edition-dw-akademie-in-the-service-of-the-public-functions-and-transformation-of-media-in-developing-countries-pdf

Part II Namibia: Multilingual Content and the Need for Organizational Changebeen strongly criticized for being outdated, or, as one memberof the expert panel with the Africa Media Barometer argued:“The majority of these transmitters do not work to full capacityowing to a lack of maintenance and the NBC has only fourtechnicians servicing the country’s transmitter network.” 48Although the old transmission network is to remain inplace beyond 2015, 49 NBC has begun its switchover to a digitalterrestrial transmission network (DTT), with significant progressmade from 2013 onwards. For years, mismanagementhas meant that the roll-out of a functioning DTT-network hasbeen on hold at NBC. In early 2014, however, digital broadcastingand the expansion of NBC finally got underway. The DTTnetwork provides space for up to 16 digital TV channels, ofwhich three are to be used for NBC purposes (as mentionedearlier). The rest of the available transmission space will berented out to third parties in order to generate revenue for thestate broadcaster – with NBC management particularly hopingfor increased advertising through greater coverage. NBC isin full ownership of the newly established DTT-infrastructurethanks to the financial backing of the state. This may occasionallylead to competition problems for commercial andcommunity broadcasters.The state-owned Communication Regulation Authority ofNamibia (CRAN) has identified this potential ‘conflict of interest’regarding the newly established DTT infrastructure, in particularbecause the state broadcaster does not fall within itsregulatory scope. So far, it is the exclusive right of the Ministerof Information and Communication Technology to decideon the rates NBC should apply to rent out its infrastructure tothird parties – rates which other outlets have no choice but topay in order to go digital. CRAN, which bases its regulation authorityfor all other telecommunication and broadcasting serviceson the 2009 Communication Act, so far lacks a mandatefor any kind of intervention. “If they [NBC] are not regulatedby CRAN, we can’t bring in effective competition with the commercialbroadcasters and we can’t force NBC to share some oftheir infrastructure,” CRAN-CEO Stanley Shanapinda argues. 50While the national regulation authority has geared up itspolicies to include NBC within its purview - thereby hoping toavoid a situation where the state broadcaster dictates rents toits commercial competitors - the Namibian minister in chargewill have to consent to such a regulatory intervention. NBC’scurrent management does not see any need for such a restructuringof the regulatory framework, referring to its mandate inthe NBC Act.At the time of writing, NBC TV had one newsroom operating.An organizational change process is to help transformthe news and current affairs department into a multimediaproduction department, based on the experience that the corporationhas gained in the “Education” and “Sports” departments.In this respect, the restructuring of the NBC newsroom(News & Current Affairs) lies at the heart of the corporation’schange management process. Major components of thistransformation are planned for 2014. However, at the timeof writing, no specific information on the actual proceedingswas available. Besides the newsroom, the corporation has thefollowing departments and sections at its TV production site:Human Capital & Organizational Development, TV Programs,Engineering & IT, Finance & Administration, Marketing & CorporateCommunications, Commercial Services, Project Planningand two TV studios. The NBC Radio building contains officesand studios of six NBC Radio Language Services, namelyAfrikaans Service, Damara/Nama Service, German Service,National Radio, Otjiherero Service and Tirelo Ya Setswana.Four NBC Radio Language Services are situated in the regions,namely ah! Radio in Tsumkwe, Lozi Service in Katima Mulilo,Oshiwambo Service in Oshakati and Rukavango Service inRundu. NBC also has three Contribution Centres with a limitednumber of staff and little equipment, namely in Otjiwarongo,Walvis Bay and Keetmanshoop. In essence, however, the author’sown research has shown that there is no regionalizationstrategy in place which would guarantee content productionthroughout the nation from which the whole corporation (TV,radio and online) would benefit.Perception, Participation, and Public EngagementFor the general public, the internal functioning of NBC andits ongoing transformation process has remained opaquein recent years. This holds particularly true for the adoptionof NBC’s new corporate mission, the “Strategic Triangle 2011”mentioned earlier. There has neither been a public consultationprocess which would have given third parties – such ascivil society and non-governmental organizations – the opportunityto participate in the run-up to the organization’s strategicreorientation. Nor has there been an information campaign,raising awareness amongst the public for the ongoingtransformation process, once launched by NBC’s Board of Directors.One Namibian interviewee argued that one can also34Ted Scott, Head of Training atNamibian BroadcastingCorporation (NBC).35Maria Indongo-Nepaya, Headof Media Content Hub, NamibianBroadcasting Corporation (NBC).36Ted Scott, Head of Training atNamibian BroadcastingCorporation (NBC).37Allgemeine Zeitung, July 13, 2011.38Allgemeine Zeitung, April 4, 2011.39The Namibian, February 28, 2014.40Open Society Foundations, 2013,p. 43.41Robin Tyson, Lecturer at Departmentof Information andCommunication Studies,University of Namibia (UNAM).42NBC 2014.43Albertus Aochamub, Director-General of Namibian BroadcastingCorporation (NBC).44Rita, July 11, 2013.45Albertus Aochamub, Director-General of Namibian BroadcastingCorporation (NBC).46Natasha H. Tibinyane, NationalDirector, MISA Namibia.47Open Society Foundations 2011,52.48AMB 2011, 48.49The analogue terrestrial networkremains the mode of transmis sionfor FM radio signals beyond 2015.50Stanley Shanapinda, Chief ExecutiveOfficer, CommunicationRegulation Authorityof Namibia (CRAN).Edition DW Akademie In the Service of the Public 81