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Cape Town – It must be all that Real Goboza. Or maybe it's too much Khumbul'Ekhaya. It turns out SABC staff don't want to watch SABC programming – they want (and are watching) DStv.
Although the beleaguered South African public broadcaster long ago passed the point of ultimate embarrassment, the revelations continue.
The latest is that SABC staff actually prefer to watch M-Net and DStv – and then send their employer the bill for their subscription television privileges.
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) that has been investigating widespread corruption, wasteful expenditure, fraud, undeclared interests and a broad spectrum of unethical conduct at the SABC has unearthed further embarrassing revelations. They have found that the public broadcaster is paying their staff's M-Net and DStv subscription fees.
The SIU report has found that the SABC paid R102 000 to staff members for "M-Net and DStv privileges". This is not for SABC executives to keep an eye on the TV competition or for programming purposes, but to staff who failed to then even declare this benefit.
R150m of trash TV never shown
The SIU report further detailed that a senior SABC staff member spent R150m of the SABC's money in 2010 alone to buy trash television that has never been shown. According to the report, the public broadcaster was unable to show any of it because the content was inapropriate and the quality was poor. The programming was declared "redundant" and the acquisition written off as part of programming impairment.
It didn't stop there, however. The same senior SABC staff member who bought the junk TV accepted gifts from the company that sold the unusable trash television to the SABC, according to the report. The SIU report into irregularities calls the practice of SABC staff accepting gifts from content sellers "commonplace".
The SIU investigation at the South African public broadcaster is ongoing.
Thinus Ferreira is a TV media expert. Read his blog here.
Although the beleaguered South African public broadcaster long ago passed the point of ultimate embarrassment, the revelations continue.
The latest is that SABC staff actually prefer to watch M-Net and DStv – and then send their employer the bill for their subscription television privileges.
The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) that has been investigating widespread corruption, wasteful expenditure, fraud, undeclared interests and a broad spectrum of unethical conduct at the SABC has unearthed further embarrassing revelations. They have found that the public broadcaster is paying their staff's M-Net and DStv subscription fees.
The SIU report has found that the SABC paid R102 000 to staff members for "M-Net and DStv privileges". This is not for SABC executives to keep an eye on the TV competition or for programming purposes, but to staff who failed to then even declare this benefit.
R150m of trash TV never shown
The SIU report further detailed that a senior SABC staff member spent R150m of the SABC's money in 2010 alone to buy trash television that has never been shown. According to the report, the public broadcaster was unable to show any of it because the content was inapropriate and the quality was poor. The programming was declared "redundant" and the acquisition written off as part of programming impairment.
It didn't stop there, however. The same senior SABC staff member who bought the junk TV accepted gifts from the company that sold the unusable trash television to the SABC, according to the report. The SIU report into irregularities calls the practice of SABC staff accepting gifts from content sellers "commonplace".
The SIU investigation at the South African public broadcaster is ongoing.
Thinus Ferreira is a TV media expert. Read his blog here.
