On 18 September 2009, the Department of Communications, (the Department) published for public comment, in General Notice number 1275 of 2009, government gazette 32577 a notice of its intention to make South African National Radio Frequency Spectrum Policy (the draft policy). The notice was published in terms of section 3(1) of the Electronic Communications Act (the EC Act). Interested parties were requested to furnish their written submissions within 30 calendar days of the date of publication of the notice in government gazette. The Department subsequently set the closing date on 19 October 2009. The NAB submitted its written representation.

With the quest to amend the Broadcasting Act 4 of 1999, the Department of Communications published on 20 July 2009, a notice inviting interested persons to furnish comments on the Public Service Broadcasting discussion paper (the discussion paper). The intention was to have the inputs received from the discussion paper to feed into the forthcoming Bill. The closing date to written representations was 16 October, and the NAB submitted its written submission.  

On 20 July 2009, in government gazette 32420, Government Notice 755 of 2009 (the Notice), the Department of Communications (the DoC) published in terms of section 3(1) of the Electronic Communications Act 36 of 2005 (the EC Act), a notice inviting interested persons to furnish comments on the Public Service Broadcasting discussion paper (the discussion paper), to amend the Broadcasting Act 4 of 1999 as amended (the Broadcasting Act).The closing date for written representations was 31 August 2009. The NAB made a written submission in this regard.

On 10 July 2009, the Authority published in Notice number 941, Government Gazette number 32370, dated 10 July 2009, its intention to prescribe Interconnection Regulations (the draft regulations) in terms of section 4 and 38 of the Electronic Communications Act 36 of 2005 (the EC Act), read with section 4(3) (j) of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa Act 13 of 2000 as amended (the ICASA Act). The draft regulations are accompanied by Annexure A, containing the explanatory notes for the draft regulations. The Authority commenced the process of draft Interconnection Regulations in 2007, when a notice inviting interested persons to submit written representations to its intention to prescribe interconnection regulations was published. This process culminated in the Authority publishing the second draft of the interconnection regulations on 24 December 2007. The outcome of the second draft of the draft regulations was satisfactory to the NAB, and the broadcasting sector as a whole, as the second draft had captured the key concerns of the broadcasting sector on interconnection. However, in the latest draft of the regulations, ICASA reneged on it previous position of exempting broadcasting service licencees from the application of the interconnection regulations. This necessitated the NAB making a written submission. The closing date for written representations was 25 August 2009.

On 13 July 2009, the Authority published in government gazette number 32402 a notice of its intention to amend its: a. Standard Terms and Conditions Regulations for Individual Licences (draft Individual T&C amendments); b. Standard Terms and Conditions Regulations for Class Licences (draft Class T&C amendments); c. Processes and Procedures for Individual Licences and Processes (draft P&P amendments) and; d. Procedures for Class Licences (draft P&P amendments). These draft regulations amendments sought to amend: a. Standard Terms and Conditions Regulations for Individual Licences (Individual T&C amendments) published in government gazette 30530 of 2007; b. Standard Terms and Conditions Regulations for Class Licences (Class T&C amendments) published in government gazette 30512 of 2007; c. Processes and Procedures for Individual Licences and Processes (P&P amendments) published in government gazette 30916 of 2008 and; d. Procedures for Class Licences (P&P amendments) published in government gazette 30914 of 2008. The closing date for written submission was 24 August 2009.

On 10 July 2009, the Authority published in Notice number 941, Government Gazette number 32370, dated 10 July 2009, its intention to prescribe Interconnection Regulations (the draft regulations) in terms of section 4 and 38 of the Electronic Communications Act 36 of 2005 (the EC Act), read with section 4(3) (j) of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa Act 13 of 2000 as amended (the ICASA Act). The draft regulations are accompanied by Annexure A, containing the explanatory notes for the draft regulations. The Authority commenced the process of draft Interconnection Regulations in 2007, when a notice inviting interested persons to submit written representations to its intention to prescribe interconnection regulations was published. This process culminated in the Authority publishing the second draft of the interconnection regulations on 24 December 2007. The outcome of the second draft of the draft regulations was satisfactory to the NAB, and the broadcasting sector as a whole, as the second draft had captured the key concerns of the broadcasting sector on interconnection. However, in the latest draft of the regulations, ICASA reneged on it previous position of exempting broadcasting service licencees from the application of the interconnection regulations. This necessitated the NAB making a written submission. The closing date for written representations was 25 August 2009.

On 13 February 2009, the Authority published in notice number 172 of 2009,  government gazette number 31903 (the notice), a notice of its intention to make regulations and Code of Advertising Practice setting out the standards, practice and prohibitions in advertising, sponsorships and other forms of commercial prohibition by radio and television broadcasting service licencees (the draft regulations). The draft regulations are made in terms of section 4 read with section 55(1)(2)(3) and section 95 of the Electronic Communications Act 36 of 2005 (the EC Act). Section 55 enjoins all broadcasting licencees to adhere to the Code of Advertising Practice as administered by the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa. Subsequently, the Authority published in government gazette 32014, an explanatory memorandum outlining the Authority’s rationale or thinking on the issues raised in the draft regulations. This came as a result of the concerns that arose in a workshop the Authority held on 30 March 2009. In the workshop, stakeholders expressed their dismay in the way in which the draft regulations have deviated from the 1999 ICASA Advertising, Infomercials and Programme Sponsorships Regulations (the 1999 Regulations), and requested the Authority to provide the reasoning behind the deviation.

ICASA has published the second draft of the general licence fees regulations on 06 March 2009. The draft is published in  government gazette 31992. Written submissions are to be in by 20 March 2009. In conjunction with the second draft, the authority published a position paper on the general licence fees.

On 7 November 2008, in government gazette 31580, Notice 1388 of 2008 (the Notice), the Authority published in terms of section 61(1) of the Electronic Communications Act 36 of 2005, a notice of its intention to make regulations for Commissioning of independently produced South African Programming (the Regulations). 

In terms of section 61(1) of the EC Act, the Authority is required to prescribe regulations applicable to broadcasting service licencees regarding the commissioning of independently produced South African programming.

The ECA mandates ICASA to prepare the national radio frequency plan within twelve months of the coming into effect of the Act. Subsequent to that, ICASA is in terms of section 34(5), required to update and amend the national radio frequency plan when necessary in order to keep the plan current.

Consequently, the Authority is required to give notice in a government gazette, of its intention to prepare a national radio frequency plan, and to further invite interested parties to submit written representation in response thereto. On 07 November 2008, ICASA invited interested parties to provide written representations on the draft Terrestrial Broadcast Frequency Plan,  the closing date for the submission of such written representations is 16 January 2009.