Right2Know Campaign

Draft Vision for the Digital Broadcasting era

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(this draft vision was draft vision for the digital broadcasting era that R2K will strive to debate, finalise and popularise)

Draft Vision for the Digital Broadcasting era

To ensure strong, public, citizen-orientated programming in the digital broadcasting age

The vision of the R2K Campaign is to have a vibrant and diverse broadcasting landscape that enshrines freedom of expression at its core and nurtures citizen-orientated broadcasters, citizen-orientated programming and active viewers and listeners.

The R2K Campaign believes that the following principles need to underpin this landscape:

  • A distinctive three-tier broadcasting system including public, community and commercial tiers
  • Fifty percent capacity on the digital multiplexes specifically set aside for public and community broadcasters
  • Public funding earmarked for public and community broadcasters and public-interest programme makers.
  • The implementation of strong anti-competitive measures to create an enabling environment for new players
  • Regulations that ensure that all broadcasters broadcast a certain percentage of local content
  • The creation of public spaces, channels and programming that allow citizens to talk to one another across the boundaries of race, class and gender
  • A diversity of content within the broadcast media (television and radio) in the interest of fostering an informed citizenry
  • The protection and promotion of broadcast content which is delivered in local and indigenous languages
  • Support for citizen journalism
  • Support for strong media literacy campaigns
  • Support for the creation of programming that includes at its centre the possibility for citizens to talk back and to shape content.

 

This draft vision was included in our Submission in response to Issues Paper on the Review of the Broadcasting Regulatory Framework towards a Digitally Converged Environment.

In the submission we note that the migration process to Digital Terrestrial TV is a complex multi-stakeholder one and that the South African public are the end-users of ICASA policy on DTT, so public participation can’t be downplayed and short lead-in times disadvantages constituency-based organisations like R2K, which needs time to consult and develop bottom-up positions.

 

 

 

 

 

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