Says Act-SA secretary general, Colin Mackenzie, "The organisation has already made several inputs to government policy processes concerning broadcasting but the inception of the charter is a significant step because it creates a code of conduct for community TV operators in South Africa."
It will form the basis of policy submissions and will establish a benchmark for capacity building and peer review for the association. This development marks a shift from a top-down model of government regulation to a more egalitarian co-regulation approach, as community TV stakeholders become partners in defining the future of community TV in South Africa.
"The charter is a step towards self-empowerment for the sector because any future policy framework for community television will be able to take into account existing models and the lessons learnt from these experiences. This approach to regulation recognises and respects the legislative provisions regarding community broadcasting services and the unique position and autonomy of each category of broadcasting service in public, private and community broadcasting.
"South Africa's community TV broadcasters have set themselves the task of finding sustainable operational modalities in order to build a world-class community broadcasting sector. The charter is a key to achieving this aim and represents the commitment of its signatories to realising a better life for all through their use of public space on the airwaves."
The document covers areas relevant to community TV operations including the principles and values of community broadcasting, the constitution and governance of stations, editorial independence, community ownership and control, community access and participation, programming, and business models.
The Charter incorporates some elements, which were originally proposed by the Department of Communications, and Act-SA duly notes and appreciates the important contributions that the department has made to the development of community television in South Africa.
The signatory stations are Soweto TV, Tshwane TV, Cape Town TV, Bay TV, 1KZN-TV, North-West TV, Bara TV and Fresh TV. Other attendees made significant contributions to deliberations and these included representatives of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA), the Department of Communications, the SA Parliamentary Audio-Visual Service and the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ).
Discussions were also held on the association's constitution, which is due to be formally adopted before the end of the year. The organisation will then be established as an independent body with its own office bearers and staff, with its members being the licensed community television broadcasters of South Africa together with affiliate organisations. Its central aim is to advance the development of community television broadcasting both in South Africa and throughout the African continent.
