Originally, a personal weeklong fast, Lee converted it to a protest on day two, 12 August 2009, when the SABC announced that it would be cutting local content spend by over half a billion rand in 2010, threatening the death of some of the country's most popular shows, and the survival of much of the TV industry.
“This was too much,” Lee says. “Their solution is to stop making programmes - isn't that their core business? Making quality shows that build the voice of the nation. What will world cup visitors see when they turn on our TV?”
Therefore, he announced on Facebook, his fast was now a protest in support of local content and the response was encouraging. “I decided to see how long I could go. So far, I am on [16] days, which is twice my original goal but it is not hard, lots of people do it.”
Lee says his method is designed to highlight the inhumanity of the approaches being used by the supposedly public broadcaster and its seeming lack of concern for anything but itself. He is not only highlighting the situation for his friends and colleagues who are struggling to feed their families; he aims also to call attention to the bigger picture, the starving of local content and how that will narrow the public conversation in this country.
“Local content is vital to South Africa's identity and economy,” continues Lee. “Slashing local content will violate regulatory mandates, crush diversity that has taken years of sacrifice to achieve, and cause massive job losses and company collapses, reducing the programme makers to a few favoured companies cranking out in bulk. Ultimately it's the audience that doesn't get value for their TV licences, and the nation's identity and unity that suffers.”
Lee has called on others who support the cause to join this protest. “Audience, industry, anyone, even for just a day or two,” he says. “Let's let the broadcaster know in a clear, communal way, we won't tolerate the starving of local content.” He advises such a fast be done under the consultation of a doctor, if it goes longer than two days.
Lee is a board member of the South African Screen Federation (SASFED) and will attend the planned action at the SABC this Thursday, 26 August 2009, by the Television Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC).
