Amendments to the Broadcasting Digital Migration Policy approved

Mbasa Gqokoma
20 May 2015

Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi this afternoon delivered the department’s budget vote speech under the theme “New Department: New Possibilities”.

Minister Muthambi said the National Development Plan will guide the department’s vision. The NDP envisages an active citizenry that participates in the socioeconomic life of the country. It states that in “2030, South Africans will be more conscious of the things they have in common than of their differences, and that their lived experiences will progressively undermine and cut across the divisions of race, gender, disability, space and class.

Muthambi said it is therefore our firm belief that this is achievable when government is at the centre of providing effective and efficient communication to support these aspirations.

Meanwhile the broadcasting digital migration off date of the 17^th of June 2015 will not be met.

Cabinet has approved the final amendments to the Broadcasting Digital Migration Policy, which unlocks the project to enable implementation.

Minister Muthambi said they are aware that digital migration is an area of great public interest.

“As we have made progress however this is an area of critical work for us as the department including the public broadcaster the SABC and also the regulator itself ICASA” Muthambi added.

In terms of digital migration the department has launched a focused Public Awareness Campaign in the next four weeks. R22 million has been identified to enable the implementation of the broadcasting digital migration awareness campaign.