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SABC RIP... Rest in Pieces
25 Apr 2006
If this is the best strategic thinking / vision the SABC has to offer then its competitors can start working a three-day week! It's clear that SABC understand the challenge facing them as I think they've captured it succinctly in the first paragraph, sadly though, this is the first and last utterances of common sense in their statement [last week].
Throughout the SABC statement it is clear that their new direction serves a political agenda rather than being based in the reality of a commercial world. PBS and commerce can go hand in hand as many forget that viewership / listenership remain a democratic process - no matter how politically correct the vision. If people do not want to watch / listen then they'll switch stations.
The recent haemorrhaging of talent and the systematic dispersion of the dream team that turned around the SABC several years ago has been dramatic... and now it's understandable if this statement represents the winds of change blowing through SABC.
The promise of greater internal staff focus and greater empowerment with more emphasis on a "supportive, caring and progressive environment that rewards performance etc..." sound like hollow election promises and suggest erroneously that the previous leadership neglected these. The financial statement says it all...
There are still a lot of good people at SABC who must now be wondering about their future.
Financially viable
How will SABC be in a financial position to deliver to the South African public if it's not financially viable. Will the SA public have to bail them out and is that fair to the competitors who receive no protection from poor decisions?
Normally when you read a corporate vision you can almost see and hear the leader delivering the paper. It is interesting for me, having read the [SABC] statement several times, that no one comes to mind as being the driving force to this new vision. Perhaps the "massive internal consultation process" has resulted in a vision without a single architect. Time will tell.
If the vision is citizen empowerment, then let the people speak... because commercial interests (advertising income) will follow the wishes of the people.
In closing, I had hoped to make a constructive contribution to better understand this new vision but I fear, the more I delve it to it, the further I move away from this objective. Enough said.
Related articles on BizCommunity.com:
SABC unveils new strategic outlook - Issa Sikiti da Silva
SABC plans are pie-in-the-sky - Chris Moerdyk
About Gordon Patterson
Gordon Patterson is MD of Starcom and a leader in the advertising communications industry. He was commentating on the announcement last week by the SABC of a new strategic direction in order to create a broadcasting culture for "total citizen empowerment" as a "people-centered broadcaster".
