South African Broadcasting Corporation
Encyclopedia
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is the state-owned broadcaster in South Africa
and provides 18 radio stations (AM
/FM
) as well as 3 television broadcasts to the general public.
, and replaced the previous state-controlled African Broadcasting Corporation, formed in 1927, which was dissolved in the same year. It was considered a monopoly
for many years, and was controlled by the white minority National Party
government. This led to the accusation of it being biased towards the then ruling apartheid regime. At one time most of its senior management were members of the Broederbond, the Afrikaner
secret society
and later drawn from institutions like Stellenbosch University
. It was also known officially in Afrikaans
as Suid-Afrikaanse Uitsaaikorporasie (SAUK), but this term is now only used by the SABC when referring to the Corporation in the spoken word on SABC2's Afrikaans TV news and on the Afrikaans radio station RSG. Although, the Afrikaans newscasts on SABC2 uses SABC Nuus instead of SAUK Nuus. The term is also still widely used by Afrikaans print media.
Until 1979, the SABC also operated broadcasting services in Namibia
, which was then under South African rule, but in that year, these were transferred to the South West African Broadcasting Corporation (SWABC). This, in turn, became the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation
(NBC) after the country's independence in 1990.
puppets) have been labelled 'revenge' by some commentators. The SABC has since been accused of favouring the ruling ANC
political party, mostly in the area of news broadcasting. However, it remains the dominant player in the country's broadcast media.
Criticism towards the public broadcaster intensified around 2003-2005, when it was accused of a wide range of shortcomings including self-censorship, lack of objectivity and selective news coverage.
Kaizer Kganyago, the spokesperson for the SABC, is also a member of the International Advisory Board of the African Press Organization
.
s, English and Afrikaans
, with broadcasts in ethnic languages such as Zulu
, Xhosa
, Sesotho and Tswana
following later. The SABC's first commercial service, started in 1950, was known as Springbok Radio
, broadcasting in English and Afrikaans. Regional FM music stations were started in the 1960s. The SABC's choice of popular music reflected the National Party
government's initial conservatism, with the music of The Beatles
and The Rolling Stones
generally frowned upon, if not banned from the airwaves, in favour of 'middle of the road' music like that of the U.S. group Bread
.
In 1966 the SABC also established an external service, known as Radio RSA
, which broadcast in English, Swahili, French, Portuguese, Dutch and German. It is now known as Channel Africa
.
. The new service, after some initial faltering, soon developed a respectable listenership and was regarded as a flagship for the new democracy. However, government interference in the state broadcaster in 2003 saw further changes to SAfm which reversed the growth and put it in rapid decline once more. Today it attracts only 0.6% of the total population to its broadcasts. The main Afrikaans radio service was renamed Radio Sonder Grense
(literally 'Radio Without Borders') in 1995 and has enjoyed greater success with the transition.
Similarly, SABC Radio's competitors have achieved great levels of popular appeal. Primedia
-owned Radio 702
, Cape Talk
and 94.7 Highveld Stereo
have grown steadily in audience and revenue through shrewd management since the freeing of the airwaves in South Africa. Other stations such as the black-owned and focused YFM
and Kaya FM
have also shone, attracting audiences drawn from the black majority.
In 1975, after years of controversy over the introduction of television, the SABC was finally allowed to introduce a colour TV service, which began experimental broadcasts in the main cities on 5 May 1975, before the service went nationwide on 6 January 1976. Initially, the TV service was funded entirely through a licence fee, as in the UK, but advertising began in 1978. The SABC (both Television and Radio) is still partly funded by the licence fee (currently R225 per annum).
The service initially broadcast only in English and Afrikaans, with an emphasis on religious programming on Sundays.
A local soap opera, The Villagers, set on a gold mine, was well received while other local productions like The Dingleys
were panned as amateurish. Owing to South Africa's apartheid policies, the British actors' union Equity
started a boycott of programme sales to South Africa, meaning that the majority of acquired programming in the early years of the corporation came from the United States. However, the Thames Television
police drama series The Sweeney
was briefly shown on SABC TV, dubbed
in Afrikaans as Blitspatrollie. Later on, when other programmes were dubbed, the original soundtrack was simulcast
on FM radio.
With a limited budget, early programming aimed at children tended to be quite innovative, and programmes such as the Afrikaans-language puppetshows Haas Das se Nuus Kas and Oscar in Asblikfontein are still fondly remembered by many.
