e.tv to court again to demand further extension in South Africa's digital TV switch-over with 'devastating impact' warning for country's TV ratings

by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's umbrella TV broadcasters, together with organisations supporting public broadcasting, are back in court demanding the government push out the analogue TV signal switch-off deadline date looming at the end of March, warning about the "devastating impact" and the loss of a third of the country's total public TV audience overnight.

The SABC, e.tv and community TV stations collectively face the existential danger of the overnight loss of millions of viewers on 1 April when their ratings will plunge and with that their precious ad income.

The SOS Coalition and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) - organisations that lobby for the protection of public broadcasting - have now come on board and filed an affidavit in court supporting eMedia's e.tv that says it has once again been forced to go to court over the imminent switch-off date.

They say South African television risks losing almost a third of the entire remaining public access TV viewing audience overnight if analogue signals are cut in two months' time.

South Africa's last deadline date for the switch-off of analogue TV signals in the country's long-delayed digital migration process to digital terrestrial television (DTT) was 31 December 2024.

Last month, in another last-minute scramble, Solly Malatsi, minister of communications and digital technologies, hastily announced that the switch-off date would once again be pushed out by another three months to the end of March 2025.

But even these three months are not enough of a reprieve for the SABC, e.tv and community TV stations like Cape Town TV (CTV).

No money was budgeted for the DTT process beyond the end of last year and it is unclear where the department, parastatal signal distributor Sentech and others, will find the money for the current three-month extension that will cost millions more.

It costs the government and Sentech between R130 million to R160 million per year to transmit the same TV signal - for instance SABC1 or SABC3 - as both an analogue and a DTT signal, a process known as dual illumination.

Solly Malatsi is South Africa's 12th minister of communications and digital technologies overseeing the morass of the country's failed DTT migration process that has cost the country already over R12 billion over the past 10 years.

Last year the SABC told the department of communications and digital technologies that the public broadcaster would like the deadline to be extended by another year to the end of 2025. 

eMedia running the country's only commercial TV broadcaster e.tv didn't specify a specific extension date and said it isn't against the DTT process but that more time and a reasonable switch-off extension is required.

Now e.tv is once again taking the government to court over the disastrous DTT process and the latest deadline. 

The broadcaster already took the department to court previously and won in the Constitutional Court in 2022 over the DTT switch-off deadline.

Three years ago the court declared the then minister of communications' deadline of 30 June 2022 unconstitutional and recognised the massively adverse impact the switch-off then would have had on the public and the broadcasters.

Massive TV audience loss risk

On Friday SOS and MMA joined e.tv's latest court fight and lodged an affidavit at the High Court of South Africa in Pretoria, saying that although there's been yet another three-month DTT switch-off extension, that it is still not enough time to avert a South African public broadcasting disaster.

According to the groups' affidavit, the premature analogue signals switch-off on 31 March on the public, public broadcasting the SABC, community TV channels and e.tv would have a "devastating impact".

The groups are also upset about MMA and SOS "exclusion from regular consultations with broadcasters".

SOS and MMA note that if the government and Sentech were to flip the switches across the remaining provinces and kill analogue TV signals on 31 March 2025, "Poor and marginalised communities will be cut off from free-to-air television thus denying their right to access to information".

What will follow will be an immediate "Loss of advertising and sponsorship revenue for the SABC" with the groups warning that "The free-to-air audience will diminish from 55.1% of television household population to 26.6% of television household population". 

That will be 28.5% of the free-to-air audience - almost a third of South Africa's remaining public  TV audience that contribute to South Africa's television ratings - which will be gone overnight. 

"We are hoping that the High Court rules in the public interest as the Constitutional Court did in 2022," the groups say.

"We are also hopeful that the government will reconsider and postpone the analogue switch-off date of 31 March 2025 to ensure a proper roll-out of the set-top boxes (STBs) so that no South African

is left without access to television."

Battle to just get boxes

There are millions more South African TV households who either haven't had their free set-box box (STB) installed yet by the government as well as the "missing middle" who earn more than R3 500 and must buy one - although none exist in retail - and must still make the switch.

A shocking 467 000 poor households who have registered for the government-subsidised set-top boxes have not yet had these installed, with STBs gathering dust in locked South African Post Offices and Sentech warehouses.

This is also just the number of households the government is aware of and appears on its outdated database list. 

The department of communications and digital technologies has no idea how many people and TV households exist who are still making use of analogue TV and must pay to buy some type of bridging solution like MultiChoice's DStv, eMedia's Openview, a new DTT-enabled flatscreen TV set or some type of other STB.

This is also why the SABC wants to start its own satellite TV service, similar to Openview, to offer a type of pay-once solution to the "missing middle" to switch from analogue viewing to getting the SABC TV channels and radio stations through a decoder. 

The SABC says there are millions of these viewers in South Africa - TV households still on analogue who must pay for a STB but don't see the urgency or understand the need.

While e.tv refused to go along, kept its analogue signals on and was largely spared the devastating consequences of audience loss, the SABC that initially kept quiet and went along as the government turned its signals off in province after province over the past three years, saw its audience reach and ratings steadily diminish – something that the public has since called "devastating" and a "disaster".

Around 174 analogue transmitters across South Africa's most populated provinces - Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape - are still on.

Collectively these four provinces' TV households represent more than half of South Africa's total population.

In the vast majority of cases, one "TV household" on the country's TV ratings system (TAMS) has multiple viewers. 

Depriving these TV households of their TV access will immediately wipe them - and the programmes they watch - from being counted towards the overnight audience ratings of shows ranging from Uzalo on SABC1, Muvhango on SABC2 and Scandal! on e.tv.

Besides viewers cut off from TV news, current affairs and other educational programming, lower ratings will force broadcasters like the SABC and e.tv to immediately lower ad fees on their rate cards, which will lead to lower ad income, and lower overall revenue.

The same goes for community TV channels like CTV and others already fighting an uphill battle with exorbitant signal transmission fees.

The struggling SABC is already technically insolvent and battling an ongoing trend of multi-year traditional TV ratings erosion and can ill afford a massive audience plunge.

After 4 months without one, legal action looms over CEO's 'appointment' as SABC board.

by Thinus Ferreira

Today marks exactly four months of the unstable South African public broadcaster having no board, with public pressure groups saying they're preparing to go to court over the illegal move by the minister of communications, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, to appoint SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe to act as if he's the SABC board.

The former SABC board's term expired on 15 October 2022, with no replacement board in place. 

It follows after politicians serving on parliament's portfolio committee on communications waited too late to start the public process to interview for new board candidates, after which president Cyril Ramaphosa failed since December 2022 to rubberstamp the list of 12 names put forth by parliament excluding two contentious names involved in conflict of interests.  

According to Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, Madoda Mxakwe has suddenly been "designated by the minister of communications and digital technologies with the concurrence of the minister of finance as the board of the SABC" - a shocking move that the SOS Coalition and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) say they're "deeply concerned" about.

Uyanda Siyotula, SOS Coalition coordinator, says in a statement the "SOS Coalition and MMA believe the decision is unlawful and that the two ministers exceeded their powers".

