Related Articles
Top Stories
Feb 13 2012 12:15
Miner Xstrata says it has brought forward maintenance on two furnaces to assist Eskom to save power.
Feb 13 2012 10:43
Although jobs were created, the economy is still 420 000 jobs short of the peak employment level before the 2009 global financial crisis, says Adcorp.
Feb 13 2012 07:58
Greek lawmakers have approved a new round of drastic austerity measures after a long day of street battles between police and protesters left dozens injured.
Johannesburg - State signal distributor Sentech's pullout from the race for a subscription television license just days before the winners were due to be announced was the only major surprise when Icasa made its announcement on Wednesday.
Icasa councillor Zolisa Masiza, who led the committee deciding on which of the 18 (or rather, 15 after three pullouts) applicants should be granted a license, said Sentech had withdrawn its application just days before - on September 10.
The regulator granted four new licenses and gave Multichoice Africa a license to continue operating.
Among the new players, the awarding of licenses to Telkom Media and e-Sat (e.tv's pay-TV play) came as no surprise, while amongst the relatively lesser known players; On Digital Media and Walking on Water, only the latter raised some eyebrows as a small, niche entrant.
Icasa said it had awarded licenses in cases where the applicants had satisfied all the criteria it set out in the invitation to apply. However, it will only release a detailed - 560-page - document on the reasons for its decisions two weeks from now.
A packed room of hopeful applicants, members of the media and other interested parties broke into anxious laughter when Masiza paused ahead of making the announcements.
But, cheers were let out in each camp, as successful applicants were announced.
Ten others were unsuccessful, but Masiza said Icasa hoped that in the interest of preserving the skills tied up in their unsuccessful bidders, that the successful applicants would work with the unsuccessful ones.
Councillor Marcia Socikwa said Icasa hoped to be able to grant the smaller players their license terms and conditions by mid-November, and the larger operators, by mid-December, enabling them to become operational as soon as possible thereafter. She urged the incumbent not to delay this process by asking for extensions.
- Fin24