In 1982, a second channel was introduced, broadcasting in African languages. The main channel, then called TV1, was divided evenly between English and Afrikaans, as before. Subtitling on TV in South Africa used to be almost non-existent, although now many non-English language soap operas have started to display English subtitles. The second channel, known either as TV2, TV3 or TV4 depending on the time of day, was later rebranded as CCV (Contemporary Community Values). A third channel was introduced known as TSS, or Topsport Surplus, Topsport being the brand name for the SABC's sport coverage, but this was renamed NNTV (National Network TV).
SABC television become widely available in neighbouring Botswana
, Lesotho
and Swaziland
. The SABC also helped the South West African Broadcasting Corporation in Namibia
to establish a television service in 1981 with most programming being videotapes flown in from South Africa. This became part of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation
in 1990.
, SABC 2
and SABC 3
. This resulted in the downgrading of Afrikaans
, which now had its airtime reduced, a move that angered many whites. However, in recent times, the SABC has started broadcasting more Afrikaans content on both on SABC2 and SABC3, with repeats of old programmes and new programmes being commissioned. The SABC also later absorbed the Bop TV station, of the former Bophuthatswana
bantustan
.
In South Africa itself, the SABC has announced the launch of two regional television channels, SABC4 and SABC5, with an emphasis on languages other than English. SABC4 will broadcast in Tswana
, Sesotho
, Pedi, Tsonga
, Venda
, and Afrikaans as well as English, to the northern provinces of the country. In the southern provinces, SABC5 will broadcast in Xhosa
, Zulu
, Ndebele
, and Swazi, as well as Afrikaans and English.
Unlike other SABC TV services, SABC4 and SABC5 will not be available via satellite.
, backed by a consortium of newspaper publishers. However, it could not broadcast its own news and current affairs programmes, which were still the preserve of the SABC. The SABC's dominance was further eroded by the launch of the first 'free-to-air' private TV channel, called e.tv. Satellite television
also expanded, as M-Net's sister company, Multichoice
, launched its digital satellite TV service (DStv
) in 1995. Most of the SABC's TV channels are still provided as part of this service.
was booed offstage by members of the ANC Youth League, who were showing support for the newly-axed ex-Deputy President, Jacob Zuma
.
Rival broadcaster eTV publicly accused SABC of 'biased reporting' by failing to show the video footage of the humiliated Deputy President, but Snuki Zikalala
, Head of News and ex-ANC spokesperson retorted by stating that their cameraman was not present at the meeting, a claim later established to be false when eTV footage was released which showed an SABC cameraman filming the incident.
SABC's government connections also came under scrutiny when, in April 2005, Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe
was interviewed live by Zikalala, who is a former ANC political commissar
. The interview held was deemed by the public eye to have side-stepped 'critical issues' and controversial questions regarding Mugabe's radical land-reform policies and human rights
violations.
In May 2006, the SABC was accused of self censorship, when it decided not to air a documentary on South African President Thabo Mbeki
, and in early June requested that the producers (from Daylight Films) not speak about it. This has been widely criticised by independent media groups. In response, the International Freedom of Expression Exchange
issued an alert concerning the SABC's apparent trend toward self-censorship.
In June 2006 the International Federation of Journalists
denounced the cancelling of the Thabo Mbeki documentary, citing "self censorship" and "politically influenced managers".
Also in June 2006, SAfm
host John Perlman
disclosed on air that the SABC had created a blacklist
of commentators. A commission of inquiry was created by SABC CEO Dali Mpofu into the allegations that individuals were blacklisted at the behest of Zikalala.
Critics, including the influential newspaper, Mail and Guardian (Vol 24, No 35) have accused the broadcaster of cultural myopia by failing to recognize the diverse cultural mix of South Africa and excessive favoring of certain ethnic groups in their choice of entertainment offered particularly by the TV services.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and provides 18 radio stations (AM
Amplitude modulation
Amplitude modulation is a technique used in electronic communication, most commonly for transmitting information via a radio carrier wave. AM works by varying the strength of the transmitted signal in relation to the information being sent...
/FM
Frequency modulation
In telecommunications and signal processing, frequency modulation conveys information over a carrier wave by varying its instantaneous frequency. This contrasts with amplitude modulation, in which the amplitude of the carrier is varied while its frequency remains constant...
) as well as 3 television broadcasts to the general public.
Early years
Radio broadcasting began in South Africa in 1923. The SABC was established in 1936 through an Act of ParliamentParliament of South Africa
The Parliament of South Africa is South Africa's legislature and under the country's current Constitution is composed of the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces....
