Jacquie Golding-Duffy
INDEPENDENT producers have still to be convinced that the SABC’s planned internal production cutbacks will prompt the broadcaster to hand them more work.
Many producers say more work will have to come to the independent sector, but others argue the SABC’s cutbacks will simply put more producers into an already competitive market. Most say they are still awaiting more guidance from the SABC. In the meantime, it seems all SABC’s commissioning of new independent work has ground to a halt.
Independent producer and owner of Phakathi Films, Mark Newman, says the sector will be benefiting “marginally” from the cutbacks but adds that public broadcasting is “under extreme threat”.
“The crucial issue is that the SABC is up against its mandate as it has brought in accountants to sort out its problems. What do accountants do? They cut back on programming, budgets and staffers and no money is spent on the screen. No money is spent on producing quality programmes which will entice viewers.
“Instead, belts are tightened in areas which will not benefit the broadcaster – such as cutting back on the money available for outside work.”
SABC freelancer Nicky Newman says the corporation has to rebuild “strained relations” with the independents. “It’s all chaotic at the moment and has been for a while.”
Producer and Big World Cinema co-owner Steven Markovitz says the SABC has no clear direction for the independents.
The SABC has also not stipulated how the cutbacks, as recommended by US consultants McKinsey, will affect its relationship with independent producers.
Though the Mckinsey report does not stipulate which programmes are to go, SABC is understood to be considering chopping a large chunk of magazine and music shows.
Safritel, which is responsible for money- spinners such as Studio Mix, for example, is to be shut but the SABC has to renegotiate with individual Safritel producers to retain popular programmes.
SABC staffers in charge of schedules are to hold meetings with channel heads to revisit current programme schedules in a bid to sort out a “broad strategy” of what is to be dropped. Those programmes which are kept will have to be placed in different time slots, one insider said.
Several producers say the consultant’s findings failed to stipulate the fate of local drama production. But it is believed independent producers specialising in the area will be hard hit as the SABC concentrates on reining costs in by ensuring most local dramas are studio-based with minimal on-location shoots.
Morula Pictures executive producer and chair of the Independent Producers Organisation, Mfundi Vundla, says the report fails to tackle the future of drama and whether their will be cuts in this sector. Vundla says the broadcaster will “not significantly cut down on local content” as ratings prove that more than half of the SABC’s top 10 programmes are locally produced.
“Dramas are money-spinners and if there are good independently produced programmes, the SABC is obliged to buy them,” he says.
Co-producer of drama Molo Fish, Clarence Hamilton, agrees. “Quality rather than quantity should be the focus of the SABC,” he says.
Pam Devereux-Harris of Devereux-Harris and Associates is concerned that the SABC will be tempted to go for “cheap television”, saving costs by importing foreign material rather than investing locally.