Grant funding applications open for community, small commercial media

• Published date: 23 May 2022
• Publication title: South African Official News

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...