Hlaudi era is behind us‚ says Dlodlo as SABC reports loss of R509-million

Acting SABC group CEO Tseliso Ralitabo said the fourth quarter revenue of R1.6 billion was down R353 million or 20 percent from the same quarter in the previous year.

The cash-strapped public broadcaster told Parliament's communications committee that a decline in revenue sources‚ personnel costs and certain "unresearched decisions such as the implementation of the 90/10 local music and 80/20 local content quotas on SABC 3 further impacted on the decline of audience numbers and revenue".

Ralitabo described the financials as "not so good-looking"‚ but communications minister Ayanda Dlodlo was upbeat that the firing of Hlaudi Motsoeneng meant "that is an era that is behind us".

She said she believed the disciplinary process that had removed him had been "fair".

Dlodlo said she had hoped to bring in caretakers to manage the reins of the CEO and CFO posts but many of the people she had identified had already applied for the job of CEO‚ which she said could affect the interviewing process.

She said having a good team in place meant it was easier to apply for funding and loans.

"If you go and ask for funding somewhere‚ you will be told that you cannot expect the leadership team who presided over the mess to use funding to take the organisation forward."

She said work with the interim board had been mostly "smooth sailing" and she believed their relationship "will take the SABC to a better place".