The Portfolio Committee on Communications has welcomed the intervention by the Ministry of Communications and the board of the South African Broadcasting Cooperation (SABC) in the impasse between the public broadcaster and Premier Soccer League (PSL) with regard to the broadcasting of soccer games on SABC radio stations
The committee acknowledged that through their intervention, the minister and the SABC board have made it possible for the millions of South African soccer-loving fans to once again follow their beautiful game.
The board and management of the SABC briefed the committee on sports rights and non-payment of independent producers. The committee acknowledged that the SABC owes more than US$48.30mn to its creditors and, unfortunately, will be left with only US$1.82mn in its bank account by the end of August 2018.
The committee then welcomed the SABC’s proposal to request the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) to review the sports broadcasting regulations and undertook to meet with the regulator, in order to engage further on the same matter. The current regulations mandate the SABC to cover 22 sporting codes.
The committee will in the next meeting receive a detailed briefing on SABC’s turnaround strategy.
