by Thinus Ferreira
Gary Rathbone has quit as head of SABC Sport after two years, with the South African public broadcaster confirming that he is leaving at the end of the month.
"During his two-year tenure, Gary Rathbone made a significant contribution to SABC Sport's content offering," the SABC says in a statement. "He was particularly instrumental in the launch of its 24.7 SABC Sport channel."
"The SABC wishes Gary Rathbone well in his future endeavours," the broadcaster says.
As SABC Sport boss Gary Rathbone had vocal barbs at MultiChoice and SuperSport for their unwillingness to resell sports rights, with MultiChoice and SuperSport unwilling to let the sport content stream on the SABC Sport's digital channel version on eMedia's Openview and TelkomONE.
Gary Rathbone said it was his mission to bring more local boxing, tennis and other local South African sports to the channel, with SABC Sports that clinched deals to bring ESPN basketball to the channel over the past two years.
Since SABC Sport launched as a TV channel, viewers have constantly complained, and continue to, about not knowing what's showing and what's on, not having access to a proper, correct and updated SABC Sport programming schedule, late and irrelevant notifications, as well as vague promises of coverage which - comes broadcasting time - is then not available.