Parktown
19 September 2006
By
Lumko Mtimde
Chief Executive Officer
MDDA

Background
In 1995, the community media sector met in Cape Town under the banner of a conference called “Community Media 2000”. Among its recommendations was a formation of an “Enabling Support Mechanism” or “Media Development Agency”.

In 1996, the then Deputy President Mbeki established a Task Group on Government Communications (COMTASK) led by Mr Mandla Langa.
The community media sector led by the National Community Media Forum (NCMF) in its submission to the Comtask recommended the establishment of the Media Development Agency.

In its report “Communications 2000 – A vision for government communications in South Africa”, COMTASK recommended that government facilitate the process of setting up a statutory recognised media development agency for the dispensing of subsidies to the sector. (Comtask Final Report, Recommendation 79).
Legislative basis
Section 16 and 32 of the Constitution Act No. 108 of 1996 provides for the freedom of expression and access to information.
MDDA Act No. 14 of 2002 establishes a statutory body called the MDDA.
 
The MDDA is entrusted with the responsibility of promoting media development and diversity in S.A. by providing financial and other support to community (non profit) and small commercial media projects.
Vision
Each and every South African citizen should have access to a choice of a diverse range of media
Mission
The MDDA is a development agency that will assist in building an environment where a diverse, vibrant and creative media flourishes and reflects the needs of all South Africans.
Preamble of the MDDA Act
“…Create an enabling environment for media development and diversity that is conducive to public discourse and which reflects the needs and aspirations of all South Africans;

“ Redress exclusion and marginalisation of disadvantaged communities and persons from access to the media and the media industry;

“Promote media development and diversity by providing support primarily to community and small commercial media projects…”.

Mandate “in the nutshell”
Help create an enabling environment for media development and diversity that is conducive to public discourse and which reflects the needs and aspirations of South Africans.
Corporate Governance
The MDDA is governed by a Board of Directors, appointed in terms of the MDDA Act. It operate an independent body, expected through the MDDA Act to be impartial and to exercise its powers, perform its duties without fear, favour or prejudice, and without any political or commercial interference. (Section 4, MDDA Act).

The law demands of the Agency not to interfere in the editorial content of the media, it provides support to.
The Agency acts through the Board, which may delegate its functions to the Chief Executive Officer.
It is accountable to the Minister responsible for GCIS and Parliament.
The Agency is also accountable in accordance with the PFMA Act, PAJA Act and MDDA Act.
Funding of the Agency
Money appropriated by Parliament
Money received in terms of agreements with any organization for furtherance of the objectives of the MDDA Act
Domestic and foreign grants
Interest derived from any investments,
Funding of the Agency
Contributions from Broadcasting Service Licensees not exceeding 1% of their annual turnover in terms of the Electronics Communications Act of 2005 (Section 89), or
Money lawfully accruing from any source.
Reporting function
Administratively – GCIS
Mandate – Parliament, through the Parliamentary Committee on Communications
Context for the role of the Agency
More than 82 community radio stations are on air;
ICASA has recently licensed another 13 community radio stations in rural and urban development areas;
Community TV may be licensed in 2006/7;
Close to 400 grassroots publications across South Africa;
Context for the role of the Agency
Many communities, in particular those in the rural areas and some peri-urban however still do not have access to media;
Even when there is some media, in most communities, there is no varied choice of services.

Challenges for new media
These would range from (amongst others) :
loosing skills, given the ongoing movement of skilled activists of the sector,
irrelevant programming and
the lack of sustainability strategies in some projects.

Challenges for new media
Accordingly this, therefore requires that community media projects :
develop ongoing on-site / station based capacity building and training strategies and plans;
encourage and ensure ongoing community participation in the projects,
constantly engage with community organisations and follow through community developments, in order to remain relevant,
develop community based sustainable strategies and programmes.

Community television also faces specific challenges, like :
Frequency spectrum scarcity
Development of a best model of Community TV for S.A.
Sustainability strategies.
Other challenges for print media, would also include :
Advertising and marketing
Printing resources
Distribution
Etc.

Our Achievements
5 year partnership agreements reached with Broadcast Media and Print Media
2006 marked the end of first three-year funding cycle
Three years of clean, unqualified Audited Financial Statements

Our Achievements (cont.)
Training & Capacity building - Bursaries to 35 different print and broadcast managers
Conducted 9 workshops in all provinces on how to mobilise resources to broaden the funding base for projects
MDDA remains a vehicle through which media development, diversity and access can be realized.

118 projects supported, with over R20 million approved for disbursement
Media projects supported are located in every province in S.A.
Of the supported projects, 38 are new, did not exist prior to MDDA intervention


Diverse range of communities and interests supported – including projects aimed at the youth, women, people with disabilities, workers, entrepreneurs, the gay and lesbian communities
Development of a database of mentors for the Mentorship support programme
Network opportunities - Advertising and marketing workshops for about 200 different media organisations in four provinces

Our Future
Continued compliance with relevant legislations, regulations and funding agreements
Further inroads into underserved communities, in order to decrease the vast areas where communities still have no access to media
Creation of an environment of language diversity and access to different forms of media

Equitable spread of support into all provinces, particularly the Northern Cape and North West
Support for the newly licensed Community Radio stations in the Nodal Development Areas
Support for a sustainability strategy for the Community Radio sector in general, including possible radio academy, hubs and other capacity building interventions

Support for the provincial hubs to support print media’s challenges regarding distribution and printing
Develop an approach for supporting the to-be licensed Community Television services
Providing more support to community and small commercial media projects

Plan for the implementation of the Electronic Communications Act of 2005, which provides for Broadcast Service Licensees to contribute up to 1% of their turnover to the MDDA, to be off set against the regulatory requirement to contribute to the Universal Service and Access Fund.

Conclusion
We hope -
to ensure diversity of media in each and every municipal district of our country.
to ensure increased media in different indigenous languages, reflecting diversity,
to ensure rural communities are empowered, jobs are created, poverty is alleviated and we have an informed society.


Asante sana
Ke a leboga
Ngiyabonga
I thank you
Lumko Mtimde
lumko@mdda.org.za
www.mdda.org.za
19 September 2000