, and replaced the previous state-controlled African Broadcasting Corporation, formed in 1927, which was dissolved in the same year. It was considered a monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
for many years, and was controlled by the white minority National Party
National Party (South Africa)
The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
government. This led to the accusation of it being biased towards the then ruling apartheid regime. At one time most of its senior management were members of the Broederbond, the Afrikaner
Afrikaner
Afrikaners are an ethnic group in Southern Africa descended from almost equal numbers of Dutch, French and German settlers whose native tongue is Afrikaans: a Germanic language which derives primarily from 17th century Dutch, and a variety of other languages.-Related ethno-linguistic groups:The...
secret society
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
and later drawn from institutions like Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University is a public research university situated in the town of Stellenbosch, South Africa. Other nearby universities are the University of Cape Town and University of the Western Cape....
. It was also known officially in Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
as Suid-Afrikaanse Uitsaaikorporasie (SAUK), but this term is now only used by the SABC when referring to the Corporation in the spoken word on SABC2's Afrikaans TV news and on the Afrikaans radio station RSG. Although, the Afrikaans newscasts on SABC2 uses SABC Nuus instead of SAUK Nuus. The term is also still widely used by Afrikaans print media.
Until 1979, the SABC also operated broadcasting services in Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
, which was then under South African rule, but in that year, these were transferred to the South West African Broadcasting Corporation (SWABC). This, in turn, became the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation
Namibian Broadcasting Corporation
The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation is the public broadcaster of Namibia.It was established in 1990, replacing the South West African Broadcasting Corporation.-History:...
(NBC) after the country's independence in 1990.
Recent history
In 1996, the SABC and its services were restructured to better serve and reflect the fresh democratic society of post-1994 South Africa - moth-balling many Afrikaans language programmes. These actions, combined with the disposal of many of the 'historic' remnants of Afrikaans-dominated broadcasting (such as the Liewe HeksieLiewe Heksie
Liewe Heksie is a fictional character created in 1961 by Afrikaans children’s books author Verna Vels. The Liewe Heksie series consisted of a number of books...
puppets) have been labelled 'revenge' by some commentators. The SABC has since been accused of favouring the ruling ANC
African National Congress
The African National Congress is South Africa's governing Africanist political party, supported by its tripartite alliance with the Congress of South African Trade Unions and the South African Communist Party , since the establishment of non-racial democracy in April 1994. It defines itself as a...
political party, mostly in the area of news broadcasting. However, it remains the dominant player in the country's broadcast media.
Criticism towards the public broadcaster intensified around 2003-2005, when it was accused of a wide range of shortcomings including self-censorship, lack of objectivity and selective news coverage.
Kaizer Kganyago, the spokesperson for the SABC, is also a member of the International Advisory Board of the African Press Organization
African Press Organization
Based in Dakar , the African Press Organization - APO is the leading press release wire in Africa, and the global leader in media relations related to Africa....
.
Establishment
The SABC was established by an Act of Parliament in 1936 taking over from the African Broadcasting Company which had been responsible for some of the first radio broadcasts in South Africa in the 1920s. The SABC established services in what were then the country's official languageOfficial language
An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically a nation's official language will be the one used in that nation's courts, parliament and administration. However, official status can also be used to give a...
s, English and Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
, with broadcasts in ethnic languages such as Zulu
Zulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
, Xhosa
Xhosa language
Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately 7.9 million people, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a tonal language, that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when said...
, Sesotho and Tswana
Tswana language
Tswana or Setswana is a language spoken in Southern Africa by about 4.5 million people. It is a Bantu language belonging to the Niger–Congo language family within the Sotho languages branch of Zone S , and is closely related to the Northern- and Southern Sotho languages, as well as the Kgalagadi...
following later. The SABC's first commercial service, started in 1950, was known as Springbok Radio
Springbok Radio
Springbok Radio was a South African radio station that operated from 1950 to 1985.-History:On 1 May 1950, the first commercial radio station in South Africa, Springbok Radio took to the airwaves broadcasting in both English and Afrikaans...
