This week was full of “miracles”, we learned on Tuesday about a skewed Viceroy report on Capitec. Luckily the management of Capitec had the gumption and resolve to defend itself against the report’s findings. We then watched MultiChoice announcing the termination of the contract between them and ANN7.
In doing so, MultiChoice and Viceroy exposed themselves and their dirty dealings.
It is now clear that those who benefited from the illegitimate apartheid regime and are still in control of the economy, are afraid to see people who’ve previously been excluded from the economy now being brought into the economic fold.
We are tired of consuming content from four white multinational companies (Naspers, Tiso Blackstar, Caxton & Primedia).
Thanks to Dr Iqbal Survé for purchasing Independent Media.
Not only have we seen a change in ownership, but a change in content as well.
These four media groups, owned by white capitalists, want to control the media space in the country.
The community newspapers are suffering due to Caxton’s presence in our community. They do not encourage ownership diversity, but want to sustain the skewed ownership which does not reflect our society. MultiChoice has been elevated to the god of satellite space, where they decide the fate of those subscribing to them, like God who decides the fate of the dead; it’s either heaven or hell.
The PAC is not worried only about workers, but also the thousands of viewers of ANN7.
Should the consumer not be given an opportunity to choose what they want and what they do not?
They don’t need MultiChoice to decide for them.
The actions of MultiChoice cannot go unnoticed and unchallenged with regards to the termination of their contact with ANN7.
We have witnessed the unfair treatment of journalists associated with ANN7 by either hooligan politicians or fellow journalists from “progressive” media houses.
MultiChoice has no right to bully ANN7 or any other media house for that matter. We are fuming, we are flabbergasted by this behaviour of MultiChoice. According to MultiChoice, it was the public perception around ANN7 which had led to their selfish decision to terminate the contract.
This bully claims to have conducted due diligence, where they have found absolutely nothing against the satellite news channel ANN7, which appears to be a threat to its competitors.
It is clear that MultiChoice is owned by the same people (Naspers) who are fighting with ANN7 for media space.
These owners of MultiChoice are also encountering elevated pressure from invisible faces.
What could possibly be MultiChoice’s reason to terminate their contract with ANN7?
We have always contended and called for diversity of content through reasonable ownership of the media, unlike the current ownership trend which is skewed and only controlled by four multinational conglomerates.
We have to have differing views, which ANN7 has been trying to do.
As things stand, we have a public broadcaster that has been converted to a state broadcaster, largely existing in the totalitarian state and, on the other hand, we have another channel, eNCA, which has proudly taken an anti-government stance, and we strongly believe that that cannot constitute a diversity of media. Why has action only been taken against ANN7? We have not heard about any contractual disputes with eNCA or SABC in public. Our big question is: who are the decision-makers at MultiChoice?
The process would have been fair if there was an inclusive review of all channels signed up to MultiChoice, including eNCA and all the SABC channels.
We then ask ourselves how did MultiChoice obtain an exclusive right to the satellite space?
Why can MultiChoice decide on who should exists and who doesn’t?
The PAC calls on Icasa (Independent Communications Authority of SA) to intervene in this issue as a referee and regulator in communication sector.
It cannot be right that MultiChoice uses its muscle to bully a station when it airs something that they do not agree with.
* Mokgatlhe is a PAC spokesperson.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.