There’s no doubting that SABC Chief Operating Officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng likes a little attention, and of late he has certainly been receiving it.

The announcement that all SABC radio stations must play 90% local music content has been well covered, and now the same conditions are set to be rolled out across the the three TV channels.

Except for SABC 3, which as the biggest advertising revenue earner will only have to play 80% local content.

We’re going to touch on five of his demands with the help of the Mail & Guardian, although if you want the low down on just how much the SABC spends on its in-house choir you do your own Googling:

1. There will be no violent protests … on SABC

“It is regrettable that these actions are disrupting many lives and, as a responsible public institution, we will not assist these individuals to push their agenda that seeks media attention,” Motsoeneng stated.

“As a public service broadcaster we have a mandate to educate the citizens, and we therefore have taken this bold decision to show that violent protests are not necessary.”

2. Pay your journalism license

Motsoeneng raised eyebrows during a meeting at Parliament when he said that the media needs to be regulated.

“Even Parliament is regulated. The judges are regulated. What is a sin if media are regulated? I think it’s very important that all people should be regulated because what we are trying to say here, we need people to be professional when they do their work,” Motsoeneng told MPs…

The Committee to Protect Journalists, an international press freedom organisation, reacted to Motsoeneng’s comments too, saying: “South Africa must not become a country to which repressive governments can point in their efforts to legitimise press freedom violations.”

Thankfully, Motsoeneng’s mission to licence journalists hasn’t panned out.

3. A good story to tell

Motsoeneng had a good story to tell. Well, at least a 70% good story.

“For me, it is actually disappointing to see what news coverage there is out there, because there are so many positive issues happening in this country,” Motsoeneng told the Mail & Guardian.

“The media normally focus on the negative publicity. I believe, from the SABC’s side, 70% should be positive [news] stories and then you can have 30% negative stories. The reason I am championing this is because if you only talk about the negative, people can’t even try to think on their feet. Because what occupies their mind is all this negative stuff.”

Needless to say, public reaction wasn’t all that positive.

Anyone familiar with the ostrich sticking its head in the sand? Yeah, I think that analogy works rather well with that last one.

4. Hold the social media

The SABC’s policy that its journalists should not make political comments or post images of themselves in party regalia on social media has, ironically, gained traction on social media…

The SABC said the policy had always been there. “Put a (comment) in the social space that brings the organisation into disrepute‚ we’ll deal with it‚“ said SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago.

I feel like it’s more to avoid the question of how one remains impartial, and reports the news objectively, when their social media feed is filled with an obvious allegiance to a political party.

5. What Marikana documentary?

Miners Shot Down is perhaps one of the most important documentaries to come out of South Africa. The film looks at 2012’s Marikana massacre, charting the week preceding the gunning down of 34 miners. The SABC hasn’t shown it on air.

Kganyago said the SABC had been in contact with documentary maker Rehad Desai to explain why it could not be aired at the time it was submitted.

“We then responded to them to say, at the time it would not be prudent to do it because the Marikana commission [Farlam Commission of Inquiry] was still on. Secondly, there were no slots available at the time.”

It seems the documentary wasn’t high enough on the SABC’s priority list, despite – or perhaps because of – its revealing nature.

The good news is you don’t need the SABC to watch Miners Shot Down – you can (and really, really should) watch the doccie in full HERE.

I think we should welcome the fact that our local broadcaster intends to promote the creation of local content, that in itself is not problematic.

Encourage multilingualism across the channels, give local producers the chance to use our talent pool, stop showing the same garbage reruns from overseas – that all sounds grand.

What does seem short-sighted is that the changes are set to be implemented from July 1, leaving a mad scramble that can only result in shoddy content and a possible viewer / advertising backlash.

And hiding ‘bad news’ from the public when you are mandated to inform and educate? That sets one hell of a dangerous precedent…

[source:mg]