SABC calls on public to submit comments on TV licence fee debate

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has called on the public to submit their comments to government on the draft White Paper on Audio and Audio-visual Content Services.

The publication of the document has sparked debate about the SABC‘s current TV licence fee, how it should be defined and collected and whether it should be imposed at all.

The SABC says it will be making a detailed submission on the paper including comments on the new licensing framework for audio and audio-visual content services as well as mechanisms for funding the broadcaster’s public mandate.

Spokesperson Mmoni Seapolelo says, “In its SABC‘s submission, the public broadcaster will take cognisance of the wide range of views expressed on the need for a licence fee or a public broadcasting levy. The SABC calls on the public and all interested parties to also make their comments to the DCDT by 30 November 2020. We strongly believe that greater public input can only further enrich the final policy process and outcomes.”

In this video below, SABC proposed number of changes to their TV licence collection method: