SABC censored Sona broadcast, eNCA satellite signal jammed
The SABC refused to air pictures of opposition parties leaving Parliament during the recent State of the Nation address, while the broadcaster’s COO banned the use of commentators on TV and radio during the event.
This is according to a report in the City Press.
The newspaper is also reporting that four of eNCA’s six satellite signals were jammed during the Sona broadcast.
Despite that fact that all broadcasters used the same feed from Parliament, the SABC’s coverage differed from other channels.
The Parliament TV feed did not show the EFF being removed by security personal, while the walk-out by the DA was also not shown.
President of the Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers’ Union Hannes du Buisson said: “It has been reported by members who overheard conversations on comms and in the control room that a senior news boss instructed the director not to cut away from the feed.”
Several people working on the Sona broadcast said the instructions on what to show came from the SABC’s group executive of news and current affairs, Jimi Matthews.
On the matter of blocked satellite signals, eNCA told City Press that four of its six satellite lines from Parliament “were jammed by an unknown rogue operator”.
“What is sinister about this is that the rogue operator is transmitting a data stream with no video, audio or transmitter information on it … It is hard for us not to suspect sabotage,” said eNCA managing director Patrick Conroy.
Further reports state that Primedia Broadcasting has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly about the media’s right to use its own recording feeds in Parliament, and the use of an alleged cellphone signal jammer installed for Sona 2015.
The full report is available in the City Press of 15 February 2015.
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