The growing community television sector in South Africa is taking a giant leap forward with the formation of a new association, the Association of Community Television South Africa, which will be known as ACTSA and will represent the interest of community television and community TV stations in South Africa.
All of the existing community television licensees in South Africa - Soweto TV, Cape Town TV (CTV), Bay TV, One KZN (1KZN), Tshwane TV, North West TV and Bara TV - have signed a joint memorandum of understanding to create the Association of Community Television South Africa which will act to protect and promote, support and canvass for the community television sector in the country.
ACTSA will lobby for the community television sector in South Africa - under threat from a litany of challenges ranging from high signal distribution fees, undue influence and take-over threats from big corporate conglomerates, a lack of skilled personnel and training issues, soaring programming costs and even massive upcoming frequency disruption and viewer confusion as South Africa transitions from an analogue to a digital broadcasting space where community stations have to vacate their analogue frequencies and hope that viewers will be able to find them again.
Then there is also the South African government's interference. The government has started talk about the possible "regionalisation" of community television in South Africa to "provincial level" - something community TV stations don't want or need.
The government also wants to change the law to give the department of communication sweeping powers to appoint the boards of community television stations in South Africa - something else community TV stations are opposed to.
ACTSA will try and help with programme syndication, content exchange, the maximising of possible commercial opportunities as well as training and capacity building between community TV stations in the country.
ACTSA has elected an interim steering committee led by Motse Mfuleni from Bay TV as the chairperson, Karen Thorne from CTV as the deputy chairperson and Colin MacKenzie from Tshwane TV as the general secretary.
"ACTSA will make an important contribution to building media diversity and development in South Africa," says Motse Mfuleni. "Now we as the community television sector have a body that provides support and guidance for community TV stations and we are able to address our issues with one voice representing all the stakeholders in the sector."
ACTSA says all community TV stations joining the association have agreed to "a range of common values". These include a people-centered rather than a profit-driven approach to broadcasting, editorial and fiduciary independence, freedom of speech and community participation.
ACTSA will formulate a charter to help guide the activities of South Africa's community television sector which will include issues such as the mandate of community television in the country, programming, revenue streams and distribution platforms, governance, ownership and control and licensing categories.
