Icasa readies for fair election broadcasts
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) announced that it has published its final regulations on party election broadcasts, political advertisements, and the equitable treatment of political parties by broadcasting licensees.
The regulator said that these regulations will support fair and equitable treatment of contesting political parties by broadcasting service licensees.
The regulations’ aim is to prescribe a framework and guidelines under which Party Election Broadcasts (PEBs) and Political Adverts (PAs) shall be conducted and carried by broadcasting service licensees during the 2014 national and provincial government elections.
The process which will be followed is:
- Icasa will receive the final list of contesting political parties from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in due course;
- Upon receipt of the list, the Authority will invite contesting political party representatives to a briefing session to allocate the PEB slots in accordance with the Formula as outlined in the Regulations on Party Election Broadcasts, Political Parties by Broadcasting Licensees;
- The public broadcaster and other broadcasting service Licensees who have indicated interest in transmitting PEBs will also be invited;
- The Council of ICASA will proclaim the Election Broadcast Period; and
- The Authority will therefore publish the PEB schedule in the government gazette within 2 days of the allocation of slots.
Icasa said that it will ensure extensive monitoring of election coverage in terms of the regulations and licence conditions of broadcasters.
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