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After pressure and being publicly called out last week by South Africa's independent TV production industry for not yet issuing a call for new local TV productions, I can be first to tell you that the SABC has bowed under the pressure and taken the unusual step of issuing an interim document calling for new local TV production proposals earlier today.
This is only an interim document and I can tell you that the SABC will only have its ''real'' document - its so-called RFP book [Request for Proposals] - ready by November . . . MONTHS later than what it promised South African TV producers it would be. I can also tell you that SABC execs scrambled furiously to piece something together after the Television Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC) last week called out the SABC on its RFP book for 2010 that was due by 31 May already and simply didn't materialize. The last time the SABC issued RFPs was in September 2008 before the South African public broadcasters financial meltdown and management collapse - and then the SABC still cancelled half of the potential contracts.
The SABC issued the interime RFP book hours ago and is now again calling for local programming proposals in specific TV content genres. ''This is part of the process towards normalising content commissioning and procurement procedures,'' says the SABC. The broadcaster admits that the comprehensive RFP book will only be ready by November and that commissioning of new local TV content will only start after that.
''Without new programming, the broadcaster has come to rely on a strategy of repeats,'' the TVIEC said last week in a press statement. ''This has led to a significant loss in audience share while also battering the independent production sector. Over 35 000 jobs have been lost and dozens of companies have closed their doors.''
