A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy / The thesis critically analyses the potential of digital technologies – in particular, digital terrestrial television – to enable substantive diversity of programming in a public service broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation. The thesis deploys critical political economy of the media approaches. These approaches argue for a social constructivist approach to technology and not a celebratory determinist approach, which confuses the potential of technology with what actually happens in ‘real world’, contested policy contexts. The research uses qualitative methodologies, specifically thematic analyses of policy texts and in-depth interviews with policy actors and informants. Ultimately, the thesis finds that the changing political context in South Africa, which has moved away from participatory policy making processes, has resulted in missed opportunities to harness the digital potential to diversify programming. The thesis finds that with the government’s deployment of more authoritarian ‘statist’ and market-orientated policies, the policy space has narrowed, ultimately limiting the possibilities for the delivery of substantive diversity of content and programming. Finally, the thesis finds that to begin to reverse these trends in the digital, multi-channel environment, the government needs to (re)commit to consultative policy making processes and to regulation and public funding in the public interest. / XL2018

Thesis (M.M. (Public and Development Management))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Wits School of Governance, 2016 / This study ... explores the role of governance in facilitating community based television stations to achieve effectiveness.The case study is South Africa's most successful community TV station, Soweto TV. [Abbreviated abstract. Open document to view full version] / GR2018

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, of the University of Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in ICT Policy and Regulation October 2016 / In the current era of the digital television (TV) broadcasting dispensation, the relevance of the Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) mandate in South Africa remains critical, to inform and build democracy in the public interest. Recent debates with regard to the relevance and retention of PSB in the digital era seem to suggest that there are divergent views in this regard. These debates gave rise to this study. The study aimed to assess and reconfigure the role of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in carrying the public broadcasting mandate in the digital era. Furthermore, the study explored how the PSB remit can be repositioned to meet the needs of South African citizens in the 21st century. In addition, this study investigated the evolution of public service broadcasting policy and the role played by the Department of Communications (DoC), the policy maker in informing policy. The study seeks to ascertain whether the policy direction provided by the DoC is in actual fact in sync with the developments taking place in the TV broadcasting sector. This research followed a qualitative research approach, by exploring the relevance of PSB in the digital era and also by examining South Africa’s 3-tier broadcasting system, with a particular focus on the SABC. The research analysed the SABC (PSBs), MultiChoice (pay-TV licensee), e.tv (Free-to-Air commercial licensee) and Association of Community Television in South Africa (ACT-South Africa), a body representing Community TV licensees, in their attempts to discharge the PSB remit in the digital era. The qualitative paradigm aided in the process of describing and understanding the research topic. The main findings of this study revealed that the PSB mandate still has relevance in the digital era, however weak this may be. The multi-channel and the competitive TV broadcasting landscape will deplete the commercial advertising market share, on which the SABC heavily relies for revenue income. Secondly, the SABC’s mandate can never be upheld unless appropriate funding is secured by government. Lastly, the findings reveal that the DoC has regressed in providing policy and prescriptions and that there is thus a policy vacuum in the implementation of the PSB mandate. / MT2017

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitudes of a predetermined sample population of SABC TV viewers towards SABC’s language policies, and to identify and critically analyse the factors that influenced these attitudes by approaching the subject matter from a variety of methodological positions. This is an especially important undertaking when considering that the South African media landscape has for decades been the site of political, social and ideological confrontation, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) notwithstanding. Since operating as a mouthpiece for the National Party during the apartheid era, the role of the SABC in contemporary post-apartheid South Africa has come into sharp focus. The SABC’s role in South African society, allied to