The consortium Midi Television is awarded the first privately owned free

Enshrined in the South African Bill of rights, is the right to free access to information. In this spirit, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa granted Midi Television, a free-to-air broadcasting licence. This licence was awarded on the 30 March 1998, and the channel, which was to be ETV, began broadcasting in October of this year. This effectively created competition for the South African Broadcasting Corporation in terms of revenue streams derived from advertising. This act also demonstrated the government's willingness to defend the South African constitution and media freedom, thereby avoiding the utilisation of one public broadcaster as a means to disseminate propaganda, as the Apartheid government had done.   References: Burger, D. (ed)(2002). South African Yearbook 2001/02, Pretoria: GCIS, p. 125. 'Communications'. In the Government Communication and Information System's Pocket Guide to South Africa (online PDF), available at:  gcis.gov.za [Accessed 23 March 2010] Kohler, S (2004). Focus: 'Langa: ICASA four-year anniversary celebration'. Polity.org (online), 30 June, available at: polity.org.za [Accessed 23 March 2010] Barnett, C (1999). Broadcasting the Rainbow Nation: Media, Democracy, and Nation-Building in South Africa (online PDF), paper first published by the editorial board of Antipode, available at: blogs.uct.ac.za/ [Accessed 23 March 2010]