Politics and broadcasting – which way Southern Africa? Keynote speech by Guy Berger “Public broadcasting in troubled times” Cape Town, 28 Sept – 1 Oct.

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Presentation transcript:

Politics and broadcasting – which way Southern Africa? Keynote speech by Guy Berger “Public broadcasting in troubled times” Cape Town, 28 Sept – 1 Oct 2008

Coming up 1.The theory 2.The practice 3.Troubled times 4.Coming complications 5.Which way?

1. THE THEORY Parties – win mandates on broad policy Govts – consult details = White Papers. Legislatures – consult on law-making Regulators – consult on regulation Civil society – ensures gender, etc. Operators – licensed and accountable

1. THE THEORY Audiences – happy! Citizens, and consumers - served! = pluralistic, independent, accessible, broadcasting landscape in African Info Soc. (cf. Broadcast Charter, AU Commission’s Decl on Principles of FoX)

Three steps to 3 tier system 1.Community broadcasting 2.Private broadcasting 3.Public broadcasting Through liberalisation, privatisation, public-isation =

Complementarities

2. THE PRACTICE Policy and law: – Few countries have consultative process, or trinity of policy & licensing. Funding: – all 3 sectors chasing advertising, competing. Access: – mixed bag of access.

More practice Public service: – Usually all have some obligations (elections, language)… albeit uneven. Ownership: – State ownership is corporati$ed Independence: – Still weak for regulators & broadcasters

MISA info “Many of the regulators are just an extension of the government machinery” Independent radio licence fees – Lesotho Zambia: live phone-ins under threat. Political dismissals : Zimbabwe, Namibia. Audiences: Zim – thugs ban satellite dishes, police charge vendor listening to Voice of America!

2002: Theory in Zambia DemocratsState Civil society Minister Parliament Board Indep ZNBC, IBA

2002-8: Practice in Zambia DemocratsState blockage Civil society Minister Parliament Courts New Minister President? Staff…

2002-8: Practice in Zambia DemocratsState blockage Civil society Minister Parliament Courts New Minister President? Staff…

1998: Theory in SA DemocratsState Civil society Parliament President BoardMinister CEO Head of news Staff & policies

Cynical politics: SA 2007… 2007 President (via party?) Parliament Board CEO & Head of news Staff

Cynical politics: SA Mbeki campZuma camp President Parliament Minister Board CEO Head of news Staff?

Cynical politics: SA Mbeki campZuma camp President Parliament Minister Board CEO 3 court cases Head news 1 case Staff?Senior Staff

Cynical politics: SA Mbeki campZuma camp President Parliament Minister Board Head news Staff?Senior executives?

Cynical politics: SA Mbeki campZuma camp President Parliament Minister Board Senior executives Head of news Staff

Cynical politics: SA Mbeki campZuma camp President Parliament: Bill Minister Board Senior executives Head of news Staff

Cynical politics: SA Mbeki campZuma camp President Parliament: Bill? Minister? Board Senior executives Head of news Staff

Politics – Afribarometer: On top of politicking on state stations… Private licensees are few and given to the favoured. (Stagnant) state broadcasters still monopolise national reach. Hence: state broadcasters remain a political target cos dominant players.

More politics of the present Worst of all worlds: politically controlled AND market-driven. Huge amount of imported soap. Public service dispersed in patches across the broadcast sector – and restricted to apolitical areas (culture, health, etc).

State of the stations Benin: 74 private & community radio stations, one state station. Burkina Faso: 20 private & 19 community, 18 religious, 4 public. 3 private TV, 1 public. Another 31 radios and 2 TV being licensed. Cote D’Ivoire: 2 state TV, 3 x state radio. 2 private, 7 religious and 83 community radio. Ghana: 128 radio stations, 27 TV stations.

More West Africa Guinea Bissau: 22 community, 4 private and 1 state radio stations. Liberia: 40 radio stations. Sierra Leone: 50 radio stations. Niger: 21 private stations, 102 community. 3 private TV stations, 2 public. Mali: 210 radio stations!!! LAGGARDS: Nigeria, Guinea, Togo.

AMDI East Africa Kenya: 49 radio stations (8 state, 30 private). TV = 3 state, 5 private. Uganda: 5 state radio stations, 75 private. 1 state TV, 3 private TV.

