to the Authority, although complaints about public broadcasting have never been resolved. The lack of resolve of complaints about public broadcasting resulted in the National Assembly withholding 50 per cent of their allocation in 2006 and denying them funding in 2007. The Authority is usually ‘active’ in taking to task private and commercial broadcasters on complaints. SCORES: Individual scores: Average score: 3.4 1, 2, 1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 2 1.7 (2006 = 2.8) The body’s decisions on licensing in particular are informed by a broadcasting policy developed in transparent and inclusive manner ANALYSIS: The guide for licensing is the Communications Act 1998. The Act and subsequent revisions have not been developed in an independent, open and transparent manner. SCORES: Individual scores: Average score: 3.5 1, 2, 1, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2 2.0 (2006 = 1.6) The public broadcaster is accountable to the public through a board representative of society at large and selected in an independent, open and transparent manner ANALYSIS: The boards of MBC and TVM consist of a Chairman, the Secretary of Information and Civic Education (ex-officio) and six other members appointed and dissolvable by the State President in consultation with the Public Appointments Committee of the National Assembly. It can not, therefore, be said that the public broadcaster is accountable to the public. SCORES: Individual scores: Average score: 3.6 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 2 1.2 (2006 = 1.3) Persons who have vested interests of a political or commercial nature are excluded from possible membership in the board i.e. office bearers with the state or political parties as well as those with financial interest in the broadcasting industry ANALYSIS: Political office bearers are ‘officially’ excluded from membership, although some are perceived to be proxies for politicians. The Secretary for Information and Civic Education sits on the board as ex-officio and may be political. So This Is Democracy? 2008 -187- Media Institute of Southern Africa