, broadcasting in English and Afrikaans. Regional FM music stations were started in the 1960s. The SABC's choice of popular music reflected the National Party
National Party (South Africa)
The National Party is a former political party in South Africa. Founded in 1914, it was the governing party of the country from 4 June 1948 until 9 May 1994. Members of the National Party were sometimes known as Nationalists or Nats. Its policies included apartheid, the establishment of a...
government's initial conservatism, with the music of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
generally frowned upon, if not banned from the airwaves, in favour of 'middle of the road' music like that of the U.S. group Bread
Bread (band)
Bread was a rock band from Los Angeles, California. They placed 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1970 and 1977 and were a prime example of what later was labeled soft rock....
.
In 1966 the SABC also established an external service, known as Radio RSA
Radio RSA
Radio RSA: The Voice of South Africa was the international broadcasting service of the Republic of South Africa. It was run by the South African Broadcasting Corporation from its inception on 1 May 1966 until its demise in 1992 following the end of the apartheid era...
, which broadcast in English, Swahili, French, Portuguese, Dutch and German. It is now known as Channel Africa
Channel Africa
Channel Africa is the international broadcasting service of the South African Broadcasting Corporation. Airing on shortwave, satellite radio and Internet radio platforms, the service airs news, cultural, sports and public affairs programming focusing on South Africa and the African...
.
1996 restructuring
In 1996 the SABC carried out a significant restructuring of their services. The main English language radio service became SAfmSAfm
SAfm is a national radio station in South Africa owned by the SABC. It was formerly known as Radio South Africa. Prior to that it was called the English Service. It was launched as the "A" service when the SABC was established by an Act of Parliament in 1936 and was therefore the Corporation's very...
. The new service, after some initial faltering, soon developed a respectable listenership and was regarded as a flagship for the new democracy. However, government interference in the state broadcaster in 2003 saw further changes to SAfm which reversed the growth and put it in rapid decline once more. Today it attracts only 0.6% of the total population to its broadcasts. The main Afrikaans radio service was renamed Radio Sonder Grense
Radio Sonder Grense
Radio Sonder Grense , i.e. Radio Without Borders, is an Afrikaans language radio service run by the South African Broadcasting Corporation for the whole of South Africa. Since Afrikaans is one of South Africa's 11 official languages, the SABC is required to carry an Afrikaans-language service on...
(literally 'Radio Without Borders') in 1995 and has enjoyed greater success with the transition.
Similarly, SABC Radio's competitors have achieved great levels of popular appeal. Primedia
Primedia
PRIMEDIA Inc. is privately held American media company fully owned by TPG Capital.Consumer Source Inc. is the sole operating division of PRIMEDIA and helps millions of consumers find apartments, houses for rent, and new homes for sale through its Internet, mobile, and print products...
-owned Radio 702
Radio 702
Radio 702, currently known as Talk Radio 702, is a commercial FM radio station based in Johannesburg, South Africa, broadcasting on FM 92.7 and FM 106 to the greater Gauteng province. The station is also webcast via its website. It claims to be Johannesburg's number one news and talk station,...
, Cape Talk
Cape Talk
567 CapeTalk is a commercial AM radio station based in Cape Town, South Africa, broadcasting on AM/MW 567 to Cape Town. The station is also webcast via its website. It claims to be Cape Town's number one news and talk station, offering news, sport, business and actuality programming, with plenty of...
and 94.7 Highveld Stereo
94.7 Highveld Stereo
94.7 Highveld Stereo is a radio station that broadcasts on the 94.7FM frequency from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.- History :The station first went on the air on September 1, 1964, as the first SABC regional FM service, Radio Highveld. At that time the station broadcast hourly news bulletins...
have grown steadily in audience and revenue through shrewd management since the freeing of the airwaves in South Africa. Other stations such as the black-owned and focused YFM
YFM
YFM is a "Youth" radio station in Johannesburg, South Africa. Established in 1997, the station is formatted to mostly play urban music genres such as Kwaito, Hip Hop, and R&B along with minority of its airtime dedicated to talk shows. As noted by the name, the station's core audience consists of...
and Kaya FM
Kaya FM
most of the target audiences of KAYA FM resides in the urban areasKaya FM 95.9 is a radio station that broadcast from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.- History :...
have also shone, attracting audiences drawn from the black majority.
