A new boycott has started of On Digital Media (ODM) and it's TopTV satellite pay-TV service in South Africa - as well as all its sponsors and advertisers - following ODM's application at South Africa's broadcasting regulator to start a separate porn bouquet of the three sex channels Playboy TV, Desire and Private Spice.
Following TopTV's public hearing this past Thursday before the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) and its application for "authorisation of channels" a year after its first unsuccessful porn bouquet application, civil society groups and a combined church effort is now calling for a boycott of the struggling TopTV.
"The Family Policy Institute, in partnership with several major Christian denominations in South Africa has launched a nationwide boycott of TopTV, its advertisers and sponsors," says the FPI in a statement. The group said it is "deeply concerned" that "the introduction of three pornographic channels in South Africa will exacerbate the current crisis of rape and violence against vulnerable women and children".
"FPI will also encourage other faith groups in South Africa to join the national boycott of TopTV and its advertisers," said the faith based group in the statement.
The boycott comes as the struggling TopTV is currently in business rescue. The struggling business is looking for a new capital injection of millions of rands in order to recapitalise the Woodmead based pay-TV business.
Interestingly ODM said when it launched it's commercial pay-TV service in South Africa to great fanfare almost three years ago in May 2010, that it wouldn't be carrying such TV channels.
The pay-TV provider's second attempt at a porn bouquet has once again impacted on the TopTV brand and public reputation. Icasa will decide whether to grant ODM and TopTV a license for its separate porn bouquet within 2 to 3 weeks.
Churches which have now joined the TopTV boycott include the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa, Assemblies of God of South Africa, the Baptist Union of South Africa, the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference, the Church of England in South Africa, the Dutch Reformed Church, the Full Gospel Church of South Africa, the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, the Evangelical Alliance of South Africa, and the Association of Vineyard Churches in South Africa.
