The Independent Communication Authority of South Africa (Icasa) - tasked with monitoring the content and amount of local content on the SABC as a public broadcaster as well as all other TV channels in South Africa - just told parliament that it's not monitoring the SABC and is completely unable to do this since Icasa doesn't have the proper equipment!
The beleaguered authority was supposed to, and promised last year, to invest in a new system to be able to properly monitor local content on especially the SABC. Icasa is supposed to compile its own reports regarding the SABC's adherence - or not - to local television quotas as set out in broadcasting regulations. Icasa that is also not monitoring e.tv, now says it needs more funding and that it's monitoring equipment is too old and outdated.
Why this matters: Viewers are not seeing enough local content because of two reasons: Firstly the SABC has failed by not keeping to its promise to issue a commissioning book for new local content by December. In conjunction - as is clear now - Icasa is basically putting a rubber stamp on the reports (which it's suppose to compile themselves) that it receives from the SABC regarding the local content and amount of it that it's showing (or not). The SABC is not fined by Icasa and has therefore no imperative to lessen repeats and create and broadcast more local content since the watchdog that's supposed to check it, is not fulfilling that duty.
