Thursday, October 10, 2024

The SABC'S Sentech blackout over non-payment of R1.3 billion pushed out for another 2 months


by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's embattled public broadcaster won't have its signals cut over non-payment for the next two months.

The cash-strapped and technically insolvent SABC is battling two major existential threats.

Firstly the SABC is facing signal loss and having the signals from its TV and radio channels axed by parastatal signal distributor Sentech which the SABC simply stopped paying and owes over R1.3 billion. Sentech has threatened that it will cut the broadcaster's signals.

Secondly, the SABC that has experienced a massive TV ratings loss due to it already, faces the dire threat of having millions of its viewers completely wiped away when the South African government plans to switch off the last of South Africa's analogue signal towers on 31 December before viewers have been properly help to migrate to digital terrestrial television (DTT) options.

Now Solly Malatsi, South Africa's latest minister of communications and digital technologies, says he has intervened to prevent Sentech from axing the SABC's signals for at least another two months.

That gives the SABC some further breathing space on the one problem, although Malatsi remains silent on the SABC's looming analogue switch-off disaster which is as pressing a problem.

Malatsi in a statement says he intervened and set up a meeting between the SABC and Sentech to find a solution to the SABC's inability and unwillingness to pay Sentech and the risk that South Africans would be cut off due to the SABC's non-payment.

Malatsi says the latest agreement is that Sentech "will not switch off the public broadcaster for at least the next two months while we are exploring options to have a long-term sustainability model for the SABC".

"These options include National Treasury's decision on the application by the SABC to reclassify its grant which would allow for part of its allocation to be used to pay Sentech for signal distribution services."

Malatsi says "While the SABC has been making steady progress towards improving its financial standing, the fact is that it has not been able to fully pay Sentech for services rendered. At the same time, Sentech is at risk of running out of cash due to the non-payment, a risk that may even affect other broadcasters".

"I am determined to prioritise the development and finalisation of the financial model for the SABC to ensure that it becomes sustainable, able to pay its creditors and to deliver on its core function of providing accessible, diverse, and impartial news, entertainment, and educational content to the public."

South Africa's broadcast regulator Icasa says it is unaware of StarSat court action after its shutdown raid while angry subscribers demand refunds


by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's broadcasting regulator says it's not aware of any further legal action from the shuttered and unlicensed pay-TV operator StarSat which went off-air last week following a search and seizure raid by Icasa, while thousands of StarSat subscribers who lost their service demand refunds and say they're not being helped.

After broadcasting unlicensed for more than a year since July 2023, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) did a search and seizure raid at the Midrand headquarters of the Chinese-run On Digital Media (ODM) on Wednesday last week, ripping out and confiscating equipment, servers and cables.

The regulator warned ODM since March this year that it had to stop and shut down its unlicensed pay-TV service by 18 September and to warn subscribers and stakeholders about it.

StarTimes which failed to renew ODM's pay-TV licence for StarSat in South Africa despite multiple warnings from Icasa, lost an urgent court interdict application to have Icasa's shutdown order be set aside. 

Earlier this month StarTimes's ODM said that it would be going back to court for a review. 

On Wednesday last week StarSat representatives also said that ODM's legal team was in court to contest Icasa's search and seizure raid and to have its equipment returned which also impacts StarTimes' pay-TV operations across the rest of Africa outside of South Africa that saw multiple TV channels go off its platform.

On Monday this week and again asked on Tuesday, Zanele Ntuli, Icasa spokesperson, told TVwithThinus the regulator isn't aware of any further legal action from ODM, StarSat or StarTimes regarding the shutdown order, or last week's raid.

In response to a media query seeking comment from ODM on Icasa saying it isn't aware of legal action over last week's search and seizure operation, the pay-TV operator through its Eclipse Communications crisis communications PR company, told TVwithThinus on Wednesday "the legal action in question involves StarTimes Media, the rightful owner of the equipment wrongfully seized by Icasa, not ODM or StarSat".

"StarTimes Media is currently challenging Icasa in court over the seizure of their equipment, for which
StarTimes Media has a valid licence, and this is the legal process underway."

Asked for clarity on the legal review, the pay-TV operator says "ODM has initiated a legal review in the High Court, Gauteng Division, Pretoria, requesting the court to compel Icasa to review its licence renewal application".

"As of now, the court has not confirmed a date for the hearing. The core of the review is to address whether Icasa's actions regarding the licence termination were justified, particularly given ODM's ongoing renewal efforts."


