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/ 22 August 2007

Bringing business to the people

SABC economics editor Siki Mgabadeli dreams of a world where business news is accessible to Joe Public and she is determined to make it happen. That is one of the reasons why she won the 2007 Vodacom Rising Star Award for exceptional women in the media under the age of 30. Matebello Motloung spoke to her.

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/ 22 August 2007

Editor vs Brand: Who dominates?

Editors are increasingly under pressure to be more than just in charge of editorial content but also to be brand ambassadors for their publications. This may be beneficial in building the profile of the magazine but what happens when brand and editor start competing? Whose star should shine the brightest? Matebello Motloung looks at the dynamics of the brand-editor relationship.

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/ 22 August 2007

Mathatha Tsedu: The distinct African

<i>City Press</i> editor Mathatha Tsedu’s vision of creating a "distinctly African" newspaper is finally paying off. For the first time in four years, it sold more than 200,000 copies. Matebello Motloung asks him why this strategy failed with the <i>Sunday Times</i> and where he is taking his newspaper.

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/ 16 July 2007

Plekkie in die Son

The Afrikaans media has in the past demonstrated an uncanny ability to adapt to change while managing to retain a loyal following. Matebello Motloung considers some of the challenges faced by the strongest vernacular media in South Africa and its role in the democratic dispensation.

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/ 30 May 2007

In the Absence of Oprah

South African broadcasting entered a new era in 1992 when the country’s first television talk show, The Felicia Mabuza-Suttle Show, premiered on SABC. However, 15 years later, local chat shows continue to be overshadowed by their more popular US counterparts in what must now be an old genre. Are the benchmarks set by the likes of The Oprah Winfrey Show too unattainable for local producers? Matebello Motloung finds out.

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/ 30 May 2007

Outdoor gets a new player

The outdoor industry is expected make more than R1.5-billion in ad revenue from the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup and BEE businessman Sandile Zungu is not planning on taking a back seat in this buoyant market. He recently purchased a controlling interest in Outdoor Network. Matebello Motloung and Tshepiso Seopa look at the man behind the billboards.

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/ 18 May 2007

ABCs: Custom magazines are king

Custom magazines outshone the other categories in the first Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) figures released for this year. This category showed a massive overall growth of 47.8 percent, according to circulation figures for the period between January and March 2007, which were released on Thursday.

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/ 24 April 2007

The man for the job

Pressure is mounting on Johncom to announce a successor for its ousted chief executive officer Connie Molusi. Industry players believe his deputy, Prakash Desai, is the man for the job. But does he agree? Matebello Motloung talks to the man who many say has been running the show for a long time.

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/ 23 January 2007

Outdoor kicks off

With the 2010 Soccer World Cup on our doorstep, South Africa’s outdoor advertisers are displaying increasing levels of creativity, ready to compete for a huge slice of the advertising revenue. However, city councils seem unprepared for the outdoor rush. Matebello Motloung reports.

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/ 19 December 2006

Snuki Who?

SABC head of news Snuki Zikalala has been under constant media scrutiny since his appointment in 2004, with his management style and loyalties constantly questioned. Matebello Motloung takes a closer look at the man many believe is determined to turn the public broadcaster into a government mouthpiece.

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/ 19 December 2006

The Weekly Survival Game

The weekly newspaper market is abuzz with movement from several angles. All eyes are on newcomer <i>The Weekender</i> to see if it will survive this competitive market. Meanwhile, established papers are introducing more and more supplements in a bid to attract readers and advertising. Matebello Motloung reports.

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/ 22 November 2006

Shock Jocks: Naughty but Nice

Can you imagine tuning in to your favourite radio station only to hear an audio of someone being murdered? This is how two American shock jocks came to be fired in 2004. Although the situation in South Africa has not reached such tasteless proportions, Matebello Motloung looks at how our local shock jocks are kept in check, and the value they bring to their radio stations.