Former SABC CEO quitter Lulama Mokhobo resurfaces as one of 13 candidates who now wants to be on the broadcasting regulator's council.

Several candidates were interviewed this week in South Africa's parliament for vacant positions on the council of the country's broadcasting regulator, Icasa.

Candidates appeared before parliament's portfolio committee on communications in Cape Town for interviews as possible replacements for empty seats on the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa's (Icasa) Council.

The former SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo resurfaced who infamously quit after just a few months because she was unable to cope at the South African broadcaster where the controversial and famously matricless executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng usurped her authority.

Also interviewed were the former e.tv executive Natalie-Ann Delport who raised eyebrows when she told the portfolio committee that she wants MultiChoice to lower the subscription fees for DStv.

Natalie-Ann Delport failed to explain how she wants DStv subscription fees to be lowered, or why as a would-be Icasa council member she is unsupportive of a free market economy within South Africa's broadcasting industry as far as private broadcasting operators are concerned.

The experienced broadcasting expert and academic Kate Skinner is also on the list and was a former co-ordinator of the Support Public Broadcasting (SOS Coalition) public pressure group advocating for good public broadcasting in South Africa.

15 candidates were shortlisted for interviews but 2 - Prof Onkaetse Mmusi and Themba Phiri - withdrew.

The other candidates are Thembeka Simane, Andrew Phetho, Adv Cawekazi Mahlati, Dr Mashilo Boloka, Nomonde Gongxeka-Seope, Rubben Mohlaloga, Thabo Makhakhe, Peter Hlapolosa, Ashraf Patel and Phosa Mashangoane. 

Candidates were asked about the South African government's long-delayed and failed digital terrestrial television (DTT) project, broadcasting licences, and broadcasting regulation and legislation.

Public broadcasting lobby group, SOS Coalition calls for the SABC to be 'rescued from its sorry state'.

The South African public lobby group for public broadcasting, the SOS Coalition, is calling for the SABC to be "rescued from its sorry state".

The call from the SOS Coalition comes on the day the new minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, "ordered" the SABC to appoint a new CEO within 3 months. 

Lulama Mokhobo quit in February as the umpteenth SABC CEO to suddenly up and leave and not finish a CEO contract.

Ongoing scandals continue at the public broadcaster which is still mired in a leaderless crisis.

The SOS Coalition has been at the forefront of the call for the rescue of the SABC from the many forces which have stripped its power and ability to be a successful people's broadcaster.

"We recognise that not all of the challenges facing our public broadcaster are of its own making," says the SOS Coalition, "but there remains a series of problems for which the SABC, including the SABC board, must take responsibility".

The SOS Coalition once again blasts the instability of the SABC's top executives "which has reduced the SABC's reputation as a reliable and trusted public institution to a devastatingly weakened state".

The SOS Coalition is also concerned over the SABC board's refusal to carry out the remedial actions suggested by South Africa's Public Protector.

Then there is "the SABC board's failure, amidst growing public distrust in the news and current affairs of the SABC, to oversee the conclusion of a widely consultative editorial policy review process, which is now nearly five years late".

The 'stuck' SABC is politically hamstrung, the ruling party effectively owns it; SABC also beholden to commercial forces, says SOS Coalition.

The beleaguered SABC remains politically hamstrung is also beholden to commercial forces - both unduly influencing the SABC, says Sekoetlane Phamodi, coordinator of the public pressure group, the Support Public Broadcasting or SOS Coalition.

Sekoetlane Phamodi was speaking at a public forum meeting of the Open Society Institute of South Africa which held a post elections forum.

"The SABC is politically hamstrung. The ruling party essentially and effectively owns it. That means in practice that the SABC is not enabled to be as independent as it should be. The SABC can't ask the probing questions, and give a critical analysis of what the major issues in our society are," says Sekoetlane Phamodi.

"One case in point is when it comes to the financing of the SABC, we're told the story 'the fiscus is too stretched, where will the money come from?' The truth of the matter is, the SABC gets most of its money from commercial advertisers - 80 percent".

"That means that the SABC is also beholden to these commercial forces to sell to particular customers; to frame messages in a particular way in order to keep them attracting and retaining those advertisers. So the SABC is stuck," says Sekoetlane Phamodi.

Multiparty task team set up to cull through the more than 100 nominees for positions on the new SABC board.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications tasked with oversight of the SABC, set up a multiparty task team today to cull through the more than 100 nominees and CVs for the new SABC board.

New SABC board members will be appointed to replace the current interim SABC board who can only serve until September.

The current interim SABC board were appointed and rushed through parliament following the mass exodus when the entire SABC board resigned earlier this year following a major falling out and infighting between SABC board members and Dina Pule, the former minister of communications who has now been found guilty of major corruption charges.

