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Broadcasting Act, 1999 (Act No. 4 of 1999)

Chapter II : South African Broadcasting System

3. South African broadcasting system

 

(1) The South African broadcasting system—
(a) serves to safeguard, enrich and strengthen the cultural, political, social and economic fabric of South Africa;
(b) operates in the public interest and strengthens the spiritual and moral fibre of society;
(c) ensures that the broadcasting system is controlled by persons or groups of persons from a diverse range of communities in South Africa and within each element promotes ownership, control and management of broadcasting services by persons from historically disadvantaged groups;
(d) encourages fair competition in the provision of programmes and services

 

(2) Subject to subsection (1), the Minister is ultimately responsible to develop policy that is required from time to time.

 

(3) Public and commercial broadcasting services must comply with international technical standards and the broadcasting system must be readily adaptable to scientific and technological advances.

 

(4) The broadcasting system, as a whole, must provide educational programming, and where such programming is provided by a dedicated education service, must be extended throughout the Republic within the financial resources.

 

(5) The programming provided by the South African broadcasting system must—
(a) be varied and comprehensive, providing a balance of information, education and entertainment meeting the broadcasting needs of the entire South African population in terms of age, race, gender, religion, interests and backgrounds;

[Section 3(5)(a) substituted by section 3(a) of Act No. 64 of 2002, GG 24340, dated 4 February 2003]

(b) be varied and offer a range of South African content and analysis from a South African perspective;
(c) must be drawn from local, regional, national and international sources;
(d) provide a reasonable, balanced opportunity for the public to receive a variety of points of view on matters of public concern;
(e) provide a significant place for programmes produced by the independent production sector;
(f) comply with a code of conduct for broadcasting services as prescribed in terms of the Electronic Communications Act.

[Section 3(5)(f) substituted by item 3 of the Schedule, section 97 of Act No. 36 of 2005, GG 28743, dated 18 April 2006]

 

(6) A range of programming in the Republic's official languages must be extended to all South Africans as circumstances permit.

 

(7) human resources development strategy for the broadcasting sector must be viewed holistically in terms of qualification standards, skills development, teaching, inter-relationships with the complementary sectors and the funding of the training system.