"On a simple basis of good governance, it cannot surely be legitimate for one individual to be given board powers and make decisions that otherwise require 15 members of which 12 are non-executive members."

"The minister's assertion that the CEO is the board is at odds with even the most rudimentary elements of governing the SABC."

"It is the failure by parliament to fulfill its mandate in a timeous manner coupled with the president's failure to act swiftly to appoint the SABC board that has resulted in us being in a scenario where we now must contend with the absurdity of a CEO being the SABC board."

"The public was not informed of the decision when it was taken and its basis which raises further questions about the decision. The lack of transparency gives credence to rumoured political interference and orchestrated delay tactics in appointing the board," the SOS Coalition and MMA say.

According to them "there is currently no accountability and no oversight at the SABC because the current gimmicks do not amount to adequate governance".

"We know of at least two key decisions that have been taken in the absence of the SABC board. These include; a submission pertaining to the Analogue Switch Off (ASO) date due to the ministry on 27 January 2023. It is not clear who made the submission and on what basis it can be an SABC position when there was no Board."

"The public then learned of the launch of a 24-hour news channel in January 2023."

"Who oversees the implementation of the activities? Who is SABC management accountable to? Are the decisions being taken based on resolutions of the previous board and are they being implemented accordingly without deviation?"

According to Uyanda Siyotula the Broadcasting Act 13(13) doesn't make any provision for SABC executives to be appointed in the absence of the SABC board.

"Thus, we believe the appointment of the SABC CEO as the accounting authority is illegal and a breach of the Broadcasting Act."

"Seven weeks have passed since the president received the recommended names on 20 December 2022. We ask that the president proceeds to make appointments of the 10 candidates that aren't implicated as the board would still quorate."

"It is unacceptable to have the SABC be without a board for more than 16 weeks. The vacuum created by the absence of a board is causing further damage and deepening an entirely preventable crisis. SOS and MMA demand the urgent appointment of the SABC Board - in the public interest."

"SOS and MMA are currently taking legal advice and will act on an urgent basis if necessary."

Calling it 'despicable', Media Monitoring Africa's William Bird says the government's silence and inaction to bail out the South African public broadcaster looks like 'a direct attempt to crash the SABC'.

William Bird, director at the Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) says the South African government looks like it deliberately wants to "crash the SABC" by doing nothing and saying nothing about the billion rand government bailout that was promised to the public broadcaster but not received while the beleagued SABC is literally on the verge of seizing up and shutting down.

Treasury and the department of communications headed up by Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams as minister of communications have been silent as the SABC hovers on the edge of the biggest existential crisis in the South African public broadcaster's history.

William Bird was interviewed on Tuesday on the SABC's SAfm radio station after shocking revelations by the SABC board chairperson on Sunday and the SABC's chief financial officer on Monday that the broke SABC can't guarantee the payment of staff salaries in two weeks time at the end of June.

"It's despicable. They've known about this for well over a year, the SABC's deepening financial crisis, and the only conclusion you can possibly draw is that this is a direct attempt to crash the SABC," he said.

"It's not as though the SABC hasn't alerted parliament and Treasury and the department of communications to what's been going on."

On Sunday, Bongumusa Makhathini, SABC chairperson, warned that the SABC is finally on the verge of collapse with a blackout that could happen any moment.

"I’m not sure how we are going to pay for salaries come end of June," Bongumusa Makhathini said in a report in The Sunday Times.

The SABC that is perilously close to no longer broadcasting hasn't paid for municipal services like electricity at the end of May, choosing to rather pay SABC staff salaries. The SABC now owes the City of Johannesburg more than R13.5 million.

The SABC that is drowning in debt owes the parastatal signal distributor Sentech R317 million and MultiChoice's sports content division SuperSport over R208 million. Beyond that the SABC also owes millions to other content providers like independent South African production companies.

Nothing has so far come of the SABC's plea for a massive R6.8 billion in another government bailout.

On Monday, Yolande van Biljon, the SABC's CFO, warned in an interview with SABC News (DStv 404) that the beleaguered South African public broadcaster's "Day Zero can happen tomorrow" and refused to confirm that SABC staffers will be paid at the end of June.

Yolande van Biljon said that the SABC owes R1.8 billion to hundreds of companies.

On Tuesday Bemawu led by Hannes du Buisson and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) led by Aubrey Tshabalala, in a joint letter demanded an urgent meeting with the SABC board to ensure that SABC staffers will be paid at the end of this month.

Both Bemawu and the CWU demand to know what is happening with the long-delayed government bailout that Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, the current minister of communications, promised.

The SABC urgently needs a cash bailout of R3.2 billion to keep public broadcasting services going in South Africa, while Tito Mboweni, South Africa's minister of finance after his budget speech in February revealed that the SABC now needs a massive R6.8 billion in a government bailout.

William Bird said "In allowing this situation to get to the point where they're putting all of the people under such massive and unreasonable pressure just to perform their basic jobs, it's clearly something that is an effort to crash the SABC. It's really unforgiveable behaviour by the South African government."

"The problem of course is that it's the ordinary members of the public that will suffer and it's all of those thousands of people at the SABC who won't get paid. So it's tragic."

William Bird said "this really is something that they are deliberately allowing to get to that point of absolute crisis. And we've seen so many people resign".

"I think that's a clear effort to get rid of people who are doing their jobs and are seen doing their jobs, and the only leverage now is to cut the money".

The South African public broadcaster fires Chris Maroleng as SABC COO who plans to appeal his disciplinary and getting fired; says he's 'quite devastated' and his axing marks 'a low-point in my career' as he 'let down so many people who had placed so much trust in me'.

The South African public broadcaster on Tuesday afternoon fired Chris Maroleng as the chief operating officer (COO) of the SABC, with Chris Maroleng who plans to appeal his disciplinary hearing as well as his firing by the SABC board, saying he's "quite devastated"' and that his axing marks "a low-point in my career" as he "let down so many people who had placed so much trust in me".

Chris Maroleng's tenure as SABC COO lasted just over a year since he was appointed in January 2018 as chief operating officer to replace the fired Hlaudi Motsoeneng who was SABC COO before him.

The SABC in a brief statement on Tuesday afternoon said "The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) board met on Tuesday, 23 April 2019. After due consideration of the findings and recommendations of a disciplinary process, the board resolved to terminate the contract of employment of its chief operations officer, Chris Maroleng, with immediate effect".

Earlier this month Chris Maroleng was found guilty on 3 out of 4 charges, including gross negligence and breaching fiduciary duty, following a disciplinary inquiry against him that was started in late-2018.

The SABC also investigated the alleged protection of Chris Maroleng of Marchi Mahlalela, the SABC's former acting SABC Sport boss, who resigned from the SABC following her own disciplinary hearing.

Chris Maroleng reportedly used his SABC COO position to try and help Marchi Mahlalela getting hired at the South African Rugby Union (Saru) and going as far as allegedly writing a letter in his official capacity as SABC COO to confirm that Marchi Mahlalela was innocent of any wrongdoing.

