Johannesburg — MEDIA Monitoring Africa, a media policy watchdog, yesterday launched a campaign on its website calling for the public to petition the director- general of the Department of Communications, Mamodupi Mohlala, to allow more time to comment on the controversial Public Service Broadcast Bill, which it says will fundamentally change broadcasting.

As the deadline for comment looms -- next Monday -- the department said it would consider a request for an extension only after the deadline had passed.

Media Monitoring Africa and other stakeholders want the public to have until March next year to send in their submissions.

The campaign comes hot on the heels of a letter from the Broadcast, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers Union (Bemawu), which has many members at the SABC, appealing for more consultation.

William Bird, director of Media Monitoring Africa, said yesterday: "The bill proposes a number of fundamental changes to the public service broadcasting and community media environment and, based on this, Media Monitoring Africa and the Save Our SABC Coalition argue that it would be in the interests of all affected by it to take the time necessary to debate, discuss, research and address the various proposals included in it.

"Media Monitoring Africa is requesting the government not to rush public submissions into this key piece of proposed legislation, given the complexity of the changes proposed," Bird said.

The campaign raises similar concerns to those of Bemawu, including that no plans have been made for amendments to a number of laws affected by changes to the broadcast environment.

Media Monitoring Africa questions allocating the administration of the Public Service Broadcast Fund -- to be financed from a 1% personal income tax levied on the public -- to the Media Development and Diversity Agency, which funds small commercial and community media and is not equipped to handle the large amount of money or the diverse requirements placed on it by the present bill.

The act setting up the agency places a number of limitations on the agency and this would have to be amended, said Bird.

The watchdog is also concerned about the "far-reaching powers" allocated to Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda.