Related Articles
Top Stories
May 25 2012 19:13
Uncertainty over the future of the euro zone returned to push the rand down against the dollar.
May 25 2012 13:58
The costs of the first phase of the Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project have increased significantly to almost R90bn, according to a report.
May 25 2012 11:36
The JSE has identified and stopped "incorrect" trades from one of its members, and will reverse the trades and lower the session's total value after the close.
Johannesburg - Sentech and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) plan to lodge an application for a television subscription licence, the companies said on Thursday.
In a joint statement, the companies said this was in response to the invitation to apply that was published by Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) earlier this year.
"The SABC and Sentech, as state owned enterprises, have formed a strategic partnership with the aim of establishing a subscription television platform providing TV and interactive services to South Africans at a more affordable rate. Our entry into this market cannot be purely for commercial interest but must also serve the public interest," they said.
"The entry of the SABC and Sentech and other players into the broadcasting subscription market will end the monopoly that has been in existence in the subscription broadcasting sector for over a decade and will broaden the base for South Africans who can enjoy the fruits of the recently promulgated Electronic Communications Act" said SABC CEO Advocate Dali Mpofu.
"Sentech's current permission to provide subscription television has been very well received in the corporate environment with the advent of Business Television and Radio. By applying for this licence, Sentech together with the SABC would seek to expand the current Vivid platform" said Sentech CEO Dr Sebiletso Mokone-Matabane.
A subscription broadcasting license would enable the SABC and Sentech to create additional platforms to provide South Africans with a wider range of programs that will provide more choice.
The SABC will also use these platforms for growing the local content production industry and to tell the African story for the benefit of all citizens.
As the technology partner in the consortium, Sentech would provide the infrastructure and technology skills to enable the establishment of a subscription service. The SABC's main contribution will be content provision as well as bringing to the table its muscle as Africa's largest broadcaster.
Affordability, local content and choice are the key drivers behind the application, they said.