Station list
- Springbok RadioSpringbok RadioSpringbok Radio was a South African radio station that operated from 1950 to 1985.-History:On 1 May 1950, the first commercial radio station in South Africa, Springbok Radio took to the airwaves broadcasting in both English and Afrikaans...
in AfrikaansAfrikaansAfrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
/EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
- closed on 31 December 1985Station Language Website Webcast SAfm SAfmSAfm is a national radio station in South Africa owned by the SABC. It was formerly known as Radio South Africa. Prior to that it was called the English Service. It was launched as the "A" service when the SABC was established by an Act of Parliament in 1936 and was therefore the Corporation's very...English English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...www.safm.co.za http://www.antfarm.co.za/clients/safm/safm_22.asx 5FM 5FM5FM is a South African FM radio station that follows a Top 40 music format and is owned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation , South Africa's public broadcaster...English English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...www.5fm.co.za http://www.antfarm.co.za/clients/5fm/5fm_22.asx Good Hope FM Good Hope FMGood Hope FM is a commercial music radio station for coloured people, based in Cape Town, South Africa. The station broadcasts 24 hours of Contemporary Hit Radio per day.The station runs a dating service.-External links:**...English English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, AfrikaansAfrikaansAfrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...www.goodhopefm.co.za http://www.antfarm.co.za/clients/goodhopefm/goodhopefm_22.asx Metro FM Metro FMMetro FM is a national radio station in South Africa owned by the SABC.- History :The station started broadcasting in October, 1986 as Radio Metro to compete with the now defunct Radio Bop...English English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...www.metrofm.co.za http://www.antfarm.co.za/clients/metrofm/metrofm_22.asx RSG Radio Sonder GrenseRadio Sonder Grense , i.e. Radio Without Borders, is an Afrikaans language radio service run by the South African Broadcasting Corporation for the whole of South Africa. Since Afrikaans is one of South Africa's 11 official languages, the SABC is required to carry an Afrikaans-language service on...Afrikaans AfrikaansAfrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...www.rsg.co.za http://www.antfarm.co.za/clients/rsg/rsg_22.asx Radio 2000 English English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...www.radio2000.co.za http://antbiome-jhb01.antfarm.co.za/sabc/media/pbs-radio2000_int.asx Ukhozi FM Ukhozi FMUkhozi FM is a South African national radio station that caters to the needs of the Zulu language-speaking community. It has the second largest reach in the world with an estimated 6.67 million listeners making it the second largest radio station in the world....Zulu Zulu languageZulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...www.ukhozifm.co.za http://www.antfarm.co.za/clients/ukhozifm/ukhozifm_22.asx Umhlobo Wenene FM Umhlobo Wenene FMUmhlobo Wenene FM is a South African national radio station that caters to the needs of the Xhosa language-speaking community.-External links:* in both Xhosa and English* *...Xhosa Xhosa languageXhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately 7.9 million people, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a tonal language, that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when said...www.uwfm.co.za http://antbiome-jhb01.antfarm.co.za/sabc/media/pbs-umhlobowenene_int.asx Thobela FM Pedi Northern Sotho languageNorthern Sotho , also inaccurately known by the name of a major dialect, Pedi or sePedi, is one of the official languages of South Africa, and is spoken by 4,208,980 people — in the South African provinces of Gauteng,...www.thobelafm.co.za http://antbiome-jhb01.antfarm.co.za/sabc/media/pbs-thobela_int.asx Lesedi FM Lesedi FMLesedi FM is a South African radio network owned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation....Sotho www.lesedifm.co.za http://antbiome-jhb01.antfarm.co.za/sabc/media/pbs-lesedi_int.asx Motsweding FM Motsweding FMMotsweding FM is an SABC radio station based in Johannesburg, South Africa, operating mainly in Setswana. Formerly known as Radio Tswana, the country-wide broadcast station evolved from a Bophuthatswana Broadcasting Corporation, which had been operating from Mmabatho in the former Bophuthatswana...Tswana Tswana languageTswana or Setswana is a language spoken in Southern Africa by about 4.5 million people. It is a Bantu language belonging to the Niger–Congo language family within the Sotho languages branch of Zone S , and is closely related to the Northern- and Southern Sotho languages, as well as the Kgalagadi...www.motswedingfm.co.za http://www.antfarm.co.za/clients/motsweding/motsweding_22.asx Phalaphala FM Phalaphala FMPhaphala FM is a South African radio station operating through SABC, South Africa's government owned national broadcaster. Phalaphala is broadcast in the Tshivenda language and can be received in mainly in Gauteng and Limpopo provinces....Venda Venda languageVenda, also known as or , is a Bantu language and an official language of South Africa. The majority of Venda speakers live in the northern part of South Africa's Limpopo Province, but about 10% of speakers live in Zimbabwe. The Venda language is related to Kalanga which is spoken in Botswana...www.phalaphalafm.co.za http://antbiome-jhb01.antfarm.co.za/sabc/media/pbs-phalaphala_int.asx Munghana Lonene FM Munghana Lonene FMMunghana Lonene FM, or MLFM, is a Tsonga language radio station broadcasting at 88.8-103.2 MHz in South Africa. In English, "Munghana Lonene" means "my true friend." Munghana Lonene FM is geared to listeners who understand Xi-Tsonga-Xinchangana....Tsonga Tsonga languageThe Tsonga or Xitsonga language is spoken in southern Africa by the Tsonga people, also known as the Shangaan.