Department of History

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Browsing Department of History by Subject "Afrikaans cinematic film industry -- 1976-1986"

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    Competing audio-visual industries : a business history of the influence of SABC-TV on the Afrikaans cinematic film industry, c.1976-c.1986
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-12) Coetzee, Coenraad Johannes; Ehlers, Anton; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of History.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis endeavours to detail the business history of the Afrikaans cinematic film industry and the economic influence of the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s¹ Television Service on the Afrikaans cinematic film industry over the period 1976 to 1986. The introduction of TV services in countries abroad had a profound (often detrimental) influence on their respective cinematic film industries. It would clearly be wrong to argue that these countries experienced identical influences. Each country has a distinctive political, cultural and socio-economic framework/context in which its industries operate, therefore creating sets of challenges for industries attempting to adhere to the prevailing conditions. South Africa was no exception, though the emphasis of this thesis is on the Afrikaans cinematic film industry, since Afrikaners dominated the local industry (regarding film production, distribution and screening)² when South Africa’s television services commenced in 1975. Numerous factors stemming from South Africa’s pre-Television era contributed to the Afrikaner’s dominance of South African cinema, including the role of the apartheid state (for example, censorship regulations and the film subsidy scheme), the demands of the local and international market, foreign competition and, naturally, the ambitions and business approaches of the Afrikaans cinematic film companies. As such, the symbiotic relationship between these forces is reflected upon so as to illustrate the formation, progression and characteristics of the industry when it attempted to adapt to the impact of local TV services. Accordingly, the advent, birth and progression of the SABC and its TV services are examined. National TV was introduced in South Africa only in 1976 - relatively late considering the country was the economic power-house of the African continent and that its much smaller and subordinate neighbouring state, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), had already been transmitting TV broadcasts from 1960. Therefore, this research also examines whether the Afrikaans cinematic film industry could utilise foreign countries as case studies to develop and implement strategies, which could counter the financial threats posed by television. The timeframe covered in this reflection stretches from 1895 (the birth of South Africa’s cinematic industry) to 1986, as Electronic Media Network (M-Net), South Africa’s first independent Pay-TV service, was introduced in October of that year – thus transforming the face of SA’s TV industry. The focal point of the study is the impact of SABC-TV on Afrikaans film-making, since the government asserted a substantial degree of control over the public broadcaster, whilst the Afrikaans cinematic film industry (particularly its film producers) was heavily dependent on the financial assistance of the state. Assistance that was given as cinema presented government with an audio-visual mechanism to distribute its socio-cultural and political values and aims.