SABC and funding

January 10th, 2008

Does the prospect of direct government funding for the SABC bode well for broadcasting? It is an important question.

The ANC Polokwane conference suggested at least 60% of the SABC’s budget should come directly from the state, a radical shift from the current 3% (with over 80% coming from advertising and the balance from the few people who pay for their licences.)

One should first express some scepticism. The ANC has repeatedly called for the SABC to be moved away from its commercial base, but Treasury has consistently and adamantly refused to entertain the notion of digging into its pocket to allow this to happen. Maybe things will change with the new ANC, but somehow I doubt that it will be this issue on which they go to battle to change so fundamental an element of current government fiscal policy.

But if it did happen, the positive aspect is that it should ease the SABC’s split personality - being a public broadcaster that is almost entirely dependent on advertising. It has long been caught between meeting its public service obligations and commercial demands, and a government subsidy should allow it to do more of the latter, and less competing with other commercial media.

It should also free up advertising for commercial broadcasters to be more competitive, and maybe even eventually allow for another independent free-to-air channel alongside eTV.

But a great deal depends on how it is done. Will it be done in a way which ensures there is an arm’s length relationship between the government funder and the dependent broadcaster?

It will clearly be highly undesirable if the government does it in a way which allows them to turn the money tap on and off in order to pressurise the SABC and compromise its independence. It must be done at arm’s length. Government would have to commit to a certain amount of money over a long period of time and perhaps channel it through an independent body to satisfy fears that it is prepared to pay only to get greater and more direct control over the broadcaster.

That is the big “if”. Done in the right way, public funding can be a major boost to the quality and depth of our television coverage, allowing for much more content which is not necessarily commercially viable. More documentaries, or more drama in more languages, for example.

Done crudely, it will only add to the sense that the SABC is hopelessly enslaved to the powers that be, and will continue to be roped in for short-term political advantage rather than long-term social good.

The debate, therefore, over how it is done, will be the most crucial.

Entry Filed under: Anton Harber, Journalism, Media regulation, Radio, TV