The well known television channel Etv was once again in the news following the issue of the station pulling out of the 2012 South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTA). Etv is the fifth terrestrial televison channel in South Africa following three channels operated by the state owned South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC 1, 2 and 3) and privately owned subscription funded M-NET which is operated by Multichoice. According to [www.wikipedia.co.za] Etv is the first privately owned but free to air television station in the country.
The SAFTA awards started way back in 2005 when the representatives of the South African Film and Television industry resolved to come together under the auspices of the National Film and Video Foundation of the South Africa to establish the annual SAFTA awards. The primary objective of the SAFTA awards is to honour, celebrate and promote the creativity, quality and exellence of South African Film and Television talent and productions and to encourage entrepreneurship and the development of new talent within the industry.
The 6th Annual SAFTAs were held at the Gallegher Estate in Midrand on the 9th and 10th March 2012. The first event on the 9th of March was for winners in the non-fiction categories and the second event on the 10th was for winners in the fiction categories. The Gallegher Estate was filled with the best actors and actresses that our country can offer.
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| Head of Etv Monde Twala |
Even though the awards ceremony was supported by many people from the film and television industry unfortunately Etv had withdraw they programming from the SAFTAs, the channel refused to divulge reasons for its withdrawal. Etv issued out a statement Monday afternoon prior to the awards confirming the withdrawal of its shows. Group head of Etv channel Monde Twala said in the statement " it is unfortunate that we have had to withdraw our programming from the SAFTAs but we feel that it is necessary to do so in order to achieve greater organisation cohesion." According to articles that have been written the channel felt that their shows and performers had been sidelined in both the nominations and events surrounding the ceremony.Does Etv feel that the SATTAs are only supporting the SABC programmes more than them? Do they feel they not well recognized as a channel? Or did they just withdraw because they felt they did not need to be honoured, celebrated by the SAFTA awards? We will just have to wait and hear the reasons of the withdrawal from the channel itself.
I understand Etv sentiments it what's to stop the sabc monopolising these awards?
ReplyDeleteBut instead of pulling out the should have supported the award ceremony because atleast one or two of their programmes were nominated in the SAFTA awards
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