SABC Radio & TV license inspectorate

Strategy consulting: Campaign to launch the Radio & TV License Inspectorate for the SABC

Public entities can no longer ignore the public voice and communication is no longer a discretionary extra. For any public entity to obtain public buy-in, communication should at all times be interactive. Public organisations will benefit greatly from first listening and learning, then informing and educating in a transparent manner.

Client profile

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was established to supply broadcasting and information services to the general public, in line with the Broadcasting Act 4 of 1999. The Act aims to promote democracy, develop society, promote gender equality, facilitate nation building, provide education and strengthen the spiritual and moral fibre of society.

The challenge at hand

The SABC planned on launching the TV & Radio Licensing Inspectorate. These licences were generally a grudge purchase, there were a number of negative myths that surrounded it and there was great resistance from the public to such a body. The SABC appointed Stone to compile a communication strategy that would help them to obtain the necessary public buy-in for the initiative.

Stone’s approach to meeting the need

Stone commenced with a strategy development process by applying its bespoke Pebble Ring Thinking© methodology, which places the objective of the campaign and the business at the centre of all activity. An important element of the process was to conduct extensive research to gain insight into target audiences’ perception of the SABC. Stone’s knowledge of the public sector and how to leverage the media to mitigate public resistance, was key to the success of the project. A fully-integrated communication strategy for the launch of the SABC TV & Radio License Inspectorate was developed. It outlined how the SABC should promote and communicate the payment of TV & Radio licenses by illustrating the value the broadcaster added and focusing on the difference that this income made to the public broadcaster.

Results achieved and value added for SABC

• The SABC was effectively positioned as a public broadcaster that plays a significant role in the dissemination of information across the nation. The campaign, designed by Stone, furthermore illustrated the value that the SABC adds and what difference it makes to the lives of South Africans as a whole.

As a result of the successful launch of the SABC TV & Radio License Inspectorate, the SABC used Stone for additional work on the launch of new transmission towers in areas that did not have radio and television before.