by Thinus Ferreira
After the shocking cancellation of the long-running 7de Laan on SABC2 the South African public broadcaster says it's not the only show that will be axed with the broadcaster reviewing the content of the SABC's entire TV offering across SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 - with Isidingo which might be revived.
The SABC admits that because of revenue and budget constraints, it's now focused on making smaller shows with a lower production cost.
The broadcaster sent shockwaves through the local TV industry when it confirmed the cancellation of 7de Laan a week ago and said that the Danie Odendaal Productions show will air its final episode on 26 December after 24 seasons.
Now the SABC indicates that no programmes on the public broadcaster are safe with more cancellations likely coming down the pipeline similar to what happened to Top Billing, High Rollers, The Estate, Motswako, Pasella, Live AMP and others as the broadcaster struggles to lift ratings for its three TV channels which keep eroding year after year.
Lala Tuku, SABC head of content for video entertainment, told Rapport newspaper that the SABC is reviewing the entire SABC's TV content offering, not just that of SABC2.
7de Laan got cancelled as the most-watched Afrikaans TV show on South African television and in June was the second most-watched show on SABC2 where it pulled 1 191 198 viewers for its most-watched episode last month.
7de Laan's viewership is just behind the long-running Venda soap Muvhango with 1.43 million viewers.
Asked if other shows on SABC2 are facing possible cancellation if 7de Laan isn't deemed cost-effective enough with a rating of 1.19 million viewers, Lala Tuku said "absolutely".
"We're busy with a new strategy for the channel. We're investigating viewership patterns, are reviewing old programmes and the landscape is changing. To remain competitive we need to make decisions which are popular and less popular".
Asked if the SABC now wants to make smaller shows with a lower production cost, Lala Tuku said "yes, but we have to remain globally competitive and maintain a high standard. The production cost is however very high and the viewership figures influence advertisers".
"I wish more South Africans watch the SABC so that we can produce more local content. Advertising income is our revenue." About the broadcaster's upcoming announcement of yet another annual financial loss which will be above R1 billion, Lala Tuku says that plays a role in the cancellation of content.
"That's why difficult decisions are now being made. 7de Laan is one of them."
Tuku notes that while shows with huge appeal and massive brand awareness like Pasella and Top Billing have been cancelled in recent years "I'm currently working to try and revive some of these programmes, like Isidingo, and that makes me excited".
