Blog

SABC in danger of becoming a state broadcaster

The SABC is in the news again – for all the wrong reasons – again.  We are almost getting used to this.  This time however it is different.  This time after an interim board had worked tirelessly to secure a loan agreement to allow the SABC to operate, after so many committed staff had ensured that despite the chaos the SABC still goes on air, even with one or two good programmes, (I would have said three or four but these other two are just repeats.  Even the new 50/50 is a sad shadow of itself with more glitz but far less quality and content). 

Another SABC Public Mandate Bungle?

A story in the Sowetan, focused on how the SABC has bungled its own arrangements for finding a venue for its World Cup broadcast.  According to the story SABC’s World Cup broadcasts were originally intended to be based at Nasrec – which if I recall correctly is the venue of the Media Centre for the World cup – so that at least made sense, as they would be with all the other media, making all the big personalities and celebrities easier to access, and they may even have had a view of the World Cup Calabash stadium in the background.  This I can understand.  What I cannot understand is why Sandton Convention Centre??

Funding challenge and undervaluing the public service

Funding is one of the biggest problems the SABC faces.  But it seems to me that they are missing using some of their best programming and most profitable channels to answer some questions about how best to proceed.  A new and creative model and should explore some of the alternatives, and I think, surprise surprise, that a policy review process would enable us all to do this, and this will take time - so I also think we need to see if we can get SABC to operate more effectively as it is.

SABC in crisis but still broadcasting

Our public broadcaster is in crisis, nothing new there.  The SABC manages to confound and amaze, nothing new there either really.  It amazes because despite all the crises we really do need to give credit to those who ensure that it is still ticking over.

Elections bull driving you mad, politicians full of it? Here’s how you can make a difference

According to figures from the Stats SA website (www.statssa.gov.za – you should go there –it offers really cool ways to play with population data) based on their 2008 mid year population estimate, children account for between 39% and 43% of South Africa’s population.

That seems quite a lot.  Seriously.  Zambia has more, 52% of Zambia’s population are children, incredible.  If we look at news, we certainly wouldn’t have any idea that children make up such a huge chunk of the population.

Calling on media to adopt an agenda in reporting elections

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Tune in to Media @ SAfm

Elections are coming and some say they may be sooner than we anticipate.  We say hooray!  We love elections at MMA.  There is a certain inexplicable joy at the prospect of monitoring a whole lot of media, analysing each news item, tracking the big stories and the little ones too, considering issues of fairness and bias, party coverage and gender equality. 

50/50 - highlighting the potential of the SABC

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50/50 Watch this programme!

Sometimes you aren’t sure about telling people about something good in case it ruins it.  Usually in the case of a restaurant if you tell too many people about it, it can get too popular, lose its charm and authenticity and become rubbish.  In the current instance, I am thinking of a television programme.  My fear isn’t so much about the programme becoming too popular, rather I think if it continues to fly under the radar it may just stay on air.

I’m talking about 50/50, a programme so good SABC marketing people never think to advertise it as a clear example of what our public broadcaster can do. 

Thank you South Africa thank you, the silly season…

If like me you don’t have satellite TV and you had a little more free time than normal over the last few weeks and rather than the wrestling feast that seems to be on e-tv almost 24hours a day…  Hang on, I know this is mid sentence but really there is a new programme on etv that makes Cheaters look like good television.  It is called Diva Diaries and it appears to be an excuse for scantily clad women to “wrestle.”  Now don’t get me wrong I am all for lowest common denominator media, we all need a break from reality and there is a lot to be said about tabloids and mind numbing television programmes but in the case of Diva Diaries it is just mind numbingly bad. Naturalising violence against women, stupidity and sexism in one programme is a minor feat I guess and it makes the other wrestling look like brilliant programming.

Looking for Hope

I am amazed by two recent media events.  Special Assignment last Tuesday (9/12/2008) was a follow-up to their expose of an alleged paedophile.  Curiously the programme’s focus seemed designed to be more about staving off a legal challenge from the subject of the programme.  Early into the programme the journalist says, “due to ongoing legal threats by his lawyers we decided to do a follow-up story.”  The programme then goes on to highlight other issues relating to the story that occurred prior to the expose first being aired.

Digital migration

On World Aids Day, ICASA held its second day of hearings into Digital Terrestrial Television, and digital migration regulations.  When I first heard about them I had no idea what they were all about, whether they were important or what the issues were.  Luckily as a member of the Save our SABC Coalition (see here) I attended a session where former ICASA councillor Libby Lloyd gave a presentation on Digital Migration.  It was brilliant and I highly recommend you have a look at it as it explains the key concepts in very accessible way. (Libby has kindly given us permission to put it on our website.)  Don’t know your Set top Box from your Dual Illumination?  Check out the presentation.  Libby’s presentation was so effective that it resulted in both the SOS Coalition and MMA making submissions to ICASA on the Digital Migration Regulations.