A heated exchange of words erupted between senior producer Zandi Wardle and one of the morning presenters at UKhozi FM.
It is alleged that the argument followed an instruction from Wardle that presenters stop crediting producers on air.
She told them to stop greeting or mentioning producers unless it is their birthdays or the show’s anniversary.
According to Wardle, these on-air interactions between presenters and producers affect the quality of the show.
Wardle’s email reads as follows: “Producers and staff members are not allowed to be part of the on-air voice teams. You are contracted behind the scenes, and if you now make your way as a voice contributor, you are going against the contract given to you by the SABC.
“This also negatively affects the quality of our shows, as it seems as though the shows have too many voices. From this moment on, no producer, whether content or technical, or staff member should be on air.
“There has been an increase in name mentions, where presenters praise their producers and constantly mention them on air. This is not permitted.
“Presenters are the faces and voices of the station. Listeners shouldn’t care about who works behind the scenes but only care about the informative, educational content we deliver.”
Wardle’s suggestion rejected
She also complained about playful moments on air, saying they need to be more serious and informative.
She wrote: “It is important that we conduct ourselves professionally on air and remember that we are here to serve. It’s not about us and how funny or fabulous we can be.
“We need to focus on the work. Please note that any breach of your contract will not be accepted and will lead to consequences.
“Ukhozi is currently facing pressure to increase revenue and the quality of content, and therefore, we have an urgent need to attract and retain business.
“It is important to view the station as a revenue and business hub, a place for information for our communities, and to maintain campaigns and advertisers bringing business to the station.”
However, Wardle’s suggestion was rejected by the presenters.
One of the presenters responded to her email: “If that is your suggestion, we might as well remove them from the posters because they are supposed to remain unknown to the public. But the fact remains, this is their work, and they need to be credited for it.
“Therefore, I’m proposing a meeting for all of us so that we can hear other opinions. This will also give you an opportunity to know the presenters and producers behind these shows. You will also get to understand what has worked for Ukhozi FM over the years.”
Thorn in the side
Wardle rejected the suggestion, noting: “Please understand where your role begins and ends. Do not interfere with my job as your senior producer.
“You have a job to do, and so do I. So please follow my request. You are a presenter, and I don’t get why you’re so concerned. I would understand if this back-and-forth came from the affected producer.”
The presenter did not back down: “If you don’t want to have a discussion with us because you are a senior producer, so be it.”
An insider told Sunday World that Wardle is already becoming a thorn in the side.
“Zandi has only been in the job for three months, but she’s already giving staff and management a headache. She is stubborn, and she doesn’t understand the job.”
SABC spokesperson Mmoni Ngubane said the broadcaster will not discuss matters between employer and employee in the public domain.
“Employees who are experiencing challenges know the correct internal processes to follow to alert management to these challenges,” said Ngubane.