its status as a public service broadcaster, is significant in terms of encouraging nation-building and a unified national identity or cohesive national identities. Furthermore, the relationship between the public broadcaster and national policy makers is central to attaining goals such as linguistic parity in multilingual situations, such as in South Africa. For the SABC, what would be a difficult task under normal circumstances is made even more challenging when considering the numerous linguistically harmful legacies that remain after the apartheid period, where African languages were devalued and disempowered in the eyes of their speakers. The status of English as an international language, as well as the role that it played near the end of the apartheid era, would also come to be an obstacle in the path to the equitable treatment of South Africa’s eleven official languages. As such, this study aimed in part to determine whether SABC TV has embraced, or is perceived to have embraced, the ethos of the Constitution (Act 108 of 1996) and its own multilingual policies. More importantly, the main focus of this project was to ascertain the effect of SABC TV’s linguistic policy and practice decisions on the attitudinal dispositions of its viewing public, and to attempt to frame these language attitudes in terms of the ideologies operating within South Africa and the SABC. To achieve this, an assortment of complementary data-gathering techniques were arranged in a multi-method and triangulation approach to investigating the complex research problem. A historical analysis of South Africa’s and the SABC’s social, political, and media landscapes identified ideologically significant events from South Africa’s history, and these included the introduction of tangible linguistic and ideological boundaries between the African languages, the hegemony of English as a language of social and economic mobility and as the language of the indigenous African populations struggle against apartheid, speakers of African languages being placed in opposition to their own languages thanks to the misuse of mother tongue education, the association of Afrikaans with the apartheid state and the theoretical commitment of the democratic government and the SABC to fostering inclusive multilingualism. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the SABC’s current language policy and language practices were also conducted. Whilst at face value SABC TV was seen to more or less meet the language delivery quotas stipulated by ICASA (a regulatory body) during the given period, further investigation determined that the manner in which the quotas were framed made it easy for the SABC to implement practicable strategies in implementing the multilingualism espoused by the Constitution (Act 108 of 1996). A survey and focus group interview were employed to investigate the language attitudes of the sample population in terms of the following themes: standardisation of languages (standard Sotho or Nguni), the efficiency of multilingual broadcasting in South Africa, the social and functional capability of African languages, the perceived positions of English and the African languages in South African society, and the role and responsibilities of the public broadcaster. The predetermined sample population comprised of mainly first language English and isiZulu speakers, and the linguistic attitudes between these two language groups were observed to significantly different on a number of key criteria, potentially due to those ideologically significant events uncovered with the historical description, as well as to the language policies and practices utilised by SABC TV. First language English speakers were neutral with regards to many of the issues surrounding the efforts of SABC TV at inclusive multilingual broadcasting, possibly influenced by the hegemony of English, as well as having a vested interest in maintaining the elite closure enjoyed by its speakers. Juxtaposed to the first language English speaking component of the sample population were the first language isiZulu speakers who exhibited much more of a loyalty towards their language, and towards the African languages in general. This study hopefully contributed in a small way to developing an understanding of the relationship between these speakers, as well as of their attitudes towards and expectations of language policies and practices at the level of both the SABC TV and government. By better understanding the intricacies of the complex and unique social milieu within it works, the SABC can be better equipped to formulate and execute policies and practices to best serve the needs of all South Africans. