SABC shops for ideas

The process, which starts in Gauteng, is the result of commitments made by the public broadcaster at Sithengi 2005, and aims at unlocking, activating and stimulating local television, radio and film programmes in fulfillment of its Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) mandate.

Speaking in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, recently, SABC chief executive of content enterprises, Mvuzo Mbebe, says: "We are precisely looking for proposals in which local people tell African stories, not in the British or American way, but in the African format.

"Many people are complaining that their proposals are not given a fair chance or end up somewhere else. In terms of the commitments we made last year, we decided to put in place an accountable, credible and transparent system that will deal with unsolicited proposals.

Ideas

"From now on, we will have a season of unsolicited proposals twice a year and this year, we will deal with all proposals in one chunk - whether they arrived before or during the open season. Our aim is to give everyone's ideas a chance to be dealt with fairly and impartially."

Mbebe also says that this initial process will only be done for television productions in the areas of education, entertainment and sport, with other genres and proposals for radio and film programmes following at the next pitching session later this year, sometime in September.

He emphasises that those who submit their proposals will be given a document of registration stating the date and the nature of ideas. "I urge potential candidates to bring their hard copies on the day of submission," he says, "and not to leave without getting a letter of recognition that confirms the date and contents of their submission.

"The panel will then decide on the proposals and letters of interest and rejection will be given thereafter," he adds. "We are hopeful that everything should be finished by the end of May. By then, people would have received their letters of rejection or told if they made it to the next phase."

This process could be a breakthrough for several talented and enterprising men and women who lack the resources to establish themselves in this tough but lucrative industry. Most of all, it is a golden opportunity for those for who live in the far corners of South Africa and often complain of being sidelined and overlooked by the SABC.

Mbebe is well aware of these complaints and says: "It is true that people living in the provinces often say that unless you live or bring your ideas in Gauteng, you are not going to be given a chance. But we are serious about this process and we are committed to expand it all over to give everyone a chance to showcase their ideas."

Fears

However, certain quarters are already expressing fears that the process - the first of its kind by the SABC in post-apartheid South Africa - might not be well-managed as the public broadcaster, despite its huge resources, allegedly does not have what it takes to deal with the complexities of such an important project.

Mbebe humbly acknowledges this. "Of course it is our first time and I am afraid we might mistakes, but I am sure it will get better as time goes by. Besides, we welcome suggestions and ideas that we believe might improve the process in the long run," he says.

Pressed by Bizcommunity.com to say why it took so long to come up with such a momentous undertaking, he replies: "I believe that everything has its own phase and time. First of all, we were engaged in the phase of transforming the SABC from a state-owned corporation to a public broadcaster. And that phase is now completed. We start this new phase of unsolicited proposals to show that we are now a people-orientated entity."

Furthermore, content enterprises executive manager, Sabelo Silinga, insists that the process will also take account of gender equality to give it a fair gender representation. "We want more women and especially more black women to come forward with their ideas. And we will make sure that those who excel are not turned away," Silinga says.

Television is such a powerful mass-medium which needs to be streamlined time to time to diversify viewers' choices. If this process is well-managed, it could revolutionise South Africa's broadcasting industry and shut out SABC's competitors.

For information, visit www.sabc.co.za or call: +27 11 714 9111.