regard and that the NCRN is busy with an initiative to network all community broadcasters, which could result in the sharing of sound clips, especially for news. SCORES: Individual scores: 3, 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2 Average score: 1.7 (2005 = 1.9) 2.8 Media diversity is promoted through adequate competition regulation/legislation. ANALYSIS: There are no regulations with regard to cross-media ownership and no legislation to prevent possible monopolisation in future. A Competition Act is still being drafted and the Communications Act is not specific, as is the case in South Africa where the law limits the number of radio or television stations that one individual or company is allowed to own. Recent developments, particularly in terms of ownership patterns in the media, show worrying signs of big business “extending its tentacles” into the media. This is evident by South African media giant News24 buying into DMH, and by the growing involvement in the media of Trustco, originally a legal insurance company that now has multiple business interests, as well as a popular and powerful weekly newspaper (Informanté) and a printing press shared with The Namibian. Trustco ran a game show on One Africa Television until February 2007 when it gave one-day’s notice and pulled the show. The word within media circles is that Trustco is looking at establishing a television station in co-operation with the NBC. SWAPO-owned Kalahari Holdings is still the majority shareholder of Radio Energy and subscription satellite television provider Multichoice Namibia. SCORES: Individual scores: 3, 2, 2, 1, 2, 3, 2, 2, 2 Average score: 2.1 (2005 = 2.3) 2.9 Government promotes a political and economic environment which allows for a diverse media landscape. ANALYSIS: Government does not actively promote an environment conducive to the development of a diverse media but neither does it put any impediments in the way. If an individual or company has the money to start a radio or television station, or a newspaper, there is no government interference, although being allocated a broadcasting frequency through the NCC might be problematic (see indicator 2.4). Most commercial radio stations in Namibia are run by middle-aged, white men and have fewer than 25 employees, meaning that they do no have to submit affirmative action reports to the government. So This Is Democracy? 2007 -203- Media Institute of Southern Africa