On Digital Media (ODM) that operate the TopTV pay TV service in South Africa now plans hardcore pornography TV channels for subscribers.
Nobody has yet responded to say who, or if, TopTV would be answering questions about its adult television plans - questions that naturally arise when a company announce its intention to show sexual content with a rating of R18 on at least 3 adult TV channels. It appears that TopTV is looking at porn - just not willing to talk about it.
TopTV's foray into so-called adult TV channels or smut services, should actually be seen against the background of a bigger set of challenges that has beset ODM this year: to develop and service the existing subscriber base of the pay TV operator better.
It's unclear as to why TopTV has decided to go the porn route - why money, resources and attention is now being invested and focused on hardcore entertainment instead of adding new family fare and more commercial channels. Does TopTV feel locked out and pushed into a corner in terms of possible expansion; now out of desperation settling for porn to drive revenue since sport and general entertainment content additions are appearing limited, too expensive, or is no longer a viable option?
To give you the bigger picture: TopTV's promises to launch new general TV channels in 2011 remains empty. In fact, TopTV is actually providing subscribers with less at the end of 2011 than what they paid for at the beginning of 2011. After an increase of the monthly subscribers fee since July 2011 TopTV recently (through no fault of theirs) lost the Hi Nolly and One Music channels - but without immediate replacements.
TopTV's announcement early in 2011 to start a sport TV channel by the end of the year has not happened. Subscriber base administration wise there was the disastrous double debit order debacle of subscribers' bank accounts. During the company's first birthday in May 2011 TopTV wasn't willing to make executives available to talk about the business. Then there is the PVR plans, as well as talk about high definition (HD) channels - all things promised by TopTV yet constantly being shifted to new, still elusive future dates still to be determined.
TopTV's porn plan appears inexplicable, given that TopTV CEO Vino Govender himself said in March 2010 just before launch that ''we are running our business with strong Christian ethical codes and we are not planning to introduce a porn channel. Besides, we don't want to poison the minds of millions of SA children out there.''
So far TopTV - although asked - is not responding as to why TopTV said adult content channels will not form a part of TopTV's offering but is suddenly doing so now. That's really a very big change. Why specifically did that intention change? What prompted On Digital Media's plan for porn? And why TopTV's focus on porn and not rather on a bigger general commercial bouquet and less repeats on its self-compiled channels? Top Crime is still showing the exact same, and old, shows that simply reset back to the beginning that the TopTV channel launched with 20 months ago.
TopTV is also not making available ''the market research'' it referenced in a press release yesterday - market research that TopTV says ''has shown that there is a definite market for adult content and channels among South African television viewers''. What research? Done when? Under how many people? And what is TopTV thinking the impact on their brand is going to be under subscribers and general consumers? Was that a consideration? Again TopTV is also not answering this question.
Three new channels in 2012 - all suddenly devoted to porn - when TopTV didn't add one normal commercial channel in 2012 and also didn't make good on its original promises of local South African TV content, seems to indicate a major course change for ODM.
In my opinion, if TopTV didn't originally said it's strongly opposed to porn channels, and showed more substantial investment in ordinary subscribers, the additional new add-ons like a separate subscription catering to subscribers who want R18-rated sex content, would have been less of an issue.
But now TopTV is suddenly doing a 180 degree turn with channels it said it wouldn't carry, whilst not giving ordinary subscribers new channels or better services. What kind of happy ending TopTV hopes to achieve with this new business direction is unknown - but definitely something South Africa's TV industry will follow with keen interest.
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