At least 13 SABC staffers allegedly took bribes in pay-for-play payola; facing disciplinary hearings for illegal dealings with musicians.

At least 13 staffers are allegedly involved in taking pay-for-play bribes - known in the industry as "payola" - as well as other illegal dealings and are facing disciplinary hearings at the South African public broadcaster.

City Press on Sunday reported that more than a dozen SABC staffers are implicated in various illegal practices, including payola, with SABC music compilers who took money directly from artists in return for their music being playlisted on the various SABC platforms.

The SABC music compilers allegedly went to a workshop organised by Arthur Mafokate and there allegedly took money. Arthur Mafokate reufsed to comment.

More than 15 South African artists confessed they've paid bribes to SABC music compilers for their music to be played.

SABC music compilers allegedly received payment from artists for their music to be playlisted and broadcast on air.

Loss-making SABC to increase royalty tariff paid to South African artists for needletime on its radio stations and TV channels from 3.2% to 4%.

The loss-making SABC on Thursday announced that the South African public broadcaster will increase the royalty tariff paid to artists for music content played on the SABC's 18 radio stations and TV channels from 3.2% to 4%.

The announcement of an increase in pay-outs is great news for local established and new South African musicians who will benefit from a bigger payout every time their music is played on public South African airwaves.


The news comes on the back of the SABC's recent decree by its chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng of a 90% local music content quota across all 18 of its radio stations that was widely welcomed by South African artists.

The royalty tariff will increase from 3.2% to 4% for artists registered with the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAPRA), Independent Music Performance Rights Association (IMPRA) and the Association of Independent Record Companies (ARIC).

Still problematic however is that besides these four organisations, there's a lot of South African artists who are not registered with any of these bodies.

Also still troubling, is that many South African artists are still waiting on millions of rands in royalty back payments that's not been made.

South African artists also complain about problems regarding effective monitoring and reporting of needletime (which in turn negatively impacts on subsequent payouts).

The increased royalty tariff means more money for South African musicians' pocket but also more money that will have to be paid by the SABC.

The public broadcaster made a loss of R395 million in its latest reported financial year, and recently dramatically announced that it wants to start four new "language-based" TV channels, each of which will cost around R500 million to set up and operate.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said the SABC is going to pay R1 billion to especially new and emerging local TV producers to create TV content for these channels but didn't specify where the astronomical amount of money is coming from.

"This move [to increase the royalty tariff] is meant to stimulate the music industry, through creating jobs and unearthing new talent. The SABC also wants to restore the dignity of creatives to move away from a situation of creatives in the music industry dying as paupers," says Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"We're thrilled as SAMPRA by the bold decision taken by the SABC to beat the 3% rate set by the courts and up it to 4%," says Sean Watson, SAMPRA chairperson.

"We are very excited and looking forward to artists' lives changing. We have waited for 30 years for this," says Arthur Mafokate, SAMRO representative.

"On behalf of IMPRA and AIRCO, we are embracing and remain committed and grateful of the announcement from the SABC about 4% needle time payments to us as record companies," says Dodo Monamedi, chairperson of AIRCO and IMPRA.

Besides the increased payout the SABC is also setting money aside to pay a once-off honorarium in July to local South African musicians like Babsy Mlangeni, Steve Kekana and Letta Mbuli.

Africa News Network 7 (ANN7) will launch on MultiChoice's DStv on 21 August as South Africa's 3rd 24-hour TV news channel.

Africa News Network 7, or ANN7 will start on MultiChoice's DStv channel 405 as I've already reported, on 21 August, the new TV news channel from Infinity Media announced today.

ANN7 which embarked on a massive recruitment drive for staff - including technical crew as well as on-air talent as TV with Thinus reported in June, has already attracted some top level on-air talent such as Chantal Rutter Dros from M-Net's Carte Blanche investigative news magazine show who will be a primetime news anchor on ANN7.

It means that a massive TV news tsunami is heading South African viewers' way - but only for those who can pay. South Africa's TV news wars for eyeballs will intensify as the existing and well-regarded eNCA (DStv 403) in one month gets more competition from the addition of both SABC News (DStv 404) and ANN 7 (DStv 405).

All three South African TV news channels are however only viewable on DStv, leaving On Digital Media's TopTV out in the cold, as well as ordinary SABC license fee paying viewers on free-to-air who don't have access to subscription television.

While Chantal Rutter Dros will be the anchor of ANN7 Headlines and ANN7 Prime, she will be joined by another former M-Netter such as Gerry Rantseli-Elsdon who will be the presenter of Vuka Africa.

They are two of the over 150 people now attached to the ANN7 news channel which will make its debut on Wednesday 21 August from what ANN7 calls "the most technologically advanced news channel in South Africa".

ANN7 boasts that it will have "the latest newsroom automation systems, cutting edge electronic news gathering technology and a network of sharp, young journalists and experienced editors who will give a fresh perspective to the TV viewers of the country".

ANN7's 21 August launch comes shortly after the SABC relaunched their attempt at a 24-hour TV news channel following the failure of SABC News International in 2010 when SABC News (DStv 404) started last week.

SABC News, eNCA (DStv 403) and now ANN7 means that South Africa's TV news channels have jumped in one month from one to three.

ANN7 will bring South African viewers news and politics, sports, business and entertainment news.

The ANN7's website at www.ann7.com quietly went live a few weeks ago as the news team started a testing dry-run for the upcoming launch. The ANN7 website will try to lure viewers in online, similar to the eNCA's website at www.enca.com.

Other TV talent who will be seen on ANN7 from the news channel's headquarters in Midrand include Arthur Mafokate who will be the presenter of a new weekly flagship ANN7 sports programme entitled Hola Weekend and Jimmy Manyi who will be doing a weekly hard talk show Straight Talk similar to the BBC World News' HARDtalk and the eNCA's Justice Factor.

"I am looking forward to presenting viewers with a channel that is unique in its profile and choice of programmes," says Nazeem Howa, the director at Infinity Media which is launching ANN7 to the tune of millions of rands, in a press statement.

"We look forward to welcoming ANN7 onto our DStv platform," says Collins Khumalo, MultiChoice South Africa CEO in the statement.

ANN7 will be available from 21 August on DStv Premium, DStv Compact, DStv Extra, DStv Family and DStv Access.

U Can Do It coming to SABC1 as yet another advertiser-funded reality show with Arthur Mafokate as presenter; will look to find new music group.

U Can Do It is coming to SABC1 from 7 May as a yet another advertiser-funded reality show (AFP) on the public broadcaster which will be looking to find another new South African music group.

Arthur Mafokate and surprise guest judges will be looking for dancers, singers, rappers and musicians in the new 13-episode series which is an advertiser-funded production similar to Tropika Island of Treasure 5 currently on SABC1.

In the reality show - an AFP promoting canned beverages - 25 contestants will enter a so-called "Can Do! Academy" - similar to the Popstars reality format which was on e.tv, as viewers see them undergo various challenges.

Contestants will experience vocal coaching, songwriting instruction, dance classes and image consultation.

At the end of each episode finalists will pick their weakest or least favorite contestant that they think must be voted out, after which the judges will make their decision.

The winning group gets R150 000 cash and a record deal from Universal Records.