MDDA celebrates 20 years of delivering on its mandate to strengthen the Community Media and Small Commercial Media Sector
Johannesburg, South Africa, 10 June 2023 - This year, the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) celebrates 20 years of providing grant funding to South Africans from previously disadvantaged communities to start their own radio and TV stations or newspapers, and digital platforms.
The MDDA, is a statutory development agency for promoting and ensuring media development and diversity, set up as a partnership between the South African Government and major print and broadcasting companies to assist in (amongst others) developing community and small commercial media in South Africa. It was established in 2003, in terms of the MDDA Act No. 14 of 2002 and started providing grant funding to projects on 29 January 2004.
The agency’s mandate is encapsulated in Section 3 of the MDDA Act of 2002, from Section 16 and 32 of the Constitution Act No. 108 of 1996, thereby providing for freedom of expression and access to information.
“The concept of the MDDA was rooted in the founding consensus of our democracy, in the understanding that our nation’s legacy of imbalances and exclusions could be overcome through a partnership of all sectors of society, for our vision of a new society to become a
for all South Africans. The agency was informed by the belief that if we address some of the fundamental problems in the media environment then the issues of content and diversity of opinion would take care of themselves,” said Professor Hlengani Mathebula, Chairperson of the Board of the MDDA.
The MDDA facilitates the growth of the community broadcast, print and digital sectors in several ways, the biggest part of its mandate is to encourage the ownership, control, and access to media by historically disadvantaged communities as well as by the historically diminished Indigenous language and cultural groups. The 2023 grant funding call is currently open from 5 June – 17 July 2023.
The agency assists with training broadcasters, publishers, and journalists and by speaking out on behalf of community media and its importance to this country.
For the past 20 years,
Since its inception the agency has funded a total number of 586 community media projects. This number includes 321 community broadcast projects in the form of community radio and community TV stations, and 185 community print projects in the form of community newspapers, community magazines and small commercial print projects.
To mark this significant milestone, the Board has approved the celebration of the MDDA’s 20 years through a variety of events. These celebrations will highlight the importance of quality ethical journalism, community media sustainability, the advancement of social-cohesion and human rights by community media; and different critical media-related topics and issues. Monthly events will be hosted by the Agency from June to November 2023 under the theme of “Democracy & Diversity: Celebrating 20 Years of Access to Information and Media Freedom through community media” and targeting different parts/ stakeholders of the community and small commercial media sector.
On the evening of the 12th of June, MDDA in collaboration with the Government Communication and Information System will engage the listeners of community radio stations across the country. This syndicated radio interactive broadcast will hone in on the role of youth as agents of community development through media. The programme will involve the Acting CEO of MDDA, Ms Nomkhosi Peter, Ms Phumla Williams, former DG of GCIS and an activist from the youth of 1976 as well as participation by the National Youth Development Agency. The details for dial in are toll-free number 0800 142 446 or on a what’s app number065 935 5488. The broadcast starts at 18h00.
On the 13th of June, the Agency has invited various stakeholders to a cocktail launch taking place at the ICC Hotel in East London. This event will be the launch pad of the MDDA 20th Celebrations and will be jointly hosted by the Deputy Minister in the Presidency Ms Nomasonto Motoung (who will give the keynote address) and Professor Hlengani Mathebula the chairperson of the Board of MDDA.
On the 14th of June, the MDDA is launching the State-of-the-Art Digital Broadcast Studios for Vukani Community Radio in Cala, one of its beneficiaries from the last funding grant call.
For more information, contact:
MDDA
E-mail: margaret@mdda.org.za
Cell: 082 785 6071