Furious subscribers
Meanwhile, thousands of StarSat subscribers are furious about being cut off, having paid and not getting a service and battling to get hold of StarSat representatives and to get refunds.

Several angry StarSat subscribers told TVwithThinus that some had made double payments in October thinking that's why their service was suspended, that StarSat's customer call centre number doesn't work, that emails are not answered, wondering why StarSat never warned them in advance not to pay, and that they're now battling to get refunds.

On Monday and Tuesday TVwithThinus called the StarSat customer call centre number multiple times but it no longer rang and no longer went to call options. On Wednesday call options were restored and operators again answered.

ODM told TVwithThinus that its customer call centre "has been experiencing a higher-than-usual volume of calls, which is affecting response times. StarSat is working diligently to address as many customer queries as possible".

"At this point, adding an alternative number would not improve the situation," the company said.

"We encourage customers to consider emailing wecare@starsat.co.za and remain patient as we work to resolve the backlog."

The veteran consumer expert Wendy Knowler said "StarSat subscribers who have paid in advance, through for instance a debit order for the month of October and where there is no way they're getting a pay-TV service for their spend, StarSat's subscribers in South Africa are absolutely entitled to a refund".

"StarSat is definitely not entitled to hold on to that money."

Asked why it failed to warn subscribers that a shutdown was possible, ODM says it "chose not to communicate this potential disruption to subscribers, as we were confident in our appeal and did not wish to cause unnecessary alarm."

"We are currently engaged in legal proceedings with Icasa regarding this matter, and believe the shutdown of our service prior to a court ruling is premature."


kykNET's Old Righteous Blues chosen as South Africa's entry for the 97th Academy Awards


by Thinus Ferreira

The small-town drama around a young man's attempt to restore the once-glorious Old Righteous Blues Christmas choir band to its former stature is South Africa's official Oscars entry in the Best International Feature Film category for the 97th Academy Awards.

The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) announced that the South African Academy Awards Selection Committee chose Old Righteous Blues, set and filmed in the Western Cape province, as South Africa's official Oscars entry after an extensive judging process, which included scored reviews and in-depth deliberations.

The NFVF doesn't want to release the names of the panel of judges comprising South Africa's Academy Awards Selection Committee.

In Old Righteous Blues a young man confronts the long-standing consequences of a bitter feud started by his father two decades earlier which had split the choir in two and divided the community. 

For twenty years, street battles ensued, families were torn apart, and loyalties were tested as the two rival bands claimed ownership of the town’s Kerskoor with destructive and violent consequences.

Old Righteous Blues has already won 11 awards at the kykNET Silwerskermfees film festival, Romford Film Festival 2024 and Panther City Film Festivals. 

Some of the awards include Best Supporting Actor at the 2023 Silwerskermfees for Joshwin Dyson, Muneera Sallies snagging Best Director at the 2024 Romford Film Festival, Ayden Croy winning for Best Actor at the 2024 Romford Film Festival, and Stefan Erasmus winning the category of Best Supporting Actor at the 2024 Panther City Film Festival.

Distributed by Indigenous Film Distribution, Old Righteous Blues which was acquired by M-Net for kykNET (DStv 144) is based on an original idea by writer and producer Carol Shore.

Director Muneera Sallies says Old Righteous Blues is "an intense glimpse into the life of a young man, a family, and a community. More than that it is an intense glimpse into a journey and into the heart of brotherhood, tapping into immense stores of pain, love, dreams, and courage".

"I was drawn to this project from the very first moment I had first picked up the script. I was intrigued and captivated by the characters and their stories within this little community, so much so that I immediately decided to visit and experience the streets of Bo-Dorp Robertson."

Lebogang Mogoera, acting NFVF CEO, in a statement, says Old Righteous Blues "is a testament to the exceptional storytelling talent within South Africa".

"We are honoured to have Old Righteous Blues represent us on such a prestigious global platform, and we believe its universal themes of redemption, community, and overcoming the past will captivate audiences worldwide."

Nomsa Philiso, MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment, says "Old Righteous Blues is a powerful reflection of the complex and often painful dynamics of community, legacy and redemption".

"The film's setting is truly local and the mesmeric writing offers a unique and poignant South African perspective on unity and hope amidst division".

"MultiChoice is dedicated to telling African stories – produced and told by Africans – and taking them to the rest of the world, where they stand shoulder-to-shoulder alongside other would-be Academy Award contenders."

