The SABC has ordered Afrikaans to be cut down further in the environmental magazine show 50/50. The programme must now be broadcast 80% in English according to orders from the South African public broadcaster. by Thinus Ferreira
The SABC returned 50/50 for a new season to the public broadcaster but moved it from its long-time home on SABC2 to SABC3 and also significantly reduced the traditional amount of Afrikaans heard in the show.
Production company Clive Morris Productions that produces 50/50 for the SABC has significantly cut the Afrikaans in the magazine show on SABC orders.
50/50 also moved from SABC2 to SABC3 which has the smallest broadcasting footprint of all the SABCs three terrestrial TV channels - meaning that the least number of TV viewers who want to watch the SABC or a SABC TV channel can actually keep watching it.
In response to a media enquiry the SABC told Channel24 that the move from SABC2 to SABC3 has been informed by both the TV business unit strategy and SABC3s new channel proposition.
It is important to note that 50/50 is first and foremost an environmental programme, says the SABC. The language split has been revised to English 80% and 20% Afrikaans.
Making 50/50 more accessible
The increase in the English language deliver forms part of the fundamental plan to make the programme more accessible, more inclusive and to attract a broader spectrum of South African audiences, says the SABC.
The broadcaster didnt explain how moving 50/50 to a smaller TV channel with a much smaller reception and reducing the language a large part of the traditional core audience watched it in on the broadcaster is making it more accessible
In the whole of the Northern Cape for instance there is only one transmitter broadcasting SABC3, which means only people living in and around Alexander Bay can now watch 50/50 if they wanted to.
50/50 has been on-air for many years and this is part of the evolution process for the programme, says the SABC.
We also shy away from our content being identified by our audiences only by language, but rather the actual programme and the message it carries to the viewer, says the SABC. 50/50 has undergone a revamp aligned to the channel and the TV network business strategy with South African viewers in mind.
Earlier the year the SABC also ordered the traditionally Afrikaans soap 7de Laan on SABC2 to undergo changes which will also result in a reduction of the percentage of Afrikaans heard on the show in 2015 as well as significant on-screen changes.
The SABC also moved the Afrikaans TV news bulletin, Nuus om 7 - the broadcasters sole Afrikaans terrestrial TV news bulletin - in mid-July from SABC2 to SABC3.
The SABC initially claimed and told viewers in the promos that it's only temporary, while the SABC told the press and advertisers that the move will be permanent.
Viewers were suddenly informed the move is indeed permanent - planned since the beginning of this year. After a public outcry and after saying that the SABC listened to viewers the Nuus om 7 moved back earlier this month to SABC2 and its old timeslot.
Zandile Nkonyeni, SABC TV head publicist, told Netwerk24 that SABC3 has changed its channel proposition. Its also not so much lead by language, but is lead by a group of people with similar mindsets she said.
Every programme that you find, whatever genre, on SABC3 it will not be language skewed. It will not be to a specific people who speak a certain language but it will be for a South African that can tune in and will understand what is being spoken about on that language, said Nkonyeni.
Nkonyeni said Afrikaans as a language is still very much existent within the SABC.
http://www.channel24.co.za
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
The SABC has ordered Afrikaans to be cut down further in the environmental magazine show 50/50. The programme must now be broadcast 80% in English according to orders from the South African public broadcaster. by Thinus Ferreira
