"The country appreciates your unique and successful mentoring and coaching programme, which has assisted the community and small commercial media projects to stand on their own," Pule said.
Underfunding
Vale, Bulbulia and Nkomo - recently appointed by President Jacob Zuma - join the agency as it enters the new decade still grappling with its main issue, underfunding, which constitutes a fundamental obstacle in fulfilling effectively what the deputy minister called its "greater" role.
"There is no doubt that the media development and transformation remains high on the country's agenda... The MDDA has a greater role to play in ensuring that this objective is met," Pule pointed out.
Official figures show that the underfunded media agency, established in terms of the MDDA Act 14 of 2002, only supported 341 projects since January 2004 at a cost estimated at R128 million in all nine provinces. Many observers believe this is too little for a country that is suffering from the 'chronic disease' of an excessive media ownership and concentration at the hands of a few - mostly whites.
Should be diversified
Pule said the country's limited voices in the media should be diversified to increase the choice of everyone, especially in their vernacular languages. However, she failed to mention anything about increasing the state's grant to the agency to help it effectively fulfil its mandate. The MDDA's funding partners include the SABC, MultiChoice, e.tv, Yfm, Primedia, Jacaranda FM; East Coast Radio; M-Net, Algoa FM, Capricorn FM, OFM, Media24, CTP, Independent Newspapers and Avusa.
