Abstract
This research was motivated by the argument that, first, the liberalisation of commercialised public service broadcasting (PSB) leads to excessive similarity in programming, excluding certain voices and groups, fragmenting audiences, limiting the social and integrative role of broadcasting and resulting in the erosion of the public sphere. Second, the PSB mandate is undermined by commercial interests and has therefore lost its legitimacy. Third, the literature is dominated by a focus on the public-private approach that emphasises public interest versus personal choice. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of broadcasting liberalisation and the resultant competition on the SABC and its public service responsibility, in particular, and identify an explanatory framework for its scheduling and programming while reviewing the applicability and/or accuracy of the erosion of the public sphere theory in the South African context. The study employed a qualitative approach using the SABC as a case study with multi-methods or techniques of data collection and analysis to ascertain the diversity in scheduling and programming and understand the production context. The findings showed that SABC’s schedules and programmes were diverse with high local content. Importantly, the findings illustrated that cultural or entertainment content was part of political engagement. Further, they illustrated that the SABC’s response to competition and commercialisation was influenced by political, economic and organisational contexts and innovativeness/creativeness, which shaped the scheduling and programming strategies that were adopted. Lastly, they showed that responses to competition were not deterministic and, while commercialisation and convergence were inherent risks, they were not guaranteed; regulation, coupled with innovative scheduling and programming practices, served as a counterbalance that tamed their excesses. Finally, the study suggests Broadcasting the Rainbow Nation as the explanatory framework for understanding the SABC’s ability to perform its public service mandate in a liberalised and competitive broadcasting market. As a framework, it is an analytical instrument that attempts to explain how the SABC, as a public service broadcaster, serves as an institution of the public sphere by providing a platform for social, cultural, economic and political expression and engagement. The significance of Broadcasting the Rainbow Nation as a conceptual framework lies in its ability to understand and explain the links and interactions between politics, culture and institutional arrangements, such as mandates, strategies and organisational cultures.