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This is a qualitative study on the question whether regional television can be feasible in South Africa with particular reference to the official process to introduce regional television (RTV), the various reports and opinions on the subject, new technological developments and the exploration of alternatives. It is an effort to make a contribution towards the debate about how the public broadcaster can deliver better dedicated services to the diverse language groups of the country wherever they live, while also keeping pace with the challenges of an ever changing global digital world. The study indicated that various public broadcasters internationally struggled to find a financially viable model for regional television to serve diverse communities. The general option was the use of “windows” – specific limited time allocated on national networks for regional break-aways. Yet, increasingly technology provided answers but still at a relative expensive fee for the average citizen. In South Africa the windows model was implemented for a limited period between 1996 and 2003. It was discontinued because of lack of financial support from the state. The researcher indicates how the process to implement regional television already started with transformation envisaged in the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act of 1993 through to the Broadcast Amendment Act of 2003 instructing the SABC to apply within nine months to the Independent Broadcasting Authority of South Africa (ICASA) for regional licenses that “should reflect the diversity of all sections of the population and represent the plurality of views and opinions of the audience” (ICASA, 2003a:11). ICASA published its Discussion Paper on Regional Television in September 2003 inviting comments while emphasizing the importance of serving the various language groups and providing local content. It recognised the problems concerning funding. Its Position Paper was released in November 2003. ICASA clearly took the view that the introduction of regional services in the various (especially marginalised) languages were imperative and that it had to be offered to the exclusion of English. The state had to fund the services while advertising would not be permitted. The study was approached within the framework of normative mass media theories, and in particular the developmental theory. Through content analysis the ICASA documents and the SABC’s application for RTV in December 2003 was assessed and the stark points of difference indicated, such as the use of English, local content (especially drama) and advertising income. By using the methodology of in-depth interviews and a social survey based on a structured questionnaire more information and perspective was gained. In its application for regional television the SABC suggested two channels for 10 indigenous languages in the nine provinces delivered through the outdated but cheaper analogue technology. Throughout 2004 ICASA and the SABC communicated in letters and at hearings to resolve differences without much success. The SABC’s main concerns remained funding and the lack of capacity and skills to offer the services required. ICASA decided in June 2005 to grant the SABC two regional licenses without issuing it until the funding issue could be resolved with the state. It relented to allow some advertising but remained opposed to the use of English. Towards the end of the study the researcher gives an overview of the fast developing international trends in digital broadcasting. Various options to serve regional communities are offered. News reports on international trends and the opinions of experts are then related to the situation in South Africa. One conclusion is that the state and the country would have to weigh up the cost of subsidising regional television to other pressing social needs of citizens. It appeared that the cost would be too high in the short term. Preparations for the staging of the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa might lay the foundation for more sophisticated and affordable services later. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie is ʼn kwalitatiewe studie van die proses om streekstelevisie in Suid-Afrika in te stel, ʼn bespreking van die verskillende verslae en menings oor die onderwerp, nuwe tegnologiese ontwikkelings en die oorweging van alternatiewe. Dit is ʼn poging om ʼn bydrae te maak tot die debat oor hoe die openbare uitsaaier beter en meer toegewyde dienste kan lewer aan die verskillende taalgroepe in die land, waar hulle woon. Terselfdertyd moet ook tred gehou word met die uitdagings van ʼn steeds veranderende internasionale digitale wêreld. Die studie dui aan dat openbare uitsaaiers wêreldwyd sukkel om ʼn lewensvatbare finansiële model vir die lewering van streekstelevisie aan verskillende gemeenskappe te vind. Die algemene keuse was die gebruik van “vensters” – dit is die toekenning van beperkte spesifieke tydsgleuwe op nasionale netwerke vir streekuitsendings. Tog begin tegnologie al hoe meer antwoorde verskaf, maar nog steeds teen redelike duur tariewe vir die deursnee-burger. Die venster-model van streekstelevisie is vir ʼn beperkte tyd van 1996 tot 2003 in Suid-Afrika toegepas. Dit is gestaak weens gebrek aan geldelike ondersteuning van die staat. Die navorser dui aan hoe die proses om streekstelevisie in te stel reeds begin het met die transformasie wat in die vooruitsig gestel is in die Wet op die Onafhanklike Uitsaai-Owerheid van 1993. Dit het later gelei tot die Uitsaai-Wysigingswetsonwerp van 