The multiparty task team will have to whittle down the CVs to 30 by next week Thursday, after which the interview process for SABC board members will start again.

The flawed process to appoint SABC board members happen through political appointments where names are pushed through by political parties, with names then going to the national assembly where they're being rubber-stamped by president Jacob Zuma.

The SABC has had four different SABC boards in the past five years since 2008, with several SABC board members clueless about the industry and basic fundamentals of broadcasting and lacking leadership and broadcasting background. Meanwhile the SABC continues to lurch from crisis to crisis.

The SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition, a broadbased public interest group representing the vast South African television industry, is calling on parliament to "select high-flying, skilled and accountable leaders with integrity and a deep sense of public service to the position."

"Were personal and political relationships to take precedence to these very important traits, the SABC board would be doomed from the start," says the SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition.

Public discussion about the State of the SABC taking place today in Braamfontein: Has the SABC finally reached a point of no return?

An open forum public discussion will be taking place today, Thursday 4 April, in Braamfontein, looking at the State of the SABC and whether the beleaguered SABC can still be saved.

The struggling SABC has experienced almost perpetual crises and instability since 2007. During the past 6 years, the South African public broadcaster has seen 5 ministers of communications, 4 SABC boards come and go and had a whopping 6 CEO's.

Recently another SABC board was dissolved by parliament and again replaced by an interim SABC board.

Thursday's public discussion, led by the vast public pressure group for public broadcasting, the SOS Coalition, together with SECTION27, is looking at the state of the SABC and its implications for civil society and social justice in South Africa.

The State of the SABC discussion will take place from 13:00 until 14:30 on Thursday afternoon at the SECTION27 offices on the 6th floor of the Braamfontein Centre in 23 Jorissen Street, Johannesburg.

Anyone can attend, but RSVP'ing is necessary for catering purposes - send email to Jayshree Pather at pather@section27.org.za.

SABC IN CHAOS & CRISIS: Emergency hearing in parliament needs to be held urgently, implores SOs Coalition public pressure group.

The SABC in chaos & crisis: With the beleaguered South African Broadcasting Corporation lurching under the biggest executive management crisis and top level infighting the SABC has ever seen, the vast public pressure group Support Public Broadcasting (SOS Coalition) is now calling on parliament to have an "emergency hearing" to save the scandal-ridden SABC from itself.

The SABC is mired in a vicious and very public top level power battle and tug-of-war. Last Tuesday the SABC through a consensus decision removed Hlaudi Motsoeneng - who famously doesn't have matric - from his position of acting chief operating officer (COO). He was replaced by Mike Siluma.

Three days later, on Friday, Mike Siluma resigned. Other SABC board members - such as SABC chairperson dr. Ben Ngubane and deputy chairperson Thami ka Plaatjie - were then involved in unilaterally "reinstating" Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Meanwhile the SABC board, in a very public rebuke of its own chairperson, remains adamant that neither the SABC chairperson, nor the deputy chairperson, nor both had the authority to unilaterally make that decision and says Hlaudi Motsoeneng is not reinstated.

The minister of communications, Dina Pule, is now blatantly questioning "the fitness of the SABC board to remain in office", while Eric Kholwane, the chairperson of parliament's portfolio committee on communications said yesterday that "Auckland Park is on fire!"

Now the SOS Coalition wants an emergency parliamentary meeting to resolve the biggest management crisis the broadcaster has ever experienced.

"The SOS Coalition notes with profound dismay and deep concern the ongoing crisis at the SABC, at the level of both management and the SABC board," says the SOS Coalition in a letter to parliament.

The SOS Coalition wants parliament to hold an emergency public meeting to address the internal conflicts which are threatening to tear the broadcaster apart from the top and the ongoing problems at senior management level at the SABC.

"Parliament must boldly address the ongoing instability at SABC board level," implores the SOS Coalition, the big public interest group concerned about public broadcasting in South Africa. "Parliament needs to thoroughly investigate the issues surrounding the removal of Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the resignation of Mike Siluma, and the ongoing instability at top management level at the SABC."

"We call on parliament to demand that the SABC is more forthcoming and transparent in its communcations to a very concerned South African public. It is deeply worrying that South Africans should learn of the goings-on and very public disputes from and instabilities within the SABC board and executive from the press citing unnamed sources instead of from the public broadcaster itself whose core function it is to communicate."

"We believe there is no time to waste," says the SOS Coalition, imploring parliament to have an emergency meeting with the SABC next week.

'We think its important that parliament asserts its authority and provides leadership in this crisis. Parliament appoints the SABC board and it is parliament that should hold the SABC board to account."

It took all of 5 minutes for the Freedom of Expression Institute and the SABC to settle their fight before Icasa without saying a word about it.

