I had someone call me this week to ask if I would consider being proposed for the interim board of the SABC.
At first I thought it was one of those prank calls from a radio station but it turns out the caller was adamant. My response was that of all the people in South Africa I would probably be the last to be appointed to the SABC given the stinging criticism I have delivered to them over the past few years.
But maybe, I was assured, now that the ANC had actually admitted that the SABC board was dysfunctional, maybe they would be open to having someone on it that actually knew a bit about the media industry.
This reminded me of a call I had from the Institute of Marketing Management back in 2003 when government was calling for nominations for the board of the Media Diversity and Development Agency (MDDA) – a unique joint venture between government and the media industry aimed at diversifying media ownership in South Africa.
The IMM was concerned this would become something of an unholy alliance.
Anyway, I was duly nominated and presented myself in front of the ANC-dominated parliamentary portfolio committee for communications (PPCC) chaired by someone I came to admire, Nkenke ‘Nat’ Kekana.
He asked why I wanted to serve on the board and I obliged by presenting the terms and conditions devised by the IMM and myself.
I did not trust this alliance, I told the committee. It looked suspicious. In the unlikely event I was appointed to the board I would reserve the right to speak out publicly and use my media columns to report on EVERYTHING that took place in board meetings to ensure complete transparency. I saw my job as being a watchdog, not a lapdog.
Frankly, though, in spite of the existing parliamentary portfolio committee having shown considerable backbone with regard to criticism of the current SABC board, I am not convinced their balls are big enough for my set of terms and conditions.
I felt at the time that my chances of being appointed to the board were about as close to nil as one can get.
To my surprise I received the highest number of votes from the committee including all of the ANC, DA, IFP and PAC members.
I served two terms of office – the maximum allowed – and after those six years the MDDA was responsible for creating 147 small media companies and received an unqualified audit every single year, having stuck to the letter of the Public Finances Management Act.
Interestingly enough, not once in those six years was there the slightest bit of interference from the participating big media companies nor from the presidency or cabinet. Those were the Mbeki heydays of free press, freedom of speech, and at least a bit of integrity.
I believe that anyone who serves on the SABC board in future should adopt those same terms and conditions. Because you would be surprised how well behaved and responsible a board behaves when they know that their every action can be aired in public.
Frankly, though, in spite of the existing parliamentary portfolio committee having shown considerable backbone with regard to criticism of the current SABC board, I am not convinced their balls are big enough for my set of terms and conditions.
