The finale of the private TV channel bid was nail-biting and the fall-out spiteful, writes Ferial Haffajee
Around the world, races for private television licences are known as beauty competitions. While the finalists in the contest for South Africa’s prized new private television licence didn’t parade in swim-suits and the judges didn’t make flimsy jokes, the finale was nail-biting and the fall-out spiteful.
As at all pageants, only a small corner of supporters erupted when, in a voice high-pitched with nerves, the chief of the Independent Broadcasting Authority announced the winner: “The licence will go to Midi Television,” said the IBA’s chair, Felleng Sekha, who was decked out for the occasion in powerful red.
As the licence wrapped in blue ribbon was handed to bid leader Nomasizi Ramatshotshisa, the Midi team made enough noise to fill the huge banqueting hall before the other consortiums remembered their manners and clapped with pursed smiles and scarcely disguised dismay. There were not many tears (except from some soft staffers who shed a few here and there) and no fallen tiaras; and afterwards, over scones and tea, the defeated fed on rumour.
“They always wanted them to give it to them,” said a smartly suited consultant from a losing bid, referring to persistent rumours that Midi is the favoured bid of the political establishment. Before making her way into the adjacent bar, a visibly shaken Vanessa du Plessis of the Community Television Network said an appeal to the court was not unlikely. “There are many questions,” she said under the glare of television cameras.
Meanwhile, many allegiances were quickly swapped as television producers swamped the winners, while brainy and beautiful wannabes clasped the hands of those close to the television flavour of the month, often pressing business cards into tired palms.
Former unionist Marcel Golding, who has swopped his miner’s hard-hat for chic rimless spectacles, and labour lawyer Kuben Pillay grinned uncontrollably. The companies they run own 25% of the new station and the licence is the second big media coup the two have pulled off in a year.
Midi, which will broadcast as e.tv, will be a goldmine of television jobs – on Tuesday, its executives were planning a recruitment drive to begin assembling the staff who will help take the new baby to air on October 1.
Later on V-day, there were double celebrations at Mtshotshisa’s house. It was her birthday too, though you would never have guessed the next day that many bottles of champagne had been guzzled.
Most Midi members were at work early the next morning, snappily dressed and phoning up suppliers to begin the search for the digital equipment that will power e.tv. Florists tramped in and out bearing splendid roses and extravagant bouquets, including one or two from leaders of losing bids. And news producer Malebo Phage was nursing a knee bashed when he leapt up to celebrate the announcement.
Midi works from the faux-Italian architecture of Sandton Square in Johannesburg and is still tossing up capitals to decide whether the new station will be headquartered in moneyed Jo’burg or pretty Cape Town.
But you’d be forgiven for thinking that you had ended up in Mmabatho, given the plethora of former Bop Television staffers who stalk the corporate offices of Midi. Its managing director, Jonathan Proctor, and his deputy, Richard Magau, both held top jobs at the Bop Broadcasting Corporation. Together, they’ve crocheted together a (largely black) team drawn from their former workplace. And while some question the skills gleaned at the homeland broadcaster, it was a good television service under Proctor.
In bid lore, Midi was always among the top three in the beauty pageant. The competition was close and the IBA councillors didn’t end up speaking with one voice. Their decision was a majority one and not unanimous, which means that at lease three councillors thought a different princess should be queen.
So did other bidders who are deciding whether to take the IBA’s decision to court. No court can overrule that decision; all they can decide is that the broadcasting gurus did not apply their minds correctly and then order that the whole process be restarted.
It’s not a decision any court is likely to rule on lightly because it will cost millions more and delay indefinitely the start of the new station. The five-month long race has been “transparent” (all the bids were available for scrutiny in the IBA’s library) and “democratic” (each bidder had an opportunity to make representations against each others plans, promises and policies) and after the hearings each of the seven bid companies pledged that they had been satisfied with the process.
“It’s just sabre-rattling,” says Proctor of threat of court action. “We’re quite satisfied that the IBA has done a proper job.” They have briefed lawyers and Proctor also angrily threatened that they would counter-sue. “Any review process will hold up our ability to operate. Our counter-claim will be for millions.”
The losers licked their wounds this week: inevitable after the months spent eating, sleeping and dreaming the “schedules”, “projected revenues” and “local content” which have been the lot of hundreds of local and international consultants working on the different bids.