It took all of 5 minutes this morning for the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) to meet with the Complaints and Compliance Committee (CCC) of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) to withdrawn from public scrutiny its intended case and hard-fought right to have a hearing before the country's broadcasting regulator, into alleged Blacklisting practises of the SABC.

ALSO READ: SABC Blacklisting hearing finally back from today before Icasa after the High Court forces the broadcasting regulator to hear the matter.

Shock is reverberating through the broadcasting and media industry today at the FXI's unexpected withdrawal of an issue and a case dating back to 2006 - something the FXI went to court for after Icasa refused to hear the case, and which the South Gauteng High Court in January 2011 forced Icasa to hear.

That hearing into alleged Blacklisting of commentators and journalists by the SABC which was finally to be heard from today in a new hearing set to last this whole week, ended up lasting only five minutes with the FXI and the SABC withdrawing the case.

No details of the agreement between the FXI and the SABC have yet been released. I've asked the SABC earlier today about the case, and have as of yet received no response.

"Parties were engaged in a settlement agreement and the FXI hereby withdraws its complaints," advocate Nasreen Rajab-Budlender, acting for the FXI said during this morning's hearing.

Hamilton Maenetje, SC for the SABC, said the dispute had been resolved. "There is no complaint remaining. We ask for a termination of proceedings."

The terms of the settlement between the FXI and the SABC were not disclosed - ironic given that its the Freedom of Expression Institute and the public broadcaster.

It turns out that the FXI and the SABC have been meeting the past few weeks and last week hammered out a settlement between the institute and the public broadcaster.

The hearing, diarised to continue this entire week, would have cast a renewed spotlight on the SABC's news practises and reports since 2006 alleging that the SABC has been manipulated its news coverage through censorship by pre-deciding who the public broadcaster won't give editorial airtime.

"Sadly the issues of Blacklisting and censorship raised by this complaint remain as burningly relevant today as when they were first raised in 2006," said the Support Public Broadcasting (SOS) public pressure group in a statement before the hearing started this morning.

"To restore faith in the SABC's news coverage, we call on the SABC board, CEO and the acting head of news to publicly commit to news coverage that is hard-hitting, covers all points of view and ultimately holds those in positions of power to account."

Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) 'deeply concerned' by the current state of affairs at the SABC.

The vast public pressure group, Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) says it is "deeply concerned" by the current state of affairs at South Africa's public broadcaster where the SABC is once again experiencing a tumultuous year.

The coalition - which represents academics, TV and film production companies, big TV and film trade federation and production organisations, trade unions and instututes - says it has been trying to get a meeting with the SABC's "new" CEO Lulama Mokhobo for months but has been unable to.

On the agenda of the meeting the Coalition had hoped to discuss the local content issues of the SABC, the 24-hour news channel, the SABC's readiness towards digital terrestrial television (DTT), the public broadcaster's editorial policies, the SABC's turnaround strategy, as well as the SABC's financial situation.

In a statement the SOS Coalition says it believes that the SABC "as a public broadcaster needs to be open, reliable, efficient and effective".

The SOS Coalition says that the "toss and turn response that we are getting from the SABC CEO's office further alarms us" regarding the state of affairs at the country's public broadcaster.

The SOS Coalition is concerned about the SABC's new 24-hour news channel which is funded by millions of rands by MultiChoice and which will become a new TV channel on MultiChoice's DStv platform from the beginning of September.

"This channel will first be available on DStv and later be offered on digital terrestrial television when the signal comes on. The Coalition is concerned that the 24-hour news channel will show on DStv, excluding millions of South Africans that cannot afford subscription television. It is also not clear what DStv's involvement is in this 24-hour news channel."

"Further, there is another deal with DStv that the Coalition would like clarity on - which is the selling of the rights of their most popular soapies to DStv. Again a question arises: Why sell these rights? Especially at a tieme when the SABC is losing a lot of their viewers."

The SABC is also facing a major challenge in regard to its local content delivery on its television stations, says the SOS Coalition. "Not all languages are represented. The only Sepedi drama on the SABC right now is Bophelo Ke Semphego. This drama is over 25 years old and has been repeated countless times. This is a major challenge; the SABC is expected to produce new and exciting local drama that reflects the identities of all South Africans in the new democratic South Africa."

The SOS Coalition also says that the SABC - which is expected to review its editorial guidelines every 5 years - have not done so. "The last review was in 2004, eight years ago. "We urge the SABC to make this review a transparent and participatory process."

The SOS Coalition says Lulama Mokhobo has so far failed to publicly talk about specific programming strategies for the SABC under her tenure. "There is little to no discussion, outside of the implementation of policies and procedures, on the elevated programming course she will be steering."

"We are also dismayed at the lack of in-depth conversation as to what may have gone wrong in programming to lose the audiences that the SABC had. What editorial introspection has the SABC embarked on?"

