Cape Town - Transformation in print media will be a top priority for the Department of Communications in the 2016/17 financial year, says Minister Faith Muthambi.
“Print media transformation is our flagship project for the 2016/17 financial year. Media transformation will … address not only print media ownership but also the ownership of printing press, measurement of circulation, distribution channels and the assessment of regulatory instruments to regulate the affairs of media practitioners,” she said.
Minister Muthambi was speaking in Parliament where she delivered her department’s 2016/17 financial year Budget Vote.
“We will during the second quarter of the financial year host a colloquium on print media transformation with all role players including the public,” she said.
The Minister said overarching national communication policy -- developed by her department last year to improve government communication in all spheres -- has been completed and is being rolled out to entities.
Support for community radio
The Community Radio Support Strategy has been finalised and is being implemented, said Minister Muthambi.
She said in the 2015/16 financial year, Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) spent over R26 million on community radio advertising.
During this financial year, five licensed community radio stations will be provided with broadcasting infrastructure.
Harmful online content
Minister Muthambi said the protection of children against harmful online content remains a critical component of her department’s work during this financial year.
“We have since introduced the Films and Publications Amendment Bill to Parliament. Considering the increase in online hate speech and discrimination that dominated our country this year, I have instructed the FPB to continue engaging with the South African Human Rights Commission to strengthen government’s response to this social ill. We will not tolerate such unbecoming behaviour.
“We will continue with the Department of Arts and Culture to strengthen social cohesion and urge all members of the public to join members of the public in the campaign #NotInMyName,” she said.
Budget allocations to entities
The department’s total budget for the 2016/17 financial year amounts to R1 344 685 billion. R899 million of this is transfers to the entities.
The department’s operational budget amounts to R75.2 million. Out of this amount, R59.2 million and R15.9 million is allocated to the compensation of employees, and goods and services respectively. A total amount of R84 000 is allocated for payment of capital assets.
A budget of R382.1 million has been allocated to the GCIS. A total of R222.8 million and R158.2 million is allocated to the compensation of employees and goods and services, respectively.
The department will also continue to publish and distribute the fortnightly Vuk’uzenzele newspaper. The total budget allocated for its production and distribution is 18.7 million copies per year of Vuk’uzenzele in all 11 official languages amounts to R25.8 million in 2016/17.
“We will continue to encourage government departments to place recruitment advertisements in Vuk’uzenzele,” she said.
For the 2016/17 financial year, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has been allocated an amount of R414.4 million which, among others, will be used to increase access to meet the high demand for wireless broadband services, protect consumers, increase competition in the broadcasting sector and develop a regulatory framework for dynamic spectrum management.
The Film and Publications Board (FPB) has been allocated R86.4 million, while R181.2 million has been allocated to Brand South Africa.
An amount of R23.8 million has been allocated to the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) to enable it to provide technical, non-financial and financial support to the diverse media platforms. - SAnews.gov.za