2003. Daarin is die SAUK beveel om binne nege maande by die Onafhanklike Kommunikasie-Owerheid van Suid- Afrika (algemeen bekend as ICASA) om lisensies aansoek te doen vir streekstelevisie wat “die diversitieit van alle seksies van die samelewing sal reflekteer en die verskillende sienings en menings van die gehoor verteenwoordig” (ICASA, 2003a:11). ICASA het sy Besprekingsdokument oor Streekstelevisie in September 2003 gepubliseer. Daarin is klem gelê op die belangrikheid van dienslewering aan die verskillende taalgroepe en die lewering van plaaslike inhoud. Die kommentaar van belanghebbendes is gevra. In die dokument het ICASA erkenning gegee aan die struikelblokke rakende befondsing. ICASA se Standpuntdokument is in November 2003 vrygestel. ICASA het onomwonde verklaar dat die lewering van dienste aan die verskillende (maar veral aan die gemarginaliseerde) taalgemeenskappe voorkeur moes geniet en dat Engels uitgesluit moes word. Die staat sou die dienste moes finansier terwyl advertensies nie toegelaat sou word nie. Die ondersoek is benader binne die raamwerk van die normatiewe teorieë van massamedia kommunikasie en veral die ontwikkelingsteorie. Deur inhouds-analise het die navorser ʼn omvattende ontleding gedoen van die ICASA dokumente en van die SAUK se aansoek vir streekstelevisie. Die aansoek is in Desember 2003 by ICASA ingedien. Die skerp verskille met ICASA is uitgewys, naamlik die gebruik van Engels in die dienste, die lewering van plaaslike inhoud (veral drama) en oor advertensie-inkomste. Die navorser het die metode van diepteonderhoude en ʼn openbare menings-ondersoek, gegrond op ʼn gestruktureerde vraelys, gebruik om meer inligting en perspektiewe te bekom. Die SAUK het twee kanale vir streekstelevisie voorgestel vir die tien inheemse tale in die nege provinsies. Dit sou gelewer word met die goedkoper, maar uitgediende analoog-tegnologie. In 2004 het ICASA en die SAUK deurlopend gekommunikeer in briewe en by openbare verhore in ʼn poging om verskille te oorbrug, maar sonder veel sukses. Deurgaans was die SAUK bekommerd oor die kwessie van befondsing en die beskikbaarheid van bronne en vaardighede om sulke dienste aan te bied. ICASA het in Junie 2005 besluit om twee lisensies vir streekstelevisie aan die SAUK toe te ken, maar dit is nie uitgereik nie, hangende duidelikheid oor finansiering van die staat. Die owerheid het skiet gegee oor die geskil rondom advertensies, maar voet by stuk gehou dat Engelse uitsendings nie toegelaat sou word nie. Aan die einde van die studie gee die navorser ʼn oorsig van die vinnig ontwikkelende internasionale digitale tegnologiese tendense in die uitsaaiwese en die moontlikhede wat dit vir streeksgemeenskappe bied. Nuusberigte oor internasionale ontwikkelings en die menings van deskundiges word in verband gebring met streekstelevisie in Suid-Afrika. Een gevolgtrekking is dat die land die koste van subsidies vir streekstelevisiedienste sal moet opweeg teen die dringende maatskaplike behoeftes van burgers. Die het geblyk dat sulke subsidies te duur sou wees in die korter termyn. Voorbereidings vir die aanbied van die Wêreldbeker Sokkertoernooi in 2010 kan die basis skep om later wel meer gesofistikeerde en bekostigbare streeksdienste te lewer.

Bibliography: pages 240-265. / This dissertation studies the broadcasting of politics in South Africa from 1920 to the end of the P. W. Botha era in 1989; that is, the reaction of radio and television to the changing political environment. Since 1948 South Africa's broadcasting system has increasingly been influenced by the ruling National Party as they strengthened their authority. This follows the Lasswell communications model which emphasizes the role of the controller in the communications flow as well as Fagen's and Siebert's description of authoritarianism as a national political system. A study of the historical legacy of broadcasting in South Africa clearly shows an authoritarian orientation. This is accomplished through an investigation utilizing historical material including Tomaselli as well as press reports and Hansard. The advent of television has seen this maintained in a variety of forms. The key question confronting the reader is whether or not there exists change away from the authoritarian model to a more liberalistic trend. The author details a number of visible inconsistencies and anomalies that are present both within radio and television. These are shown to markedly contradict with the control model of the past and highlight fundamental shifts in the media orientation. These contradictions are a reflection of the socio-political pressures that have recently emerged to influence the National Party. This is a function of the reforming of their past ideology as well as of internal economic advances and political upheavals which increase the influence of non-State elements upon the electronic media as depicted in the De Fleur model. The broadcasting system is increasingly shown to reflect an inclusive picture adapting to the political and economic realities in which it operates. The emerging trend moves away from authoritarianism in a more liberal and pluralistic direction.

