The SABC appoints 4 SABC radio business managers to manage 'combos', replacing radio station manager positions getting axed in the public broadcaster's restructuring and retrenchment plan.

by Thinus Ferreira

The SABC has appointed 4 SABC radio business managers as part of the South African public broadcaster's restructuring and retrenchment process that will see multiple SABC radio station managers lose their jobs after the station manager positions have been axed.

The SABC says that "these critical appointments form part of the new structure of the corporation's radio portfolio that will ensure audience and revenue growth".

Sbongi Ngcobo has been appointed as business manager for Ukhozi FM, while Jade Mostert has been appointed as the business manager for the new so-called "PCS Combo" that will include the 5FM and Good Hope FM radio stations.

Louise Jooste has been appointed as the business manager for RSG, while Madikana Matjila has been appointed as the business manager for the so-called "Limpopo Combo that will include the Munghana Lonene FM, Thobela FM and Phalaphala FM radio stations.

The axing of radio station managers who are losing their positions is just a fraction of the hundreds of staffers who are being let go after they've been told their current positions at the bloated SABC has been made redundant. 

Also gone for instance are all of the publicists working at the SABC's SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 TV channels and who handle media enquiries and issue schedules and programming information to the media, raising questions as to how the SABC plans to let the press and through them the public, know what is being shown on its television channels.

The SABCs latest turnaround plan includes a reallocation of the various SABC radio stations in different "groupings" that will be known as "combos".

Thobela FM, Phalaphala FM and Mughana Lonene FM will now be part of the new so-called "Limpopo Combo", while SAFM, Lotus FM and Radio 2000 will be in the new grouping known as the "Fortune Combo".

5FM and Good Hope FM will be the "PCA Combo", while Ligwalagwala FM and Ikwekwezi FM will fall under the "Mpumalanga Combo". Motsweding FM and Lesedi FM will be the "Inland Combo", while Umhlobo Wenene and TruFM will be the SABC's "Eastern Cape Combo".

Metro FM, Ukhozi FM, RSG and the SABC's international radio channel, Channel Africa, will be the "Strategic Combo". Station managers, some of whom have been in their positions running the radio stations for years, say they were told they're being let go because they don't have "the necessasry qualifications".

The SABC is still to announce the appointments for the business manager positions for the so-called new "Fortune Combo (SAfm, Radio 2000 and Lotus FM), the "Eastern Cape Combo" (Umhlobo Wenene FM and tru FM), the "Inland Combo" (Motsweding FM and Lesedi FM) and the so-called new "Mpumalanga Combo" (Ikwekwezi FM and Ligwalagwala FM).

Sbongi Ngcobo began her career at the SABC as marketing manager for tru FM. 

Before her new appointment, she was Ukhozi FM's acting station manager, a position she has held from February 2018. 

Jade Mostert has been the 5FM station manager.

Louise Jooste has been with RSG and the SABC for just over 14 years. 

She has been the acting programme manager and has worked with Magdaleen Kruger as RSG station manager who is going on retirement.

Madikana Matjila has previously been the station manager at Thobela FM since January 2020.

ALSO READ: SABC axes 12 radio station managers in retrenchment process as South Africa's public broadcaster reorganises its radio stations into new “combos”.

SABC axes 12 radio station managers in retrenchment process as South Africa's public broadcaster reorganises its radio stations into new “combos”.

by Thinus Ferreira

The SABC has axed 12 SABC radio station managers who are all out of jobs as part of the acrimonious retrenchment process at the financially struggling South African public broadcaster with the radio stations that are being bundled into new management "combos".

In a SABC Radio division bloodbath the broadcaster is letting go of Mamontha Motaung (Lesedi FM), Madikana Matjila (Thobela FM), Lawrence Ubisi (Munghana Lonene FM), Rio Mabunda (LigwalagwalaFM), Phumzile Mnci (Umhlobo Wenene), Magdaleen Kruger (RSG - retiring), Sibongile Mtyali (Metro FM), Puleng Thulo (Radio 2000), Alvin Pillay (Lotus FM), Jade Mostert (5FM), Freddy Sadiki (Phalaphala FM) and the Ukhozi FM station manager position which is currently vacant with an acting person in the job.

The shocking axing of radio station managers who are losing their positions is just a fraction of the hundreds of staffers who are being let go after they've been told their current positions at the bloated SABC has been made redundant. 

Also gone for instance are all of the publicists working at the SABC's SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 TV channels and who handle media enquiries and issue schedules and programming information to the media, raising questions as to how the SABC plans to let the press and through them the public, know what is being shown on its television channels.

The SABCs latest turnaround plan includes a reallocation of the various SABC radio stations in different "groupings" that will be known as "combos".

Thobela FM, Phalaphala FM and Mughana Lonene FM will now be part of the new so-called "Limpopo Combo", while SAFM, Lotus FM and Radio 2000 will be in the new grouping known as the "Fortune Combo".

5FM and Good Hope FM will be the "PCA Combo", while Ligwalagwala FM and Ikwekwezi FM will fall under the "Mpumalanga Combo". Motsweding FM and Lesedi FM will be the "Inland Combo", while Umhlobo Wenene and TruFM will be the SABC's "Eastern Cape Combo".

Metro FM, Ukhozi FM, RSG and the SABC's international radio channel, Channel Africa, will be the "Strategic Combo". Station managers, some of whom have been in their positions running the radio stations for years, say they were told they're being let go because they don't have "the necessasry qualifications".

