Rescheduling of Afrikaans SABC TV news seems desperate and ill-considered – AfriForum
The latest rescheduling of Afrikaans TV news seems to be an ill-considered and desperate step, AfriForum stresses in response to a radio interview with the Afrikaans TV News Bulletin Editor of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Daniëlle Wass, broadcasted on RSG this morning (9 June).
According to Alana Bailey, AfriForum’s Head of Cultural Affairs, Wass mentioned that the new time slot on weekdays will be from 17:30 to 18:00 on S3 (formerly SABC3), and on weekends from 19:30 to 20:00.
AfriForum has been objecting to the rescheduling of the broadcast times and channels from the outset, pointing to the loss of viewers and advertising revenue that this may entail. More moves have since followed, and the reaction of viewers has confirmed that the concerns were justified.
“According to Wass, the schedule changes of recent years were not preceded by thorough market research. It is unthinkable that when an institution is as dependent on revenue as the SABC is, such drastic moves are made without well-founded motivation.”
“S3 is being marketed as a channel for people aged from 25 to 49, who are metropolitan and have a global outlook on life. The problem with this is that a large portion of the Afrikaans-speaking public lives in rural areas, and that working people are generally not yet relaxing in front of the television at 17:30. Wass mentions that the bulletins are also available on YouTube, but for someone with bad or no connection, or who cannot afford data, this is not an option either,” Bailey explains.
AfriForum already sent a formal application to the SABC in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) on 9 April, demanding answers about the future of Afrikaans TV news broadcasts. No response has been received to this or to an appeal yet, and therefore the organisation has now approached the Information Regulator to get a response. Based on this, further efforts can be made to find solutions to the needs of Afrikaans viewers.
The public broadcaster’s bulletins are still the only televised news that many have access to. It is therefore important to ensure that the service is continued and managed sustainably.
