Within the next few weeks the Television Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC) will stage a guerrilla theatre protest action at SABC. This will be a mediation and picket, not a mass protest action. The plan is to stage industrial theatre that depicts the death of local stories and local content. Media will be invited to document the action and to interview picketers. We need to keep the pressure on.
The plan is to stage similar protests regularly after this. The TVIEC is urgently calling on the industry to join this initiative by attending a meeting on 20 August at which plans for the protest action will discussed.
The TVIEC is calling for passionate individuals to join the pickets and speak to the media about their concerns. Contact Charl on 082-6813680 if you can help.
The TVIEC states that as the protests continue, the thrust will increasingly be on job losses. Actors, writers, service providers and crew need to come forward and tell their stories. The focus will also be on viewers. Soon SABC will be serving a diet of repeats. If you have any ideas on how to engage with the issue of viewers, let the TVIEC know.
The TVIEC consists of the IPO (Independent Producers Organization), SASFED (South African Screen Federation), TPA (The Producers Alliance), DFA (Documentary Filmmakers Association), WGSA (Writers Guild of South Africa) and CWU (Creative Workers Union).
