South Africa’s independent television sector will take to the streets in Johannesburg and Cape Town on 4 June in a national protest action against public broadaster SABC’s failure to meet its financial obligations to the producers of commissioned programming. The TV Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC), which represents 80% of content currently on air, has called for the national protest action as part of a strategic campaign to lobby for an intervention from overseeing government bodies.
At the Protest March a memorandum will be handed over to the SABC with the following demands:
· Honour existing payment obligations
· Meaningful engagement and renegotiation of terms of trade
· Inflation related budget increases
· Intellectual property rights for the content creators
· Accountable & responsible management
· Cut bureaucracy and wasteful spending
· Mandated industry representation on the board
The TVIEC wishes tostate that it cannot condone any form of mismanagement or abuse of funds of the public broadcaster and what are essential services for South Africans. Television and radio are some of the most powerful tools for building and shaping our society and values and the Coalition is committed to an on-going dialogue with our audiences and responding to their realities,
hopes and dreams.
March details:
· Date: Thursday, 4 June 2009
· 10.30: Joburg – Gather at Atlas Studios for rally
· 12.00: Cape Town – Gather on grass in front of SABC
· 12.00: Joburg – March to SABC
· 13.00: Joburg and Cape Town – march and picket at SABC
· 13.45: Joburg – Hand over memorandum
WHERE YOU COME IN: How your company, body, organisation, school or simply you as an individual can assist is by joining us in this protest action. Make banners and dress in red and let your voices be heard. Further, you can help us compile a comprehensive data base of emails and cell-phone numbers of everyone within your own particular sector. This information will be used solely for the dissemination of information regarding the march.
For more information log onto www.sasfed.org
