Zukiswa Potye talks transformation in community media sector

4. What has the relationship been like with the local/community media that your organization is tasked to look after? What challenges you picked up from these entities?

The relationship has been great with our stakeholders. We want to work more on improving these relations, it is very important to us. The challenges are generally the lack of funding sources our entities can tap into when government cannot assist them. Mechanisms to generate revenue, etc. Governance and skills that are geared for the entities to produce news and content geared for the 4IR era and rapid enough for times of the pandemic. We are now talking about producing premium content, that we can package for different platforms. We have a digital migration strategy. We are also looking at cost-effective options for signal transmission which is a major cost for community broadcasters.

5. In terms of compliance, a lot of local/community media is left behind when it comes to opportunities, especially advertising. How are you ensuring that there is adequate compliance across, and they benefit from the private and public sector advertising opportunities and how does MDDA advocate for them from the advertising media buying agencies and brands?

Once we have improved the levels of compliance with relevant laws and improved the governance of these entities, we will be able to attract revenue from local and national business (public and private sector). The MDDA has a training and capacity building interventions planned and implemented annually. We have signed Memoranda of Agreements with organisations like Seda, the MICT Seta, etc., to implement some of the interventions. We are looking at coaching and mentoring interventions, etc.

We are also concluding a Fundraising Strategy that the Board will consider in March this year. Once approved, we will even look for international donors to support the sector.

6. Community, small commercial and campus media have a niche market of audience they serve, and the COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on these entities. How did the MDDA agency assist these entities to ensure they continue with their work to keep the communities informed and education with credible news?

The MDDA Board approved R20 million at the end of March 2020. We have disbursed R16 million to qualifying and compliant projects by the end of October 2020. We have thus supported hundreds of entities both in Phase I and Phase II. This was disbursed in small packages of R45 000 in the first tranche and R60 000.00 for community radio stations, R290 000 for television stations and R20 000 for print projects in the 2nd tranche. The aim was to ensure community and small commercial media was still able to discharge their mandate during the pandemic, in a safer manner; hence we provided for hiring of cars, procurement of PPEs, data and refuelling. In the 2nd tranche we also provided for salaries and stipends, including rentals or bond repayments for those that needed it.

7. As the world moves to the 4IR, is the MDDA adapting and embracing the advances that technology brings in accessing news compared to the traditional methods of delivering news?

Yes, the MDDA completed a Digital Migration Strategy at the end of October 2020. We have now developed a three-year implementation plan. We will share these with the Sector in due course.

8. What are your three (3) biggest accomplishments since being part of the MDDA family and also, what has been your most challenges?

In 2018 we held a Community Media Summit. We developed a report with an action plan after the summit. We then consolidated all findings of previous stakeholder engagements and conceptualised a Consultative Conference on Sustainability which took place in August 2020. The Consultative Conference was to consult and agree with the Sector on the areas of the research on sustainability. The tender for this closed on 08 January 2021. We are hoping to appoint a Service Provider that will drive the research before the end of March 2020. At the end of the research, we will be building a Sustainability Model which we want to launch in January 2023, when the MDDA turns 20. In 2022 we may have an opportunity to pilot the Sustainability Model.

We have revisited our support from the Commercial Print Sector, and we have draft MoUs on certain concessions like printing discounts, access to printing paper, etc. We have signed MoAs with Seda, the MICT Seta; have had several discussions with NEMISA, Wits Academy, etc.

In 2019, the Board approved the MDDA’s First Grant Funding Policy of the organisation. The policy sought to make transparent, responsive, and equitable, the manner in which the entity supports projects. It also streamlined the internal processes.

9. What are the MDDA plans to advance the small commercial and community media as we are start off a new year? What can we look forward to in terms of development?

Unfortunately, small commercial media and the community print do not receive external funding and the funding the MDDA receives from government is being cut or reduced, starting in 2020. This therefore calls on us to expedite the fundraising and other strategies that can sustain the sector. Even though the small commercial media and community print are in a worse position, they are not worse off than their broadcast sisters who have to contend with even higher operational costs. So, when we lobby for funding, we will do for the entire Sector.