Thebe Mabanga
IN YOUR EAR
The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) is an interesting figure in South African broadcasting. It was established in 1993 to regulate the broadcasting industry and has made considerable, but sometimes jittery, strides in fulfilling its duties. One of its successes is the deregulation of the airwaves, with radio now reaching an impressive 93% of the adult population.
Of course, whether this penetration is driven by diversity remains a questionable matter. In trying to change the face of broadcasting, however, the IBA has continually left one wondering if its right hand has a vague idea of what its left hand is doing. For instance, after issuing the licence for a free-to-air television station to Midi TV, the IBA found itself renegotiating licence conditions to an extent where some people feel that Midi’s conditions of operating e.tv are markedly different from when the licence was issued.
Another example of unimpressive co- ordination is the issuing of community radio licences. In 1997, the IBA launched a concerted effort to issue these across all provinces. The process was to have culminated in Gauteng in June 1998 with a hearings session. The IBA was then hit by budget and staff cuts months before the hearings, and the issue has since been deferred to 2001.
An area where the IBA has overwhelmingly underachieved has been the enforcement of the 20% quota of local music in broadcasts. It has sheepishly bought into broadcasters’ weak arguments. The best of these is that “we play only what our listeners want” (and this is not a particular reference to 5fm). The problem with this attitude is that radio stations view the quota as a maximum to be content with rather than a minimum to strive for.
Another area on which the IBA is worryingly silent is Internet and satellite broadcasts. An ever-increasing number of stations are turning to the Web and the dish to broaden access. At the moment, listeners accessed through these media number a few thousands (but are damn rich).
The most obvious problem with the practice is that a station broadcasts outside its designated area. The IBA should, at least, issue policy guidelines before the new media become widely accessible.
Under the chair of Mandla Langa the IBA has known relative calm.When it looks at its beleaguered cousin, the South African Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (Satra) – which is presently embroiled in controversy over the third cellular phone licence – the IBA must remember its crisis periods when it was rocked by financial mismanagement scandals. It must also be praying that the Satra cellphone licence mess gets sorted out before the two are merged to form the (hopefully) Independent Communications Authority.
There is a new crusader in town. He
works on weekends and his name is Fana Khaba. Yfm listeners know him as Khabzela and tune in large numbers to his 10am to 2pm show.
He is on a crusade to encourage the youth of Gauteng to make a positive, meaning meaningful change in their lives. With the help of a sponsor, he makes a contribution by helping kids pay their school fees or start their own business. His candour and rasping wit make him all the more accessible. Keep up the good work, Khabzela, and drop the “Oh my word” – it’s just not you.