BREAKING. The SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition 'deeply concerned' about the SABC's finances and turnaround strategy.

The big public pressure group SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) says it's ''deeply concerned'' about the state of the SABC's finances and turnaround strategy.




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The SOS Coalition says its ''dismayed'' that the SABC has not yet implemented a cost-cutting and revenue-enhancement plan - a key component of its R1.47bn loan guarantee, that the SABC says that it would need close to R7 billion in public funding over the next three years, and that the SABC is ''saving'' money through R600 million in cutbacks on local content.

''The SOS Coalition has on numerous occasions stated that the SABC's turnaround strategy must ensure that excellent, quality public programming is placed at the centre of the SABC’s operations – and that cutbacks should in no way affect this.''

''These cut backs bring into question the SABC's ability to meet its statutory license conditions. Further, we believe that this extremely short-sighted strategy places the SABC at long-term risk because content acquisition and production require long lead-in periods. If the SABC is not prioritising programming now this will have long term negative effects. Further, it could significantly damage the institution's recovery plans,'' says the SOS Coalition.

''Further the SOS Coalition is worried about the SABC's statements around retrenchments and the need for further public funding to implement this. To date the SOS Coalition has not seen a clear plan in terms of these retrenchments. Further, the SABC has in no way assured us that these cuts will not affect programming outputs. Also, no clear plans seem to have been placed on the table in terms of the staffing requirements of the SABC during digital migration. In fact the unions have complained bitterly that overall they have not been consulted on the turnaround strategy.''

The SOS Coalition says the SABC must ''ensure that its turnaround strategy places quality citizen-orientated programming at the centre of its operations'' and says that ''the SABC crises are manifest, ongoing and becoming increasingly entrenched. They are also characterised by high levels of financial irregularities and mismanagement.
 We need a national review of the SABC, including of: its funding, its corporate governance, its programming obligations and its overall role in our democracy.''