The SOS Coalition says their meeting with Lulama Mokhobo has now been rescheduled again and this time for 22 August.

BREAKING. SOS Coalition calls for better monitoring; critical oversight of the SABC amidst ongoing instability at the public broadcaster.

The public pressure group SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) is Tuesday's surprise "special leave" which the SABC's head of news Phil Molefe was placed on by the public broadcaster's CEO Lulama Makhobo saying the SOS "notes with grave concern the latest developments at our public broadcaster".

The SOS says the move - as wellas the speculation around it - "is not healthy for our public broadcaster. It deepens the disillusionment around the institution and citizens' belief in its ability to play its public service broadcaster role."

The SOS Coalition is calling for public statements from "all stakeholders including all political parties, parliament, the minister of communications, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) and the SABC itself (including management and the board) that they will fight to build a strong, transparent, independent, citizen-orientated SABC - and that in fighting for this vision they will fight to safeguard the SABC's independence from all vested interests be they political or commercial".

"Secondly, we need a commitment from parliament and Icasa to play their critical oversight roles and to thoroughly follow up on issues of good governance and accountability," says the SOS Coalition in a just-issued statement.

"We need Icasa to publically commit to constantly monitor our screens to ensure excellent, local, public service programming.It would also help if the Department of Communications ensures that the necessary resources are made available for Icasa to purchase and operationalise critical monitoring systems. This is long, long overdue."

The SOS Coalition says it doesn't want the minister of communications, Dina Pule, to inferfere with the SABC. "We do not believe that the minister of communications should be playing a hands-on, management role at the SABC, since that only serves to deepen the perception of political interference in the public broadcaster."

"While the ongoing instability at our public broadcaster encourages ministerial involvement, this should be limited and transparently done – and intended to empower the SABC board to govern the SABC as it is required to do. Ultimately however we believe that ministerial involvement pushes the SABC in a 'state' rather than a 'public' broadcaster direction and that this is not in the interests of citizens."

"We need a strong public statement from the SABC board and management around their vision for the news department including staffing of this department, their plans for the 24 hour news channel and programming plans for other new digital broadcasting channels."

"We need to know from the SABC board and management what their plans are to stabilise the SABC and to create a strong professional management team to ensure quality, local, public service programming on our screens. As regards this latest crisis, we need to be convinced that the placing of Phil Molefe on special leave - and creating yet another gap at the management level - is in fact in the best interests of the public broadcaster and all viewers and listeners."

BREAKING. 'Visionary Leadership Now' the name of the public protest coming to the SABC this Thursday 24 November at 13:00.

Visionary Leadership Now.

That is the ''name'' of the public protest organised by South Africa's TV industry and coming to the SABC this Thursday 24 November at 13:00 at the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters in Henley Avenue in Johannesburg, as well as in Cape Town at the visitors' centre at parliament at the same time, where a memorandum will be handed over.

The public picketing, similar to the public protest that engulfed South Africa's public broadcaster in 2009, will be held under the banner of ''Visionary Leadership Now''. Public pressure groups and the industry are demanding the removal of dr Ben Ngubane, SABC chairperson.

Protesters asked to wear black and read and to bring placards also want more and better local content and the industry is asking for more strategic and accountable leadership at South Africa's public broadcaster plagued by management instability. Ordinary TV viewers and radio listeners are asked to join the public protest on Thursday.

''We want to tell the SABC 'we're watching you' and we demand something better. Much, much better,'' says Kate Skinner, coordinator of the Support Public Broadcasting (SOS) Coalition. The SOS says it is ''calling for all concerned citizens to join a picket outside the SABC calling for visionary leadership at South Africa's public broadcaster now.''

The SABC didn't respond to media enquiries made about the TV industry's demand that dr Ben Ngubane step down, or the planned public protest action scheduled for this Thursday.

BREAKING. 'We demand something better. Much, much better.' - SOS Coalition's message to the SABC for Thursday's public protest.

''We want to tell the SABC 'we are watching you' and we demand something better. Much, much better.''

So says Kate Skinner, coordinator of the Support Public Broadcasting (SOS) Coalition on why South Africa's exasperated TV industry has decided on full-scale protest action that will take place this coming Thursday 24 November at 13:00 at the SABC in Henley Avenue Johannesburg as well as in Cape Town at the visitors' centre at parliament.

Ordinary TV viewers and radio listeners are welcome to join the public picketing with people who will be wearing red and black with placards. The protest will follow a similar one in 2009 when the TV industry also mobilised in a show of solidary and picketed the beleaguered SABC.

Explaining the reason for Thursday's public protest, Kate Skinner tells TV with Thinus that the massive public protest will be aimed at ''highlighting the critical importance of public broadcasting and to register our dismay and disillusionment around the perpetual corporate governance problems that keep rocking the SABC.''

