SECTOR 4 An unethical approach was taken by the SABC in 2015 with regard to blacklisting certain media commentators. An example of this is Eusebius McKaiser, who had his invitation to appear on an SABC talk show revoked after he wrote a column in Independent Media’s Star newspaper that was critical of ANC leaders. Pay-for-view satellite broadcast distributor MultiChoice was criticised for having signed a highly controversial channel-supply deal in 2013 with the SABC, then under Hlaudi] Motsoeneng’s leadership, to pay the SABC 553 million ZAR (38,000,000 USD) over five years. This deal, flagged by a parliamentary inquiry, was to give the company the right to air two of the SABC’s channels, SABC Encore and the SABC 24 news channel, both of which were funded from public funds and intended for public distribution. Placing the channels exclusively on MultiChoice’s DStv platform meant that only its paid subscribers could access the channels. Hlaudi Motsoeneng allegedly pocketed more than 11 million ZAR (760,000 USD) out of a more than 30 million ZAR (2,000,000 USD) kickback package in the deal, which placed SABC’s archival footage in the hands of MultiChoice through the Encore channel. Leaked minutes in 2017 showed that MultiChoice executives told the SABC that the deal was contingent on the SABC agreeing to a clause that it would not carry its free-to-air channels on any encrypted digital set-top boxes. MultiChoice had been fighting with free-to-air channel e.tv about encryption, which e.tv wanted in digital set-top boxes. In 2018, SABC and MultiChoice signed a new deal with the SABC, which insiders alleged was worth up to 900 million ZAR (62,000,000 USD), to keep the two channels on the DStv platform, but the SABC’s archive was to remain the property of the public broadcaster. ‘While Hlaudi [Motsoeneng] was ultimately corrupt, the corruption continues…’ a panellist claimed. Scores: Individual scores: 1 Country does not meet indicator 2 Country meets only a few aspects of indicator 3 Country meets some aspects of indicator 4 Country meets most aspects of indicator 5 Country meets all aspects of the indicator Average score: 56 AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER SOUTH AFRICA 2018 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓✓✓✓ 3.1 (2013: 3.3; 2010: 3.9; 2008: n/a; 2006: n/a) ✓