/ 8 June 2014

SABC refuses to broadcast City Press ads – report

R2K was outraged that the show was being cancelled before its second season could be aired.
R2K was outraged that the show was being cancelled before its second season could be aired.

The SABC has refused to broadcast a series of City Press advertisements, which were part of a barter agreement, the newspaper reported on Sunday.

The advertisements – which referred to the 2012 Marikana shooting in Rustenburg, e-tolling and the Economic Freedom Fighters – were due to be aired this month. On May 28, however, Cornette Zietsman from the newspaper’s marketing division was informed in an email that the material was “not suitable for transmission” and that the booking request was cancelled “until further notice”. 

The advertisements were part of a barter agreement with the broadcaster and the newspaper’s parent company, Media 24. The agreement was that the SABC would air the newspaper’s advertisements from January to December this year on its television channels, and in turn the City Press would run the broadcaster’s advertising in its pages. 

The newspaper said the SABC had already used advertising worth R1 045 380 on the current barter in its pages. – Sapa