The decision to have 90% local music aired on SABC radio stations is yielding good results for the national broadcaster, COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng has said.

Motsoeneng today addressed the new changes to be made to the SABC 3 channel, which includes the removal of many popular international shows including Days of Our Lives, which has been airing locally for 20 years.

The broadcaster announced last month that 80% local content would be introduced to its TV stations, starting with SABC 3, which broadcasts the most international shows.

“I’m very glad within the organisation that we as SABC, actually we are doing very well, 90% is doing very very well [sic],” Motsoeneng said.

“I’m aware that people who are complaining, some of them are people within the organisation and reason being, they’ve been doing business with international content providers. I don’t know what is happening between them and international content, [sic]” he added.

“Some of them they get sick, when you are saying let’s move with local content…reality is international content is not doing well for the organisation,” he said, emphasising on the need to produce more new talent.

Motsoeneng neglected, however, to go into detail on exactly how the change was benefiting the company. He didn’t go into specifics on audience numbers, revenue or public opinion. He also didn’t explain how the SABC had worked out that international content wasn’t doing very well.

“SABC will do what is right for South Africa”

“SABC will do what is right for South Africa. We are not bothered by outside noise, because it is not our noise,” Motsoeneng said in reference to critics and naysayers.

“We know what people want and we are doing exactly what people want. What is very interesting here is that SABC won’t be the same. This is a new SABC and I’m happy that we are turning around this organisation,” he said.

“When we talk about issue of local content, I’m aware that people they focus on English and we said we want all 11 African languages to be represented, so we’re appealing to you service providers…it is important to be proud about your own language,” he added.

“What is shocking, some of the South Africans they are saying ‘no, we are not interested in local content’, they may may not be interested but we have taken a decision…if I have taken a decision, and I believe that decision is the right decision – no turning back, you’ll make your own noise.”

Changes to SABC 3

The public broadcaster also revealed a new logo for SABC 3, announcing that repeats will no longer be aired during primetime slots on the channel from next month onwards.