- Classification :Tsonga belongs to the Bantu branch of the Niger–Congo languages...www.munghanalonenefm.co.za http://antbiome-jhb01.antfarm.co.za/sabc/media/pbs-munganalonene_int.asx Ligwalagwala FM Swazi www.ligwalagwalafm.co.za http://antbiome-jhb01.antfarm.co.za/sabc/media/pbs-ligwalagwala_int.asx Ikwekwezi FM Ndebele Southern Ndebele languageThe Southern Ndebele language is an African language belonging to the Nguni group of Bantu languages, and spoken by the amaNdebele . There are two dialects of Southern Ndebele in South Africa:* the Northern Transvaal Ndebele or Nrebele...www.ikwekwezifm.co.za http://antbiome-jhb01.antfarm.co.za/sabc/media/pbs-ikwekwezifm_int.asx Lotus FM Lotus FMLotus FM is a South African national radio station based in Durban, loosely similar to the BBC Asian Network in the United Kingdom, that caters for the needs of the South African Indian community. It combines a mix of Indian music, news, current affairs, interviews and entertainment...English English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
(for
the Indian
community)www.lotusfm.co.za http://www.antfarm.co.za/clients/lotusfm/lotusfm_22.asx X-K FM !Xu, Khwe http://antbiome-jhb01.antfarm.co.za/sabc/media/pbs-x-k_int.asx Tru FM
(formerly CKI FM)English English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, XhosaXhosa languageXhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately 7.9 million people, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a tonal language, that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when said...www.trufm.co.za http://antbiome-jhb01.antfarm.co.za/sabc/media/pbs-cki_int.asx
Early history (1975 - 1995)
The service initially broadcast only in English and Afrikaans, with an emphasis on religious programming on Sundays.
A local soap opera, The Villagers, set on a gold mine, was well received while other local productions like The Dingleys
The Dingleys
The Dingleys was an early South African television family drama from 1976, when the South African Broadcasting Corporation introduced television. Set in Pietermaritzburg in Natal it centred on a fictional middle class white South African English speaking family, the Dingleys, who own a...
were panned as amateurish. Owing to South Africa's apartheid policies, the British actors' union Equity
British Actors' Equity Association
Equity is the trade union for actors, stage managers and models in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1930 by a group of West End performers....
started a boycott of programme sales to South Africa, meaning that the majority of acquired programming in the early years of the corporation came from the United States. However, the Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
police drama series The Sweeney
The Sweeney
The Sweeney is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London...
was briefly shown on SABC TV, dubbed
Dubbing (filmmaking)
Dubbing is the post-production process of recording and replacing voices on a motion picture or television soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. The term most commonly refers to the substitution of the voices of the actors shown on the screen by those of different performers, who may be...
in Afrikaans as Blitspatrollie. Later on, when other programmes were dubbed, the original soundtrack was simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
on FM radio.
With a limited budget, early programming aimed at children tended to be quite innovative, and programmes such as the Afrikaans-language puppetshows Haas Das se Nuus Kas and Oscar in Asblikfontein are still fondly remembered by many.
In 1982, a second channel was introduced, broadcasting in African languages. The main channel, then called TV1, was divided evenly between English and Afrikaans, as before. Subtitling on TV in South Africa used to be almost non-existent, although now many non-English language soap operas have started to display English subtitles. The second channel, known either as TV2, TV3 or TV4 depending on the time of day, was later rebranded as CCV (Contemporary Community Values). A third channel was introduced known as TSS, or Topsport Surplus, Topsport being the brand name for the SABC's sport coverage, but this was renamed NNTV (National Network TV).
SABC television become widely available in neighbouring Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
, Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
and Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
. The SABC also helped the South West African Broadcasting Corporation in Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
to establish a television service in 1981 with most programming being videotapes flown in from South Africa. This became part of the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation
Namibian Broadcasting Corporation
The Namibian Broadcasting Corporation is the public broadcaster of Namibia.It was established in 1990, replacing the South West African Broadcasting Corporation.-History:...
in 1990.
