Strengthening ICASA - Ensuring The Authority Acts Courageously In The Public Iinterest

The SOS Coalition invites you to a workshop on “Strengthening ICASA - Ensuring it acts courageously in the public interest” to be held on the Wednesday 25th August 2010.

The aim of the workshop is to empower a pool of resource people to act as media spokespeople specifically on the topic of the ICASA Amendment Bill and broader ICASA issues. All are welcome but community media people are especially encouraged to attend.

A key focus of the workshop is looking at ways to ensure that ICASA is strengthened and given the necessary funding and capacity so that it is strengthened to act in the public interest. Critical to democracy and media freedom ICASA has been established as an independent constitutionally established body to, amongst others, “regulate broadcasting in the public interest” (ICASA Act 2000). However, recent moves by government have the potential to erode the independence and effectiveness of ICASA. The ICASA Amendment Bill grants new powers to the Minister.

The workshop aims to raise awareness on the issue of ICASA and its fundamental importance to strengthening an independent, accountable system. The workshop forms part of a larger campaign to raise awareness and educate people on key issues relating to ICASA.

The workshop will cover:

• What is ICASA? And why is ICASA so important?
• What is ICASA’s mandated role?
• The strengths and weaknesses of ICASA.

• The ICASA Amendment Bill - What is the Bill about? Strengthens and weaknesses of the Bill? What problems does the Bill pose for ICASA, its independence and effectiveness?
• The ICASA Amendment Bill and implications for community media.

The partners for this event are:

The “SOS: Support Public Broadcasting” Coalition, Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) and the Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ).

Time: 09h00 – 12h00

Tea and snacks will be provided. Please note that space is limited.

Please RSVP - Prinola at prinolag@mma.org.za by 24 August 2010 13:00 pm.