A research report is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in ICT Policy and Regulation to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2016 / South Africa has a nascent community television sector, which is legislated as a tier of broadcasting. This sector is important in deepening democracy, creating access to information, giving communities the space to share information, and expanding media ownership to communities beyond the public and commercial television broadcasting sectors. Since 2007, when Soweto TV was the first community television station to be licensed, the processes towards migrating analogue to digital terrestrial television have been beset with delays and the experience of the community TV sector with respect to this migration have been not well understood. The conceptual-analytical framework for this historical study of the period 2007 to 2014 drew on the key themes of sector and institutional governance including the effectiveness of policy and regulation, technological advancement, content and services. Using a constructivist methodology the key documents pertaining to broadcast digital migration were reviewed and interviews were conducted with three community TV stations, Soweto TV, Bay TV and Cape Town TV, as well as with the policy-maker, the regulator and sector experts. The findings revealed that the community television (CTV) sector was faced with problems of sector and institutional governance not being effectively addressed in legislation and regulation, stagnation as a result of lack of spectrum in the analogue television-broadcasting dispensation and limitations on content provision. Using McConnell’s 2010 framework, analysis of the data led to the conclusion that the DTTM programme has failed with respect to the community TV sector. Advances for the CTV sector will require revision to legislation and future regulation to guide the governance of the CTV sector and the digital terrestrial television migration should be concluded without further delay, in order to enable the sector to grow. Although CTV stations are providing content to communities, the opportunity for them to make a greater impact, if digital terrestrial television (DTT) is finally launched, should be prioritised as the new technology can provide them with the scope to expand their content offerings. / MT2017

The concepts of editorial independence and public accountability are necessary in public broadcasting service as they help make a distinction between a public service broadcaster, a government and a commercial service broadcaster. This is because public service broadcasters are tasked with the responsibility of serving the interests of the general public. To do this, the above mentioned concepts have to be in place. This study examines these issues (editorial independence and public accountability) with reference to a case study of the editorial policies of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). Using public broadcasting theory, policy theory and qualitative research methods, the study examines the genesis of these editorial policies in 2003/2004 and how they provide the SABC with a means of balancing the tensions of editorial independence and public accountability. In analysing the SABC’s editorial policies, the study deals only with those policies whose principles are directly related to editorial independence and public accountability. Although some of these policies are found to be in line with public broadcasting service trends, others are found lacking. Various recommendations are made. The case study demonstrates the importance of an integrated and elaborated policy perspective in setting out how a public service broadcaster can manage editorial independence and public accountability. It also highlights the importance of using international ‘role models’ in ways that are appropriately adapted for the specific country concerned.

Thesis (MPhil) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Community radio stations in South Africa are faced with a huge challenge to become sustainable in the process of serving their communities. The issue of sustainability itself is complex and shaped by a range of conditionalities. These include community participation, funding, regulatory and licencing factors, staff and management expertise, and the strategic planning and management capacity of a station. Often the communities themselves are materially poor and unable to contribute in monetary terms to the radio station. However, these same communities are also a source of wealth when it comes to experience, ideas, human power and time. A major challenge is for station management to develop organisational strategies that facilitate full utilisation of this community resource in the process of sustaining their stations. The focus of this study is on two stations in the Western Cape - Bush Radio and Radio Zibonele - and how their management is responding to the challenge of sustainability. Bush Radio has evolved a diversification strategy based on providing formal training and development as an income-generator, and Radio Zibonele has responded through a strategy of selling airtime to advertisers. This work describes these sustainability strategies and explores whether they constitute 'building a brick column or a brick wall'. The conclusion suggests that while both radio stations demonstrate varying degrees of community