Another charge involved appointing Carmen Schneider, a human resources staffer to Chris Maroleng's office to manage his turnaround management programme that he started and called "Sparkle".

The SABC said that Chris Maroleng ignored HR advice and gave Carmen Schneider an allowance of R15 000 to be the Sparkle project leader despite an agreement with the SABC HR boss, Jonathan Thekiso, that there would not be any changes to Schneider's terms of employment, contract and salary.

Chris Maroleng told Ray White on EWN in a radio interview on Tuesday evening that he plans to appeal the finding of the disciplinary committee, and is also considering appealing the decision of the SABC board to fire him.

Chris Maroleng said he feels "quite devastated" and that his firing marks "a low-point in my career".

"Most likely going to appeal this decision to dismiss," Chris Maroleng said.

He also said "it's personally, unfortunate for me to have let down so many people who had placed so much trust in me and my ability to turn around the SABC. For that I deeply regret and I'm sad that I was unable."

"I'm all my action at the SABC I didn't act out of self-interest, I didn't act to enrich myself."

On Tuesday night, Bongumusa Makhathini, SABC board chairperson in another interview, also on EWN, this time with Karima Brown, didn't want to say publicly what the South African public broadcaster charged Chris Maroleng with and what the findings were.

"Basically that becomes part of the details between us and the former COO. I don't think that would be fair of us to put that out in the public domain. Suffice for us to say that there were four charges and he was found guilty on three of the four".

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) welcomed the firing of Chris Maroleng from the SABC, with MMA director William Bird who told Jacaranda FM that "it sent a positive message about effective and transparent governance".

Right2Know calls for urgent, full and transparent investigation into possible state capture of South Africa's TV and broadcasting sector.

The Right2Know organisation (R2K) and public pressure group in an open letter is calling for an urgent, full and transparent investigation into how possible state capture of South Africa's TV and broadcasting sector, and how this alleged state capture has impacted broadcasting and public broadcasting in the country.

Right2Know, in its open letter, is urging Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, chair of the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture, to investigate what R2K refers to as "evidence and allegations of state capture and associated corruption in South Africa's broadcasting sector".

Lazola Kati and Dale McKinley of R2K say that R2K aligns itself with a previous submission done by the SOS Coalition and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) non-profit organisations and public pressure groups acting as media and broadcasting watchdog organisations in South Africa.

In September 2018 both SOS and MMA submitted a joint statement to the commission asking for an urgent investigation into the extent of state capture in South Africa's broadcasting sector.

R2K refers to "serious allegations in the public domain" as part of the reason for a full and transparent investigation that is needed into South Africa's broadcasting sector.

This in part relates to Naspers' MultiChoice pay-TV operator (that will be listing on the JSE at the end of this month), the notorious Gupta family's now-shuttered ANN7, the SABC as South Africa's public broadcaster, eMedia Investments' e.tv, Faith Muthambi as South Africa's former minister of communications and the department of communications.

Big unanswered questions remain around South Africa's seriously delayed and allegedly "hijacked" switch from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT), a process known as digital migration that has been fraught with delays, corruption, infighting and incessant changes.

Evidence "strongly suggests that various actors colluded to shape South Africa's broadcasting policy and sector to their advantage," says R2K.

This severely affected "ordinary South Africans' access to affordable and quality public media and telecommunications".

Delay of ANC-led government and parliament's portfolio committee in appointing new SABC board a gross dereliction of duty, 'acts of treason', says Media Monitoring Africa.

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) has slammed the delay by South Africa's government and parliament's portfolio committee on communications to appoint new SABC board members for the vacancies that have exited for months, as a gross dereliction of duty, a violation of their oath of office, and "acts of treason".

The beleaguered and unstable SABC - commercially insolvent according to the Auditor-General - continues to limp along months before the 9 May date for national elections in South Africa, with a gutted and inquorate SABC board following several resignations.

There's also been no word on when or if the SABC will get the new R3 billion bailout if needs to avoid complete financial collapse.

The lack of any actual visible progress to radically stabilise the SABC in terms of its finances, governance and management - with no real transparent communication as to what exactly is happening and not happening has led South Africa's TV and film industry to believe that the SABC is deliberately being kept unstable by the ANC-led government because of the looming national elections.

South Africa's 11th minister of communications in 11 years, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, and the chairperson of parliament's portfolio committee on communications, Hlengiwe Mkhize, seem to be missing-in-action as public servants as far as their task of stabilising the SABC is concerned.

Hlengiwe Mkhize, initially set out early-January 2019 for the process of interviews with potential SABC board candidates to start.

By mid-February nothing has happened, months after the SABC board became inquorate.

"The latest action by the portfolio committee to delay the appointment of new SABC board members, not only flies in the face of their promises to expedite the process, it constitutes a gross dereliction of duty and a violation of their oath of public office," says MMA non-profit organisation and public pressure group in a statement.

"In seeking to deepen the governance crisis at the SABC, they are deliberately seeking to destabilise our public broadcaster and our democracy."

"Their actions lead to two routes: one, we have an inquorate SABC board as we approach elections, and an SABC in financial crisis."

"Two, they seek to force the remainder of the SABC board to resign so they can appoint appoint an interim SABC board of lackeys and stooges."

"Both events have a similar outcome for our public broadcaster – its collapse as a public broadcaster, and a return to a state broadcaster. The only real difference between the options is the time it takes."

"As such, and having known full well of the impending crises, these latest actions could be seen not just as a gross violation of their public oath of office, but as acts of treason," says Media Monitoring Africa.

"That public representatives can act in this manner spits in the face of all who fought for freedom in South Africa. MMA is currently exploring all legal avenues and forms of recourse to help avert an elections crisis. All South Africans should be utterly revolted at this betrayal of our democracy."

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams in a weird one-size-fits-all holding statement on Saturday said "the minister is concerned about corporate governance, given the status of the SABC board, and is consulting relevant stakeholders, including National Treasury, on the best legal approach, given the current state of affairs" following her first meeting with the government bailout team working on a possible SABC bailout deal.

SABC denies rumours that scandal-damaged Real Talk on SABC3 is cancelled, says TV division is in a planning cycle and that no ideas around programming have been finalised.

The SABC on Saturday denied rumours that the scandal-riddled weekday talk show Real Talk on SABC3 is cancelled.

The SABC refuted the rumours that started on Friday on the same day that South Africa's broadcasting regulator held a public hearing in a case about the secret "paid-talk" controversy that earlier this year not just derailed and massively damaged the show but also inflicted reputational brand and credibility damage on the show and SABC3.

On Friday the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) held its hearing in a case brought by the SOS Coalition and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) after the SABC and Real Talk, produced by Cheeky Media, did secret and non-disclosed pay-for-play interviews earlier this year.

In December 2017 the SABC and Cheeky Media broadcast two episodes on SABC3 in which host Anele Mdoda interviewed and fawned over the caustic and controversial former minister of social development, Bathabile Dlamini as well as her publicist Lumka Oliphant for which the department paid and SABC took payment, without disclosing to viewers that they are watching paid for "talkomercials".

