Debating Ownership and Control
1 December 2009
Cape Town Television Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC) march to the SABC on 4 June 2009
(Picture: Marc Schwinges)
Media Concentration – Civil Society Takes a Stand
On 6 May 2010, the SOS Coalition presented its views on media ownership and control to the independent communications regulator, ICASA.
The Coalition's focus in this presentation was on the need to ensure that ordinary citizens are exposed to a diversity of views, helping them to make informed choices.
Addressing how monopoly control and foreign ownership of the media sector can limit views, the Coalition also conceded that unviable media entities, those that lack skills, new technology and capital, can also threaten quality broadcasting.
While acknowledging that economies of scale and a pooling of resources can have positive impacts on the media sector, the Coalition emphasised that this shouldn’t throw civil society off guard. Media concentration and foreign ownership remains of concern, and should be carefully monitored, particularly given international experience of how difficult it is to dismantle concentrated media ownership structures.