MISA broadcast / telecom update: March 2010

MISA broadcast / telecom update: March 2010

JOHANNESBURG, April 15, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ --

This is a monthly update of topical issues in the broadcasting/telecommunications/ICT sector in Southern Africa. In this issue: Concern over the dissolution of the digital migration council in South Africa.

1. South Africa: Minister dissolves digital migration advisory council

2. South Africa: Digital migration delay hurts business

3. Botswana: State broadcasters under fire for taking sides in ruling party feud

4. Swaziland: New draft bill to regulate broadcasting industry

5. South Africa: Parliament invites nominations for ICASA council

6. Mozambique: Regulator criticises mobile phone companies

7. South Africa: Too many managers, too few workers for SABC

8. Namibia: Government and private sector collaborate on ICT

9. South Africa: Bush Radio appoints new head

10. Note from the Editor: For the sake of the region, South Africa must do digital migration right

1. South Africa: Minister dissolves digital migration advisory council

South Africa's Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda has dissolved the country's digital migration advisory council citing conflict of interest among council members. The council known as the Digital Dzonga, was appointed by the former Minister of Communications to advise government and oversee the process of South Africa's migration from analogue to digital broadcasting.

The 12 member Council comprised representatives from all sectors including ICT, broadcasting, labour and consumer groups. Minister Nyanda told the council members that he received a report suggesting a possible conflict of interest by some members of the Council. He seemed to refer to equipment manufacturers on the Council as a set top box (STB) manufacturer has reportedly complained that there were two other STB manufacturers on the Council and are thus gaining competitive advantage.

A statement from the Communications Department said invitations for nomination of suitable candidates will be issued shortly. The industry and lobby groups are worried that dissolution of the council may delay the digital migration process.

Source: SOS: Supporting Public Broadcasting/DoC/MISA

2. South Africa: Digital migration delay hurts business

The delay in issuing a tender for the manufacturing of Set-Top Boxes, that is TV decoders to be used for the digital broadcasting signal could drive some small companies out of business, according to a manufacturing industry body.

The deadline for the tender for the manufacturing of an estimated 6-million decoders was this quarter and the commercial launch was scheduled for this month.

However, there is talk that the tender will be published in the third quarter of this year after the Soccer World Cup tournament. The commercial launch is likely to be early next year.

The delay means that the government's self-imposed deadline to switch off the broadcasting analogue signal by November next year will not be met.

Several companies, including AltechUEC, Reunert , Arion Bomema and small companies under the National Association of Manufacturers in Electronics Components (Namac), are positioning themselves to benefit from the R2,45bn government subsidy for migration.

Namac's general secretary Adil Nchabeleng, said small black-owned companies are on the verge of closing shop as the bulk of their business hinged on them being allocated part of the manufacturing value chain. Spokesman for the Nafcoc Broadcasting Consortium, Andisa Ramavhunga, said they are mainly concerned about the delays and lack of transparency in the manufacturing strategy that is causing instability and discourages investment.

Source: Business Day

3. Botswana: state broadcasters under fire for taking sides in ruling party feud

The state media in Botswana comprising Radio Botswana, Botswana Television (Btv) and the Daily news have come under heavy criticism for biased reporting over the break-up of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party.

A faction of the ruling party calling itself Barata Phathi has set in motion processes to break away and form a new political party citing an erosion of democracy in the party, dictatorial tendencies of the party leader President Ian Khama as well as the sidelining of members of the faction in party affairs.

Radio Botswana, Btv and the Daily News are accused of reporting only on the views of the dominant section of the party and completely shutting out the Baratha Phathi faction. The state media has never reported a single story on the envisaged split and turmoil in the party, and only carried statements from the dominant faction condemning or threatening the Barata-Phata faction members. Btv and Radio Botswana have on occasions invited BDP members to their studios to explain their side of the story while faction members have never been invited.

In contrast the three private radio stations, Gabz FM, Yarona FM and Duma FM are reporting the story extensively giving all sides of the ruling party faction to air their views. MISA's position is that state broadcasting media must be reformed into public broadcasters that will be a forum for democratic debate and serve the interests of all members of the public, and stop being mouthpieces for the ruling party and government.

Source: MISA

4. Swaziland: New draft bill to regulate broadcasting industry

The Government of Swaziland has launched the Swaziland Communications Commission Draft Bill 2009 to regulate the broadcasting sector in the country. Once the Bill becomes law, the Commission will among other things, issue licences to TV and radio broadcasters. The Bill provides for a six-member commission that includes the Chief Executive Officer to carry out the functions of the commission. All members are appointed by the Minister of Information, Communications and Technology (ICT), according to the Bill.

The bill also seeks to revoke the regulatory powers and functions of the Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications Act of 1980 which regulates radio broadcasting and the Swaziland Television Authority Act of 1983 which regulates television broadcasting. MISA-Swaziland was to study the bill before submitting comments to the ICT Ministry.

The Swazi government currently dominates the airwaves. Commercial and community radio broadcasters have applied, but in vain for licences under the current legislative framework. MISA Swaziland hopes the new framework will ease the licensing processes.

While MISA welcomes the consolidation of the licensing regime, it is concerned by some factors in the bill such as lack of separation of powers, and vesting the appointment of commission members on the minister. Members must be appointed in a transparent process such as public nominations through Parliament, and they must be representative of a broad section of society. Appointment by the minister leaves commission members vulnerable to political interference.

Source: MISA Swaziland

5. South Africa: Parliament invites nominations for ICASA council

The South African Parliament has invited institutions and individuals to nominate persons to fill four vacancies at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa. The deadline for nominations was March 29. One of the vacancies arises in June, two in September and one in October, all in 2010.

