Broadcasting Bill: voting on recommitted amendments

Documents handed out:
Amendments to the Broadcasting Bill (Appendix)

SUMMARY
The Broadcasting Bill was agreed to with amendments. It would be voted on in the plenary session in the afternoon.

DETAILED MINUTES
The Chairperson, Mr Moeti, said that even though the debate on the Broadcasting Bill had occurred the previous day, the amendments before the committee had not been taken into account. The members had to agree to the amendments so that the Bill could be voted on in the House that afternoon.

The amendments which were to be considered, appeared in the Order Paper of 4^th November 1998. The Chairperson read out the amendments and the committee members agreed to all of them.

Ms Smuts (DP) alerted the committee to Clause 37(2) of the amended Bill [B94B-98]. She said the committee had voted on what appeared in the tabled Bill. Instead the proposed amendment of that subsection, made by the Department, had been placed in the amended Bill. That was procedurally incorrect as that version of the subsection had not been voted on. She further stated that she should mention it in the plenary session, which meant that it would have to come back to the committee. However as the amended version was an improvement, she would not do so.

Mr Kekana (ANC) responded that Ms Smuts was correct and her complaint should be noted by the committee.

The Chairperson apologised for the oversight. The committee voted on the Bill. It was agreed to with amendments.

Appendix: Amendments to the Broadcasting Bill

AMENDMENTS TO BILLS

BROADCASTING BILL [B94B - 98] (NATIONAL ASSEMBLY - SEC 75)

CLAUSE 1

1. On page 8, in line 34, to omit "to the" and to substitute or

2. On page 12, in line 11, to omit "broadcasting service" and to substitute "channel"

3. On page 12, from line 19, to omit the definition of "public broadcasting service" and to substitute:

"public broadcasting service" means -

(a) any broadcasting service provided by the South African Broadcasting Corporation;

(b) a broadcasting service provided by any other statutory body; or

(c) a broadcasting service provided by a person who receives his or her revenue, either wholly or partly, from licence fees levied in respect of the licensing of persons in relation to sound radio sets and in relation to television sets, or from the State,

and must include a commercially operated broadcasting service provided by a person referred to in paragraph (a), (b) or (c) of this definition;

CLAUSE 4

1. On page 16, from line 39, to omit subclause (2) and to substitute:

(2) A broadcasting service existing at the commencement of this Act, upon application to the Authority for a broadcasting licence, is deemed to have the necessary permission to continue its activities for a period not exceeding six months from the commencement of this Act or until such time as the Authority has decided on the licence application and, in the event of a decision to grant the application, has issued such licence.

CLAUSE 10

1. On page 22, in line 17, after "fair" to insert "and unbiased"

CLAUSE 13

1. On page 24, in line 7, to omit "three executive" and to substitute "non-executive".

SCHEDULE

1. On page 60, in Item 18, in the third line of paragraph (2) (a), after "both" to insert "a".

2. On page 60, in Item 18, in the seventh line of paragraph (2)(b), to omit "readings" and substitute "readership".

3. On page 60, in Item 18, in the third line of paragraph (2)(e), to omit "licences" and substitute "licensees".