Recent history (1996 - present)
In 1996, almost two years after the ANC came to power, the SABC reorganised its three TV channels, so as to be more representative of different language groups. These new channels were called SABC 1SABC 1
South African Broadcasting Corporation public service television channel that carries programming in English and Nguni languages.It was created in 1996, after the SABC restructured its television channels...
, SABC 2
SABC 2
SABC 2 is a South African television channel owned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation . SABC 2 broadcasts programming in English, Afrikaans, Venda, and Tsonga.It was created in 1996, after the SABC restructured its television channels...
and SABC 3
SABC 3
SABC3 is a commercial South African Broadcasting Corporation television channel that carries programming in English and, as of April 2009, Afrikaans....
. This resulted in the downgrading of Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
, which now had its airtime reduced, a move that angered many whites. However, in recent times, the SABC has started broadcasting more Afrikaans content on both on SABC2 and SABC3, with repeats of old programmes and new programmes being commissioned. The SABC also later absorbed the Bop TV station, of the former Bophuthatswana
Bophuthatswana
Bophuthatswana , officially the Republic of Bophuthatswana was a Bantustan – an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity – and nominal parliamentary democracy in the northwestern region of South Africa...
bantustan
Bantustan
A bantustan was a territory set aside for black inhabitants of South Africa and South West Africa , as part of the policy of apartheid...
.
New services
In recent years, the SABC began broadcasting two TV channels to the rest of the continent, SABC Africa (a news service) and Africa 2 Africa (entertainment programming from South Africa and other African countries), in 1999. These were carried for free by DStv. In 2003, Africa 2 Africa was merged with SABC Africa. SABC Africa's news bulletins are also carried on the Original Black Entertainment (OBE) satellite television channel in the UK.In South Africa itself, the SABC has announced the launch of two regional television channels, SABC4 and SABC5, with an emphasis on languages other than English. SABC4 will broadcast in Tswana
Tswana language
Tswana or Setswana is a language spoken in Southern Africa by about 4.5 million people. It is a Bantu language belonging to the Niger–Congo language family within the Sotho languages branch of Zone S , and is closely related to the Northern- and Southern Sotho languages, as well as the Kgalagadi...
, Sesotho
Sesotho language
The Sotho language, also known as Sesotho, Southern Sotho, or Southern Sesotho, is a Bantu language spoken primarily in South Africa, where it is one of the 11 official languages, and in Lesotho, where it is the national language...
, Pedi, Tsonga
Tsonga language
The Tsonga or Xitsonga language is spoken in southern Africa by the Tsonga people, also known as the Shangaan.- Classification :Tsonga belongs to the Bantu branch of the Niger–Congo languages...
, Venda
Venda language
Venda, also known as or , is a Bantu language and an official language of South Africa. The majority of Venda speakers live in the northern part of South Africa's Limpopo Province, but about 10% of speakers live in Zimbabwe. The Venda language is related to Kalanga which is spoken in Botswana...
, and Afrikaans as well as English, to the northern provinces of the country. In the southern provinces, SABC5 will broadcast in Xhosa
Xhosa language
Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately 7.9 million people, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a tonal language, that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when said...
, Zulu
Zulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
, Ndebele
Southern Ndebele language
The Southern Ndebele language is an African language belonging to the Nguni group of Bantu languages, and spoken by the amaNdebele . There are two dialects of Southern Ndebele in South Africa:* the Northern Transvaal Ndebele or Nrebele...
, and Swazi, as well as Afrikaans and English.
Unlike other SABC TV services, SABC4 and SABC5 will not be available via satellite.
Competition
In 1986, the SABC's monopoly on TV was challenged by the launch of a subscription-based service known as M-NetM-Net
M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....
, backed by a consortium of newspaper publishers. However, it could not broadcast its own news and current affairs programmes, which were still the preserve of the SABC. The SABC's dominance was further eroded by the launch of the first 'free-to-air' private TV channel, called e.tv. Satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
also expanded, as M-Net's sister company, Multichoice
MultiChoice
MultiChoice is a South African company which operates the DStv satellite television service, the main satellite TV service in Sub-Saharan Africa. It was formed out of the subscriber-management branch of the M-Net terrestrial pay TV company, and broadcasts the full range of M-Net channels on the...
