With the imminent launch of three new subscription broadcasting services and e.tv’s 24-hour news channel, the poaching war for experienced broadcasting professionals has well and truly begun.
Rumours abound about who will be the next to jump ship to join rival broadcasters, but one of the latest to take the plunge is former e.tv news reporter Macintosh Nzimande.
Nzimande is locked in a dispute with his former employer as a result of his decision to take up a management position at new entrant Telkom Media.
At the heart of the dispute is the fact that Nzimande, as a member of e.tv’s strategic management team, was privy to information about the launch of e.tv’s 24-hour news channel, which would be a direct competitor of Telkom Media’s 24-hour news channel, to be headed by Jimi Matthews.
Matthews told the Mail & Guardian that the introduction of new broadcasting players created opportunities for media practitioners and it was only natural that people change jobs in the media sector.
‘The reality is if we are going to launch a professional operator it will have to be with a mix of experienced people and novices,†said Matthews. ‘Where do the experienced people come from? They come from other media houses.
‘However, I will not engage in a wage war. If we don’t deal with this in a responsible way, it will come back to bite us later.â€
Debora Patta, e.tv’s head of news, told the M&G that with the news television industry on the brink of major expansion, it was an extremely exciting time for journalists.
‘As in any industry there is an ebb and flow of employees leaving companies to further their careers,†said Patta. ‘This normal ebb and flow is going to be heightened in the television news industry given the launch of new channels.
‘Over the next couple of months e.news will be employing a significant number of people for our 24-hour news channel.â€
Nzimande denies passing sensitive information on to his new employer. His lawyer, Ryan Fisher, filed papers in the Randburg Magistrate’s court this week seeking R57Â 513,69 from e.tv, which he claims is owed to his client in lieu of paid leave, benefits and unpaid salary for December.
Fisher said e.tv had withheld these funds after Nzimande was asked to leave the TV channel’s premises on December 4 2007. He was told that he was not required to work the last month of his notice period.
e.tv refused to comment on the court papers issued by Nzimande’s lawyer, saying it had only received the summons on Thursday morning.
A letter addressed to Nzimande from e.tv’s lawyers, Rosin Wright Rosengarten, which is attached to the court papers, reflected e.tv’s dissatisfaction over the fact that Nzimande attended a major strategy session for the new 24-hour news channel less than a week before he handed in his resignation.
‘It is abundantly clear that you were involved in discussions with Telkom Media and/or accepted the offer from Telkom Media well before 3 December 2007,†the letter says. ‘Despite this and despite being aware that you would be leaving our client and would be employed by a competitor — you attended the e.news strategy session last week.â€
e.tv is also unhappy about the fact that it paid Nzimande R2Â 000 a month during a one-year sabbatical in 2006/07. Nzimande used the period to complete his master’s degree in media and communications in London, and was paid on condition that he work for e.tv for two years on his return.