Media and policy issues: South Africa J3: 2003

Coming up Recapping Issues for media policy Broadcast policy issues SA media policy landscape

1. RECAPPING: Key questions for policy Who is involved? Where are they? When are they involved? How are they involved? Values, interests, research, secrecy Why policy? So what?

Paradigm spectacles: FunctionalistLiberal MarxistRadical

Key issues: 1. Role of state 2. Philosophies 3. Scope of policy 4. No policy & failure

2. ISSUES IN MEDIA POLICY Adapted from Steyn: Deregulation or re-regulation Liberalisation Corporatisation/commercialisation Privatisation Concentration laws

More issues in media policy Public broadcaster Freedom of expression Diversity Social/cultural issues: language, nationhood Convergence

In whose interests? Public interest Govt interest Private sector interest POLICY

Golding: Policy focus INDUSTRY STRUCTURE MEDIA CONTENTS

Golding: Policy ethos interventionist liberal INDUSTRY STRUCTURE MEDIA CONTENTS

Golding: Policy systems AuthoritarianFree market + strong state RegulatoryLibertarian interventionist liberal INDUSTRY STRUCTURE MEDIA CONTENTS

Summing up Key issues facing media policy Question: whose interests served? Policy on content, on industry structure Interventionist vs liberal ethos Systems.

3. SINGLING OUT BROADCAST Historically authoritarian: – media content – industry structure Form: – state monopoly – public must pay licence fees – universal service notion

Why broadcast & not print? Rationale: – uses public frequency spectrum – nation-building power Exceptions are the rule! – Print is regulated in many countries! – Rationale: seen as powerful

Regulatory rationales Broadcast liberalisation is also regulated: – Spectrum and order argument – Social factors arguments = License commercial broadcasters. Thus policy covers all broadcasters: Eg. Local content, morals, elections, news, language, uni service, tariffs, etc.

Perspectives Broadcast control in whose interests? – the public (functionalist view) – government/ruling class (marxist) – private interests (pluralist) – consumers & communities (rad dem)

Convergence confuses Digital broadcasting: – Policy when frequency not at stake? Different channels: – When broadcast goes via Net? Other frequency use: – When goes via 3G or WiFi?

Summing up Broadcast policy issues: – Historically more susceptible to policy and regulation – Frequency and social issues – Convergence issues

4. SA MEDIA POLICY Constitution guarantees free exp. Constitutional guarantee of independent regulator Law on Hate Speech Law on Film & Publications Defamation & copyright law

Where is media policy made? Institutions: – parliament – government – ICASA – industry (BCCSA, Ombudsman) – Film and Publications Board – Media Devt and Diversity Agency

Players in SA media policy Actors within the institutions Business (eg. Convergence Bill) Civil Society Courts Note: conflicts between sites and also between players

Brief history: apartheid Values & interests: – racist, anti-democratic State control: – Broadcast near monopoly – Print hemmed in by laws Aim: media as tool for apartheid

New factors at work … Freedom of Expression Deregulation, Liberalisation Privatisation, Commercialisation Concentration and ownership PBS Language and social issues Convergence

Post-apartheid media policy Values & interests: – non-racial, BEE, democratic State liberalised: – Broadcast pluralism – Print is free – Subsidies by MDDA Aim: media as mixed sector –Public service, access, make money

Key moment: 1993 Three groups (cf Horwitz): – ANC (new state) – NP (old state, pro-market) – Civil society (pro-participation) ANC and NP compromise: – neither will control Civil society writes 1993 IBA Act.

New broadcast landscape IBA –Satra –Merger: Icasa Triple enquiry issues: – local content – funding public broadcaster – cross & foreign ownership

Three tier system 1. Community broadcasting: new stations licensed 2. Public broadcasting: - a cut-back SABC 3. Private broadcasting: – privatised 6 stations – greenfields stations

Complementarities

Complexities: Funding: – all chasing advertising Access: – all providing some access SABC: – Pbs and Cpbs, – Two new television stations – Internal policies & accountability

Issues: Who finally decides policy: – Icasa or govt or parliament? Eg. SABC’s policies issue Who makes policy? Compare: – Codesa group: 1993 Act – Stakeholders group: green & white paper: 1997 Act – Industry consultation: 2003 Bill

Summing up Current institutions Pre and post apartheid policy Key moment – 1993 Three tier system Key issues and perspectives: authoritarian, radical democratic, marxist, functionalist

5. CONCLUSION Issues in media policy Broadcast policy SA media policy Broadcasting complexity

Conclusion: Read: Steyn Read: Golding, Horwitz Thank you