, launched its digital satellite TV service (DStv
DStv
DStv is MultiChoice's multi-channel digital satellite TV service in Africa, launched in 1995. It operates from two satellites over Africa, broadcasting on Ku band via Eutelsat W7 and Intelsat 7 , which only requires a small satellite dish...
) in 1995. Most of the SABC's TV channels are still provided as part of this service.
1996 onward
- SABC 1 Nguni Languages Primarily and English Secondarily
- SABC 2 English, SeSotho and Afrikaans
- SABC 3 EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Afrikaans
Criticism
A throwback to the Apartheid days, many opposition politicians believe the SABC to be the mouthpiece of the ANC government or "SANC", just as it was that of the National Party. Despite a change in government, this public perception was reinforced when, in August 2005, the SABC came under heavy fire from non-affiliated media and the public for failing to broadcast a scene whereby Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-NgcukaPhumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka is a South African politician who was Deputy President of South Africa from 2005 to 2008. She was the first woman to hold the position and was the highest ranking woman in the history of South Africa...
was booed offstage by members of the ANC Youth League, who were showing support for the newly-axed ex-Deputy President, Jacob Zuma
Jacob Zuma
Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma is the President of South Africa, elected by parliament following his party's victory in the 2009 general election....
.
Rival broadcaster eTV publicly accused SABC of 'biased reporting' by failing to show the video footage of the humiliated Deputy President, but Snuki Zikalala
Snuki Zikalala
Snuki Zikalala is the suspended Managing Director of news and current affairs of the South African Broadcasting Corporation.-Early life:Before joining the SABC, Zikalala spent 25 years in journalism and earned numerous awards, including the SA Medical Association's best medical reporter and...
, Head of News and ex-ANC spokesperson retorted by stating that their cameraman was not present at the meeting, a claim later established to be false when eTV footage was released which showed an SABC cameraman filming the incident.
SABC's government connections also came under scrutiny when, in April 2005, Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
was interviewed live by Zikalala, who is a former ANC political commissar
Political commissar
The political commissar is the supervisory political officer responsible for the political education and organisation, and loyalty to the government of the military...
. The interview held was deemed by the public eye to have side-stepped 'critical issues' and controversial questions regarding Mugabe's radical land-reform policies and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
violations.
In May 2006, the SABC was accused of self censorship, when it decided not to air a documentary on South African President Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mbeki
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki...
, and in early June requested that the producers (from Daylight Films) not speak about it. This has been widely criticised by independent media groups. In response, the International Freedom of Expression Exchange
International Freedom of Expression Exchange
The International Freedom of Expression eXchange , founded in 1992, is a global network of around 90 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression....
issued an alert concerning the SABC's apparent trend toward self-censorship.
In June 2006 the International Federation of Journalists
International Federation of Journalists
International Federation of Journalists, IFJ, is a global union federation of journalists' trade unions—the largest in the world. The organization aims to protect and strengthen the rights and freedoms of journalists...
denounced the cancelling of the Thabo Mbeki documentary, citing "self censorship" and "politically influenced managers".
Also in June 2006, SAfm
SAfm
SAfm is a national radio station in South Africa owned by the SABC. It was formerly known as Radio South Africa. Prior to that it was called the English Service. It was launched as the "A" service when the SABC was established by an Act of Parliament in 1936 and was therefore the Corporation's very...
host John Perlman
John Perlman
John Perlman is a radio presenter for Kaya FM in South Africa, where he hosts "Today with John Perlman", a weekday programme between 6 and 7 p.m...
disclosed on air that the SABC had created a blacklist
Blacklist
A blacklist is a list or register of entities who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to blacklist can mean to deny someone work in a particular field, or to ostracize a person from a certain social circle...
of commentators. A commission of inquiry was created by SABC CEO Dali Mpofu into the allegations that individuals were blacklisted at the behest of Zikalala.
Critics, including the influential newspaper, Mail and Guardian (Vol 24, No 35) have accused the broadcaster of cultural myopia by failing to recognize the diverse cultural mix of South Africa and excessive favoring of certain ethnic groups in their choice of entertainment offered particularly by the TV services.
See also
- Television in South AfricaTelevision in South AfricaTelevision in South Africa was first introduced in 1976. Despite being the most economically advanced country in Africa, South Africa was relatively late in introducing television broadcasting to its population.- Opposition to introduction :...
- List of South African television series
- World Indigenous Television Broadcasters Network