participation, clear internal systems of monitoring and control of resources, they differ in some fundamental respects of strategy. Bush Radio, on the one hand, shows a clear commitment to consciously diversifying income sources in a way that does not leave the station highly dependent on any single source. This, the writer submits, constitutes an attempt at building a "brick wall". Radio Zibonele, on the other hand, shows a clear commitment to consolidation and reliance on advertising revenue as a single source of income for the station. To the extent that this station relies on a single source of income and does not demonstrate any strategic objective of diversifying sources, the writer submits, it is building a "brick column". The basic assumption of this study is that while the challenge of sustainability constitutes an objective reality facing community radio stations in South Africa today, the subjective responses developed by station management to deal with this challenge can and often do make a difference. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Gemeenskapsradiostasies in Suid-Afrika staan voor 'n groot uitdaging om volhoubaar te ontwikkel. Volhoubaarheid as sulks is kompleks en word deur 'n verskeidenheid faktore beinvloed. Dit sluit in gemeenskapsdeelname, befondsing, regulerings- en lisensierinqsfaktore, personeel- en bestuursvernuf en die strategiese beplanning en bestuurskapasiteit van die stasie. Meestal is die gemeenskappe self arm en nie daartoe in staat om in rnonetere terme 'n bydrae tot die stasie te lewer nie. Dieselfde gemeenskappe is egter ook 'n bron van rykdom in terme van ondervinding, idees, mannekrag en tyd. Een van 'n stasiebestuur se grootste uitdagings is om organisatoriese strateqiee te ontwikkel wat die volle gebruik van die gemeenskapshulpbron sal fasiliteer in die proses om hul stasies volhoubaar te ontwikkel. Die fokus van die studie val op twee stasies in die Wes-Kaap - Bush Radio en Radio Zibonele - en hoe hul bestuur op die uitdaging van volhoubare ontwikkeling reageer. Bush Radio het 'n diversifiseringstrategie ontwikkel wat op formele onderig en ontwikkeling as 'n inkomstegenereerder gebaseer is. Radio Zibonele, daarenteen, konsentreer op adverteerders. Die werk beskryf die volhoubaarheidstrategiee elk van die radiostasies. Die gevolgtrekking word gemaak dat albei radiostasies wei verskillende grade van gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid, duidelike interne monitorsisteme en beheer van hulpbronne het. Tog verskil hulle ten opsigte van sekere fundamentele strategiee. Aan die een kant het Bush Radio 'n duidelike verbintenis tot 'n bewustelike diversifisering van inkomste op so 'n manier dat die stasie nie afhanklik is van een bron van inkomste nie. Die skrywer vergelyk dit met die bou van 'n "baksteenmuur". Radio Zibonele, aan die ander kant, is verbind tot advertensies as die enigste bron van inkomste. Aangesien die stasie op 'n enkele bron van inkomste vertrou en nie enige strategiese doelwitle vir die diversifisering van hulpbronne het nie, vergelyk die skrywer dit met die bou van 'n "baksteenpilaar" . Die basiese veronderstelling van die studie is dat die reaksie van die stasiebestuur In deurslaggerwende verskil kan maak om die uitdaging van volhoubare ontwikkeling Suid- Afrikaanse radiostasies die hoof te bied.

The integration of social media records into enterprise content management systems is crucial to organisations as it enables them to have access to these records if they are required for evidential purposes. However, despite social media content being considered as official records in state-owned enterprises, they are often left unmanaged. The purpose of this study was to investigate the integration of social media content into the enterprise content management system at the South African Broadcast Corporation Limpopo provincial office in South Africa. The study utilised quantitative data collected through questionnaires distributed to SABC employees and employees at three radio stations in the Limpopo provincial office (Munghanalonene FM, Thobela FM and Phalaphala FM). The key results suggest that there were no policies or guidelines on the management of digital records that emanated from social media. It was discovered that the SABC’s Limpopo provincial office opened official accounts with various social media platforms such as SNSs, online content communities and podcasts to use for official matters; yet content generated through these platforms is neither managed nor preserved. It has been established that the responsibility of managing social media content is unconsciously assigned to the creators of the content as no official records management responsibilities were assigned. It is recommended that digital records emanating from the use of social media by the staff of the SABC Limpopo provincial office need to be treated and managed as official records, like all other paper-based records. In this regard, a policy for integration of social media content into enterprise content management is desirable. A further study on the development of a framework to integrate social media content into organisational records management is recommended. social media content, social media platform, enterprise content management, digital records, records, records management, online content communities, South African Broadcasting Authority. / Information Science / M.A.(Information Science)