Bill aims to scrap TV licences

Johannesburg - The communications department has submitted a draft bill which seeks to abolish TV licences and introduce other changes to public broadcasting in South Africa.

The Public Service Broadcasting Bill is intended to replace the Broadcasting Act of 1999.

Minister of Communications, Siphiwe Nyanda, said his department is amending and renaming the Broadcasting Act to bring it in line with international best practices. He added a strategy will be formulated to secure the SABC's revenue stream from other sources.

"The department will introduce an appropriate funding model to ensure the public broadcaster is not left to the vagaries of the markets," he said. "The amendment will ensure that the public broadcaster is best suited to our young democracy."

The bill, should it be approved, would establish a Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) Fund for this purpose in South Africa. It would also establish an international broadcasting services division within the SABC and transfer Channel Africa to this new operating unit.

Furthermore, Nyanda said the bill would revise the composition of the SABC's board and introduce a performance management system for it.

Signal distribution company Sentech will also have its mandate outlined as a common carrier and the bill will clarify the powers of the minister in respect of public service broadcasting.

Nyanda added that the bill will prioritise particular categories within public broadcasting via the licensing of specialist channels for children's programming, wildlife and documentaries.

The public has been asked to comment on the bill via written submissions that must be provided before the deadline of December 7 2009.

- Fin24.com