''We want to put pressure on the SABC to deal with these problems once and for all! We also want to highlight the importance of excellent public programming and put pressure on the SABC to deliver on its public programming mandate. We want to tell the SABC 'we are watching you' and we demand something better. Much, much better.''

Kate Skinner says South Africa's TV industry and the SOS Coalition ''further really believe that it will be a step in the right direction to get dr Ben Ngubane, SABC chairperson, removed by parliament.''

''Someone needs to take accountability for the sorry state of affairs at our public broadcaster. Nothing will change if no-one is held to account. We hope to get dr Ben Ngubane removed. At the very least we hope to highlight the importance of public broadcasting and coming up with an alternative vision to the one we have now,'' she says.

The SABC didn't respond to media enquiries made about the TV industry's demand that dr Ben Ngubane step down, or the planned public protest action scheduled for this Thursday.

BREAKING. Cape Town set for simultaneous public protest action on Thursday 24 November against the SABC; will deliver memorandum.

The massive public protest by South Africa's civil society against the SABC set to take place this coming Thursday 24 November at 13:00 at the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters in Henley Avenue in Johannesburg will see a simultaneous public protest in Cape Town taking place at 13:00 in front of the visitor's centre at parliament.

Following a similar public protest in 2009 against South Africa's public broadcaster, a massive groundswell of organisations and groups representing the vast majority of South Africa's TV industry and ranging from telecommunication and media unions to academics, public pressure groups and trade bodies are demanding the immediate removal of dr Ben Ngubane as SABC chairperson.

Planning to wear black and red, the united effort comprising a vast number of groups representing thousands of workers and stakeholders across South Africa's television and film industry, are saying that they're fed up and tired of the SABC who remains unable to get it's house in order, with the organisation mired in debt and plagued by management instability.

Sources told TV with Thinus yesterday that there will definitely be a Cape Town public protest as well on Thursday 24 November at that representatives from different organisations will be at parliament to hand over a petition and memorandum at 13:30 on Thursday to the chairperson of the portfolio committee on communications at parliament, Eric Kholwane.

The SABC didn't respond this week to media enquiries about what the broadcaster is making of the planned protest, or the demand that dr Ben Ngubane step down as SABC chairperson.

The Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS), a broad public pressure group comprising multiple organisations, trade unions, trade federations, media institutes and representing the independent TV and film production sector, says South African citizens ''demand a public broadcaster that has the resources and strategic leadership to meet the information needs of all South Africans''.

The SOS says it is ''calling for all concerned citizens to join a picket outside the SABC calling for visionary leadership at South Africa's public broadcaster now.''

''We need a new era of transparent financial accountability and good corporate governance [at the SABC].''

''We are calling for the chairperson of the SABC board dr Ben Ngubane to be removed. We demand an SABC that holds government and corporate power to account, and provides the information and platforms for discussions vital to the functioning of our democracy,'' says the SOS.

ALSO READ: Public picketing coming. SABC should prepare for a new round of public protest action outside its Auckland Park headquarters.
ALSO READ: Public protest action planned for 24 November at the SABC by a vast array of interest groups within the TV industry.
ALSO READ: Protesters asked to wear black and red and to ''bring your placards'' to the public protest on Thursday 24 November at the SABC.
ALSO READ: ''Visionary Leadership Now'' the name of this coming Thursday's public protest action agains the SABC on 24 November at 13:00.
ALSO READ: Ordinary South African TV viewers and radio listeners asked to join the planned public protest action on Thursday at 13:00 at the SABC.
ALSO READ: ''We demand something better. Much, much better.'' - SOS Coalition's message to the SABC for Thursday's public protest.
ALSO READ: ''We need to fight for our public broadcaster,'' says the South African Screen Federation (Sasfed), asking members to join the SABC protest action.
ALSO READ: The Writers' Guild of South Africa (WGSA) a part of the public protest action against the SABC set for 24 November at 13:00.

BREAKING. Ordinary TV viewers and radio listeners asked to join the planned public protest action on Thursday at 13:00 at the SABC.

South African television viewers and radio listeners are asked, and are welcome, to join the planned massive public protest action at the SABC that will be taking place this coming Thursday 24 November at 13:00 at the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters in Johannesburg in Henley Avenue and at the visitors' centre at parliament in Cape Town.

The Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) that is helping to spearhead the public picketing action with people asked to dress in black and red, says TV viewers and radio listeners should be ''concerned'' about the SABC and that they're welcome to join the public protest organized by South Africa's TV industry and public pressure groups.

''Definitely ordinary TV viewers and radio listeners should join,'' Kate Skinner, coordinator of the SOS Coalition tells TV with Thinus. ''We are talking about good corporate governance at the SABC and the need for excellent public service programming from the public broadcaster. Everyone should be concerned about that,'' she says.

