The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is hosting an international conference to review the existing analogue broadcasting regulatory frameworks to be in line with the digital era.
The Conference will be held at the Hilton Hotel Sandton from 20 to 21 February 2012 and will be addressed by well-renowned International Speakers from Canada, Australia, Isle of Man, United Kingdom and Belgium. Speakers from South African Chapter 9 institutions, broadcasters organisations, manufacturing sector, consumer and communication forums/organisation will also be in attendance.
This follows successful hosting of workshops around the country to present its views on the Issues Paper that was published in December 2012 and to solicit views from stakeholders with regard to this process. The need to review analogue broadcasting regulatory regimes as a result of the transition to digital terrestrial television has been recognised by various authorities in the world; by engaging in various public consultation processes to adapt their existing regulatory frameworks to the new market structures and dynamics of the broadcasting industry in order to achieve their respective public services mandates.
“Broadcasting is one of the most economic and influential media to deliver news, education and entertainment and to be able to contribute to narrowing the digital divide; and it is now on the verge of a revolution which is expected to affect not only broadcasting itself but also other media and services such as broadband. It is for this and other reasons that the Authority has undertaken this initiative to ensure that we regulate in the public interest and are conscious of the imminent change in broadcasting technology’, said ICASA chairperson Dr Stephen Mncube.
The overall objective is to ensure that regulatory frameworks for broadcasting services promote the development of public, commercial and community broadcasting services which, in the context of digital convergence and migration, are responsive to the needs of the public, which promotes a plurality of views, news and information.
