New signatories with MDDA

The agreement, announced on Thursday 8 October 2009, will enable the broadcast service licensees to comply with the ICASA regulation published on the 10 October 2008, prescribing annual contributions of licensees to the MDDA or the Universal Service and Access Fund. Broadcast service licensees will contribute 0.2% of annual turnover, derived from licence activities, to the MDDA.

In signing the funding agreement, SABC, e.tv and YFM join Primedia; Jacaranda FM; East Coast Radio; MNET; Multichoice, Algoa FM, Capricorn FM and OFM and on the print media side they join Media 24, CTP, Independent Newspapers and AVUSA.

The MDDA is a statutory development agency for promoting, supporting and ensuring media development and diversity, set up as a partnership between the South African government and major print and broadcasting media companies, in terms of the MDDA Act No. 14 of 2002

Since 2004, when the broadcast media and print media committed to supporting the agency for five years, it has supported more than 259 beneficiaries with about R90 m.

According to its CEO, Lumko Mtimde, it looks forward to signing new funding agreements with other broadcasting service licensees; Kaya FM, Classic FM, Radio North West, M-Power and Makana Radio Communication, broadcasters of Heart FM and Igagasi FM.