THE SABC’s launch of three new television channels on Sunday night complete with jumbo jet, lasers, Stevie Wonder and Nelson Mandela was the most spectacular launch this country has seen. If it was the national broadcaster’s intention to show self-confidence and razzmatazz, it was a great success, with 150 minutes and R3,8-million of often-breathtaking extravaganza.
It seems to be fashionable to say, Give them a chance don’t criticise them now. Certainly what will count is not the launch, but whether we will see fresh, new and better programming. But the launch gave some pointers as to where the SABC is heading.
The event will have left programme-makers thinking about the amount of new material which could have been generated for that money. They will be fervently hoping that the SABC puts the same amount of energy, time, care and resources into the promotion of talent and innovation on the screens. They will also be hoping that the SABC treats people better than the presenter who discovered he was redundant when his name disappeared off the schedule.
The launch celebrated television’s new usage of all of South Africa’s official languages. So how did the SABC mark the triumph of multi-lingualism? In English, of course. There was not even a token attempt to cater for the other 10 languages.
The SABC was proclaiming its commitment to local content, on which it plans to spend the bulk of its budget and over 50% of its screen time. So how does it mark a new commitment to South African talent? By bringing in American television stars and allowing them to take centre stage.
And how did the SABC choose to symbolise the fact that it has a new-found independence? By getting two members of the Cabinet to proclaim it.
The nation’s broadcaster also wanted to demonstrate its new values and commitment to public service television. How did it do that? By selling its soul to South African Airways, which seemed to get more publicity from the event than the broadcaster. In the middle was the woman who embodied the conflicting interests, Felicia Mabuza-Suttle, who works for both SABC and SAA and managed to serve both employers in one go.
Then SABC TV showed its new commitment to reflect reality and allow South Africans to see themselves on the screen. How did it achieve this? By screening a shameless whitewash of its 20-year history.
And the SABC was also marking the fact that it is preparing for a new, open and competitive broadcasting environment. So it put the two-and-a-half hour show on all three channels and gave viewers little option but to watch it.
But perhaps the strangest part of all was that much of it seemed designed for stage rather than television. The sight of the jumbo jet was breathtaking for those in the hangar below it, but had little impact on screen. Similarly, the spectacular fireworks display was not meant for viewers. And the same could be said for the crayfish dinner afterwards.
So much for programme-driven policies.