Justin Pearce
Two scions of CCV-TV’s marketing department and one South African Broadcasting Corporation old-guarder are to head the SABC’s revised three-channel television line-up, which will take effect in February next year.
Molefe Mokgatle will head Channel 1, Taninga Msimango will become acting head of Channel 2, and Louis Raubenheimer is to head Channel 3. The three channels will respectively occupy the wavebands currently used by CCV, TV1 and NNTV, though the channels are to be completely reorganised.
Raubenheimer’s position among the SABC old guard and as a one-time member of the State Security Council made him appear an unlikely choice for a senior executive position in the new regime. He appears to have won his position in recognition for his success in transforming NNTV from a stepchild channel into a respected educational broadcaster.
Mokgatle — who currently serves as acting head of CCV — and Msimango appear to have been promoted as a result of their contribution to CCV’s recent boom in audience ratings. Both have a background in CCV’s marketing department which, until now, has had a substantial say over programming.
Msimango appears to have been given an acting appointment owing to her relative lack of experience in the field — if her appointment is eventually made permanent, she will be the first woman to occupy such a position at the SABC.
Acting head of television and former CCV head Madala Mphahlele has been moved sideways into the new position of general manager for Africa, where he will be in charge of forming links with other public broadcasters across the continent.
The new three-channel format will last until the SABC relinquishes its third channel in keeping with IBA recommendations, which is due to happen at the beginning of 1998. The broad language division of the channels will be one for Nguni languages, another for Sotho languages and Afrikaans, and a third for English, though this will not be a hard-and-fast division.