NAB presents its case on resignation from SAARF

NAB says it was a "unanimous and considered decision" of all NAB members[1] - both radio and television.

NAB says the decision followed "the rejection by the SAARF Annual General Meeting on 26 June 2013 of an NAB proposal to have more equitable representation for Television and Radio broadcast media on the SAARF Board". It claims the proposal was first discussed with the SAARF Board on 6 May 2013 and then formally tabled on 24 May 2013, some five weeks prior to the AGM.

NAB says it "believed that its proposal to SAARF, to increase its current Board representation of two seats to six seats, would enable it to have more effective participation on the SAARF Board. This would in turn enable progressive and innovative road-mapping for the future which would respond to the ever evolving and dynamic broadcasting sector."

Further to this, says the NAB statement, "the proposed Board representation would have ensured that it is better aligned to the level of financial investments by the NAB members. The NAB was still mindful that its proposal should not create an unfair bias with regard to representation on the Board, hence it did not seek Board representation aligned to its financial contribution which sits at 78% but rather a more equitable one which would have seen it obtain 38% representation on the Board."

No unfair bias

In its statement, NAB says that as the current SAARF board comprises 13 members, it was satisfied that the proposal did not create an unfair bias since "the SAARF Memorandum of Incorporation enshrines consensus as the basis for decision-making within the structures of SAARF. "

"In addition to addressing the issue of board representation, the NAB proposal was motivated by growing concern for the integrity of the RAMS and TAMS audience research and following the results of the TAMS audit, the NAB has also called for an audit of RAMS," the statement continues.

"Unfortunately, the NAB proposal was rejected and the NAB has therefore decided to give notice of its intention to resign from SAARF. The NAB will serve the notice period from 31 December 2013 until 31 December 2014. The NAB membership of SAARF will cease on 1 January 2015. The NAB will continue to work closely with SAARF to maintain the quality and integrity of the current audience research products and until such time as existing processes are concluded. The NAB will develop alternatives in managing the radio and television currencies from 2015 onward.

"The NAB looks forward to Television and Radio research reform in line with the ever-changing audience profiles of broadcasters, and that responds to the dynamic electronic media landscape in South Africa," it concludes.

[1]The NAB membership includes:

• Three television public broadcasting services, and eighteen sound public broadcasting services of the South African Broadcasting Corporation of South Africa ("the SABC");
• All the commercial television (e.tv, DStv, MNet, TopTV);
• Almost all commercial radio licensees (including Africa Media Entertainment, Kagiso Media, Primedia Broadcasting);
• Over thirty community radio licensees, and community television broadcasting service, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN).