Date submitted: 11 April 2012
The SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition notes with grave concern the latest developments at our public broadcaster, the SABC, regarding the Head of News, Mr. Phil Molefe, being placed on special leave for the second time this year.
As regards this latest crisis, SOS needs to be convinced that the placing of Mr. 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.
So given this latest crisis what is to be done? The SOS Coalition believes there are a few critical principles and actions that need to be followed.
Date submitted: 19 March 2012
On the table this week
• Two meetings with the Portfolio Committee on Communications - SABC still does not provide answers!
• Is the 24 news hour channel really going to happen?
• OUR SABC - can it be sold for R850 million?
• The ANC communications discussion document really gets our hopes up… However the National Development Plan disappoints….
• ICASA held its public hearings on the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Draft Regulations this week.
Date submitted: 5 March 2012
The SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition has sent an open letter to the Minister of Communications, calling for the immediate prioritisation of the broadcasting policy review process. This follows an announcement by the Department of Communications that they will be tabling the Electronic Communications and ICASA Amendment Bills before the end of March 2012, an announcement The Coalition has noted with grave concern.
Date submitted: 2 March 2012
Attached is The SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition submission to the National Planning Commission report - National Development Plan for 2030. The Coalition is disappointed that the Plan has almost no discussion of broadcasting at all, which SOS Coalition views as a serious oversight.
Date submitted: 2 March 2012
Attached is a presentation of the report by the Department of Communications (D0C) made to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications, on the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) government guarantee.
