The Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) is calling on community and small commercial media to apply for this year’s grant funding.

The application period has already commenced and will close on 1 July 2022.

In a statement, the agency said the grant funding is available for media projects in radio, television, print and digital publications, as well as small commercial print projects.

“Funding is one of the central factors towards ensuring successful empowerment, sustainability, and transformation of the community media sector. To this end, the application process will be effected through compliant, cost-effective, and transparent selection procedures, in-line with corporate governance principles and compliance with the Agency’s legislative framework,” the statement read.

Acting MDDA Chief Executive Officer Mzuvukile Kashe said the funding is aimed at putting community media control in the hands of those who previously could not access it.

“These grant funding applications aim to encourage media ownership, access and control particularly by historically disadvantaged communities and diminished indigenous language and cultural groups,” Kashe said.

Some of the criteria required for the grant funding include:

• The extent to which the project promotes media development and diversity.
• The likely impact of the project on historically disadvantaged communities and persons not adequately served by the media.
• The likely impact of the project on historically diminished indigenous language and cultural groups.
• The extent to which the project encourages ownership, control, participation and access to media by historically disadvantaged communities and persons.
• The extent to which the project develops human resources, training and capacity building within the media industry, especially among HDI’s.
• The quality and innovation of the project.
• Whether the project is likely to promote literacy and a culture of reading.
• Compliance with media laws.
• The existing or potential financial sustainability of the project.
• The independence of the project from any commercial media entity; any political party or the Government.

Source: South African Government News Agency