Struggling pay-television provider TopTV is taking another stab at launching adult channels via its satellite service, in what appears to be an attempt to stop the company from going under.
This comes about a year after the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) stonewalled TopTV holding company On Digital Media's (ODM's) bid for authorisation to air adult content, following a widespread public outcry.
ICASA spokesperson Paseka Maleka says ODM submitted an application for the authorisation of three pornographic channels last month. He says the authority published the application in the Government Gazette of 19 December, subjecting the written request to public consultation.
Interested parties have until 18 January to give feedback via post, e-mail or telephone, after which the authority "will make a further determination on how to proceed".
Try, try again
Launched in May 2010, the operator - DSTV's only rival in terms of satellite broadcasting services in SA - announced at the end of last year that it had been placed under "business rescue" in terms of the Companies Act.
At the time, TopTV said the step was based on a "proactive decision" that was taken by the board to protect the company while it sought an equity partner.
The decision was preceded by a number of financial and reputational blows, and followed by news that three Turner Broadcasting channels - Showtime, Silver and Star! - would be discontinued on TopTV's platform as of the first day of 2013.
This, in turn, followed the discontinuation of another two third-party channels, Hi Nolly and One Music - both suspended after their operator, HiMedia, was placed under liquidation in November 2011.
In February last year, just after TopTV was denied permission to air pornography via a separate decoder, chairman and CEO Eddie Mbalo said TopTV would look at revisiting the notion again in future, citing what he said was a "strong business case".
In terms of the Electronic Communications Act (2005), written submissions on the application for three adult channels will be received and reviewed by the authority, before being handed over to Mbalo - who will be able to respond on behalf of TopTV.
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