''In fact - until ordinary people stand up and fight for better public TV in South Africa we are not going to get it!'' says Kate Skinner.

Following a similar public protest in 2009 against the South Africa's public broadcaster, South Africa's TV industry together with pressure groups and trade representative bodies are now demanding the immediate removal of dr Ben Ngubane as SABC chairperson. They want more local TV content and is asking for more strategic and accountable leadership at South Africa's public broadcaster plagued by management instability.

The SABC didn't respond to media enquiries made this week about the TV industry's demand that dr Ben Ngubane step down, or the planned public protest action scheduled for this Thursday.

ALSO READ: ''We need to fight for our public broadcaster,'' says the South African Screen Federation (Sasfed), asking members to join the SABC public protest action on 24 November.
ALSO READ: The Writers' Guild of South Africa (WGSA) a part of the public protest action against the SABC coming on 24 November.

BREAKING. SABC's new local content commissioning book 'very limited', more 'quality South African stories' needed, says SOS Coalition.

The SABC's new local content commissioning book is called ''very limited'' by South Africa's TV industry, very upset that South Africa's public broadcaster is not commissioning much more local TV content.

The SABC, at the beginning of November, released its first new Request for Proposals (RFP) document - or what the industry casually refers to as the ''RFP book''. The RFP book sets out what kinds of new local content and productions the SABC is looking at making, and inviting production houses to tender for those shows.

This RFP book is the first one in three years from the SABC - a period during which more than 17 000 people working in South Africa's television production industry lost their jobs and in which the SABC scaled back its local content production dramatically. The last time the SABC issued an RFP book before the new once released in November 2011, was in September 2008.

''While the SABC has released its latest RFP book, this book again is very limited,'' says the Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) in a statement. The SOS, a massive public pressure and interest group representing the vast majority of South Africa's TV industry, calls the SABC's latest RFP book inadequate and says there's ''also no guarantees that all these briefs will in fact be commissioned.''

''Since Since September 2008 only a fraction of the local content commissioned previous to 2008 has been commissioned,'' says the SOS. ''This system [RFP book] was an important marker in the transformation of the SABC, opening the corporation to pursue its stated strategy of promotion of plurality and diversity of voice.''

''In terms of local content and public programming, the SOS Coalition would like to see excellent public service programming on our screens and fair and transparent commissioning processes to ensure this.''

''The SOS Coalition demands that the SABC comply with the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa's (Icasa) local content regulations. We need more quality South African stories told by South Africans.''

BREAKING. South Africa's TV industry mobilising for massive public picketing at SABC during lunch hour on Thursday 24 November.

On 2 November I broke the news RIGHT HERE that a fed up South African TV industry is planning massive public protest action against the SABC; last week I broke the news RIGHT HERE that the massive public picketing of the SABC will be taking place on Thursday 24 November - and now the news comes that public protest action has been set for next week Thursday 24 November between 13:00 and 14:00 lunchtime at the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters.

A massive groundswell of organisations and groups representing the vast majority of South Africa's TV industry say they're completely fed up and tired of the struggling South African public broadcaster who remains unable to get it's house in order.

They're mobilising massive picketing action for 24 November similar to what took place in 2009 when the broadcaster was besieged by people wearing black and bemoaning the sorry state of affairs at the SABC mired by debt, management instability and corruption.

Organisations and groups now says very little has changed in two years and are demanding the resignation of dr Ben Ngubane, the SABC chairperson, who they say ''have provided little or no leadership'' and ''has been directly involved in corporate governance breaches''.

Public protesters are asked to please wear red and black and to ''bring your placards''.

South Africa's TV industry is currently mobilizing en masse and will be protesting at the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters in Henley Avenue from 13:00 next Thursday.

''The SOS Coalition has sent a series of letters including to the chairperson of the SABC board and to members of the SABC board. To date we have not had any formal written replies - either from the SABC board chairperson or from SABC board members. The SOS Coalition have therefore decided to picket.''

ALSO READ: The Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) calls for the SABC board chairperson, dr Ben Ngubane, to be removed by parliament.

BREAKING. Protesters asked to wear red and black for the public protest coming to the SABC at Auckland Park on Thursday 24 November at 13:00.

You're reading it here first.

Protesters are being asked to wear read and black and bring their creative placards for the massive public protest that South Africa's TV industry is planning at the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters for this coming Thursday, 24 November in a repeat of the major public picketing that engulfed the broadcaster in 2009.

The Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) that has now called on South Africa's parliament to immediately remove the SABC chairperson dr Ben Ngubane after the SOS earlier this month called on dr Ben Ngubane to immediately step down and resign, is now asking South Africa's TV industry to please wear red and black next Thursday when protesters plan to descend on the SABC.