Taking payment from politicians for interviews, as well as taking payment for interviews without disclosing it to the public are against the SABC's own editorial policy. The SABC board got involved and met about the serious lapse that damaged the SABC's integrity.

Anele Mdoda abruptly quit Real Talk in June as viewership of the already low-rated show tanked further, with SABC3 and Cheeky Media that rebranded the show with the credible Azania Mosaka who took over in mid-June to see out the rest of the current season of Real Talk.

Neither Real Talk, Anele Mdoda or SABC3 ever directly addressed the controversial issue on air although a Real Talk producer said most brands pay to be on the show.

After the SABC admitted its mistake, the SOS Coalition and MMA lodged a complaint with the Complaints and Compliance Committee, in terms of section 17C of the Icasa Act of 2000, against the SABC as a violation of sponsorship regulations.

The public hearing on Friday gave rise to rumours later during the day on social media that Real Talk is cancelled.

Earlier in the week, in parliament Nomsa Philiso, the SABC's group executive for television, said that the struggling SABC3 channel will reposition itself yet again and will focus on "strengthening our talk".

Asked if Real Talk on SABC3 is cancelled, SABC spokesperson Neo Momodu in response to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus denied that Real Talk has been dumped and said that nothing about future programming on SABC3 or the SABC's other TV channels has been finalised.

"The SABC TV division is currently in its annual strategic review and planning cycle," said Neo Momodu.

"Whilst there may be a myriad of ideas and proposals on the table for all programming based on their current and future expected performance, to date nothing has been finalised. The strategies are currently undergoing internal approval processes".

Meanwhile SABC insiders and industry insiders - all with direct knowledge of how the SABC3 channel works - told TVwithThinus they have heard nothing and know nothing about a Real Talk cancellation.

The SABC's inquiry into SABC News editorial interference now open to the public, final report to be made public as well, after an out-of-court settlement with Media Monitoring Africa and the SOS Coalition.

The SABC that initially decided to keep testimony from various people before its inquiry into editorial interference at the South African public broadcaster's SABC News division private and secret has decided to open its inquiry to the public following an out-of-court settlement with Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) and the SOS Coalition, two non-profit civil society organisations.

Last week MMA and the SOS Coalition filed an urgent application in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, demanding that the SABC open its in-camera inquiry into editorial interference to the public.

"The issue of editorial independence at the SABC is of particular interest to the public given the fact that the SABC is obliged to report news fairly and objectively without undue political interference," the MMA and SOS Coalition argued in its court papers.

The MMA and SOS Coalition further demanded that the SABC must make the schedule and details public of when former and current SABC board members will be appearing before the SABC's inquiry into editorial interference.

MMA and the SOS Coalition also accused Dr Joe Thloloe, chairperson of the SABC's editorial interference inquiry, or reneging on his earlier promise that the inquiry that started on 2 July would be open to the public.

In a statement MMA and the SOS Coalition says that in the out-of-court settlement "the SABC agreed to open some parts of the inquiry to the public and the media".

"In terms of the agreement, written and oral submissions by the SABC's current or former board members and senior executives, and those of third parties will be open to the public and the media. Other staff members and whistleblowers will continue to be protected by the confidentiality that was promised when the inquiry was set up."

"Where a staff member wants his or her written submission to be public he or she is entitled to make their written submission public in their private capacity and/or to give interviews on the contents of their submissions, written or oral."

"Such individual staff members will be responsible for any legal or other consequences arising from the publication of their submissions and the SABC undertakes not to invoke any confidentiality or other similar clause in their employment contracts."

The full version of the final report prepared by the commission of inquiry will also be made public but the identities of confidential witnesses may be redacted from the final report.

The full transcript of all oral hearings conducted by the commission, except for those relating to confidential witnesses, will be made public as well, and the commission's schedule is to be open to the public as well.

"We are delighted that following the discussions all parties have reached an agreement that in our view allows issues of confidentiality to be protected but also ensures that some aspects can be open to the public," says William Bird, MMA director.

SOS Coalition coordinator, Duduetsang Makuse, says "Considering the much publicized turmoil that our public broadcaster has been on, as well as the long road of recovery that lies ahead, it was crucial that this process be open, transparent and inclusive of the South African public, to whom the SABC belongs".

Support Public Broadcasting (SOS Coalition) and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) files urgent court application demanding that Jacob Zuma appoints the new SABC board.

The public pressure group Support Public Broadcasting (SOS Coalition) and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) on Friday filed a joint application in the High Court in Johannesburg,demanding that South African president Jacob Zuma appoint the permanent SABC board within 48 hours.

The rudderless and cash-strapped SABC, deep in debt, posted a R977 million loss and continues to drift aimlessly without any SABC board since Jacob Zuma refuses to rubber-stamp the appointments sent to him a month ago by parliament.

With no board since the term of the SABC interim board lapsed, South Africa's minister of communications Ayanda Dlodlo who says she doesn't want any on the SABC interim board members to serve on the permanent SABC board, secretively delegated the accounting authority of the SABC board to current acting SABC CEO Nomsa Philiso.

This past Thursday Ayanda Dlodlo suddenly rushed to abruptly extend the terms of the executives who have been acting in all of the SABC's top executive positions.

Ayanda Dlodlo who has lost trust from South Africa's TV industry after promises to save, properly clean up and stabilise the SABC, extended the terms of Nomsa Philiso (acting SABC CEO), Bessie Tugwana (acting SABC COO) and Thabile Dlamini (acting SABC CFO) who will all continue in their acting roles with their acting appointment terms extended until the vacancies for these positions are filled on a permanent basis.

Meanwhile SABC staffers on the verge of revolt, are planning strike action and are demanding the removal of several alleged executives who are so-called "Hlaudi enforcers" like acting news boss Kenneth Makatees, Nothando Maseko and for an investigation into the appointment of Bessie Tugwana as acting COO.

There's now calls for an urgent parliamentary meeting to be held this coming week.

In their joint urgent court application, Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) and the Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS Coalition) is demanding that Jacob Zuma appoint the new permanent SABC board within 48 hours if he wants to avoid legal action.

Besides Jacob Zuma, the SABC, Ayanda Dlodlo, the Economic Freedom Front (EFF) political party and the SABC interim board are all listed as respondents.

"It is declared that Jacob Zuma's failure to appoint or/and undue delay in appointing the fifth to sixth respondents (interim board) as non-executive members of the SABC board is unlawful and unconstitutional," says MMA and SOS in the urgent court application.

"As a matter of law, the president has no discretion regarding whether to appoint SABC board members identified by the National Assembly. The only role for the president is to determine the chairperson and deputy chairperson from the board members identified by the National Assembly."

"This makes the delay in appointment, with respect, simply inexplicable."

If Jacob Zuma fails to appoint the SABC board on Monday 16 October, he will have to file a notice of intention to oppose the MMA and SOS Coalition court application by 17:00, and will have to file his answering affidavit by Tuesday 17 October.

SABC bans FF Plus leader Pieter Mulder from calling in to the Afrikaans radio station, RSG, after 'a request from above'.