The SABC in response to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus on Monday says "The SABC can confirm that the new organisational structure came with changes for all affected positions including titles and reporting lines, however, this will not in any way affect the SABC's operations".

Vuyo Mthembu, SABC spokesperson, says "It must be noted that radio management remains a critical function for the organisation. In the new structure, marketing managers will be reporting directly to corporate affairs and marketing to ensure efficiency in the delivery of the organisation’s marketing objectives".

"Furthermore, station managers are now called business managers as this will ensure that business managers of each station take full ownership of the profit and loss responsibility, drive revenue and listenership growth whilst fulfilling the SABC’s mandate of informing, educating and entertaining South Africans."

"SABC management is confident that its turnaround plan, which is geared at ensuring a sustainable and financially viable public broadcaster and has already begun bearing fruitful results in terms of revenue generation, will be further enhanced  by the transition into the new fit-for-purpose structure and target operating model (TOM)."

"In addition, the SABC will always remain committed to fulfilling its public service mandate, through our various radio and television platforms, which will never be compromised".

The SABC was asked that, given that it's losing a lot of institutional history and management skills of people who have managed its radio stations over years, how this loss will damage the broadcaster and how it will try to mitigate this. The SABC didn't answer the specific question.

ALSO READ: 'Wholesale burndown': Concerns growing over the South African public broadcaster's 'quite short-sighted' and 'arrogantly clueless' plan to get rid of all SABC TV channels' publicists in its retrenchment plan.

ALSO READ: SABC retrenchment plan to eliminate the broadcaster's corps of TV channel publicists who communicate about its content, job to be centralised under a marketing manager and few brand managers.

Failure in its back-up power system knocked multiple SABC radio stations off air after Eskom loadshedding on Thursday night.

by Thinus Ferreira

A failure in the SABC's back-up power system and a power surge knocked multiple radio stations of the South African public broadcaster off the air for over an hour on Thursday night.

Thursday night's SABC radio stations blackout occured when Eskom loadshedding kicked in in Johannesburg, after which the SABC's back-up power system failed to work properly.

Presenters, crew and listeners of several SABC radio stations were shocked and confused on Thursday night over the unexplained SABC radio broadcast blackout that led to dead air on Metro FM, 5FM, Radio 2000, SAfm, RSG and the SABC's Channel Africa radio station.

In response to a media enquiry, Mmoni Seapolelo, SABC spokesperson, told TVwithThinus on Friday that "The SABC can confirm that at 20:20 last night, there was a disruption of broadcast services to our Johannesburg-based radio stations, due to a surge of our back up power systems caused by load shedding".

"The services were restored at approximately 21:30. The affected radio stations included Metro FM, 5FM, Radio 2000, SAfm and RSG, as well as Channel Africa. The SABC apologises for any inconvenience this may have caused."

Censorship of information returns to SABC as South African public broadcaster's radio boss orders stations not to mention PSL match scores or do any commentary or coverage because the SABC doesn't have match broadcast rights.

Censorship of general information has returned to the South African public broadcaster with the SABC's radio boss Leuba Ramakgolo who on Thursday ordered the broadcaster's radio stations not to do any coverage or commentary of the PSL's Absa Premiership soccer matches or to even mention match scores to listeners.

Weirdly the SABC still carries both rugby and cricket content and match scores although the SABC also don't have broadcasting rights to those tournaments and competitions either.

The SABC failed to reach a deal with SuperSport for the sub-licensing of broadcasting rights to some matches of the Premier Soccer League's (PSL) new Absa Premiership season leading to yet another soccer blackout on the South African public broadcaster.

The beleaguered SABC demanded a 96% discount on the price to acquire sub-licensing rights from MultiChoice and SuperSport that is showing PSL matches on the DStv satellite pay-TV service.

The ongoing, massive problem with sports rights remains unsolved by the South African government and the departments of sports and communications, who constantly - after a blackout crisis at the SABC - respond with meetings that lead to nothing.

South Africa's minister of sports, arts and culture, Nathi Mthethwa, and South Africa's minister of communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, failed in addressing and fixing the macro-structural problem of the SABC being unable to afford and pay for PSL broadcast licensing rights.

Nathi Mthethwa said that "This situation is unfortunate and undesirable and myself and my cabinet colleague, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams are in constant engagement together with all other relevant stakeholders to procure a long-lasting solution and for things to return to normality".

On Sunday The Sunday Times reported that the SABC's radio boss ordered a radio blackout about the PSL on Thursday with SABC radio stations that have been ordered not to give any exposure to the PSL through commentary or on-air mentions, with even match scores that must not be mentioned although it's news and of public interest.

The email that Leuba Ramakgolo sent to SABC radio stations notes that "We have been receiving inquiries from stations regarding what limitations are when it comes to PSL-related content. Some of the stations have indicated that they have been approached by individual teams seeking to enter into partnership and possible trade exchanges with them".

"For example, a team in Limpopo approached one of the stations seeking promotion of their game and their trip to Durban".

"Please make sure that the programme managers are informed that we cannot promote any PSL games nor conduct interviews with the teams, the players and any roleplayers in the PSL business until an agreement is in place between the SABC and the PSL."

"Such agreement will clearly stipulate the terms and conditions under which execution will take place. This is to avoid any possible litigation that may emanate from our on-air conduct."

SABC spokesperson Vuyo Mthembu said "The SABC has taken a decision that in light of no agreement being in place between the SABC and the PSL, the SABC is not in a position to cover games and conduct such interviews as they would have formed part of the agreement of how the SABC covers PSL-related activities".