Media ownership fails to engender content diversity - DOC

“Not necessarily”

“Our media content is more of the same, whether on TV, radio or print,” Boloka said. “If you look at South Africa, you see that we have made strides in terms of ownership and control, but it has not necessarily translated into good and diverse content.”

Loren Braithwaite-Kabosha, executive director of the South African Communications Forum (SACF), said: “Ownership matters a lot. And without it you won't move anywhere in terms of achieving the diversity of views. It is extremely important that we have a broader ownership in this fast-changing environment.”

But Boloka defended his statement, saying: “I am not saying that ownership does not matter but what I mean is that it does not necessarily translate into a vast amount of content diversity. I suggest we use ownership and control as a legal instrument to enforce the issue of content diversity.”

Intense proceedings

Boloka and Braithwaite-Kabosha were speaking at the roundtable on the ICASA discussion paper on ownership and control hosted at Wits University. Academics, trade unions movements, civil society, government departments, regular, broadcasters and media organisations have attended the intense proceedings.

Wamkele Mene, of the Department of Trade and Industry, said: “In terms of broadcasting, SA doesn't have to abide by some international rules that state that we should provide a certain amount of content.”

Franklin Huizies, CEO of the National Community Radio Forum (NCRF), said it was time the regulator imposed certain conditions on licensees that stipulate that some of their principles will open up opportunities in the second economy, including benefiting community broadcasters, even if their licence operations are vested into the first economy.

On 13 January 2010, ICASA published a paper called ‘Review of Ownership and Control of Broadcasting Services and Existing Commercial Sound Broadcasting Licences'. Foreign ownership is one of the main themes of the paper. It is believed SA is on the verge of limiting media foreign ownership and control.

Submissions deadline is this Friday

ICASA councillor Marcia Socikwa said the deadline of the submissions on the paper is this Friday, 19 February. She also said the regulations will only be published after submissions have been looked into and a set of full public hearings have been held.

The SABC's Philly Moilwa said the country should do some retrospective and take stock of what has been achieved in the past 13 years or so, and what lessons have been learned in terms of ownership and control.

“Let's look at the market currently. Have we delivered in terms of content? Why? What will be the impact of the digital migration process on existing and new players in terms of content?

“Are we actually adding?”

“Almost all the aspirant licensees of community radio want to do what all other radio stations are doing. Where is diversity in all that? Are we actually adding value to ownership and control?” he asked.

Prof Gillian Marcelle, of Wits University, said the ultimate goal is to find out what the country is trying to achieve from all these policies.

“Can information, communication and technology provide platforms of investments, jobs, innovation, political objectives, and economic transformation? Unless we find out where ICT fits into the socio-economic agenda, we will continue to tinkle forever.

“My suggestion is that we decide what objectives we are trying to achieve and decide on the tools to achieve those objectives,” Marcelle explained.

Panelists included delegates from Cell C (Nadia Bulbulia), Vodacom (Pakamile Pongwana), MTN (Zolisa Masiza) and National Association of Broadcasters (Dimakatso Qocha). The event was facilitated by MDDA CEO Lumko Mtimde.