The Freedom Front Plus political party says its leader dr Pieter Mulder was informed by the SABC that he and party officials are banned from radio call-ins and no longer allowed to participate in programmes like Praat Saam on the SABC's Afrikaans language radio station after "a request from above".

It's the latest alleged ban by the SABC to have South Africans hear the unfiltered opinions of radio callers.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago didn't respond to a media enquiry asking about the FF Plus allegation, and what name list the SABC uses or wants to use to ensure that callers are not members of or affiliated to a specific political party.

City Press and The Sunday Times on Sunday reported that the SABC ordered staff to censor listeners' comments and not to allow people calling in to do "electioneering".

In written instructions the SABC said "Communication has been sent to all radio stations to stop having open lines for this current period before the local government elections" and that this is done to protect "the SABC against anybody who could potentially use the platform for their own benefit and also use it for electioneering".

The South African broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has now been asked to investigate, and on Tuesday the EFF party attacked the SABC in parliament and tried to table a motion slamming the South African public broadcaster for censoring open call-in lines.

Dr Pieter Mulder says he has been banned from participating further on the programme Praat Saam with Lynette Francis, who is a journalist, on Radio Sonder Grense. He had fromtime to time phoned in and participated in the radio phone-in programme.

"This ban [is] blatant censorship, servitude of the public broadcaster to the ANC government and a contravention of the SABCs editorial policy," says dr Pieter Mulder in a statement, noting that he was informed in a letter from the SABC that "there is a request from above" that in light of the possible election, party political officials must no longer be accommodated in phone-in programmes.

"Without a comprehensive list of all political officials being available to every phone-in program in South Africa, such an instruction cannot be enforced," says dr Pieter Mulder.

"In practice only certain political parties and individuals such as myself are discriminated against. We all pay license fees to make it possible for the public broadcaster to accommodate all views – not only those views that suit the SABC".

The non-profit organisation Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) is slamming the SABC saying its open line call-in censorship decision limits freedom of expression and that it's "deeply concerning".

"Not only does this decision undermine SABC employees by suggesting that presenters and producers are unable to manage calls of a more political nature, particularly in the run up to the local government elections later in the year, but also by limiting freedom of expression, this decision undermines the South African constitution and the mandate of the SABC in promoting a diversity of views."

"What is also concerning  is that the banning  limits the SABC to the voices of only certain individuals with power. Rather the SABC, as the public broadcaster should serve all South Africans in their diversity."

"Another key concern is that editorial decisions such as these would not have been made if the public broadcaster had an up-to-date progressive, independent and innovative editorial policy in place."

"The fact that the SABC editorial policy review and updated polcieis are now 8 years overdue is not only embarrassing for the SABC but also speaks volumes about the commitment to their review and updating."

"The question we need to ask is in whose interest is the public broadcaster banning call-ins because without allowing South Africans' voices to be heard on its platforms, the SABC undermines both  freedom of expression and the citizens' right to participate in the country's democratic processes."

"This alleged decision calls for South Africans to demand an urgent investigation into these claims and call for the SABC to re-open their phones lines so that during this particularly crucial period of pre-elections our views, opinions, comments and voices can be heard," says the MMA.

SABC's archive access and SABC Encore and SABC News channels provided to MultiChoice's DStv is not a merger rules Competition Tribunal.

The Competition Tribunal of the Competition Commission of South Africa has found that the exclusive deal between the SABC and MultiChoice for archive access and creating public broadcaster TV channels for the DStv service is not a merger.

Caxton, the public pressure group SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) brought the case to the Competition Commission.

MultiChoice pays the SABC millions of rand to provide the SABC News (DStv 404)  and SABC Encore (DStv 156) channels to the DStv platform and the group argued that the mega-millions deal between the public broadcaster and the pay-TV behemoth constituted a merger.

The Competition Tribunal found that the contract entered into on 3 July 2013 "did not give rise to a notifiable merger in terms of the Competition Act".

"It was a major part of Caxton's case that the SABC had given up the rights to broadcast its valuable archive to its own viewers, not to mention precluding itself from licensing it to other broadcasters," says the Competition Tribunal.

The Competition Tribunal found that the original contract was changed three times and lessened the constraints from MultiChoice in regards to SABC archives access and diluted certain rights mentioned in the original contract.

"The agreement is too limited in scope to justify a conclusion that MultiChoice was assuming control over the SABC's business".

In a statement the SABC's chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng says "we are delighted by the ruling of the Competition Commission of South Africa on this matter, as it negates the malicious allegations that were doing the rounds that the SABC has sold the SABC archives whilst this was not the case".

"The SABC remains committed to continuously establish cordial and mutually benefitting relations with key stakeholders as well as other broadcasters for the benefit of the SABC audiences".

ANC: 'The SABC and MultiChoice deal is not in the best interest of the people of South Africa', keeps SABC 'a junior broadcaster to pay TV'.

The ANC is upset with its minister of communications Faith Muthambi and will meet with her today as the ruling political party in South Africa is now hugely concerned about about the highly controversial channels deal signed between MultiChoice and the SABC, saying "the SABC and MultiChoice deal is not in the best interest of the people of South Africa".

The ANC says the controversial deal forces the SABC to remain "a junior broadcaster".

The ANC also wants answers from Faith Muthambi and is hugely concerned about the minister's abrupt policy about-turn of non-encryption for the SABC in the looming switch to digital terrestrial television (DTT) in the country, saying the bad decision by Faith Muthambi will force the SABC to remain "a junior broadcaster to pay television" in South Africa.

On Monday night Jackson Mthembu, ANC National executive committee member and spokesperson, appeared on Justice Malala's The Justice Factor on eNCA (DStv 403), saying the ANC wants answers from Faith Muthambi on the controversial deal between MultiChoice and the SABC.

In the deal worth hundreds of millions of rand, MultiChoice pays the SABC to provide the SABC News (DStv 404) channel, now running just in English on DStv and no longer including other indigenous South African languages, as well as exclusive access to the SABC's archives for the library rerun channel SABC Encore (DStv 156) with old SABC shows.

The controversial MultiChoice and SABC deal is currently before the Competition Commission's tribunal, in a case brought by the public pressure group SOS Coalition, Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) and the media group Caxton arguing that the mega-millions deal between the public broadcaster and the pay-TV behemoth constitutes a merger.

"Why did the SABC agree on non-encryption in set-top boxes (STBs) for digital terrestrial television (DTT) with MultiChoice?" asked Jackson Mthembu on The Justice Factor.

"There's this agreement that is sitting between MultiChoice and the SABC. That agreement I can tell you is not in the best interest of the SABC itself."

"Because then the SABC will not have premium content, will not be able to compete at the same level with MultiChoice. Therefore the SABC will be a junior broadcaster to pay television. And I think that's not in the best interest of the people of South Africa. We don't," said Jackson Mthembu.

Although the embattled Faith Muthambi denied in a hastily released statement last week that it was discussed, Jackson Mthembu reiterated Monday night on eNCA that encryption of set-top boxes (STBs) was discussed and "extensively" at the recent ANC's NGC as well as the issue of digital TV migration.

