Those opposed to the notion of pornography on SA's airwaves will tomorrow take to the podium to state their case, at public hearings hosted by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA).
This comes about three months after On Digital Media, trading as TopTV, submitted an application to the authority for three 24-hour pornography channels, which would be offered as a standalone package. The application is the second attempt for the pay-TV operator, whose first application was stonewalled by ICASA about this time last year.
Mirroring the public reaction last year, TopTV's latest application has drawn stiff criticism from various religious and political groups.
Tomorrow's hearings, which are open to the public, will be held at ICASA's Katherine Street buildings from 9am. There will be representations by the Family Policy Institute, African Christian Democratic Party, Doctors For Life, Africa Christian Action, South African Society for Sexuality Education, Shofar Christian Church, Free Society Institute, and Active for Jesus Media's radio station WoomaNet Radio.
Going under?
TopTV, satellite TV giant DSTV's only competitor in SA, has been rumoured to be going under, following a series of blows to its reputational and financial wellbeing - including its last failed attempt at offering adult channels, the exit of former CEO Vino Govender, the loss of third-party content providers and a major retail partner, and a low, dwindling subscriber base.
Launched in May 2010, TopTV announced at the end of last year that it had been placed under "business rescue" in terms of the Companies Act (section 129). According to the Act, the board of a company can place a business under supervision if it has grounds to believe it is financially distressed, and there appears to be a "reasonable prospect" of rescuing it.
Eddie Mbalo, who has filled the gap as interim CEO since Govender exited last February, has spurned suggestions in the media that TopTV's application for pornography channels is a last-ditch effort to save the organisation.
"Nothing could be further from the truth. As previously stated, the business requires a capital injection from a strategic equity partner. It would therefore be both na"ive and malicious to conclude that the granting of permission to broadcast channels would be sufficient to save a company that requires a capital injection."
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