The SA Broadcasting Corporation raked in close to a billion rand in television licence fees last year, Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda said on Thursday.

In a written reply to a parliamentary question, he also revealed that the national broadcaster ? much criticised in recent months for its programming ? attracted 644 253 new licensed viewers during the 2008/09 financial year.

"Television licence collections for the 2008/09 financial year (1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009) amounted to R972-million," he said.

In terms of the Broadcasting Act, television licence revenue had to be used solely to fund the SABC's public service broadcasting (PSB) mandate.

"With regard to television broadcasting, income derived from licence fees is allocated to the SABC's two PSB channels, namely SABC1 and SABC2.

"Television licence revenue also assists in funding the corporation's 15 PSB radio stations," Nyanda said.