The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) pays tribute to Libby Lloyd, industry expert and former IBA and ICASA councillor.
The NAB was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Libby Lloyd. We join industry colleagues across the country in paying tribute to this remarkable South African woman who championed the transformation of the broadcasting industry.
As a regulated sector, we recognise the unique role she played in ensuring the development of a robust and diverse broadcasting industry. Many of us sat in front of her as she judiciously unpacked our radio and television licence applications – we remember with some trepidation the pointed questions she would pose regarding the “demand, need and support” of our proposed services. We knew better than coming ill-prepared for an engagement with her – as she would no doubt have done the research and taken great care in preparing for any public hearing or Council meeting.
But no matter who she was engaging with – whether it be a grassroots community radio activist or a polished media executive – she unfailingly treated everyone she encountered with respect. As an IBA and later ICASA councillor, she raised the bar for all of us.
When she established the Media Diversity and Development Agency (MDDA) she encouraged licensees to go beyond the regulated funding requirements, to also provide real opportunities for training and development. Her commitment to the rights of the most marginalised sectors of society reminded us of the significant impact that broadcasting plays in advancing a plurality of voices in our young democracy.
We worked with Libby across a range of policy and regulatory processes, most recently when she chaired the Broadcasting Chapter of the Minister of Communications’ National Integrated ICT Policy Review that led to the ICT White Paper. She was a great teacher and mentored many in the industry, always ready to review research papers and effortlessly editing documents.
Libby will be sorely missed. The NAB expresses its sincere condolences to her family, friends and associates. Our thoughts are also with her daughter Sophie Mjwara, who travelled this regulatory journey with her mom. Hamba Kahle Libby Lloyd – Rest In Peace.
The NAB is a voluntary association funded by its members. It regularly engages with policy makers on behalf of its members in order to promote an industry grounded in the principles of democracy, diversity and freedom of expression.