Waldimar Pelser, M-Net channel director for premium channels, says "The world which unfolds in Old Righteous Blues is magical and unique to the rural Western Cape towns where the movie was filmed".

"The story highlights the richness of South African heritage, while also exploring universal themes of resilience and identity."

"These Christmas choir bands are vehicles for joy and hope which the film captures with grace, warmth and humour. We are thrilled for the teams involved that this beautiful movie will represent the best of South African film-making in the run-up to the Oscars in 2025."

The top 11 nominations in the Best International Feature Film category will be announced on 17 December 2024 and the final top 5 will be announced on 17 January 2025.

Friday, October 4, 2024

Angry StarSat subscribers demand and are entitled to refunds


by Thinus Ferreira

StarSat subscriber Sonja van Graan Wright in Durban had no idea why her pay-TV service on Wednesday morning went dead in South Africa, with the loss of several TV channels for thousands of subscribers to China's StarTimes operating elsewhere across the African continent.

An avalanche of angry StarSat subscribers now demand refunds, want to know why StarSat kept them in the dark and how they can get their money back since StarSat went down and turned their decoders into bricks just after they paid and debit orders went through for October.

On Digital Media's unlicensed StarSat was axed after South Africa's broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) on Wednesday morning at 09:00 in a raid, confiscated equipment and shuttered ODM's operations.

It comes more than a year after the Chinese-run StarSat's pay-TV licence in South Africa expired in July 2023 which ODM failed to renew in time despite repeated warnings. 

Icasa told ODM in March to warn StarSat subscribers that StarSat was ordered to stop broadcasting by 18 September. 

ODM ignored the shutdown order and kept broadcasting and also ignored the regulator's instruction to tell TV channel providers, StarSat subscribers, installers and agents, as well as its own rank and file staff. 

The Icasa shutdown likely spells the end for the only competitor to MultiChoice's DStv in South Africa's traditional satellite pay-TV space since angry StarSat subscribers will now withhold further monthly subscription fee payments - the lifeblood of a pay-TV operator. 

Meanwhile, South Africa's thousands of StarSat subscribers who just paid and already saw debit orders go through for October without any consumer warning from StarSat that its service might very likely go down this month, are entitled to a refund.

For the past two weeks TVwithThinus called StarSat's customer call centre daily and was told that nothing was wrong ("since we are answering the phone"), is selling decoders and packages and won't shut down. By Friday morning StarSat didn't answered the phone.

Elsewhere in Africa, from Tanzania and Uganda to Kenya, Rwanda, and Nigeria, StarTimes wasn't honest with furious subscribers in these various countries who complained about the loss of certain TV channels and who are unaware that it's the shuttering after the raid in South Africa that's impacting the uplinking of TV channels to a satellite transponder.

In Ghana, StarTimes Ghana for instance told subscribers that it is "working on resolving the signal interruption due to a faulty cable from our main station".

On social media like Facebook, an avalanche of StarSat subscribers asked StarSat what happened, how they should go about cancelling, why they were not told beforehand, and what they need to do to get a refund for their October money paid. By Friday StarSat failed to respond to their questions.

Veteran consumer expert Wendy Knowler says "It's amazing that StarSat got away with it for a whole year. StarSat subscribers who have paid in advance, through for instance a debit order for the month of October and there is no way they're getting a pay-TV service for their spend, then StarSat's subscribers in South Africa are absolutely entitled to a refund".

"StarSat can't say what happened is beyond its control because they were knowingly operating without a licence, so sooner or later that axe had to fall. I anticipate that StarSat won't leap to refunding that debit order run but they're definitely not entitled to hold on to that money," Wendy Knowler explains.

"The worst case scenario would be for the company not to cancel the debit order run and then this time next month they are debiting again and still not providing any service in which case their customers would be well-advised to get hold of their banks and make sure that those debit orders are cancelled."


Chose silence to not to cause 'alarm'
TVwithThinus asked On Digital Media what it is doing about StarSat subscribers who are demanding refunds, are complaining that they were not warned and what the exact procedure is for customers who have just paid for October to get a refund of their subscription fees.

Through ODM's crisis communications PR firm Eclipse Communications, ODM says "StarSat is committed to adhering to all relevant regulations regarding customer compensation".

"We are currently working on a solution to address this issue and will communicate the necessary steps in the coming days.

