Television producers want regulations to force the SABC to give them a fairer deal — and Parliament's portfolio committee on communications appears to be listening. <\/p>\n
"The [public] broadcaster is close to a monopoly when it comes to commissioning content," Desiree Markgraaf, the chairperson of the Independent Producers' Organisation (IPO), told the committee this week, with an array of top SABC managers and board members looking on.<\/p>\n
"In an environment structured like this, we need regulation to help us," she said.<\/p>\n
The principal sticking points, Markgraaf argued, were the tight terms of trade imposed by the SABC, which set narrow margins and provided little security; the broadcaster's unwillingness to let intellectual property rights remain with producers; and the very limited participation by production companies in "secondary rights" — the proceeds from the resale of content.<\/p>\n
The result — limited and uncertain profits, coupled with high risk — meant that it was difficult to attract talent to the industry or to transform the industry more thoroughly, Markgraaf said.<\/p>\n
This was despite sharply improved advertising revenues at the SABC and the increased willingness of advertisers to buy space on local shows such as Isidingo, Generations and Zone 14.<\/p>\n
Markgraaf said writers, technicians and producers would rather work in advertising or leave the industry altogether than freelance perpetually, she said. <\/p>\n
IPO president and Endemol South Africa chief Moeletsi Mbeki agreed. Endemol's worldwide gross margin was 26%, he said, while the margin on Isidingo, which the company produces for the SABC, was just 6%. <\/p>\n
SABC group chief executive Dali Mpofu vigorously shook his head at these claims and gave them short shrift, saying the broadcaster's massive local content investment was proof of its commitment to the industry. He also suggested that empowerment imperatives and funding limitations dictated the broadcasters' approach.<\/p>\n
But the level of acrimony that has developed between the industry and the broadcaster was on clear display: "Just because you are a producer doesn't make you a custodian of our culture. People who produce child pornography are also producers," Mpofu said.<\/p>\n
He made it clear that a deal on intellectual property is not going to be struck easily. "Value and capital do not fall from trees. You invest something and you get value."<\/p>\n
But committee members from both the ANC and opposition benches seemed sympathetic to the IPO concerns.<\/p>\n
"What we all want is a fair price for a fair product," said the ANC's Randy Pieterse.<\/p>\n
Acting committee chairperson Godfrey Oliphant agreed that the portfolio committee on arts and culture, as well as Icasa, should be brought into the debate.<\/p>\n