Boycott looming if TopTV porn goes ahead

Cape Town – The Family Policy Institute (FPI) is reacting to TopTV's second attempt to launch a porn channels a year after the struggling South African pay-TV operator's first application for such authorisation was denied by South Africa's broadcasting regulator.

TopTV, currently in business rescue, wants to launch the trio of titillating channels, namely Playboy TV, Desire TV and Private Spice as a separate bouquet with a PIN system, and told the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) that it wants to start broadcasting the pornographic channel bouquet as quickly as possible "to give TopTV a fighting chance of survival".

The FPI has now called on Icasa to decline TopTV's porn plan for a second time.

The faith-based group said that if the TopTV plan goes ahead it will call for a nationwide boycott of TopTV, as well as a boycott of all the pay-TV operator's advertisers and sponsors.

The South African public and all interested parties have 21 working days from 19 December 2012 - making the deadline 18 January 2013 - to comment on TopTV's porn channel plans.

Correspondence has to be sent to Ndondo Dube, Broadcasting Licencing Unit, Licencing and Compliance Division, Block D, Pinmill Farm, 164 Katherine Street, Sandton Johannesburg or fax 011 566 3200 or e-mail pndube@icasa.org.za.