The Opinion Collaborative Ltd (TOC Ltd), the company that runs renowned socio-political website The Online Citizen, has reportedly submitted their registrations forms to the Media Development Authority (MDA), effectively prohibiting them from receiving foreign funding in compliance to the Broadcasting (Class Licence) Notification.
The MDA imposed the registration requirements on TOC Ltd on grounds that the media company is also involved in the propagation, promotion and discussion of political issues relating to Singapore. Already, The Online Citizen website itself has been gazetted as a political association and registered under MDA’s requirements back in 2011.
TOC Ltd however has some things to say about the MDA, mainly about their “excessive and unwarranted concern with foreign funding” hampering their ability to be an “effective media developer”. MDA’s regular form-filling exercises are also hampering TOC Ltd’s ability to be operationally efficient, indicating the authorities’ lack of understanding of new media.
The company continues by suggesting that the regulatory framework should be done away completely to achieve the MDA’s original aim for media regulation — to actually develop the growth of Singapore’s media sector and foster a conducive business environment that encourages investment and innovation.
“The fact that we have complied with all these indicates that fears of foreign sources funding TOC are completely unfounded,” the press release concludes. “As such, we look forward to the Prime Minister’s Office lifting the gazetting requirements on TOC as a 'political association'."
Photo: The Online Citizen media release
The Opinion Collaborative Ltd (TOC Ltd), the company that runs renowned socio-political website The Online Citizen, has reportedly submitted their registrations forms to the Media Development Authority (MDA), effectively prohibiting them from receiving foreign funding in compliance to the Broadcasting (Class Licence) Notification.
The MDA imposed the registration requirements on TOC Ltd on grounds that the media company is also involved in the propagation, promotion and discussion of political issues relating to Singapore. Already, The Online Citizen website itself has been gazetted as a political association and registered under MDA’s requirements back in 2011.
TOC Ltd however has some things to say about the MDA, mainly about their “excessive and unwarranted concern with foreign funding” hampering their ability to be an “effective media developer”. MDA’s regular form-filling exercises are also hampering TOC Ltd’s ability to be operationally efficient, indicating the authorities’ lack of understanding of new media.
The company continues by suggesting that the regulatory framework should be done away completely to achieve the MDA’s original aim for media regulation — to actually develop the growth of Singapore’s media sector and foster a conducive business environment that encourages investment and innovation.
“The fact that we have complied with all these indicates that fears of foreign sources funding TOC are completely unfounded,” the press release concludes. “As such, we look forward to the Prime Minister’s Office lifting the gazetting requirements on TOC as a 'political association'."
Photo: The Online Citizen media release