''Bring your placard and wear red and black,'' asks the Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) in a just issued note to South Africa's TV industry.

''We need a new era of transparent financial accountability and good corporate governance [at the SABC],'' says the SOS.

ALSO READ: South Africa's TV industry mobilising for massive public protest action at the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters on Thursday 24 November.
ALSO READ: The Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) calls on parliament to remove dr Ben Ngubane, SABC chairperson.

BREAKING. The Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) calls for dr Ben Ngubane, SABC chairperson, to be removed by parliament.

The Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) a massive public pressure and interest group representing the vast majority of South Africa's TV industry who recently called for dr Ben Ngubane, SABC chairperson to resign immediately, is now calling on the South African government to have dr Ben Ngubane removed.

ALSO READ: The Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) calls for the resignation of dr Ben Ngubane, SABC chairperson.

Several other organisations and groups are also united in the chorus calling for dr Ben Ngubane to step down and resign, ranging from trade unions like the SABC's biggest trade union Bemawu who is calling dr Ben Ngubane ''a liar'', to the massive trade group the South African Screen Federation who is unhappy with the ''continuous chaos at the SABC and who represents thousands of companies, workers, studios, interest groups and film, television and audiovisual content organisations.

''Instead of leading the vision of a quality public broadcaster that the public can confidently invest resources in, the SABC chairperson, dr Ben Ngubane, has provided little or no leadership,'' says the Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) in a strongly-worded statement.

''Further he has in fact been directly involved in corporate governance breaches. We have called on dr Ben Ngubane of the SABC to resign. However, he has not resigned. We are now calling for the chairperson, dr Ben Ngubane to be removed by parliament,'' says the SOS in the statement.

''South African citizens demand a public broadcaster that has the resources and strategic leadership to meet the information needs of all South Africans. We demand a SABC that holds government and corporate power to account, and provides the information and platforms for discussion vital to the functions of our democracy,'' says the SOS.

ALSO READ: South Africa's TV industry mobilising for massive public protest at SABC during lunch hour on Thursday 24 November.
ALSO READ: Protesters for planned public picketing at the SABC on 24 November at 13:00 at Auckland Park asked to wear red and black and ''to please bring your placards''.

BREAKING. The South African Screen Federation calls for the immediate resignation of dr Ben Ngubane, SABC chairperson.

The massive South African Screen Federation (Sasfed), a federation of independent film, television and audiovisual content industry organisations in South Africa's TV industry is calling for the immediate resignation of dr Ben Ngubane, the SABC chairperson, citing the ''continuous chaos'' at the struggling public broadcaster.

Sasfed has now joined the large SABC trade union Bemawu that has also called for the resignation of dr Ben Ngubane on 25 October.

Sasfed, calling for dr Ben Ngubane to resign, says that it believes that ''the turnaround of the SABC will continue to be impossible to achieve under the present leadership''.

Sasfed cites the continued delay in the appointment of a permanent CEO, COO and CFO at the SABC, the SABC's lack of significant commissioning of local content since 2008, the ''continued chaos at the national broadcaster such as the Justice Ndaba fiasco, the sudden firing of the company secretary, the luxury car saga, and daily reports of maladministration, corruption, wasteful and fruitless expenditure'', the ''continued lack of respect accorded to the independent film and television production sector by the national broadcaster and SABC's delays and refusals to engage with us as equals'', as the main reasons for calling for dr Ben Ngubane to step down.

Sasfed says that the federation will be asking the new minister of communications, Dina Pule ''to urgently appoint a caretaker administration, publicly nominated from the public sector'' to take financial, editorial and administrative control of the national public broadcaster ''until such time as the SABC finances are returned to profitability, local content quotas are restored to their legal mnimum requirements and the SABC can meet its mandate and its reputation is restored''.

Sasfed says it believes that ''the entire turnaround of the SABC is being unduly influenced by political manoeuvring and hidden agendas'' and that ''the SABC board and acting management have no real intention of engaging in good faith and in a meaningful way with the independent production sector''. ''The continued collapse of sections of the independent production sector is mainly due to lack of commissioning by the national broadcaster,'' says Sasfed.

Meanwhile the Support Public Broadcasting (SOS) Coalition, says Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the SABC's group executive for stakeholder management and provinces and the acting group executive for human capital promised the SOS Coalition a written response from dr Ben Ngubane by the end of this past Friday on the SOS Coalition's questions put to dr Ben Ngubane in which the SOS Coalition said that it was ''disappointed'' and ''disillusioned'' with dr Ben Ngubane. The SOS Coalition says it has received no answers by the end of Friday on its questions.

The SABC didn't immediately respond to a media enquiry made regarding Sasfed's call for the immediate resignation of dr Ben Ngubane.

