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Public Broadcasters need to empower audiences

By Matona Fatman, South Africa | 19th April 2010


Photo by Silindile Nyathikazi

The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association's (CBA) 28th conference opened with a vigorous reminder to the media of its crucial role as an upholder of freedom and being the voice to the audiences it seeks to serve. This sentiment was the main thread amongst keynote speakers who welcomed delegates and helped to set the tone for what promises to be a thought-provoking gathering of significant role players in the media industry throughout the Commonwealth. SABC Board Chairperson Ben Ngubane reiterated the public broadcaster's unwavering commitment to broadcasting for total citizen empowerment, which has long been part of the cooperation's vision.

"In today's ever-changing broadcasting landscape, which is continuously being informed by upgrades in technology, broadcasting is no longer a one-way street. More and more, user-generated content features on all sorts of media platforms. This not only gives citizens an opportunity to make their voices heard by decision-makers, but also creates an opening for citizens to be part of the broadcasting experience," Ngubane said. Already the SABC is hard at work with its efforts to provide programming that speaks to the interests of people from all walks of life. Ngubane says the added chance for the public to contribute their content for broadcast only strengthens the SABC's goal of empowering its viewers. However, Ngubane cautions that in the quest to include so many voices, editors need to be extra vigilant to circumvent cases where the media is abused by those with unscrupulous agendas.

Enhancing media freedom

Media freedom strongly underpins the CBA conference this year. South Africa's Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda emphasized that the role of such conferences were not only to 'talk shop', but a chance for role players to work together to find solutions to foster media freedom and democracy. "Broadcasting has a crucial role to play in ensuring that every country meets its developmental objectives. It is important that this gathering engages in intense debates on how broadcasting can contribute to the fight against poverty and many other social ills that continue to ravage society today such as HIV and Aids," said Ngubane.

Nyanda encouraged the media to uphold its own pledge to give a voice to issues that were of most importance to the nation. "The envisaged end product will reflect a public broadcasting service that is built around the interests of the public and caters for the needs of the public," said Nyanda.

SABC ready for 2010.

The theme of this year's conference is 'Broadcasting Scores,' which was inspired by the SABC. Outgoing CBA president Abubakar Jijiwa extended well wishes to the SABC as it prepares to air one of sports' biggest spectaculars – the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The SABC is in a number of agreements with several countries to provide World Cup content. Cuba has bought rights to link with the SABC to broadcast all 64 World Cup games, which are expected to be watched in over three billion households. The scope of this project prompted Nyanda to underscore the might of the media.

"The power of broadcasting cannot be overemphasised, hence we must make sure that broadcasting does not have a negative impact on the environment," said Nyanda.

The conference gives delegates an opportunity to visit Soccer City Stadium, which will also play host to some of the World Cup games. The conference closes on April 21.