TechCentralTechCentral
    Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    NEWSLETTER
    • News

      Fixing SA’s power crisis is not complex: it simply takes the will to do better

      12 August 2022

      Consortium makes unsolicited bid for state’s 40% stake in Telkom

      12 August 2022

      Actually, solar users should pay more to access the grid – here’s why

      12 August 2022

      Telkom says MTN talks remain on track

      12 August 2022

      Analysis | Rain muddies the waters with approach to Telkom

      11 August 2022
    • World

      Tencent woes mount, even after $560-billion selloff

      12 August 2022

      Huawei just booked its first sales rise since US blacklisting

      12 August 2022

      Apple remains upbeat about iPhone sales even as Android world suffers

      12 August 2022

      Ether at two-month high as upgrade to blockchain passes major test

      12 August 2022

      Gaming industry’s fortunes fade as pandemic ends

      11 August 2022
    • In-depth

      African unicorn Flutterwave battles fires on multiple fronts

      11 August 2022

      The length of Earth’s days has been increasing – and no one knows why

      7 August 2022

      As Facebook fades, the Mad Men of advertising stage a comeback

      2 August 2022

      Crypto breaks the rules. That’s the point

      27 July 2022

      E-mail scams are getting chillingly personal

      17 July 2022
    • Podcasts

      Qush on infosec: why prevention is always better than cure

      11 August 2022

      e4’s Adri Führi on encouraging more women into tech careers

      10 August 2022

      How South Africa can woo more women into tech

      4 August 2022

      Book and check-in via WhatsApp? FlySafair is on it

      28 July 2022

      Interview: Why Dell’s next-gen PowerEdge servers change the game

      28 July 2022
    • Opinion

      No reason South Africa should have a shortage of electricity: Ramaphosa

      11 July 2022

      Ntshavheni’s bias against the private sector

      8 July 2022

      South Africa can no longer rely on Eskom alone

      4 July 2022

      Has South Africa’s advertising industry lost its way?

      21 June 2022

      Rob Lith: What Icasa’s spectrum auction means for SA companies

      13 June 2022
    • Company Hubs
      • 1-grid
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Amplitude
      • Atvance Intellect
      • Axiz
      • BOATech
      • CallMiner
      • Digital Generation
      • E4
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • IBM
      • Kyocera Document Solutions
      • Microsoft
      • Nutanix
      • One Trust
      • Pinnacle
      • Skybox Security
      • SkyWire
      • Tarsus on Demand
      • Videri Digital
      • Zendesk
    • Sections
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud computing
      • Consumer electronics
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Energy
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Motoring and transport
      • Public sector
      • Science
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home»News»Concourt judgment: DA calls for TV policy review

    Concourt judgment: DA calls for TV policy review

    News By Staff Reporter8 June 2017
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email
    Marian Shinn

    [dropcap]F[/dropcap]ollowing Thursday’s constitutional court judgment in favour of former communications minister Faith Muthambi and against e.tv, Democratic Alliance MP Marian Shinn has again called on the new minister, Ayanda Dlodlo, to begin a thorough review of South Africa’s digital television migration project.

    The constitutional court ruled on Thursday morning that Muthambi’s 2015 review of the broadcasting digital migration policy, which removed mandatory encryption for government-subsidised digital TV set-top boxes, was done lawfully. The judgment is a blow to e.tv, which had championed encryption, and a victory to MultiChoice and the SABC, which had both strongly opposed the idea.

    The judgment reversed a successful appeal brought by e.tv at the supreme court in Bloemfontein.

    The procurement of government-subsidised decoders for identified indigent households is mired in irregularities, is unaffordable and the technology has moved on

    Shinn said the judgment means that government can now move ahead with providing free subsidised set-top boxes to 5m indigent households. “The key issue is that these decoders will not have encryption capabilities,” she said in a statement.

    “Production of the first tranche of 1,5m decoders was halted in late 2015 because of legal challenges to the policy. More than 500 000 decoders had been produced and are housed in South African Post Office warehouses awaiting distribution,” Shinn added.

    “It is noted that today’s decision is only one step in restarting the broadcasting digital migration process. The procurement of government-subsidised decoders for identified indigent households is mired in irregularities, is unaffordable and the technology has moved on.”

    Reversing course

    Minister Dlodlo last month said in parliament that she intends to reverse Muthambi’s 2015 policy amendments and implement the earlier policy drawn up by another former communications minister, Yunus Carrim.

    A joint meeting of the parliamentary portfolio committees of communications and telecommunications & postal services has been scheduled for 20 June, where it’s expected that Dlodlo will provide an update on the digital migration project.

    “I call on the minister to use this opportunity to reveal what steps she proposes to stimulate the ICT sector to join forces and contribute expertise to accelerate the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting,” Shinn said.

    “This must be government’s priority project so the airwaves can be released for desperately needed mobile broadband services that can contribute to economic growth, job creation and deliver services and opportunities to South Africans.”  — (c) 2017 NewsCentral Media

    Ayanda Dlodlo e.tv Faith Muthambi Marian Shinn MultiChoice SABC Yunus Carrim
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email
    Previous ArticleIS pivots with new CloudWAN platform
    Next Article TV encryption: Muthambi wins concourt battle

    Related Posts

    Fixing SA’s power crisis is not complex: it simply takes the will to do better

    12 August 2022

    Consortium makes unsolicited bid for state’s 40% stake in Telkom

    12 August 2022

    Actually, solar users should pay more to access the grid – here’s why

    12 August 2022
    Add A Comment

    Comments are closed.

    Promoted

    Get your brand in front of TechCentral’s amazing audience

    12 August 2022

    Pricing Beyond CMYK: printers answer the FAQs

    11 August 2022

    How secure is your cloud?

    10 August 2022
    Opinion

    No reason South Africa should have a shortage of electricity: Ramaphosa

    11 July 2022

    Ntshavheni’s bias against the private sector

    8 July 2022

    South Africa can no longer rely on Eskom alone

    4 July 2022

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2022 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.