SABC3’s coverage of The River Pageant, part of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations broadcast on the afternoon of Sunday, 3 June was marred by the lack of commentary. SABC3 has issued a statement apologising for the fact and explaining the technical problem behind the glitch.
The statement reads: SABC3 wishes to apologise unreservedly for the lack of commentary on yesterday’s live broadcast of The River Pageant, which was part of Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations.
SABC3 had made arrangements to ensure a flawless broadcast as promised to our viewers. The broadcast was indeed intended to have an English commentary which would interpret the event for a more fulfilling viewership. However, due to a technical problem between the SABC and its satellite provider, Globecast, we received only visuals and location audio without a commentary track.
Despite relentless efforts on the part of technicians at the SABC and Globecast, the problem could not be resolved. After more than two hours of compromised coverage, the channel made the regrettable decision to discontinue the broadcast as the key elements of the pageant had taken place.
The root causes of this technical failure are still under investigation, and the channel will ensure that a sustainable solution is implemented for all future live transmissions from overseas.
Despite the disappointment of yesterday’s broadcast, SABC3 will ensure a smooth broadcast of tonight’s (Monday) The Diamond Jubilee Concert which will be broadcast at 21:10.
