19 coverage and targeted updates on the global pandemic certainly attracted audiences across SABC News platforms."
"As the country’s public news service, SABC News is unswerving in its independent and impartial journalistic ethos, whose obligation and loyalty is to the citizens," says Phathiswa Magopeni, the head of SABC news and current affairs.
"It continues to re-engineer itself to respond swiftly to the rapidly evolving news and information needs of the citizenry. This is crucial for public participation in enriching and strengthening the country’s democracy."
"It is through sheer determination and commitment of the public broadcaster’s journalists that we have been able to achieve this level and quality of performance."
"SABC News journalists continue to work diligently in exceptionally challenging circumstances, to ensure that the public news service delivers unquestionably on its mandate, and resolutely pursues its ethos in providing incisive watchdog public service journalism in South Africa."
In other ratings and viewership data the SABC notes that in terms of free-to-air TV news audiences in South Africa that 8 of the 10 most viewed news products nationally are broadcast on SABC1 and SABC2.
"That means SABC News contributes 80% of the Top 10 news broadcasts. IsiXhosa and IsiZulu news bulletins continue to lead the pack with more than 4.5 million viewers. The two news services have also started publishing their content on their SABC News YouTube microsites, Iindaba and Izindaba."
