Do we need a public broadcaster?

[chiskop]

BBC is the exception.

BBC, CNN etc on DSTV broadcast international news. They don't tell me what's happening in my country, province or city.

News is very difficult and expensive to get right. The BBC is (arguably) one of the few who do.

 

[Leitmotif]

Whereas our news barely skims over what's happening in the rest of the world...

 

[Napalm]

scrap paying a tv-licence and go with Pay-TV. That way people get what they pay for. Meaning if u wanna watch SABC or whatever.. Then u just signup for it. If u want mnet, then go for that.

I have DSTV but never watch SABC on it ever. But i must pay a tv-licence and also my DSTV bill.

Thats my 2cents.

 

[chiskop]

And what about the >80% South Africans who can't afford Mnet, Sorry for them?

Wait - I'm not sure that I understand what you're suggesting. Are you suggesting scrapping public broadcasting, or the license fee?

 

[Syndyre]

No then they can pay for SABC at R20/month or whatever the charge would be, as they do now with TV licences.

 

[Napalm]

Yeah, Scrap public broadcasting. and make it PAYTV.

Meaning if you like watching SABC 1 ,2,3 or ETV then you subscribe to it, and pay XX amount per month for that Channel.

Whats the tv-licence fee now, just under R300. Even if its R300 per year. so 4 channels, 12months.

That makes it R6.25 per month per channel. That sounds like a good / valid price to pay. For those who want to watch those channels, and not pirate view it.

Since i doubt 50% of the watching public even pays normal TV-licence.

Thats propably why the tv-licence's cost so much aswell, due to majority of people not paying for tv-licences.

Why pay for something u don't even watch.
PayTV is the way to go!

 

[icyrus]

And what about the >80% South Africans who can't afford Mnet, Sorry for them?

Wait - I'm not sure that I understand what you're suggesting. Are you suggesting scrapping public broadcasting, or the license fee?

Are you saying that the >80% of South Africans that watch SABC aren't paying their TV license?

 

[Napalm]

I rated it could be 50% of SA not paying the tv-licences , but it could be much higher i suppose Icyrus.

There's alot of people pirate viewing SABC.

But i can tell you that the people who actually pay for SABC licences don't even watch it. thats the big joke of it all.

But if tv-licences was scrapped, and Paytv enforced. Then SABC can charge for the channel that you watch. Like on a Decoder or sorts. Basically killing off the pirate viewers. Forcing you to pay for the channel or it gets turned off. Since u then have to pay to watch SABC or other channels.

 

[krycor]

I don't mind SABC.. but they must remove their tv ad's or decide where they will get their funding.. public tax + gov or advertising. I think its just wrong esp towards etv and other potential new channels that their for the people service rakes in money from both ends.

 

[simple_simon]

But why have a public broadcaster that is supposedly free, but that we have to pay for? The point of my argument was to illustrate the fact that it could be cheaper to not have a public broadcaster for most of the population in SA (if one didn't then have to pay license fees).

Why then does SA need a public broadcaster? Ultimately, the answer then can only be: For the state to have some influence in what is broadcast to the majority of South African's. This seems to me to be a charateristic of the previous regime. Surely our new democracy wouldn't want to model itself on apartheid?

what planet are you from......the state has modeled itself on the previous regime. BEE; AA; propoganda 1, 2 and 3; minister of "sport", etc.

 

[simple_simon]

as has been highlighted, who actually watches t.v. still. the only shows i'm interested in i download...and would happily pay for it that option existed.

i get my news off the net, not from the ANCYL, SACP or ANC

 

[kilo39]

I rated it could be 50% of SA not paying the tv-licences , but it could be much higher i suppose Icyrus.

There's alot of people pirate viewing SABC.

But i can tell you that the people who actually pay for SABC licences don't even watch it. thats the big joke of it all.

But if tv-licences was scrapped, and Paytv enforced. Then SABC can charge for the channel that you watch. Like on a Decoder or sorts. Basically killing off the pirate viewers. Forcing you to pay for the channel or it gets turned off. Since u then have to pay to watch SABC or other channels.

Pirate sabc? How can a public broadcaster be pirate tv - oh you mean because people aren't paying tv licences? They should be encouraging people to watch tv - instead of discouraging them through a punitive licence.

and all paytv is a recipe for killing tv in this country - half (or higher in your estimation) - can't afford the licence in the first place - or have got more important things to spend a licence fee on... like bank charges, or telkom charges - or simply staying alive.

