SCORES: Individual scores: Average score: 2.8 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 1.0 (2005=1.0) Media diversity is promoted through adequate competition regulation/legislation. ANALYSIS: There is no legislation that promotes competitive practices and ensures media diversity. The Information and Media Policy adopted in 2005 states: “An independent regulator shall enforce fair and competitive market practices and discourage monopolistic tendencies in the information and media industry in accordance with the Fair Competition Act” (7.7.3). But in the absence of both an independent regulator and a Fair Competition Act, this policy statement is yet to be realised. A competition bill has been piloted under the Ministry of Enterprise and Employment. SCORES: Individual scores: Average score: 2.9 2, 1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1 1.3 (2005=1.3) Government promotes a political and economic environment which allows for a diverse media landscape. ANALYSIS: The adoption of the Constitution and the Information and Media Policy indicates that government is attempting to open up the media landscape. But existing legislation still inhibits media diversity. The STVA Act 1983, for example, confers power on the operator of Swazi TV, the Swaziland Television Authority (STVA), to regulate the television industry. Similarly, the radio sector is extremely uncompetitive since the dominant player, government, also governs licensing and frequency distribution through the parastatal, the SPTC. The Books and Newspapers Act 1963 is still in place, making it prohibitively expensive for new players to enter the print industry. The Act stipulates that a cash bond of E15,000 must be paid to the Registrar of Books and Newspapers to establish a newspaper. An amendment to the Act has been drafted, but it does not remove or even reduce the cash bond. There are no practical efforts, such as tax incentives for media operators, to encourage media diversity. In fact, the general environment is becoming even more regulated and restrictive: “They are creating more monopolies all the time.” SCORES: Individual scores: 3, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1 Average score: 1.6 (2005=1.0) So This Is Democracy? 2007 -235- Media Institute of Southern Africa