Urban
Barney Cohen
RIGHT TO REPLY
We refer to your article “The SABC’s mounting sleaze” in last week’s edition of the Mail & Guardian in which mention is made of Urban Brew. We feel Urban Brew Studios cannot be blamed if we have come to the conclusion that the M&G, which also happens to be our opposition in the area of television production, has an axe to grind.
This slander campaign has been achieved by using unsubstantiated information from a vindictive inside informant, who is known to Urban Brew Studios, as well as input from some disgruntled opposition producers. We find the whole affair obnoxious and inappropriate.
l Your allegation: “Television production house Urban Brew, another outside company, [was] named in connection with irregularities in the KPMG report.”
We have read the contents of the KPMG report and can find no reference to Urban Brew Studios regarding programming and commissioning irregularities, as your article suggests. You wrote in general terms that the KPMG report found no proof of illegality in SABC commissioning practices, nor kickbacks having been accepted.
It is therefore surprising your reporters decided to mention that Urban Brew was named in the report in connection with irregularities without specifying such irregularities (if any).
We take extreme exception to being associated with this argument every time it is raised.
It’s about time we put an end to the highly damaging speculation and innuendo, and, if there are any facts implicating Urban Brew Studios from whatever quarter, KPMG included, let’s state clearly what they are, and give evidence thereof, or otherwise put this matter to rest once and for all. In other words, shut up or put up.
l Your allegation: “Urban Brew was recently awarded a major contract for an SABC3 talk show.”
We bear no knowledge of a major contract recently having been awarded to Urban Brew Studios for a talk show on SABC3.
Fact is: Urban Brew Studios has been in talks with SABC3 for the past four months regarding a licensing agreement for a youth talk show on their channel. As I expect you to know, a licensing agreement, in which Urban Brew takes the financial risk, and “a major contract” as you refer to it, remains an exercise in flirting with the facts.
Again evidence that your inside informant at the SABC is not only inaccurate but also mischievous. One can only presume there is a secret agenda. At present the licensing agreement is still under negotiation and we feel that M&G, in publishing this kind of report, is intent on jeopardising Urban Brew’s relationships with its stakeholders. Urban Brew Studios has the right to do business as has any other production house in this country.
l Your allegation: “The report recommends further investigations into the contracts between Urban Brew and senior SABC executives.”
We can assure you that contact between Urban Brew Studios and SABC representatives is normal, ethical and entirely above board.
If there is any insinuation that contact between Urban Brew Studios and SABC representatives has been irregular, we take strong exception and would invite any factual proof to the contrary.
l Your now repeated allegation: “Urban Brew was awarded the SABC2 breakfast contract at a time when [Zwelakhe] Sisulu was still SABC chief executive, but was already poised to join Nail.”
We can give your readers the assurance that Sisulu had absolutely nothing to do with the SABC2 breakfast show (am2day) contract being awarded to Urban Brew Studios.
A panel of persons (which did not include Sisulu) acted independently and were pain-stakingly transparent in their execution of awarding the breakfast show contract.
If you tried to insinuate that Urban Brew Studios had been awarded the am2day contract as a result of undue influence from the top echelons of the SABC, we take great exception to this untruth and deny the insinuation in the strongest terms.
If you are genuinely interested in facts, let it be said that Sisulu was no longer with the SABC when the breakfast show contract was both pitched for and awarded.
Furthermore, for the record, Urban Brew Studios had no business dealings at any stage and in whatever form with Sisulu during his tenure at the national broadcaster. A simple and honest journalistic inquiry will prove this correct.
The fact that Sisulu and Nail were in negotiations while Urban Brew Studios were discussing a joint venture with the latter is mere coincidence.
Barney Cohen is chief executive at Urban Brew Studios