/ 6 August 2009

TV industry coalition meets over SABC concerns

Television-industry players are set to meet on Thursday about a decision by the debt-ridden South African Broadcasting Corporation to put new content commissions on hold.

The Television Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC) will meet to discuss its concerns over the public broadcaster’s financial crisis, which has left it owing local content producers an estimated R60-million.

The TVIEC has warned that cuts at the SABC could lead to a 67% drop in local content productions.

Thursday’s meeting at the Atlas Studios in Milpark, Johannesburg, will report back on meetings with the communications minister and discuss how the coalition intends dealing with the situation.

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

The public broadcaster is said to be drowning in debt and is hoping for a R2-billion bail-out from the government. — Sapa