Media

The Minister of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities, Noluthando Mayende-Sibiya has sharply condemned the idea of a porn channel on South African television.

Mayende-Sibiya says that, “Adults can source porn wherever, but now when you want to bring it at home, then it becomes a problem. Also, there is a linkage between porn and violence and the abuse of women and the abuse of children.”

South Africa's transition from analogue television broadcasts to digital broadcasts has been postponed by possibly two years or even longer.

The reason was that the country’s television industry and the digital Set Top Boxes (STBs) that viewers would have to purchase to watch TV in future, will not be ready in time.

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) recently published the final digital migration regulations for the transitional process from digital terrestrial TV (DTTV) in the government gazette.

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) has launched a campaign on its website calling for the public to petition the director- general of the Department of Communications, Mamodupi Mohlala, to allow more time to comment on the controversial Public Service Broadcast Bill.

The Department of Communications has announced that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) will receive a bailout of more than R1 billion.

Communications Minister, Siphiwe Nyanda, points out that, “We hope that the financial injection by government will help the SABC meet its urgent needs, such as payment of outstanding debts and other matters of priority."

The Department of Communications has submitted the Public Service Broadcasting Bill, which seeks to abolish television licences and introduce other changes to public broadcasting in South Africa.

The bill, should it be approved, will establish a Public Service Broadcasting Fund and also establish an international broadcasting services division within the South African Broadcasting Corporation's (SABC) and transfer Channel Africa to this new operating unit.