In November 2000, the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) held a two-day stocktaking conference on the SABC. The intention of the conference was to review the progress of the Corporation in transforming itself from a state to a public broadcaster since 1994. The conference was funded by the Friederich Ebert Stiftung and NIZA, and was attended by approximately two hundred people, and sixteen speakers: as such, it was the largest event ever organised by the FXI. 

The conference was extremely difficult to organise, and fraught with tension. This tension spilled over into outright conflict with the SABC before the conference, as management took a decision not to participate. No reasons were advanced for their non-participation. Ironically, though, all four unions present at the SABC participated actively in the conference, including the IFJ's two affiliates, the Media Workers' Association of SA and the SA Union of Journalists'.

The conference ended with the adoption of a programme of action endorsed by the house. The most fundamental decision the conference took was that civil society organisations, and the public at large must become involved in the restructuring of the SABC as a matter of urgency. At the moment, the SABC is being restructured to bring it into line with the requirements of the Broadcasting Act of 1999, which involves the corporatisation of the Corporation and the separation of its services into public service and public commercial service arms. Presently there are no points of engagement between the SABC and its public in relation to this restructuring, which the conference criticised as it was unable to play the watchdog role it needed to ensure that the public mandate was not compromised as restructuring proceeds.

It was also agreed that if profitable services were identified for privatisation during restructuring, communities would be mobilised to stop such privatisation from taking place. This was because the conference felt that these services would be needed to cross-subsidise the largely loss-making public services which are largely responsible for delivering on the Corporation's public service mandate.

The FXI was urged to facilitate a coming-together of organisations present at the conference, to ensure that a practical programme of action was finalised and implemented. The FXI was also tasked with developing a report from the conference, that could then be used as a basis for lobbying Parliament, the SABC Board, the Independent Communications Authority of SA and other organisations. Delegates endorsed several methods of action to ensure their voices would be heard, including legal engagements and mass action.

Below is the text of flyer explaining the aims and objectives of the stocktaking conference.

Protect and promote public broadcasting!

A stocktaking conference of the SABC since 1994

Aims of conference

The SABC is entering a round of restructuring to bring it into line with the requirements of the Broadcasting Act. This restructuring involves corporatisation of the public broadcaster, and the separation of its services into public service and public commercial service arms. Some services may also be identified for privatisation. Yet in spite of the fact that restructuring is pending, there has been no systematic analysis of how far the SABC has come so far in transforming itself into a public
broadcaster. This is problematic, as a clear roadmap for the future can be based only on a clear understanding of the Corporation's past. The conference is being held on the basis that as users of the public broadcaster, we have a right to review its activities if they are undertaken in our name.

The conference should lead to a practical programme of action around the promotion of, and in defence of, the public broadcasting mandate. Based on the findings of the stocktaking exercise, there is also need to establish a set of `bottom-lines' with respect to the current round of restructuring, to ensure the protection and promotion of public services.

Therefore, the conference aims to assess the extent to which:

• The SABC's services have become more available to all South Africans, especially in marginalised areas, ie. is the SABC meeting its universal service obligations;
• The SABC's services are able to meet the needs of audiences;
• The SABC is sensitive to issues around gender, race and class;
• The integration of the TBVC broadcasters have bolstered the public service activities of the SABC;
• The McKinsey restructuring and its proposals, which include corporatisation and the merger of radio and television news, have strengthened or disabled the public service mandate;
• The current restructuring relating to the corporatisation of the SABC may impact on Corporation's mandate, drawing on experiences of corporatisation in other public services;
• The SABC is being benchmarked against international struggles around public broadcasting;
• The Triple Enquiry report of the Independent Broadcasting Authority is still being used as a roadmap for the SABC; The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa is in a position to deliver on its mandate of monitoring the public service obligations of the SABC. The SABC has established a `natural partnership' with the community media sector. The funding base and the organisational structure of the SABC enables or disables the public mandate.

Speakers and participants are being invited from the SABC itself, non-governmental organisations, international and local trade unions and industry groups. The critical mass of people will be drawn from civil society. Inputs will focus on educational programming, childrens' programming, transformation of news, organisational restructuring and public service principles, gender, language, worker representation and union action around public broadcasting, the interface between community media and the public broadcaster, regulation and other issues.

Conference Papers

~ Timo-Erkki Heino, Finnish Union of Journalists :
Globalisation, restructuring and public broadcasting

~ Dimitri Martinez:
State Broadcaster to PSB : A case study of SABC TV News, 1994-96

~ Anna Weekes, Media Officer, South African Municipal Workers' Union:
Corporatisation of public services and the SABC : who benefits?

~ Neville Alexander, Director, Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa ...: The South African Broadcasting Corporation’s language mandate in the light of corporatisation ( * )

~ Nadia Bulbulia, Children and Broadcasting Foundation and councillor of the Independent Broadcasting Authority of South Africa (IBA): Childrens' Programming and the SABC ( * )