Guy Berger: South Africa ContestedMEDIA

dispensations

Coming up …1. Paradigm of analysis? 2. Pre-history and Phase 1: IBA rules3. Phase 2: Jordaan – hands-off4. Phase 3: Naidoo – role of govt5. Phase 4: Matsepe-Casaburri – gtr

role of govt6. Contested:

1. Editorial policies2. Convergence bill3. Icasa

7. Conclusion

From politics …

to MONEY BUT:still media freedom issues;

esp. at the regulatory

environment level

Negotiated liberalisation

& mass participation

(Horwitz)

Paradigm?Liberal vs

Liberal pluralism

It was not always so:

History

SA media wasCommercialised & controlled!

SABC board.IBA.

(not the IMDT)

PHASE 1:HistoricCompromise =

Pallo Jordan= IBA as

the key policy

PHASE 2:

player + parliament, not Govt

PHASE 3:Jay Naidoo

Not the MDDABut Com

Radio

SubservientSATRA

Cutting IBA down to size

Minister’spolicy-settingprerogativescontested:

=compromise- govt broaddirectives

Green paper, White paper

1999 Act

SABC: Corporatise;+ Charter;

Mixed model

Later echoes:04: Relicensing:

SABC hammered as dodgerICASA slammed as lenient

06: SABC itself questions business model.

(Also 2 boards issue (2002))

Fused regulator:

ICASAWhich model?

Naidoo’s last act:

=D u a l i s m

PHASE 4:I M-Casaburri.

But parliament chooses a SABC board at variance with Minister

Board chooses Matlare as CEO

2002:Whatever

happened to public servicebroadcasting?

Protests:Civil society!Pansalb!Parliament!ANC itself!Minister!= new board (04)= 2 new TVs (02)?= national interest? = Charter change?

Editorial policies“Minister to approve!”

OBJECTIONS:(incl by SABC, Icasa)

So Parliament→ law: Board to approve;

Public consultation required

Colloquium (only) in 03.No green or white paper.But new issue needs new

policy !

Minister’s policy powers:“must” consult or “may”

consult?Final answer: power only on

infrastructure licences.

Convergence Bill

After 2 years:with “policy”

intruding law-making =

legacy dualism in EC Act

(mid-2006).

● “Broadcast” licence needed if you are a “unidirectional” content business. ● Monopoly power ● Interconnect

Contestation ahead!

ISSUES: Minister’s role ● Powers to appoint

councillors ● Performance

management ● Funding in the ICASA

Amendment Act 06

NB: President’s role

CONCLUSION

What the tussles tell:

•Managed (reluctant) liberalisation•Govt tactics? Deliberate overbid?

= Serious control-freak urges?

OR•Conflating strategy & policy! = ? What/why manage/liberalise ? = contradictions & spaces

So what paradigm?NOT a simple liberal view of resisting “Actonite” state,

Rather:= Liberal pluralism:

contestation space (incl for institutional interests)

and confusion!

ENVIRONMENTallows for, and elicits,

elite responses & state differences. = NOT mass

participation, but NEITHER a dead

democracy

in sum:

Thank you