"Definitely. It was discussed extensively," said Jackson Mthembu. He repeated that "equally the difficulties and challenges that the SABC is faced with" was also discussed.

Jackson Mthembu said earlier that the ANC had not been consulted by Faith Muthambi on the non-encryption aspect of the digital migration policy.

"If you don't have the instruments to assist you to protect those [content] rights, you won't get those broadcasting rights. You won't get wonderful films from Hollywood, you won't get wonderful rights to air sports. Therefore you will be a junior broadcaster to those that are able to protect their content," said Jackson Mthembu on Monday night.

"The government has been pursuing encryption [for free-to-air digital television signals] for some time, including the 2013 policy that government itself took," said Jackson Mthembu.

"After elaborate consultation with the industry where MultiChoice, e.tv and the SABC were consulted, those consultations concluded with a policy that said as government, on all those set-top boxes that we are going to subsidise, they will be encrypted. No question about it."

Also on Monday night Marian Shinn, the Democratic Alliance (DA) member of parliament tasked with telecommunications, appeared on Insig on kykNET (DStv 144) to discuss the same topic of the beleaguered Faith Muthambi and the ongoing quagmire of the South African government's acute and embarrassing failure with digital TV migration, calling it "a cesspit of intrigue and incompetence".

SABC's Hlaudi Motsoeneng publicly calls for journalists to be licensed for a 6th time; media experts says SABC boss sounds like 'National Party during Apartheid'.

The SABC's controversial and famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng has again, for the 6th time publicly, called for the media in South Africa to be regulated and for South African journalists to be licensed.

On eNCA (DStv 403) in an interview with reporter Nickolaus Bauer, the SABC's embattled and scandal-riddled chief operating officer (COO) - who shouldn't actually be speaking to editorial matters of the South African public broadcaster at all since it falls outside his job description - again called for press regulation and for journalists to be policed.

It follows after Hlaudi Motsoeneng's 5th call for the licensing of journalists last week on Insig on kykNET (DStv 144) with Waldimar Pelser - in a cringe-worthy bad interview that commentators are calling "brutal and awful to watch" - with Hlaudi Motsoeneng saying he wants to see journalists regulated.

In that same highly embarrassing interview for Hlaudi Motsoeneng and the SABC, the public broadcaster's second highest executive who is also involved in a lengthy court battle over his controversial appointment, also said the media shouldn't report on crime since it leads to more crime being committed.

Respected and veteran media experts are saying Hlaudi Motsoeneng is completely out of line.

Nickolaus Bauer sat down with veteran newspaper man Joe Thloloe and Press Council executive director, saying the utterances by the SABC's Hlaudi Motsoeneng is the same as "what the National Party (NP) used to say during the days of Apartheid".

"They were saying if we report on the violence in our streets, violence related to apartheid, we were in fact encouraging terrorism," Joe Thloloe told Nickolaus Bauer on eNCA.

"If you have more positive stories, you will be able to produce the better leaders of tomorrow," Hlaudi Motsoeneng told Nickolaus Bauer in another sit down interview in his report. Hlaudi Motsoeneng warned that South Africa's journalists will be policed in future.

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) has 3 lessons for Hlaudi Motsoeneng who says the SABC's matricless boss is placing media freedom in South Africa at risk.

The wonderful William Bird, media expert, wrote this thoughtful and extremely insightful think piece which is a must-read article and also addresses the daft Hlaudi Motsoeneng's latest debilitating and damaging utterances.

Read the whole article, but here's just a few stand-out sentences from William Bird:

'Hlaudi Motsoeneng was simply speaking on issues that he really should not be speaking on for our public broadcaster."

"Areas in which we may expect informed responses from an SABC COO are the SABC's financial position; why the National Intelligence Agency was sweeping the SABC offices in Durban; how the SABC is implementing the recommendations of the auditor-general; or the Special Investigating Unit or even those of the public protector," writes William Bird.

" If it was editorial matters: how about what's going on with the SABC’s revised editorial policies which are now six years overdue. (Yes, SIX years!) The delay is all the more bizarre because they were reportedly finished and revised months ago. Instead we are left gawping at the ludicrous."

"The real issue of why the SABC COO is speaking on these issues is not addressed nor are any answers given by the COO himself. Think about this – how many COOs of any other media house can you name, let alone identify in the media recently? Then ask why that is."

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 12 April 2015.

Pressure is mounting on the SABC to suspend its head of news, Jimi Matthews over allegations of assault.
Jimi Matthews has not been suspended for allegedly assaulting a female SABC technician; Jimi Matthews appeared before a grievance hearing at the SABC this past Tuesday but it was postponed to 21 April because witnesses were not there.


Acting SABC board chairman Obert Maguvhe says the fired SABC board members are gone.
"Once we remove a person, they are removed" he says over the recently fired Hope Zinde, Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi. Meanwhile Joyce Moloi-Moropa, the chairperson of parliament's communications portfolio committee, did get a legal opinion after the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi said the SABC is a state-run company and the SABC board members were fired according to that act.


"Diabolical and secret" MultiChoice and SABC deal over SABC News and SABC Entertainment channels criticised
Although SABC News (DStv 404) and the SABC Entertainment channel which will be launched soon on DStv are produced by the SABC as a public broadcaster, these two channels are exclusively made and available only for MultiChoice and no other satellite TV broadcasters.

Read the entire SABC MultiChoice SABC News SABC Entertainment channels contract here as a public interest document, publicly available, involving South Africa's public broadcaster, as part of Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) case it is making at South Africa's Competition Tribunal.

National Geographic Channel (DStv 181) now wants to get into drama series.
After the recent success of Killing Jesus, and following Discovery Channel's Klondike and others, the factual channel now wants to do full-length drama series and drama mini-series as part of a drama strategy since "the market is changing".

MultiChoice Swaziland isn't scared of looming competition in Swaziland.
Swazi Observer reports that digital terrestrial television (DTT) in Swaziland will bring 20 new TV channels - Swazi TV, Channel S, as well as 12 state broadcaster TV channels, and 6 TV channels from new players in the market. MultiChoice says competition will "stimulate the market".

FOX is working on new drama series, Aftermath.
Like The Last Ship the drama will revolve around what happens when a deadly worldwide flu pandemic breaks out.

The first trailer for the new upcoming science fiction drama series Dark Matter.
In this new drama series starting in June, six people wake up on a derelict spaceship and have no idea who they are, how they got there, or why. Each one has a special skill. And they're "dangerous". Dark Matter is from the writer-producers of Stargate.

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) 'deeply concerned' over 'act of censorship' at SABC: 'The SABC should be encouraging debate, not limit it'.

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) tells TV with Thinus it is "deeply concerned" by what appears to be "an act of censorship" by the SABC's decision not to broadcast a Democratic Alliance political advert and says "the SABC should be encouraging robust debate, not seeking to limit it".

