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: 24 February 2012
According to Robert McChesney public broadcasting is supposed to mean “that they’re doing something in their broadcasting they would not do if they were simply out to maximize profit; if they were really public service institutions, not purely profit maximizing institutions”. This is the SABC we should strive for!
On the table this week:
• ALLEGED CORRUPTION: Former Head of Legal Services at the SABC is accused!!!
• WHAT happened at the Icasa regulatory review conference?
• National Treasury invests more in Digital Migration
Date submitted: 17 February 2012
OUR SABC is an SOS initiative. It is a newsletter that tables and debates Public broadcasting issues. The newsletter hopes to not only encourage debate but create a better and more effective public broadcasting environment in South Africa and Africa.
What is on the table this week?
• The new SABC GCEO: who is she and why HER!
• Changing Faces: there is a new CFO at the SABC
• Operations at the SABC, who is going to be the next COO of the SABC?
• “Smoking the peace pipe”…. Mwasa and the SABC reconcile
• Finances, FINANCES, finances: Is the SABC ever going to be financially stable!
• The independent broadcasting regulatory review…is this not placing the ‘cart before the horse’?
For more on these issues read our Newsletter
Date submitted: 17 February 2012
The SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition welcomes the appointment of the new SABC Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Gugu Duda, and views the appointment as a critical one. The Coalition is however concerned that the SABC board is not driving the appointments at the public broadcaster.
