LISTICLE: SABC Radio, News, TV highlights

Today marks 70 years of the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) first in-house news broadcast. The public broadcaster was established in 1936, but it didn’t operate a news service of its own until 15 years later, just after World War Two.

Here are some of the highlights of Radio, TV and News over the years of broadcast:

RADIO

1923-1933

• The South African Railways did the first “wireless” broadcast in Johannesburg
• The Durban Corporation introduced “wireless” to that city

1933-1943

• SABC Radio operations at the Broadcast House in Johannesburg
• The new national radio service in English was introduced
• IsiZulu, IsiXhosa and SeSotho were broadcast to township communities countrywide

1943-1953

• A commercial radio service, Springbok Radio, broadcasting in English and Afrikaans, was introduced

1960-1970

• An external radio service (now known as Channel Africa) began broadcasting on shortwave
• The SABC established a new service, Radio Buntu
• A comprehensive FM network was established in order avail radio services to the whole country

1970-1980

• Radio Setswana became a 24-hour service
• Radio Zulu was launched
• Radio Zulu began to broadcast for 24 hours

1980-1990

• Radio South Africa (now SAfm), Radio Suid-Afrika (now RSG) and Radio 2000, as well as regional stations Radio Jacaranda, Radio Oranje and Radio Algoa were launched
• Radio Metro, targeting urban black youth was introduced

1990-2000

• Reverend Hawu Mbatha became the first black manager of Radio Zulu
• On the IBA’s instructions, the SABC sold its six regional radio stations – Highveld, Jacaranda, Kfm, East Coast, Algoa and Oranje.

TV

1971- 1981

• Television in SA was introduced
• The SABC began test transmissions for TV broadcasting
• TV1 was launched with a theme “Opening Night” for the first ever broadcast

1981-1991

• TV2 and TV3 were launched in Johannesburg and broadcast in five languages – IsiZulu, IziXhosa, Southern SeSotho, Tswana and Northern SeSotho.
• A TV channel providing mainly entertainment and sports coverage, TV4, began transmission.
• The SABC broadcast its first radio and TV simulcast by using a satellite transponder of Intelsat to distribute its radio and TV signals.

1991-2001

• TSS – Topsport Surplus – was introduced as an unofficial supplementary TV service
• The SABC relaunched all its TV stations
• President Nelson Mandela was the guest of honour

News

1951-1961

• The SABC Board of Governors establish the News Department
• Introduction of the first Regional News Service
• Broadcast on loudspeakers installed in residential hostels

1961- 1971

• Radio Setswana broadcast five daily news bulletins

1971-1981

• Afrikaans radio current affairs programmes on RSG, Monitor, started broadcasting.
• SABC television news crew got their first taste of the hectic pace and deadlines of television
• News and information services were scrutinized and monitored in detail

1981-1991

• “Breakfast television (“Goeie Môre Suid-Afrika / Good Morning South Africa” on TV 1) started
• SABC experienced first live broadcast of a political debate on television in South Africa, February 1988 (FW de Klerk vs Andries Treurnicht)
• The SABC’s coverage of the release of Nelson Mandela

1991-2001

• SABC broadcast first democratic election
• SABC Radio News introduced sound bites in its Radio Bulletin

Research compiled and coordinated by Angie Kapelianis