Media Development and Diversity Agency(MDDA) Bill February 2002 Government Communication and Information System (GCIS)

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Media Development and Diversity
Agency(MDDA)BillFebruary 2002 Government
Communication and Information System (GCIS)
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The Need

• Limited and unequal access to
• Information
• Means of expression
• Need for a mechanism to
• Ensure imbalances are addressed rather than
  continue to persist
• Bring all sectors together to achieve goal

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Origins

• Reconstruction of the society after apartheid
• Body of consensus around transformation
• Includes all sectors, including media
• COMTASK decision informed by civil society media
• Cabinet decision in 1996
• GCIS given the task

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Key Features

• Statutory, independent of govt, media, industry,
  donors and beneficiaries
• Address environment, not content
• Funding of community media
• Assistance to small commercial media
• Training and capacity building
• Coherence in support and diversity initiatives
• Democratic and socio-economic rights

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Funding

• Consultation with media industry
• Co-operation with USA over funding
• Govt. committed GCIS and DoC
• Budget revised - now R250m

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Submissions

• 18 organisations and 3 individuals
• Govt. seeking consensus
• Broad range of views
• Leave it to market forces alone
• Build large body, wide mandate, prescribed levy
• Many seeking middle ground
• Incorporation of various stakeholder views

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Governance

• Independence, transparency, objectivity
• Framework of law and regulation
• Appointment of Board
• Project selection and evaluation

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The Way Forward

• Parliamentary process, public hearings
• Development of criteria
• Appointment of Board
• Detailed rollout plan