The SABC is refusing to take part in a bold initiative by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) to boost local content in television and radio.A letter sent to Icasa by Solly Makwetla, chief operations officer of SABC TV, claims that a proposed South African television forum — to bring broadcasters, producers and Icasa together to discuss ways to iron out problems in the industry — is interfering in the commercial activities of the SABC. Makwetla failed to return phone calls from the Mail & Guardian to respond further.In an Icasa paper on local content in music and television released last year — after submissions from a range of industry players, including the SABC — it was noted that the forum ‘will bring together broadcasters, independent producers, representatives and other stakeholders to find a solution to the problem of commissioning practices, including a fair commissioning practices code and fair and transparent commissioning procedures”.Industry sources say such a forum is long overdue in an industry where the SABC looms like a monolith that no one dares contradict or oppose. Research by PriceWaterhouseCoopers in 2000 showed that, although there are 150 registered television production houses, just 15 of those were doing 90% of the television programming in South Africa.Pfanani Lishivha, Icasa projects manager of policy development and research, has met with stakeholders for a television and music forum and says the television meetings were poorly attended.’The SABC failed to attend, nor was there a single producer. M-Net and e.tv were there. What became clear was that producers are afraid to complain in front of the broadcasters. If we can persuade the SABC to participate, the process will get under way, but at present it is jeopardising it. Our intention is not to impose, but to try and facilitate talks,” says Lishiva.Icasa states its regulations are ‘to encourage broadcasters to develop new South African talent, invest in high-quality technology and to improve the quality and variety of South African music and television programming.”Icasa is having better luck with a proposed South African music forum, on which work began in October last year. ‘Musicians and broadcasters raised issues that don’t fall in our jurisdiction, like investment by the government in the music industry. Also, commercial broadcasters say that as much as they want to meet quotas, there is not enough South African production of genres such as pop, rock and classical music.’Broadcasters say they are not getting enough music in those genres, the recording industry says there are not enough people in those genres, but musicians say record companies tell them only kwaito and jazz sell. Instead of pointing fingers, let’s have talks,” suggests Lishivha. ‘At a preliminary meeting in October last year with the Recording Industry of South Africa (Risa) and the National Association of Broadcasters (Nab) we had some commercial stations agreeing to join such a forum.’Nab and Risa committed themselves to study the supply of music by musicians to the record industry and from the industry to broadcasters. The study was due by the end of November and postponed to the end of January. We are still waiting for it.”The South African music forum is expected to be launched in either April or May and the South African television forum not long after.Risa, which represents five major recording houses and 140 smaller, independent labels, notes that from January to November 2000, compared to this period in 2002, there was a 39,7% increase in sales in locally produced CDs and cassettes. From 2001 to 2002 the yearly increase was 30%. The growth in sales of music by international artists was only 14% and 16% over the same periods.Stanley Mamaregane, senior manager of licensing, monitoring and complaints at Icasa, says: ‘Although there is steady growth in the quality of South African music, unless we produce diverse music there is no way some radio stations will meet some quotas. There are no other forums where the role players in the television or music industries get together and work through challenges. That is why we are trying to facilitate that process.”