Why doesn't sabc do some work - with a robust paying advertising market - which would help create jobs and better the economy? (nah, let's stick them with a licence fee instead.)

 

[chiskop]

Are you saying that the >80% of South Africans that watch SABC aren't paying their TV license?

No. That's not at all what I'm saying.

There's alot of people pirate viewing SABC.

Probably. Whatever the percentage is, it isn't right.

But i can tell you that the people who actually pay for SABC licences don't even watch it. thats the big joke of it all.

But if tv-licences was scrapped, and Paytv enforced. Then SABC can charge for the channel that you watch. Like on a Decoder or sorts. Basically killing off the pirate viewers. Forcing you to pay for the channel or it gets turned off. Since u then have to pay to watch SABC or other channels.

How much will your decoder cost? Who will pay for that?

I don't mind SABC.. but they must remove their tv ad's or decide where they will get their funding.. public tax + gov or advertising. I think its just wrong

Broadcasters all over the world do this, not just the SABC.

 

[Napalm]

Decoders don't cost alot of money, specially if its cheaply made for consumer use to the public. By enforcing the PayTV/decoder option, people who don't watch SABC won't have to pay for stuff they don't watch.

SABC will score on the fact that everyone watching the channels actually pays to watch it. (Meaning no pirate viewers).

Not only that. Dunno if you've seen but alot of people can afford to pay for SABC tv-licences. Just 50-60% or whatever choose not to pay it.

 

[Napalm]

Currently SABC is very open to Pirate viewing (meaning your watching SABC, but not paying to watch it). Cuz you just tune your tv to that channel. No encryption or special decoder or anything..

Even if they only make Paytv so that you pay the tv-licence to get your SABC viewable (not scrambled). Even that would be worth it.

Fact is, people don't want to pay for something, if they can get it for free.

 

[Syndyre]

and all paytv is a recipe for killing tv in this country - half (or higher in your estimation) - can't afford the licence in the first place - or have got more important things to spend a licence fee on... like bank charges, or telkom charges - or simply staying alive.

Why doesn't sabc do some work - with a robust paying advertising market - which would help create jobs and better the economy? (nah, let's stick them with a licence fee instead.)

If they can't afford the licence in the first place then presumably they're not paying it now, so why should other people be forced to subsidise it on their behalf? If they actually sold the advertising slots they spend pushing their 'Its the right thing to do" message they'd probably make some money as well.

 

[kingrob]

''Do we need a public broadcaster?''

Yes, to remind us how good it is to have choice with DSTV.

 

[antowan]

''Do we need a public broadcaster?''

Yes, to remind us how good it is to have choice with DSTV.

Indeed but at what fricken price!

Just hope there are more competitors on the way...

 

[zambussi]

Public Broadcasters are state propaganda machines

If you look at many European countries (particularly those in the Balkans and Eastern Europe), as well as Middle Eastern and African countries - the public broadcaster is essentially a mouthpiece for the government, and if you want to hear the real news you tune in to the private stations.

It's a fact of life. No goverment is going to give up their mouthpiece without a hell of fight.
SABC 3 may have biased news, but compared to many other public brroadcasters their programs are 1st rate. Heck, sometimes, the best thing on DSTV is SABC 3.
I have a huge 3m motorized dish, so I catch a wide spectrum of other TV channels, and for the most part they are much worse and full of more propaganda than our public broadcaster.

 

[Syndyre]

If you look at many European countries (particularly those in the Balkans and Eastern Europe), as well as Middle Eastern and African countries - the public broadcaster is essentially a mouthpiece for the government, and if you want to hear the real news you tune in to the private stations.

It's a fact of life. No goverment is going to give up their mouthpiece without a hell of fight.
SABC 3 may have biased news, but compared to many other public brroadcasters their programs are 1st rate. Heck, sometimes, the best thing on DSTV is SABC 3.
I have a huge 3m motorized dish, so I catch a wide spectrum of other TV channels, and for the most part they are much worse and full of more propaganda than our public broadcaster.

True but should we really be comparing ourselves to ex-communist Europe, dictatorial Middle East and the rest of Africa? They can broadcast what they want for all I care, my issue is that I'm forced to subsidise it.