Better-run SABC will equal profit

IT WOULD be easy to say to the cash-strapped SABC: “You dug yourself into a hole – now you get yourself out of it.”

But we are inclined to be sympathetic towards it.

The corporation is our public broadcaster, and we believe it should be playing an important part in the lives of communities throughout the country.

When it is working optimally, it has many important roles to play – including as a vehicle promoting news, education, culture, sport and entertainment.

Its problem is that it has not been working well over the past few years.

One thing the SABC should not be is the fiefdom of any individuals or interest groups. It should exist for the benefit of South Africa and South Africans.

This was ignored in recent years – and, as a result, the corporation was pushed into promoting a number of harebrained schemes – the worst of which was a 90% local content scheme, which cost it more than R210 million.

We would like to see the SABC recover from its loss-making woes – and begin to forge mutually satisfying partnerships with communities from all corners of this country.

It is encouraging that the SABC is working hard to develop plans that will enable it to transform itself into a profitable, sustainable institution.

However, we do not agree with its contention that people who watch television on a cellphone, tablet or computer should pay an additional licence fee.

People in this country are already cash-strapped. We do not believe that any extra burdens should be placed on them. In any case, how will such a scheme be policed and administered?

At this stage, what we need least of all is yet another army of bureaucrats to administer something we do not believe will work.

Smartphones are a wonderful invention.

They are much welcomed additions to our educational processes and small businesses, to name just two.

Instead of seeking extra funds from these sources, the SABC should rather look at ways of improving what it already has in place.

And there is no better place for it to start than by looking at the way it collects its licence fees.