MDDA

1
MDDA

• Presentation to Parliament Portfolio Committee on
  Communications
• 15 June 2004

2
Mandate

• The MDDA should
• (C)reate an enabling environment for media
  development and diversity which reflects the
  needs and aspirations of all South Africans
• Redress exclusion and marginalisation of
  disadvantaged communities and persons from access
  to the media and the media industry
• Promote media development and diversity by
  providing support primarily to community and
  small commercial media projects
• (Preamble MDDA Act)

3
The MDDA Team

• Kanyi Mkonza Chairperson
• Tony Trew Board member
• Libby Lloyd CEO
• Annand Chaytoo Finance Manager

4
Vision and Mission

• Vision
• Each and every South African citizen should have
  access to a choice of a diverse range of media
• Mission
• The MDDA is a development agency that will
  assist in building an environment where a
  diverse, vibrant and creative media flourishes
  and reflects the needs of all South Africans

5
Vision and Mission

• How
• Grants
• Leveraging resources and support
• Conducting and funding research
• Facilitating capacity building
• Advocating for media diversity and development
• Who
• Historically disadvantaged groups
• Historically diminished language and cultural
  groups
• Inadequately served communities

6
Short History

• December 2002 Board appointed
• January 2003 First Board meeting
• March 2003 KPMG/UXOLO appointed as project
  managers
• July 2003 draft regulations published
• August 2004 CEO appointed
• November 2003 first call for applications
• December 2003 Strategic plan adopted
• January 2004 first decisions on applications
• April 2004 second round of decisions on
  applications

7
Organogram
8
MDDA Act

• Board must prescribe detailed selection criteria
  for community media, small commercial media and
  research projects
• Board must prescribe percentages of grant funds
  to be used for community media, small commercial
  media, research
• Board must prescribe the percentage of funds to
  be used for administration costs

9
Key Principle of Regulations

• Regulations should stand the test of time
• Regulations should not be time bound but broad
  enough to address changing needs over the next
  few years.
• Regulations should encourage sustainability
  rather than dependency
• Regulations must ensure good corporate governance
  by media projects
• Regulations should be simple to understand and
  apply

10
Key Research Findings

• Rural areas dont have diversity. Major cities
  do.
• Women, elderly, people with disabilities
  underserved
• Print 2/3 small commercial
• Radio 91 community
• Media predominantly in English
• Electronic media faces lack of management skills,
  difficulties in attracting advertising, content
  not developmental.
• The print sector faces similar but also
  difficulties in distribution, high printing costs
  and verifying circulation

11
Funding Principles

• MDDA will be both reactive (respond to
  applications) and proactive (initiate projects)
• The MDDA shall actively encourage collaboration
  between different media groups and with other
  community entities

12
Funding Principles cont

• The MDDA will prioritise support for media in
  rural areas and/or for audiences not adequately
  served by other media.
• The MDDA will where possible prioritise the
  concept of matching grants
• The MDDA will encourage gender equity and the
  participation of all sectors of a community in
  media including women, children, the elderly
  and people with disabilities.

13
We will fund

• Core running costs and once off projects for
  community media projects
• Once off projects/investments aimed at increasing
  sustainability of small commercial projects
• Training and Capacity Building for media projects
• Research aimed at promoting media development and
  diversity

14
We wont fund

• Projects controlled by government, political
  parties or entities which are funding the MDDA.
• Specific needs that are already adequately met by
  other donors.
• New media projects in metropolitan areas of
  Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town unless they
  cater for inadequately served audiences.
• Unlicensed radio or television stations though
  seed funding may be made available.
• Conferences and attendance at these.
• Media earmarked for a foreign audience.

15
Disbursing Grants

• First Call November 2003
• Decisions January 2004
• Decisions April 2004

16
Different projects supported

• 11 Community radio projects
• 4 community print projects
• No small commercial electronic projects
• 4 small commercial print projects
• Total 19 projects R3.6m

17
Community Radio Partners

• Moletjie Community Radio - to build a studio -
  outside Polokwane
• Moutse Community Radio (Dennilton), Takalani
  Community Radio (Eastern Cape), Radio Unique
  (Eastern Cape), Barberton community radio -
  Mentoring
• Radio Mams in Mamelodi and Khathorus Community
  Radio for running costs

18
Community Radio partners cont

• Radio Teemaneng in Kimberley for lightning
  conductor
• Radio Vukani Cala Eastern Cape running costs and
  infrastructure
• Workers World Production - training on production
  of labour slots
• National Community Radio Forum research into
  establishment of ad agency, convergence, and
  cheaper signal distribution

19
Community Print Partners

• High School Media Project - Just Jy - Cape Town
  training of students over a year
• Agenda Feminist Media Project - production of one
  edition a year for three years and upgrade of
  computer equipment
• Amazwi Writers - Hluhluwe KZN - seed funding to
  establish writers training group and newsletter
• Nkomazi - the Voice - emergency funding for six
  months production whilst develop sustainability
  plan

20
Small Commercial Print Partners

• Leseding News - Rustenburg and NW - training and
  computers
• Free State News - training and equipment
• Big News - national magazine for SMMEs -
  research
• Genuine Magazine - KZN family magazine - for
  strategic planning

21
Other activities 2003

• Still finalising funding agreements with partners
• Marketing workshops
• Successful intervention with SARS to save a
  station
• Agreement with ICASA
• Joint actions and research with DoC

22
Funding 2004/2005

• R7m (government)
• Between R9m R10m print and broadcasting
  partners
• Total R16-R17m
• R12m for grants/projects (75)

23
Long Term Objectives
24
Long Term Objectives cont...
25
Long term objectives cont...
26
Long term objectives cont
27
Long term objectives cont...
28
Key Plans 2004/2005

• Streamline grant making process
• Disburse funds efficiently
• Procure project tracking system
• Develop proactive strategies
• Develop plan for audience research
• Explore ways to address distribution,
  printing, advertising problems

29
Key Plans 2004/2005 cont...

• Indirect Support
• Marketing workshops with AMF AMASA
• Explore partnerships for low interest loans
• Revive media funders forum

30
Partnerships

• Partnership to encourage critical media thinking
  amongst school students
• Develop partnerships to promote reading
• Draw in skills of funding partners for capacity
  building

31
Key Plans for 2004/2005

• Garner more resources
• - Develop strategy to garner international
  support
• Consolidate mentoring plans
• - Develop mentors database
• - Develop mentoring strategy/process

32
Key plans 2004/2005

• Communicate
• - Keep communicating deadlines for applications
  through media networks
• - Target communication progressively to under
  served communities/priority areas through SABC
  radio, NDA offices, post offices, roadshows
• - Focus on profiling partners

33
Conclusion

• Thank you