"MMA is deeply concerned by what appears to be an act of censorship and clear limitation of freedom of speech by the SABC's decision not to broadcast a Democratic Alliance advert that is strongly critical of the ANC," says MMA director William Bird.

"It is during an election period that politicians are more likely to be more strident in their views and critiques of parties. It is during this time that we expect, as citizens, to hear our political parties asserting and putting their views and policies forward".

"Yet the SABC has taken away the ability of the voter to decide for themselves whether to accept or dismiss the DA's critique or not," says William Bird.

"The SABC has provided four main reasons for its decision. For such an important decision to be taken it is critical that we evaluate the reasons."

"The first reason put forward by the SABC is: It is our view that the reference in your television advertisement to police killing our people is cause for incitement to action against the police services".

"While almost certainly calculated to reflect badly on the ANC, and while it may be a generalisation, given the events at Marikana or the death - broadcast on SABC - of Andries Tatane at the hands of the police, it can hardly be said to be untrue nor can it be said to constitute incitement to violence".

"The second reason put forward by the SABC: “The Electoral Code of Conduct includes a clause prohibiting the publication of false information about other candidates or parties".

"The line in the advert is: “200 million rand has been spent on upgrading the Presidents Private house.” Given that the issue of Nkandla is on the national agenda, and given that it has already been the subject of an Inter-Ministerial Task Team and the Public Protector, and given that the amounts have not at any stage been disputed - except that they are in fact higher than R200 million - it seems difficult to argue that the information is false".

"The third reason put forward is that, “the Code of Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (ASA) does not permit attacking another product to promote your own".

"Given that we are in an election period which is about making informed choices, where political parties and politicians routinely attack each other's "product" it seems most unlikely that this concept would be applied," says William Bird.

"The final reason put forward is:”We are also of the view that the SABC will not permit personal attacks on any party member or leader by any other party, as is being done in the advertisement in respect of president Jacob Zuma".

"This is extremely difficult to sustain given the nature of political rhetoric and occasions where personal attacks by leaders from all parties are reported in the news, as they should be. In the current instance it is an advertisement and not news and viewers should be credited with the ability to discern between the two".

William Bird says Media Monitoring Africa is "deeply disappointed by the SABC's decision".

"The SABC should be encouraging robust debate, not seeking to limit it. We have seen too many reports in the media in the run up to these elections where different political parties have complained about bias at the SABC".

"MMA has monitored the SABC's coverage of all democratic elections and we are currently monitoring their news and current affairs".

"We have noted in all our previous reports how despite views to the contrary the SABC has managed to perform exceptionally well in many instances but also the content of their programming in previous elections has been overwhelmingly fair".

"We will soon be releasing a fairness assessment of the news coverage across all media being monitored and will be among the first to highlight concerns around fairness if content should they arise".

"We believe the decision not to broadcast the advert will fundamentally undermine perceptions of fairness of the SABC".

BREAKING. The banned booing of president Jacob Zuma the SABC censored at Madiba's memorial service; call for 'urgent investigation'.

On Tuesday the SABC ordered the shocking censoring of live TV coverage of an event of national importance, placed a ban on broadcasting the booing of president Jacob Zuma, as news bosses also ordered and maintained a effective news blackout on reporting that Jacob Zuma was boo-ed at Nelson Mandela's memorial service.

While print media, electronic media and other TV news channels lead with coverage of Jacob Zuma being boo-ed by the crowds at Nelson Mandela's memorial service on Tuesday, the SABC scrambled to keep the scenes off television, while the SABC's primetime news bulletins, as well as SABC News - the public broadcaster's 24-hour TV news channel - didn't give it any coverage in reportage.

The shocking censorship follows after the SABC's Morning Live anchor Leanne Manas, covering the memorial service from the FNB Stadium as one of several SABC reporters at the stadium, earlier on Tuesday proudly proclaimed that "we have cameras everywhere; all the angles, to bring you this event".

"What was striking about the SABC's coverage of the Nelson Mandela memorial service was the way in which it was censored with the omission of the booing of Jacob Zuma," says an observer.

The sudden ongoing censorship from the SABC could be the explanation for the bad sound, odd video, strange video angles and bad sound and video quality from the SABC pool cameras which other TV news channels and international broadcasters were forced to use and instantly led to complaints regarding quality such as CNN International (DSTV 401) apologising to viewers for the weird and bad video and sound as the SABC tried to omit certain things from being seen and heard.

While TV news channels like CNN International, Sky News and eNCA immediately picked up on the story of Jacob Zuma being boo-ed - as well as print publications which had stories online as well as analysis pieces from the afternoon - the SABC had no news reporting on it online until much later in the evening and only as a side-reference in another story regarding Desmond Tutu.

There was no coverage of the booing incidents on SABC News and the crowds making the rolling of hands as the soccer substitute sign for "time for a new player", and nothing in primetime bulletins on the SABC - although it was the lead story on Tuesday evening on eNews Prime Time and eNCA.

"By 14:58 is was the main story on the eNCA website with a clip of the booing. The first mention of it on the SABC News website was four hours later at 19:08 and then it is mentioned only peripherally and in condemnation in a story about Desmond Tutu's rebuke of the crowd," says an independent observer.

It is the second booing incident of Jacob Zuma's government censored and not shown by SABC News, following the incident in 2005 when the deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka at the time was boo-ed although an SABC camera was present and captured the event.

Insider sources at the SABC tell  TV with Thinus the booing was unexpected and "the first reaction was to somehow veer away from it and not give it attention to maintain the decorum of the memorial service".

"It wasn't deliberate until everyone realised the crowds are doing it deliberately and everytime he [Jacob Zuma] comes up [on the giant screens in the stadium]. The screens were turned off inside [the stadium] to minimise the jeering but that wasn't the SABC."

"The decree was not to show or do anything that would detract from the event. That was broadly the understanding but everyone knew it meant in effect to not show or say or do anything to embarrass the ruling party and especially not the leadership of the current ruling party, meaning him [Jacob Zuma]," said another source.

According to sources Nyana Molete, the SABC's national TV news editor ordered the control room to "cut away" from booing coverage. Later during the day, according to SABC news staff, Jimi Matthews, the SABC's head of news ordered the booing news be downplayed and not to be mentioned in the primetime news output.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says "the millions of South Africans and people all over the world including the media expected us to show the memorial service of Madiba as it is, and the SABC heeded to this call and showed the 'booing' or the said incident as we carried it as a live broadcast."

"It is the prerogative of the SABC to decide to use its discretion in line with its editorial codes and what it deems as the top story of the day. The memorial of Madiba and how his life was celebrated with various people around the world sharing their moments and experiences with Madiba remains important to the world and not the incident."

Kaizer Kganyago says "the international media organisations that had access to SABC material complimented the quality of the coverage with some describing it as exciting, colourful and excellent."

The SABC didn't specifically answer questions TV with Thinus made regarding SABC editorial policy, what parts of policy the SABC used to direct live and news coverage, and whether and who ordered the booing censorship and footage ban.

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) viewed the primetime bulletins on Tuesday on SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 and confirms that no mention of the booing incident was made in any of the bulletins.

