The role of SABC Television Locally Produced Programmes in transforming society through edutainment: A case study of Ulundi
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Date
2021
Authors
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
The study examined the role of SABC television’s locally produced programmes in transforming
society through edutainment. The focus was on the possible influence of the role of SABC in
converting societal behaviour through entertainment-education (edutainment) in locally produced
TV programmes. The following theories were used to conceptualise this research: agenda-setting
theory (AST) and technology acceptance model (TAM). The study explored the possible
modification brought by watching television programmes aired by the South African
Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) television.
A mixed method research approach was employed to compare the attitude and social behaviour
of TV viewers after watching the locally produced TV programmes on SABC 1, SABC 2 and
SABC 3. It investigated the role of SABC locally produced programmes in changing society. A
sample of 384 respondents and interviewees participated in the research. A self-administered
questionnaire with open and close-ended questions was employed to extrapolate information
from participants of this study. The study focused more on respondents that were located in the
city of Heritage (Ulundi), KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa. Simple random sampling was applied
to select 384 viewers, and 20 interviews were conducted. The analysis and interpretation of the
data embraced an exploration of evolving themes which formed the fundamental of the research
findings.
The findings suggest that moderated TV programmes are more educative, informative, and
inspiring; they may be more effective than books or audiotapes when it comes to general
teaching viewers about life. The study also reveals that most participants indicated that SABC
television programmes lessons are positive though there are also negative lessons derived from
them. The study further exposes that most of the characters become relevant to the audiences’
lifestyles. The findings show that most of the potential audiences of SABC television
edutainment programmes from deep rural areas are media illiteracy. The recommendations were
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made to assist the elevation of the individuals and whole society as follows: minimising the
broadcasting of criminal and sexual content on these locally produced programmes, as they
promote crime and teenage pregnancy in the society; and give motivation to the production
teams of the SABC TV programme-makers who are using local content. The redirection of
foreign heritages that are dominating and eroding the local content, native heritages such as
native languages, clothing and lifestyle of local societies.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the Masters of Arts in the Department of Communication Science at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2021.
Keywords
SABC television programme, Technology acceptance model (TAM), Agenda-setting theory (AST), (Ulundi), KwaZulu-Natal, in South Africa