Thursday, August 17, 2006

SABC considers Caribbean BC partnership

A delegation representing the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) yesterday paid a courtesy call on Minister of State in the Barbados Prime Minister’s Office, Reverend Joseph Atherley, and expressed an interest in partnering with the state owned Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). SABC Chairman, Sonwabo Funde, told the minister his company was seriously considering the feasibility of a partnership with CBC. According to him the SABC has the necessary resources to do so.

“We have a staff of 4000, an annual budget of US$650 million; we are managing three television stations and are very eager to create the fourth in the Caribbean,” he said.

Minister Atherley said that at the moment, government was in the process of strategically positioning CBC to be commercially viable, and such a partnership with the SABC seemed like “a good idea” in principle. “Government is looking forward to an improved situation at CBC in the near future and I sincerely hope that concrete arrangements can be made with both corporations”, the minister said.

Source: Barbados Advocate/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)