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Cape Town - TopTV's application to air three adult channels on their pay-TV service has been approved by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), as there is no law preventing TopTV from broadcasting porn in South Africa.
Icasa said on Wednesday that it had approved On Digital Media's (ODM) application to broadcast the three porn content channels: Playboy TV, Desire TV and Private Spice, during the watershed period between 20:00 and 05:00.
Icasa said it upholds the view that "there is no law of general application prohibiting the production and distribution of adult content in the Republic. Only the production and distribution of child pornography is expressly prohibited by law."
'No basis or law for the rejection'
The application was approved on the basis that the TopTV will ensure that programming which contains sexually explicit scenes, conduct and/or offensive language intended for adult audiences will not be broadcast before the watershed period; and all the security measures including the double PIN code proposed by TopTV in its application are in place to safeguard children's rights.
"The Authority has also considered all submissions made in respect of this application from all interested stakeholders and it was found that most of the representations made were based on moral grounds; rather than a research evidence to demonstrate some of the conclusive remarks linking pornography and gender-based violence. It is the Authority's view that indeed there is no basis or law for the rejection of Top TV's application," Icasa spokesperson Paseka Maleka said.
TopTV hopes the successful porn application will turn the business' fortunes as it is currently under business rescue and courting a Chinese investor, StarTimes media group.
The channels will be provided to TopTV by Playboy TV UK / Benelux Limited in England and uplinked through SES Platform Services in Munich, Germany to South Africa.
TopTV have not yet stated when they plan to launch the three porn channels in South Africa.
Icasa said on Wednesday that it had approved On Digital Media's (ODM) application to broadcast the three porn content channels: Playboy TV, Desire TV and Private Spice, during the watershed period between 20:00 and 05:00.
Icasa said it upholds the view that "there is no law of general application prohibiting the production and distribution of adult content in the Republic. Only the production and distribution of child pornography is expressly prohibited by law."
'No basis or law for the rejection'
The application was approved on the basis that the TopTV will ensure that programming which contains sexually explicit scenes, conduct and/or offensive language intended for adult audiences will not be broadcast before the watershed period; and all the security measures including the double PIN code proposed by TopTV in its application are in place to safeguard children's rights.
"The Authority has also considered all submissions made in respect of this application from all interested stakeholders and it was found that most of the representations made were based on moral grounds; rather than a research evidence to demonstrate some of the conclusive remarks linking pornography and gender-based violence. It is the Authority's view that indeed there is no basis or law for the rejection of Top TV's application," Icasa spokesperson Paseka Maleka said.
TopTV hopes the successful porn application will turn the business' fortunes as it is currently under business rescue and courting a Chinese investor, StarTimes media group.
The channels will be provided to TopTV by Playboy TV UK / Benelux Limited in England and uplinked through SES Platform Services in Munich, Germany to South Africa.
TopTV have not yet stated when they plan to launch the three porn channels in South Africa.
