BREAKING. SOS (Support Public Broadcasting) reaction on Gab Mampone being suspended.

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I have the first reaction from the Support Public Broadcasting group (SOS) on the sudden and shocking suspension of Gab Mampone at the SABC. I spoke to Kate Skinner, SOS coordinator about Gab Mampone who was suddenly suspended this afternoon by the SABC board and this is what she told me:

''There seems to be a committment from the SABC to now deal strongly with issues of corruption and mismanagement. The SABC has been slow to react but now they are. It's also positive that the pblic broadcaster earlier this week asked for the auditor general (AG) to return and continue to help the SABC.''

''This seems to be a part of a bigger picture of the SABC now being serious about wanting to deal with corruption and mismanagement and the broadcaster should be supported in this going forward. You want to see senior officials being held accountable, but the SABC needs to look at all levels. We need to keep the pressure on.''

BREAKING. SOS calls government's Public Services Broadcasting Bill ''premature'', says it needs a lot of work.

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The SOS (Supporting Public Broadcasting Coalition, formerly known as the Save our SABC) has come out in full force on the controversial new Public Service Broadcasting Bill formulated by the Department of Communication. The SOS says the proposed legislation is ''premature'', needs ''a substantitive review process'', and says it contains ''constitutional problems''.

The SOS says it ''applauds'' the Department of Communications for ''trying to act swiftly in bringing about much-neede legislative reform'' and that the Bill has ''a number of positive elements which we certainly support''.

The SOS says that there's ''a number of Constitutional problems with the Bill'' and that it undermines the SABC's freedom of expression rights - especially in that the minister of communication should get to approve the SABC's editorial policies.

''Further, the Bill contravenes the Constitution’s requirement to 'ensure independent regulation of broadcasting by a single Regulator,'' says the SOS, basically meaning that the new Bill will impose itself on top of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) through the department's ''scope of it powers''.

BREAKING. Save our SABC (SOS) changes its name.

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The Save our SABC (SOS), an independent interest group, has changed their name to Supporting Public Broadcasting. The public interest group that last year worked very hard to put and keep the spotlight on the myriad of issues and problems that besieged the SABC, will still be known under the moniker of SOS.

The SOS says they ''welcomes Solly's appointment''. (Solly Mokoetle who just started as the new CEO of the SABC).

The SOS also advises Solly Mokoetle and the new SABC board not to get ''unnecessarily diverted''. ''There are enormous issues to deal with including the entire turn-around of the SABC''.

BREAKING. Reaction to the new SABC board from the Save our SABC Coalition (SOS). . .

You're reading it here first. The Save our SABC Coalition (SOS) just gave their reaction on the new SABC board.

''The SOS overall welcomes the final SABC board shortlist. This time round the process included significantly more public participation and was more transparent than previous Board selection processes."

''Ultimately, we believe, this has led to a board that combines skills, competencies and experience appropriate to the governance of an important public institution and is fairly representation of different social interests in our society.''

''Going forward we hope that this public nomination and selection process will ensure that the board feels more accountable to the general public than previous boards. This promises to be a starting point for a new era in genuine public service broadcasting.''

BREAKING. SOS wants ''maximum transparency'' in process to appoint new SABC board members

You're reading it here first. The Save our SABC Coalition (SOS) has just sent a letter to mr Ismail Vadi, chairperson of the portfolio committee on communications asking for ''MAXIMUM TRANSPARENCY'' in the interview and appointment process of the new SABC board members that will start on Tuesday.

Programming note: The Parliamentary Service channel (DStv 408) will broadcast all the proceedings LIVE on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from about 10:00 until 17:00 daily.

The SOS notes that there's PROBLEMS with the list of 31 candidates.

The SOS wants to know:
1.Why are there so few women on the first shortlist of 31 candidates despite the nomination of a numbe rof excellent women?
2.Why is there an over emphasis on business and government candidates?
3.What about the potential conflict of interest that some of the candidates have who are nominated?

The SOS want government to release their reasons for selecting these 31 people.
GOOD THING!
The SOS wants government to give reasons for the final selection of board members.
GOOD THING!
The SOS wants the PUBLIC and everyone who watches the SABC to be given the opportunity to comment on the final 12 candidates before it's presented to the national assembly at the end of the interview process.
GOOD THING!

The SOS wants all the candidates to be grilled about:
How they will ensure that they deliver on the SABC's mandate as public broadcaster?
How they will keep SABC news and programming UNTAINTED from interference by government and political parties?
What they know of the process of digital terrestrial migration (DTT) and how that is going to impact the SABC.
How they see the problematic funding structure of the SABC and their solutions.
How they see the SABC's accountability to US as the viewing public.
What individual candidates think of their conflicts of interest and how they are going to deal with these.