All South Africa’s major newspaper companies have now appeared before the Print and Digital Media Transformation Task Team (PDMTTT) investigating the level of transformation in the industry.
Ingrid Louw, Chief Executive of Print and Digital Media South Africa (PDMSA), said today that Independent News and Media SA, Times Media Group, the Mail & Guardian, Media24, BDFM and Caxton made their submissions on Thursday and Friday last week.
“We at PDMSA are delighted that all the country’s biggest newspaper and digital media houses have now made their representations to the PDMTTT. This augers well for the legitimacy of the process. We keenly await the Transformation Task Team’s report and recommendations on how best to take transformation of the industry forward,” said Louw.
The PDMTTT was established by the PDMSA in September 2012 to investigate concerns around transformation in the print and digital media, with a view to producing a transformation blueprint for the industry. This followed the Parliamentary Print Media Transformation Indaba, held in June last year, where the Portfolio Committee on Communications called for the development of a print media transformation charter to fast-track Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment in the industry.
The PDMTT process was initially expected to be finalised by the end of April 2013. This, however, was delayed amid fears of duplication with the Competition Commission investigation as some of its terms of reference involved probing allegations of anti-competitive behavior in the industry. This matter was finally resolved last month (March), clearing the way for the full participation and cooperation of all PDMSA members.
The PDMTTT has also heard submissions from, among others, independent publishers, community newspaper publishers, members of the public, civil society and the Media Diversity and Development Agency.
