Given your background in community broadcasting, which includes your position as the former CEO of the National Community Radio Forum, what do you think is the biggest threat to community media?
Generally, I would say the biggest threats are, losing skills, given the ongoing movement of skilled activists out of the sector, irrelevant programming and the lack of sustainable strategies in some projects.
What are the challenges facing the MDDA?
Our challenges include how best we achieve our mandate sooner rather than later and how do we sustain both the MDDA organisationally and our interventions out there.
The Electronic Communications Act (ECA) promotes the goals of universal access and service and specifically in Section 89, provides for broadcasting service licencees’ annual MDDA contributions to be set off against their prescribed annual contribution (not exceeding one percent of the licensee’s annual turnover or as prescribed by the minister) to the Universal Service and Access Fund.
This will assist, grow and strengthen the MDDA in order to enhance its furthering the objects of the MDDA Act.
New legislation states that broadcasters will have to contribute a still to be determined percentage of their turnover to the Universal Service Agency. It also says that they may write these funds off against contributions to the MDDA. Why would you encourage them to divert funds to the MDDA?
The new legislation strengthens the partnership provided in the MDDA Act, between government and the media industries towards the growth and development of the media. The main objective of the MDDA is to promote development and diversity in the South African media throughout the country, consistent with the right to freedom of expression and information, as enshrined in sections 16 and 32 of the Constitution of our country.
Clearly, this mandate is intended to grow the media industry and all players will benefit from a developed and dynamic media industry. This “cross-subsidisation” formula provided by legislation adds value to the different players – both those contributing and benefiting from it. A number of skilled journalists, broadcasters and even policy makers have grown through the community media and small commercial media cycles.
How would the MDDA use what would be a substantial increase in funds?
MDDA will use the funds to further the objects of the MDDA Act, support community media and small commercial media. We already have an operational plan and will be revising it through the normal review processes and see to what extent should we shape it, taking into account the new dispensation.
Print media is not included in this – are there any plans to encourage more funds to be dedicated to print?
Indeed, ECA refers to broadcasting service licensees. Currently, we do have an agreement with print media companies, in accordance with the partnership referred to in the MDDA Act. This agreement is for a period of five years. We hope to engage with the print media companies, as we work towards the revision of the current agreement and will advise of the outcomes in due course.
Where to from here for the MDDA?
MDDA is likely to grow from strength to strength, thanks to the hard work of my predecessor, Ms Libby Lloyd who laid a good foundation, the staff of the MDDA and to the leadership provided by the MDDA Board.
We are taking stock of what we have been doing and we are also analysing the organisational capacity to implement the object of the MDDA Act, as enhanced by the ECA. I suppose our plan going forward will take all this into account.