The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has axed almost all of its weekend programmes on radio station SAfm.
Although all the presenters were informed of the decision when they were given a month’s notice at the beginning of September, the SABC has not informed the media of the changes to the weekend schedule.
All the presenters — whose shows will be aired for the last time this weekend — were given a month’s notice and threatened that if they spoke to anyone about the programme cuts before the end of September they would not get paid.
Although the presenters were given a month’s notice of the impending shut down, auditions for replacement shows were only held in the past fortnight.
Among the programmes to get the chop are two of the station’s most listened-to programmes after AM Live — Saturday Light and SAfm Weekend.
The presenters, who will be heard for the last time this weekend, include Saturday Light presenter Anne Williams; Tony Lankester, presenter of SAfm Weekend along with correspondents Lyndall Popper, Angus Begg and Alan Swerdlow; specialist motoring reporter, Deon Schoeman, editor of Top Car magazine; sports presenter John Gerike and Quiet Storm presenter Rafe Lavine.
The other specialist programmes on their way out are the Book Programme, Word of Mouth, Jack Mullen’s Futurewatch, John Gerike’s Computer Gig and Richard Haslop’s Roots to Fruits.
The SABC is expected to hold a press conference about the weekend line-up early next week.
Attempts to get comment from the SABC were all referred to the broadcaster’s spokesperson Paul Setsetse, who, despite numerous messages left over two days, failed to respond. – Sapa