AMDI southern Africa DRC: 150 private, 152 community, 13 state radio. 64 private TV stations, 11 state TV. Angola: 22 state radio stations, 4 private, 1 religious. 1 TV station. Mozambique: 11 state radio, 15 non-state radio. 5 state TV, 30 non-state TV. South Africa: 18 state, 90 community, 12 private radio. 3 state TV, 5 private TV.

More southern Africa Tanzania: state radio 3; private radio 36, other 8. TV – 1 govt, 14 private. Zambia: 14 community & church radio, 7 private. 3 state. TV – 1 state, 2 private. Botswana: 2 private radio, 2 state radio. 1 state TV, 1 private TV. Zimbabwe: 4 state radio stations, 1 state TV.

Lessons Southern Africa much less dense than West and East Africa in terms of broadcasting. If we follow same trend, private will be the sector that is growing. Expect religious stations to also grow. Constraints on all are likely to continue …

Media Sustainability Index 06/7: Niger: community radio can’t do news. Senegal: community radio can’t do ads. Togo: Radio Victoire closed for 15 days in January because it disobeyed an instruction from the regulator to not re- feature a commentator who had criticised ex-Chair of Togolese Football Association, Lt-Colonel Rock Gnassingbe.

4. TROUBLED TIMES DOWN SOUTH Same old – Poor policy and regulation, Pressures from politicians, Funding dependence on advertising and/or donors, Negative commercial impact on programming,

More of the same old trouble… Lack of statistics on audiences, HiV-Aids impact weak, Propaganda or civil service mentality amongst staffers...

More recent trouble! Problems that are bigger than politics! Digital migration – or digital divide?* * Sentech: R955m for digit infrastructure; R917m for dual illumination! 2008 – wider economy, oil & food crises Xenophobia – and copycat effects. World Cup – critical or co-opted?

5. COMING COMPLICATIONS A NEW ARCHITECTURE IS EMERGING: Can’t stick with old thinking anymore as if state sector was forever… Critics are watching and acting… Competition from private broadcasters who correctly cry “unfair competition”. Competition from subscription broadcasting.

More complications Audiences fragmenting with growing choices. Competition from cellphone companies using DVB-H Competition from Broadband internet TV (incl cellular to come!) Competition from User Generated Content.

6. WAY AHEAD Keep the faith with the 3 tier ideal. Survival of state sector at stake. Decentralise state broadcaster so it is less of a national target. (Germany has 12, Australia has 2) Get rid of monolithic vibe…

Changing mindsets Need to leverage wider changes in order to change the political will… Must stop seeing broadcasting as an instrument to be wielded by a given force. See it instead as an institution with own integrity, parameters and audience accountability!

How to reform… Activism also has to come from within state broadcasters – uphold the vision. Clarity is needed as to what is not PBS – and then communicate to the public what (and when) is government-service, what is sponsored/ad-driven. i.e. Create visible functional and structural separations… (& identify product placements too).

More reform Diversify revenues. Earmark and insulate government funding. Match your mandate to the money model you have. Seek to complement, not compete…

Not survival for its own sake.. Public service broadcasting is not synonymous with a state-owned broadcaster… That would be a circular definition… Define what is distinctive PBS that can be delivered – and not too diluted.

Define your particular remit – democracy, rights and political debate – Impartial citizenship in elections – marginalised languages – all cultures – children and youth – trans-national “African” spirit – education and development – experimentation & exploring identity.

Seizing the moment Do a “peer review” exercise to build joint momentum. Capitalise on Digital Migration costs to promote reform to govts. Use 2010 for longer-term gains. Use technology – especially web and cellphones.

Seizing the politics Utilise political flux to flex muscles and gain some autonomous space. When there’s polarisation, that’s the time to occupy the common ground. Use the courts (eg. Macra, SABC) Be responsive to all lobbies and complaints… Promote media literacy, win the public.

And if you don’t? YOU WILL… Preside over a declining institution Be party to discredited content Disserve your audiences Betray your historical potential… Make us all Afro-cynics…

TO SUM UP Nice theory: let’s keep it! Not nice practice: change it! West Africa shows some of the future Politics of the present very challenging And to come: many more complications Way ahead? Reform, define your remit, seize the moments. Don’t let us down!