BREAKING. Public picketing coming? SABC should prepare for a new round of public protest action outside Auckland Park.

You're reading it here first.

They don't carry pitchforks, but they're coming. Fawly Towers better prepare; my sources are telling me South Africa's TV industry - a vast number of organised groupings from producers to actors and organisations representing basically everyone and all interest groups dealing with the SABC, are once again considering public picketing and massive public protest action at the SABC's headquarters in Auckland Park.

South Africa's TV industry and public interest groups, exasperated, frustrated and incredibly angry at the complete inability of South Africa's struggling public broadcaster to move forward, is now considering public picketing and are ''keen'' to stage a massive round of public protest in front of the SABC. This time I'm told, it will be bigger than ever.

The beleaguered SABC was besieged by public demonstrations on its Auckland Park doorstep in August 2009 - organised by the TV Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC), which has since morphed into the Support Public Broadcasting (SOS) Coalition. The highly effective picketing and public demonstration with a massive turnout, characterised by people dressed in black, helped to focus strong public attention on the sorry state of the SABC.

Now interest groups and the local TV industry, of the opinion that things at the broadcaster has hardly improved at all 2 years later than in August 2009 - are once again thinking of public picketing. The SABC is besieged by an unending weekly stream of news relating to management blunders, corruption, ineffective management and oversight, and even more salacious stories of inappropriate executive conduct.

Meanwhile the SABC's chairperson dr Ben Ngubane blatantly decided not to answer or respond to the open letter sent to him on 25 October by the SOS Coalition, asking for explanations as to what is going on at the SABC.

''The SABC is no better off than in 2009 when the industry stood together and said 'enough is enough,'' an insider told me yesterday. ''Producers, writers, actors, viewers, ordinary SABC workers, studios - two years later no-one is served better by a public broadcaster that has made any significant advancement or improvement and that after a government bail out of over a billion rand. It's just completely unacceptable,'' said the source.

Another insider TV with Thinus had contact with yesterday said a lot of people and groups are ''keen to picket outside the SABC''.

Another source said ''the SABC is the public broadcaster, but it's the public that the SABC doesn't seem to want to be accountable to. Since the broadcaster remains deaf and defiant of our voices we will raise our voices.''

BREAKING. SOS public pressure group 'disillusioned' and 'disappointed' with SABC chairperson dr Ben Ngubane.

The Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS), a pressure group representing a vast number of the biggest industry stakeholders in South Africa's public broadcasting sphere is blasting the SABC's chairperson dr Ben Ngubane, saying the group is disillusioned and disappointed in him as well as the unstable management at South Africa's beleaguered public broadcaster.

The SOS has just come out swinging in a strongly-worded open letter addressed and sent to dr Ben Ngubane directly, as well as to the new minister of communications Dina Pule, saying the group ''want to register our disillusionment and disappointment'' and demanding answers before 1 November of the struggling dr Ben Ngubane that the SOS Coalition says has failed in his ''promise to the citizens of South Africa when you were publically interviewed in parliament'' to ''place at the centre quality, local public programming reflecting the rich diversity of South African experience and opinion''.

In the scathing letter, the SOS Coalition says that the struggling SABC is besieged by ''a litany of problems including a complete lack of vision, poor corporate governance, ongoing financial mismanagement, and multiple resignations of board members. Since January 2010 there has been no stable management team at the SABC – including no permanent CEO, COO and CFO. Further, the SABC has failed to commission any significant local programming since 2008''.

The SOS Coalition demands answers as to the continuing delay of the appointment of a permanent new CEO, COO and CFO despite the overwhelming urgency of these appointments.

The SOS wants to know why the SABC has employed Justice Ndaba to run its critical turnaround strategy despite the fact that he allegedly has a credit default judgement against him and has business interests that conflict with his SABC employment. The SOS also demands to know from dr Ben Ngubane clarity on the employment status of Justice Ndaba and whether he is a full-time employee or a consultant, and if he is a consultant why he has been sent on expensive international executive training courses paid for by the SABC.

The SOS wants detailed information on the termination of the contract of the company secretary Thelma Melk and demands to know what happened with the SABC's R20 million car scandal and the reasons why inappropriate luxury vehicles were secured, not utilised, and not insured.

The group also wants detailed reasons why the SABC has refused to use its Request for Proposals Book - or so-called RFP Book - to transparently commission new local content. ''The 2009 interim SABC board requested that the 2010 SABC board prioritise this,'' says the SOS Coalition. ''The 2010 SABC board then promised the RFP Book would be released in June 2010, however only limited proposals were released. To date no full book of RFPs have been released with no explanations and no apologies. This system was an important marker in the transformation of the SABC.''

ALSO READ: SABC union Bemawu demands the resignation of SABC chairperson dr Ben Ngubane, calling him a liar.