Yes.The SABC is instructing its viewers to turn of "everything" in Eskom commercials - something which will obviously impact SABC TV ratings when viewers well, switch off their TV sets.
The SABC appears unperturbed about the impact of telling viewers in red on-screen banner messages to "switch off everything".
Obviously the SABC has cut a deal with Eskom to run the intrusive daily banners, which on Tuesday evening turned red after Eskom warned earlier that there might not be enough electricity capacity in South Africa due to maintenance issues.
Besides the abnormal Eskom - so unlike a "normal" company which will always actually advertise to users and consumers to please buy and use more, not less - the SABC's deal with Eskom shouldn't come at the SABC's own expense.
Why would the SABC run something which could lead to its own possible viewership loss and its own ratings being impacted negatively?
For the SABC to tell viewers to "please switch off everything" impacts the SABC in a negative way.
The SABC willingly helps its competitors by giving M-Net, DStv, TopTV, e.tv and community TV stations a bigger share of the remaining viewers when people whose TV sets are tuned to the SABC, follow the on-screen lurid prompts and switch their SABC-tuned TV sets off.
Less of the remaining TV sets which are then still turned on, will be tuned to the SABC.
