Hang onto your OMG's (i.e. pretend to be shocked) ... the SABC has lost the rights to broadcast South Africa's national beauty pageant.
While the news is BIG, it isn't surprising at all - particularly considering the
recent fiasco surrounding the pubcaster's failure to deliver the important Bafana Bafana game against Sierra Leone.
Moments ago DStv's Mzansi Magic announced that the newly launched channel has secured the exclusive rights to air the pageant live, on Sunday 12 December 2010.
Word from our sources is that Mzansi Magic has the rights to the pageant from now onwards, while the SABC holds the rights for all past pageants. This means that Mzansi Magic isn't able to use past footage to create promos for the event so it will be interesting to see what they come up with in the build-up.
This from the press release about it:
"Says Lebone Maema, Mzansi Magic’s Channel Manager: '... we as a channel are delighted about this new partnership with Sun International as it fits perfectly with our content offering. The Miss South Africa pageant has a strong legacy and we look forward to taking this momentous event in South African history to greater heights'.
Since its inception in 1956, the Miss South Africa pageant has a proud history of intelligent, inspiring and passionate young woman including Amy Kleinhans - the first coloured woman to win the Miss South Africa crown in 1992, Jacqui Mofokeng - the first black woman to win in 1993 and Kerishnie Naiker who was the first Indian woman to wear the crown in 1997.
Miss South Africa is an ambassador who represents her country at all times as well as at the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants. She is a catalyst for change in South Africa and is committed to her charity work as well as her official roles and responsibilities.
This year’s Miss South Africa competition aims to promote goodwill, friendship and understanding as well as promote South Africa as a prime tourist destination - a land filled with natural beauty, diversity of culture, magnificent landscapes, extreme leisure activities and friendly people.
The organisers of the Miss South Africa pageant are delighted to be hosted by Mzansi Magic as the competition has a strong local following and believe that the local flavour of Channel 107 will best showcase the competition.
'We are fortunate to have DSTV’s new local content channel, Mzansi Magic as our official broadcast sponsor,' says Sun International’s PR & Marketing Executive Sue Klerck. 'The channel is ideally positioned as the platform for youthful expression and during the live broadcast they will showcase some of South Africa's most spectacular talent, capturing for the viewers all the drama and excitement of the pageant.'
The pageant finale will be aired live on Mzansi Magic - DSTV channel 107 - on Sunday 12 December from 17h30 to 19h00. It will also feature a red carpet build-up from 17h00 till 17h30."