Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s content policy sees SABC viewership slide
The broadcaster’s financial crisis is deepening as audience share directly tracks advertising revenue
Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s local content policy has caused the SABC’s television audience share to shrink to its lowest levels to date, with viewers flocking to closest rival DStv. This is revealed in an internal report seen by Business Day that analyses the broadcaster’s latest audience figures. They suggest the broadcaster’s financial crisis is deepening as audience share directly tracks advertising revenue, which accounts for 85% of the SABC’s total income. The report also lends weight to a finding by a recent parliamentary inquiry that a contract Motsoeneng negotiated with MultiChoice, which owns DStv, was detrimental to the public broadcaster. The SABC Group Operations Business Review dated March 22 shows its television audience share dropped to 45% in the last quarter, down from an average of 53% in the 2012-13 financial year. Despite revising its targets down dramatically since then, from 60% to 51%, the SABC still fell far short of expectations. The review describes the last quarte...
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