(3) The Commission shall, upon receiving an application for registration, send a notification of receipt of the application to the owner or person authorised by him indicating the date when the application was received, and the Commission shall consider such application within a month of receiving it. (4) A mass media service shall be registered when it is issued with a certificate of registration by the Commission. (5) A certificate issued in terms of subsection (4) shall be valid for a period of two years and may be renewed thereafter. (6) The registered owner shall start circulating his mass media’s products six months from the date of the issue of the registration certificate, failing which the registration certificate shall be deemed to be cancelled. 67 Notification of changes A mass media service shall be required to notify the Commission of any changes if— (a) the owner is replaced; (b) the co-owners change; (c) the name, language, form and frequency of the periodical dissemination of mass media products is altered; (d) the area where the mass media products are circulated is changed; (e) the editorial office changes its place of location and form. 68 Exemption from registration The following mass media services are exempted from registering in terms of this Act— (a) a mass medium founded under an Act of Parliament; (b) a mass media service that circulates mass media products that are not for sale for mass circulation. 69 Refusal of registration of mass media service (1) The Commission may not refuse to register a mass media service unless— (a) it fails to comply with the provisions of this Act; or (b) the information indicated in an application for registration is false, misleading or contains any misrepresentation; or (c) that mass media service seeks to be registered in the name of an existing registered mass media service; and the Commission shall forward a written notification of the refusal of registration, stating the grounds upon which such refusal is based. (2) An application for the registration of a mass media service shall not be considered— (a) if it contravenes any provision of this Act; (b) if the application has been filed by a person who has no authority to do so; (c) if the application fee has not been paid. (3) An application for registration may be re-submitted for consideration after the removal of any contraventions or when there is a change of circumstances. 70 Registration fee The registration fee shall be as prescribed by the Minister: Provided that the Minister may prescribe a higher fee for established mass media services specialising in commercial mass media services and advertising and a lower fee for a mass media service specialising in producing materials intended for children, adolescents and disabled persons and used for educational, philanthropic and social purposes. 71 Suspension, cancellation and enforcement of registration certificates (1) Subject to this section, the Commission may, whether on its own initiative or upon the investigation of a complaint made by any interested person against the mass media service, suspend or cancel the registration certificate of a mass media service if it has reasonable grounds for believing that— (a) the registration certificate was issued in error or through fraud or there has been a misrepresentation or non-disclosure of a material fact by the mass media owner concerned; or (b) a mass media service concerned does not publish or go on air within 12 months from the date of registration; or (c) the mass media service concerned has contravened sections 65, 75, and 89 of this Act. (2) The Commission shall not refund the registration fee if a certificate of registration is cancelled in terms of subsection (1). (3) A mass media service whose certificate of registration is cancelled in terms of this section by reason of fraud, misrepresentation or non-disclosure of a material fact or contravention of sections 65, 75 and 89 shall cease to operate forthwith and may not re-apply for registration until after the expiry of a period of one year. (4) Before taking any action in terms of subsection (1), the Commission shall notify the mass media service in writing of its intention to suspend or cancel the registration certificate of the mass media service and the reasons for doing so, and shall call upon the mass media service to show cause, within such reasonable period as may be specified in the notice, why the registration certificate should not be suspended or cancelled, as the case may be. (5) If, at the expiry of the period specified in the notice given in terms of subsection (4), and after considering any representations made by the mass media service, the Commission is satisfied for any reason specified in subsection (1) that the registration certificate concerned should be suspended or cancelled, the - 16 -