SABC to kill off local production industry?

The coalition stated that only 12 out of the 47 productions due to have been incepted in April 2009 will be going ahead this year and numerous existing/renewable contracts have been postponed or deferred.

In its statement of Wednesday 12 August 2009, the TVIEC says this will save the SABC an estimated R500-million over the next year but feels that this will mean that the independent production sector will end up taking the hit for the broadcaster's internal mismanagement. While the SABC will appear to have made a quick turn-around, the impact has deep consequences that the industry, viewers and next board will have to face. These could include job losses, company closures, loss of creative talent and more repeats of programmes in prime time, thus driving down advertising revenues further.

“We are of the view that the SABC should be looking at a combination of selling off non-core assets, downscaling internal units that have been overstaffed, cutting back on unnecessary spending in non-program areas and applying for funding in the form of a bail-out or a loan whilst implementing long term cost savings within its business models,” stated its spokesperson.

The TVIEC consists of the Independent Producers Organization, South African Screen Federation, The Producers Alliance, Documentary Filmmakers Association, Writers Guild of South Africa and the Creative Workers Union.