The exclusive interview began on the wrong note when Keletso Totlhanyo admonished this writer not to repeat using the phrase “boss lady” when addressing her.
It took place at the SABC headquarters, Auckland Park, on Thursday afternoon.
But in a more communicative mode, she said: “I am not a position but a human being who occupies a senior position.” She is the new SABC Sports general manager.
A similar experience occurred when yours truly greeted Nwabisa Makunga during her meet and greet session with the newsroom staff at the Sowetan in 2020. She is the editor of this legendary daily newspaper.
“If all sporting people can see me the way I have just explained myself to you then the better for sport because we will work together without any fear that I am the GM at SABC,” said Totlhanyo, who will be in that office for five years.
“I want to change sports because we have a platform as SABC.”
She did not get a thorough briefing about he company signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Boxing SA in September last year. It is a three-year deal which will see SABC live television dates being spread all around the country in an attempt to renew the fistic sport.
She is implementing it, and Totlhanyo says she is looking forward to working with the regulator.
“I am aware that broadcast rights based on the content are with promoters but I work with promoters through Boxing SA,” she said, adding that the first attempt back in the day by the national broadcaster and Boxing SA to sign an MOU presented serious challenges due to the confusion over the ownership of the broadcasting rights.
It resulted in the sport not being aired live on the national broadcaster from 2012 until 2015.
Totlhanyo said her team was working closely with Boxing SA regarding the selection of promoters for tenders to stage those SABC live tournaments.
“We’ve got two committees (Bid Evaluation Committee and the Bid Adjudication Committee) and they handle applications for tenders from promoters,” she said.
“We would like to have quality bouts that will be entertaining and those events should deliver the highest quality that could attract the business sector for sponsorships. Promoters have to be creative and innovative.”
The fight fraternity is totally unhappy with the late Friday night (22h30) broadcast of boxing by the national broadcaster. Even potential sponsors are out partying Friday night at 22h30 after a long week. School children are also asleep at that time.
“I urge that with the 12 dates that we have for the first year of the MOU to give it a try and continue broadcasting at 10.30pm,” she pleaded. “If it is not working well for all of us, we will definitely go back to the drawing board and review it.”
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