"If we consider the stature of the speaker, the president of South Africa, and the importance of his speech, there can be little doubt that the story was newsworthy," says MMA, saying the SABC's decisions to censor and ban the booing coverage "constitutes a clear violation of the SABC's editorial code".

"The code of conduct for broadcasters also requires the SABC to report news truthfully, accurately and objectively." The MMA says the SABC's cenorship "feeds allegations of political interference at our public broadcaster and undermine its credibility."

"The MMA calls on the SABC editor-in-chief, the group CEO Lulama Mokhobo, to carry out an urgent investigation and to brief the public on its terms, progress and outcomes, and we call on SABC News management to ensure it not only adheres to its editorial policies but practices the highest standards of ethical professional journalism."

SABC IN CHAOS & CRISIS: Parliament must take a firm stand when addressing the crisis at the SABC, says Media Monitoring Africa.

SABC in chaos & crisis: Parliament must take a firm stand when addressing the crisis at the SABC, says Media Monitoring Africa (MMA).

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications, the body in South Africa tasked with oversight of the beleaguered South African public broadcaster, is meeting today to address the massive meltdown and collapse of governance at the SABC.

The committee intends to dissolve what remains of the tattered SABC board and to appoint an interim committee of 5 people.

It follows after the resignations of SABC board chairperson dr. Ben Ngubane, deputy chairperson Thami Ka Plaatjie, followed by 6 further SABC board member resignations when Lumko Mtide, John Danana, Cedric Gina, Desmond Golding, Adv. Cawe Mahlati and Noluthando Gosa also quit.

It leaves the rudderless SABC with only three SABC board members out of 12 - Suzanne Vos, Pippa Green and Claire McNeil - who can't meet, and effective leave the embattled SABC as functioning without any governing body to take important and ongoing decisions.

William Bird, director of Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) told the eNCA (DStv 403) that "what we need is for parliament to be bold; for parliament to act strongly and to implement very strong oversight measures and to hold the SABC board to account".

"It's our public broadcaster, and unless we start demanding that of our own public institutions, in five years time we're going to be here saying exactly the same thing," William Bird.

Major concerned over SABC's sudden centralisation of control over talk shows; calls for the decision to be revoked immediately.

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) says the watchdog organisation is concerned over the SABC's sudden decision to centralise the public broadcaster's control over all talk shows which might include any political element for oversight under the SABC's news and current affairs division and is calling on the SABC to revoke the decision immediately.

The radical, sudden move comes after the SABC admitted to pervasive blacklisting and banning practices, banned three journalists from a talk show discussion two weeks ago because a member of the ANC political party wasn't present, banned a TV advert critical of ANC president Jacob Zuma, and as the SABC is loading the programming schedules of all of its 18 radio stations and 3 TV stations with a massive amount of blanketed coverage of the ANC's National Conference.

"The decision is a significant shift from existing practice in relation to talk shows and programmes and is likely to have far-reaching implications for the operations of the SABC stations and news division," says MMS in a statement.

"The classification used is so broad that it is likely to affect almost every talk show that discusses any issue deemed as political or governance related. it would appear that any debate and discussion on issues such as service delivery, policy brutality, government corruption, poverty, inequality, racism, teenage pregnancy, the public health system, social grants, accountability, e-tolling, transformation in sport, media and education may not see the light of day as they have clear political dimensions, or they would have to be 'directed' and be 'controlled' by the SABC's news and current affairs division before taking place," says the MMA.

"What will happen if callers wish to talk about political or governance-related issues? Presenters and producers and show hosts may be tempted to shut down discussions rather than open them up if they fear violating the new process," says the MMA.

The MMA "calls on the SABC to revoke the decision untilsuch time as a full, transparent and public editorial policy review has taken place," says the organisation.

"Should the SABC not reverse the decision, MMA will do all it can to keep a close eye on developments that may arise as a result of the decision and we would like to assure members of the public, journalists, producers and news staffers that civil society will assist in any way we can to help prevent or act on instances of political interference."

SABC attacks MMA for 'dubious' research over broadcaster's repeats and programming; says intention was 'to grandstand the SABC'.

The SABC has gone on the defensive and has launched an attack on Media Monitoring Africa's (MMA) report finding the SABC awash in repeats, soap operas and not meeting its language mandates, with the SABC saying that it finds it "disappointing that the organisation chose to make public findings that are based on dubious methodological methods that were conducted in isolation".

The SABC says the MMA's only intention with the research study was "simply to grandstand the SABC".

The MMA decided to analyse the SABC's schedules between April to mid-May and watched all of the news bulletins after which it compiled the scathing research findings indicating that over 20% of the SABC's programming are repeats, with soap operas dominating and the quality of news and language diversity suffering. 

DOWNLOAD the MMA's full report and its findings, as well as how the research was conducted HERE.

"There is no basis for the criteria assumed by MMA in assessing the corporation's performance," says the SABC in a just issued press statement. "The SABC operates within the ambit of licence conditions, regulations and legislation wherein the criteria is fully set for assessing the SABC's performance," says the public broadcaster.

The SABC says the research conducted by MMA "was self-serving and never sought to test the SABC's performance against the regulatory requirements set by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) - the only authority and legitimate body with genuine power to assess the performance of the broadcaster".

The SABC says the broadcaster has implemented an intensive turnaround strategy to ensure the organisation's sustainability in the future. "The report claim to be assessing quality and diversity of content, but failed to provide authentic and researched criteria that has been benchmarked against any source of authority. The criteria utilised remains MMA's opinion of what should go into news or content schedules," says the SABC.

"The most interesting part is that the MMA did not consult with the SABC as a subject of the research and also did not consult or do any audience survey," says the SABC. 

[The MMA in its research finding however note that it did try, but was unsuccessful in obtaining final control centre (FCC) sheets from the SABC.]

According to the MMA research, although English is only spoken as a first language by 8% of the population and the SABC is required to broadcast in all official languages, English dominates in SABC programming (76%). A massive 65% of all locally produced content on the SABC is in English. The next biggest languages trailing far behind are Afrikaans at only 6% and Zulu (5%), Xhosa, Sotho and Tshivenda (3%).

According to the MMA research, SABC1 uses 28% of its broadcasting time for repeat programming, SABC2 uses 21% of its airtime for repeats and SABC3 allocates 15% of its broadcasting time for repeats. Furthermore only 41% of the content on SABC3 is local. That means that almost a quarter - 21% of all broadcasting time on the SABC - is devoted to rebroadcasts.

The SABC says "the methodology applied in determining percentages on genres and languages is flawed and has no basis in the license conditions or regulations.

The MMA invited the SABC to the public forum held this past Friday where the research findings were announced, but the SABC declined.

"Given that prior consultation with the SABC on matters raised in a public forum did not take place, the SABC felt it could not participate in the forum to discuss the findings of the report as requested by the MMA," says the SABC. 

"It is clear from our review of the document that the intention was simply to grandstand the SABC. It is of grave concern that MMA, which is supposedly an industry leader in its field, despite acknowledging its own limitations in the research, continued to make the report public."