/ 5 August 2009

Television coalition to meet over SABC crisis

The Television Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC) will meet on Thursday to discuss its concerns over the SABC’s financial crisis and particularly its decision to put new content commissions on hold.

”Work must be done now, and commitments made to the production industry and to viewers,” said Rehad Desai, a committee member of the TVIEC and a board member of the South African Screen Federation, on Wednesday.

He said cuts at the SABC could lead to a 67% cut in production levels of local content.

”The rate of repeats is incredible at the moment,” observed Desai, warning that this could drive advertisers away from the SABC and shut off this source of revenue.

It could also affect staffing levels at production houses.

The diversity of voices and cultures as well as local content quotas which the public broadcaster is expected to provide, could also be affected.

On June 4, a large group of associations and television industry workers marched to the SABC in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, to hand over a memorandum highlighting these issues and asking to be paid for work they have already done.

At that time the SABC owed them an estimated R60-million.

This figure is believed to have dropped, said Desai, but Thursday’s meeting at the Atlas Studios in Milpark, Johannesburg, is intended to report on meetings held with the communications minister and discuss how the coalition intends proceeding.

They also plan to discuss problems with insurance, asset registry and outstanding final payments.

An interim board was recently appointed at the SABC to turn the company’s finances around. — Sapa