Lumko Mtimde of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) gave an overview of the development of the community media sector at the Community Media Reflection Conference. He acknowledged that there were still many challenges facing the sector but that these challenges had to be addressed on a case-by-case basis and on the merits of each case and that all parties had to take responsibility for resolving problems. However our history can serve as a measure of how far things have come since 1994. 

He started off his presentation by looking at community media under apartheid South Africa where it co-existed with and even found itself under the banner of alternative media. Historically, alternative media was against the status quo at the time: student media; Bush Radio, Grassroots, Soweto Community Radio, New Nation, Vrye Weekblad were a few of the examples of community media that existed at the time. He stressed that the importance of community media at the time was about providing an alternative voice and about empowering communities by giving them the tools and means to ensure that their voices were heard and that this was supported by civil society with a clear agenda – developmental, empowering and promoting freedom.

He then explained the role that SASPU (the South African Student   Press Union) played in leading a campaign to free the airwaves and how this was supported by the mass democratic movement and civil society organisations. SANCO also played a big role in initiating community radio in the country and in ensuring that community radio does not become driven by commercial interests. There was also an international link because community radio was strong in Latin America so there were strong international linkages through AMARC, etc.

South Africa was one to few countries at the time (1993) in the international community that responded to community activism by creating the three tiers of broadcasting - a broad national public tier, a commercial tier and a community tier – and enshrining these in law. These gains need to be defended he said.

He also explained the importance of license terms and conditions as they speak to the terms and conditions the community has defined for the radio station and that these have not been imposed by bureaucrats and outlined the role of the Regulator in ensuring that stations stick to what they say they are going to do.

On the print side, he identified even greater challenges. Despite the existence of a strong and vibrant community print sector in the past, many closed down due to the drying up of donor funds and donors moving funds to community radio as it was seen as ‘‘sexy’. IMDT and Kgaso Fund provided support to community print  prior to the establishment of the MDDA.

He acknowledged that community television has struggled even longer because of the lack of a framework but indicated that this was as a consequence of the impact of digital migration. It was not possible to give licenses on an analogue basis as the world is moving to digital and showed that there since there will be no protection of existing licenses after 2011, ICASA decided to provide temporary licenses; at first on a thirty (30) day basis then extended license periods to a one-year license as 30 days was far too short for planning purposes. He further acknowledged that this compromise was not working and that all stakeholders needed  to work together to ensure that challenges are overcome; and look at how to mobilise all possible resources to complement what is currently on offer.

He demonstrated government’s support for the sector through the establishment of the MDDA and the close working together between the DoC of MDDA to support the sector. He pointed out while there was a problem with Sentech’s tariff structures not being categorised according to the tiers of broadcasting, there were other enabling factors like the fact that community radio does not pay license fees which is a mechanism to contribute to viability.

In conclusion, he urged all participants not to lose sight of what community broadcasting stands for; to work together, to be responsible, and to operate a legal entity that complies with all requirements.  

READ THE FULL CONFERENCE REPORT HERE