Five challenges facing the new board

Senior management turmoil: Political appointments to executive positions have resulted in a high casualty rate as incumbents fall out of favour with changes of the guard in the ANC. This also leads to infighting in the ruling party being reflected in battles at the public broadcaster. The current chief financial officer, Gugu Duda, is on suspension and the chief operating officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, holds an acting position.

Digital migration: The vastly increased spectrum offered by the move from an antiquated analogue to a digital signal, set to take place by an international (it) should be.”

Sikhumbuzo Kholwane, the chairman of the committee that is interviewing the candidates, said the committee had learnt from its mistakes in appointing the previous board. deadline of 2015, should translate into a flowering of local content on a plethora of new channels. This is a great opportunity for the SABC, but it will also bring increased competition. The public broadcaster, meanwhile, has radically cut spending on original content as it seeks to balance its books, putting many local producers out of business.

Shrinking viewership: While the SABC still rules the airwaves, it has been losing viewers to pay channel rivals, shedding advertising revenue along the way. It suffers from poor programming and disillusionment over political interference.

Funding crisis: Though the

“Of course we won’t rule out that going into elections can play into interests or people raising political issues, but after all, whatever disagreement we might have in terms of finalising the 12 (board members), I think broadly should SABC has almost repaid the R1.47 billion loan it got on the back of a government guarantee, it achieved this partly by recycling old content and slashing spending on new material. If it is to compete in the digital arena it will have to cough up for improved programming.

Corruption: The Special Investigating Unit’s report on its probe into fraud and corruption running into millions has been handed to President Jacob Zuma, and there have been some prosecutions. However, until the broadcaster can convince the National Treasury that it has its financial house in order, it can forget about getting more money. be around the candidates,” he said.

While it would be a “new start”, he said he had asked Carrim to prioritise the drawing up of a shareholder compact between the minister and the board, to eliminate grey areas that could lead to per- ceptions of political interference.

The compact should set out “what exactly they’re expecting people to deliver”, so the minister could intervene only if necessary.

The role of the chief executive should also be clarified so he or she did not get involved in vetting content.

He said in drawing up a shortlist the committee had gone for a mixture of skills to ensure the board was in tune with the times.

Candidates interviewed this week ranged from Mtimde, also the chief executive of the Media Development and Diversity Agency, and Kate Skinner of the Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS), an often vocal critic of the SABC’s performance, to Thabo Mbeki biographer Professor William Gumede.

But Carrim, who revealed that his daughter had accused him of having no style, sounded a note of caution amid the optimism that swept the committee.

He admitted that the department wouldn’t have time enough to turn the SABC around between now and May – when a new government is expected to be sworn in – but said he would strive to ensure that the broadcaster becomes more stable.