The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has advised all international broadcasters who are looking to cover former President Nelson Mandela's funeral to ensure they have the necessary radio frequency spectrum and type-approval licences to do so.
President Jacob Zuma addressed the nation late last night, announcing that Mandela "passed on peacefully in the company of his family" at about 8:50pm.
In a statement released today, ICASA says for the coverage of international special events, broadcasters usually bring communications equipment such as Satellite News Gathering (SNG) to relay their broadcasts to their respective international audiences. The SNGs require a radio frequency spectrum licence to be allocated for this purpose and some video cameras with microphones and wireless capability need type-approval to ensure that there are no reported cases of interference with licensed services.
"The type-approval label has to be attached to the communication equipment," says the authority. "In covering the funeral of the former President, all international broadcasters will have to go through this standard licensing process for compliance purposes; and when a radio frequency spectrum licence is issued, the licensee is obliged to show it to ICASA inspectors as they continue to conduct routine monitoring and compliance duties."
The authority has a dedicated link for special events licence application forms on its Web site to enable international broadcasters to apply for the necessary licences to cover such events. Special events licences generally take two days to be issued, but ICASA will do everything in its power to expedite such applications, says the statement.
Mandela will be buried at Qunu in the Eastern Cape on 15 December, following an official memorial service on 10 December at FNB stadium in Johannesburg.
Share