The SABC presented its 3 year Corporate Plan to parliament today, outling serious corrective financial measures to stabilise the beleaguered South African public broadcaster which has been embroiled in massive turmoil since 2008.
The SABC has been lurching from one financial and executive crisis ever since, coming close to a financial meltdown and collapse in 2009 when the SABC was bailed out by government through a R1,4 billion government guaranteed loan fascility through Nedbank.
The SABC failed to keep to the requirements of the loan guarantee, has failed on the majority of the targets set in the granting of the loan, has also not yet paid the loan back, and is also seeking a change to the loan and loan guarantee.
In the new Corporate Plan of the SABC for 2012 - 2015 presented to parliament today and which was accepted by parliament's portfolio committee on communications, the SABC says that going forward it will have "a single content planning, acquisition and scheduling process". The SABC's so-called Content Hub previously came in for a barrage of criticism due to mismanagement.
The SABC says "content research" will drive "a 36 month transversal and cross-platform multi-channel schedule" which will be at the centre of the SABC's programming and content strategy.
The SABC plans to invest R1,7 billion in digital terrestrial television (DTT) during the first 3 years of the commercial launch of digital television broadcasting in South Africa.
The SABC which came to the brink of financial collapse in 2009 wants to restore the broadcaster's liquidity through its so-called Turnaround Strategy. The broadcaster told parliament that it wants to deliver a value proposition with its new expanding digital television bouquet which will "attract new audiences and retain the SABC's traditional audience base". The SABC plans to expand to a total of 18 TV channels with DTT - an increase of 15 from the current SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3.
The SABC says it wants to "restore the integrity of the SABC and brand reputation", increase revenue through effective and efficient collection of licence fees and increase the SABC's share of advertising spend through "vigorous marketing to the trade".
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