Can freedom be truly realised in SA without a sustainable public broadcaster?

South Africa recently commemorated Freedom Day on 27 April while the world celebrated World Press Freedom Day on 3 May. These events are important and demand that we reflect and ask a difficult but necessary question: Is this “freedom” truly realised within our media landscape?

Freedom is the foundation upon which SA’s democracy is premised. Central to this is a strong, independent and accessible public broadcaster. The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) remains one of the anchors of our democracy, mandated to advance constitutional principles and rights, including access to information, freedom of expression and meaningful democratic participation for millions of South Africans.

However, the reality is far more complex and the question remains: How can the SABC advance the right to freedom of expression when the institution’s freedom of expression is continuously challenged?

One such challenge has been the enormous political pressure the SABC has faced over the years, including the State Capture that intensified under Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s leadership, resulting in extreme editorial interference and censorship that lead to the firing of the SABC8 journalists.

More recently, we witnessed the uMkhonto Wesizwe party (MK) challenging the SABC’s use of the term Government of National Unity (GNU), which raised concerns about the SABC’s editorial independence and freedom of expression.

Existential threats

Equally concerning are ongoing existential threats that necessitate that we think more realistically about what SA would look like without the SABC.

In 2022, the switch-off of analogue transmitters in five provinces left the SABC with an audience loss of 40%, culminating in a financial loss of R1-billion at the end of that financial year. The uncertainty around the final analogue switch-off as a result of ongoing poor implementation of the Broadcasting Digital Migration (BDM) that fails to take into account the “missing middle”, remains a big concern.

The term “missing middle” refers to millions of TV households who do not qualify for government-subsidised set-top-boxes (STBs) because their household income is slightly more than the R3,500/month income ceiling but are still unable to self-migrate to digital TV reception. These people will be left behind in the migration, with no access to television news and information and often with little or no access to the internet. The impact on the SABC will be far greater because it will suffer significant audience and financial loss, and imminent collapse.

Further existential threats to the SABC persist while it owes transmission provider Sentech about R1-billion in signal distribution fees. However, due to its current financial constraints the SABC cannot afford to pay these costs. Meanwhile Sentech is threatening to switch off the SABC’s transmitters. The implications of such an action would be catastrophic for public access to information.

The financial challenges for the SABC are ongoing and deep rooted to the extent that they affect its ability to fulfil its public service mandate. The notion of freedom is intricately linked to financial resources, and so is the fulfilment of the SABC’s public service mandate. Take broadcast coverage, for instance – in terms of news and information gathering, the SABC has an obligation to cover all nine provinces, including rural areas. But without adequate funding, how can the SABC deploy reporters across the country and commission diverse content that reflects the full spectrum of South African citizens’ opinions?

Apart from its slipping geographical coverage, the SABC has been axing shows that are fundamental to its mandate, citing poor performance that affects its financial revenue. These are programmes that would enable it to advance our democratic values, promote nation building, social cohesion and represent SA’s cultural and language diversity. These shows include Special Assignment, Muvhango, 7de Laan, and most recently Face The Nation.

Ripple effects

The ripple effects extend beyond the public broadcaster itself. The film and television sector suffers a huge blow when such commercial decisions are taken. This has been significantly accelerated by the corporation’s reduced commissioning of new shows and delayed payments, which have led to people losing their jobs. A functional and financially sustainable SABC benefits the entire television ecosystem.

The SABC’s programming decisions are driven by ratings and commercial viability. This raises a fundamental concern about a public broadcaster that prioritises profit over public interest. The SABC is widely regarded as one of the most commercialised public broadcasters globally, which challenges its very identity as a public broadcaster.

This is a big problem; a public broadcaster should ideally be funded through public funds to safeguard it from both commercial and political capture.

Despite these ongoing financial challenges, the recent announcement by Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi of a R234-million allocation to the SABC is welcomed. We hope this signals the beginning of a new trajectory in which the SABC receives ongoing public funding. The funding model currently under development must ensure substantial, stable public funding that enables the SABC to fulfil its mandate.

Legislative reform

Legislative reform is also key. The amendments to the problematic SABC SOC Ltd Bill must strengthen safeguards that protect the broadcaster’s independence from government interference and enable it to operate effectively in the public interest.

Ideally, a public broadcaster must be free from both commercial and political influence. Such freedom begins with financial freedom. Without sustainable funding, media freedom can only be an abstract concept, and it will forever remain an ideal rather than a lived reality.

A financially sustainable SABC is better positioned to advance democratic principles and embody media freedom. A sustainable funding model for the SABC must be prioritised. DM