The communications regulator is mandated to make regulations and policies to govern broadcasting and telecommunications in the public interest. According to the Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Communications, persons appointed must be committed to fairness, freedom of expression, openness and accountability, and must be representative of a broad cross-section of the population.

They must also possess suitable qualifications, expertise and experience in the fields of amongst others: Broadcasting, Entertainment, Education, Journalism, Economics, Public policy development, Law, Marketing, Electronic engineering, Electronic communications, Postal policy or operations, Finance or any other related qualifications. They must also be South African citizens permanently resident in the country.

Source: parliament.gov.za

6. Mozambique: Regulator criticises mobile phone companies

The telecommunications regulatory body, the National Communications Institute of Mozambique (INCM), says the quality of the two mobile phone networks in the country is deteriorating. According to INCM managing director Americo Muchanga, neither the publicly-owned M-Cel nor its South African rival Vodacom are providing services with the desirable quality.

?As the regulators of the sector, we are pleased by the fact that the two operators are complying with their mission to provide communication services, but their quality is not at a desirable level?, he told AIM.

To rectify the situation, the government, in partnership with the INCM, has been drawing up a set of regulations on quality of service, which will oblige the phone operators to meet certain standards. Muchanga said the regulations should be approved by cabinet by June.

Asked what the causes are for the decline in quality, Muchanga said it may be because the infrastructure placed by M-Cel and Vodacum in the areas they cover is no longer sufficient for the number of people using their services.

Source: AIM/ MISA Mozambique

7. South Africa: Too many managers, too few workers for SABC

The SABC has too many managers and not enough workers, but will still provide ?world class? coverage of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup, according to the broadcaster's chief executive Solly Mokoetle.

?There is ?a problem in terms of the ratio between management and ordinary staff,? There are too many managers in some areas and very few people are doing the actual work.?We have said in this plan that one of the focuses will be to look at the structure of this organisation because we feel that administratively it is very weak?. Mokoetle said this while presenting the broadcaster's corporate plan to Parliament's portfolio committee on communications.

Mokoetle further said the broadcaster is unhappy about the administrative cost of SABC.He said the SABC lost ?significant market share? in its English 7pm news bulletin, compared to the targets set and the investment that had been put into it. He said the SABC is readying itself for the World Cup when the market would be ?competitive and challenging?.

Source: Sapa

8. Namibia: Government and private sector collaborate on ICT

A new structural expansion of Namibia's Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) will be effected to strengthen government's capacity to promote information and communication technology in the country.

Government and private sector players pledged at a consultative meeting to work more closely towards ensuring Namibia becomes a knowledge-based society. The different sectors have similarly agreed to meet on a regular basis where ICT roll-out and capacity building will be discussed.

Minister Joël Kaapanda, said the ICT sector contributes a significant two percent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), with more potential for growth and addressing unemployment and poverty. He said Namibia's global development index ranking is low also because of the unimpressive level of ICT roll-out, skills and usage. Kaapanda said players from the ICT industry, academics and government should work together to maximally harness the potential offered by ICTs.

It is anticipated that the country will have a submarine fibre optic cable along the Atlantic Ocean for broadband connectivity. Similarly, great strides have been made to extend ICT services to rural areas through multipurpose centres.

Source: New Era

South Africa: Bush Radio appoints new head

South Africa's oldest community radio station Bush Radio, has announced the appointment of Brenda Leonard as the new Managing Director. Ms Leonard takes over the reins from Zane Ibrahim who headed the station from 1996 and retired at the end of February 2010.

A statement from Bush Radio said during South Africa's struggle against apartheid, Ms Leonard occupied various roles within the liberation movement and was deeply involved in student politics in the Western Cape ? as well as leading transformation within various communities on the Cape Flats.

It says Leonard who headed Bush Radio's financial and administration departments was critical to ensuring success during the first license hearing post-1994 and all subsequent license hearings. She was instrumental in ensuring that policies such as training, employment or programming are gender sensitive. She also ensured that the station had one of the country's first HIV and AIDS workplace policies d ? a model which has been exported to numerous radio stations and organisations.

Source: Bush Radio

10. NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

The dissolution of South Africa's digital migration advisory council is a cause for concern. The minister dissolved the council on grounds that there is potential for conflict of interest. It is commendable that the minister was proactive in ensuring that the work of the council is not compromised in any manner. However was dissolving the council the best way of dealing with the problem?

Indications are the dissolved Digital Dzonga Advisory Council has been doing a very good job, including undertaking significant research and making a number of solid recommendations on various issues such as manufacturing standards. In fact the government itself was accused of being slow in implementing some of its recommendations thereby slowing down its work. It is therefore a cause for concern that a council which was executing its duties well, given the complexity of the digital migration process, could not complete its work.

Going forward, we hope the Minister will live up to his promise that a new Digital Dzonga Council will be speedily reconstituted. The digital migration process cannot be allowed to stall. As reported in this edition, the broadcasting and manufacturing sectors are already voicing concern that the delay in implementing digital migration processes and activities is severely affecting their business, causing instability and discouraging investment.

Regarding the composition of the board which is the main issue which led to the dissolution of the board, we hope that the newly reconstituted council will continue to main the principle of balanced representation. It should have members from all the stakeholders in the broadcasting and ICT sectors as well as civil society. That is international best practice.

MISA hopes that South Africa will during the digital migration process enact policies and set standards that are worth emulating across the region. As the regional leader on digital migration, many countries will design their migration processes around the South African model. South Africa therefore must know that it is not only doing this for itself, but for the region as well. It must do it right.

Source: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)

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