ODM was also asked for comment on why it failed to inform and warn StarSat subscribers specifically beforehand, after Icasa warned ODM that it was going to be shut down, that they pay-TV service will likely be cut.

"The removal of StarSat's equipment by Icasa on Wednesday was both unforeseen and abrupt," ODM claims.

"StarSat had every intention of maintaining its operations and chose not to communicate this potential disruption to subscribers, as we were confident in our appeal and did not wish to cause unnecessary alarm."

"We are currently engaged in legal proceedings with Icasa regarding this matter, and believe the shutdown of our service prior to a court ruling is premature."

With questions swirling about ODM's shareholding and whether changes in shareholding contributed to the lack of a licence extension, ODM told TVwithThinus "StarTimes Group, through its subsidiary, holds a 20% share in ODM, with the remaining shares owned by a range of South African institutions and individuals".

"StarTimes Media (STM) is the service provider to ODM and is not a shareholder in ODM. Yes, the changes in the shareholding structure contributed to delays in ODM/StarSat obtaining its licence renewal from Icasa."

ODM was also asked for confirmation of its pay-TV subscriber base and active 90-day subscriber count after saying it had 500 000 StarSat subscribers in South Africa. A veteran industry insider said the number seems inflated.

"StarSat currently has 500 000 yearly active subscribers. StarSat does not track its subscriber base using a 90-day metric. Our subscriber data is regularly reviewed in line with industry standards," ODM said.

Asked about what equipment Icasa removed on Wednesday from its Midrand office, ODM says "Apart from the equipment owned by ODM being confiscated during the operation, the majority of the broadcasting equipment removed by Icasa belongs to StarTimes Media (STM), which provides services to ODM and transmits signals for StarTimes Group's pan-African broadcasting".

ODM says its management team "is actively working on addressing the situation and exploring all possible legal and operational solutions".

"We are committed to resolving the matter as swiftly as possible and will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders, including media, subscribers and its employees."

An Icasa spokesperson confirmed to TVwithThinus by telephone that the regulator told ODM that StarSat needs to be shut down and that "Icasa went ahead with a search and seizure operation which took place on Wednesday".

Thursday, October 3, 2024

Capitec to resell discounted MultiChoice DStv Stream packages from November


by Thinus Ferreira

From November Capitec bank will also sell-through discounted DStv Stream packages in an expansion of its existing partnership with MultiChoice through which it is already offering its streaming service Showmax to consumers for cheaper.

Gerrie Fourie, Capitec CEO, during the bank's financial results presentation on Tuesday, revealed that Capitec will soon add another value-added service for Capitec clients in the form of discounted DStv Stream payments.

Capitec already sold almost 50 000 discounted Showmax vouchers since mid-August after it introduced the option, and will expand it to DStv Stream discounts from November.

Since mid-August Capitec has offered the Showmax Entertainment package on all devices for R49 per month.

In response to a media query MultiChoice tells TVwithThinus "When MultiChoice partnered with Capitec in August, it marked the start of a collaborative effort to offer greater value to our customers".

"The partnership has already provided Capitec clients with half-price Showmax subscriptions through the Capitec banking app."

"We're pleased to announce that from next month, Capitec clients will also benefit from discounted access to DStv Stream plans, giving them more ways to enjoy premium entertainment at a reduced cost. This partnership reflects our commitment to making quality content more accessible and affordable for all our customers. More details will follow soon."


Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Unlicensed StarSat claims its not illegal, refuses to reveal shareholding


by Thinus Ferreira

StarSat which has been broadcasting unlicensed for over a year and failed to renew its licence, on Tuesday claimed that it is not operating illegally, with the Chinese-run pay-TV provider that said it would continue to defy South Africa's broadcasting regulator and stay on the air.

This comes as On Digital Media (ODM) that runs StarSat refuses to divulge its local and foreign shareholding, with an insider saying StarSat's claims of 500 000 subscribers and 600 workers are bogus.

South Africa's, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), warned ODM multiple times in 2023 to renew its broadcasting licence in time, which the Midrand-based satellite pay-TV operator ignored and failed to do. 

ODM's 15-year broadcasting licence expired on 8 July last year and simply kept broadcasting without telling StarSat subscribers, installer agents, its staff, or local and international TV channel providers that it is operating without any valid licence.

By March this year Icasa told ODM it must shut down by 18 September and in advance of the shuttering date tell all its stakeholders, subscribers and channel providers that 18 September will be its last day on air.

The date came and went with ODM, the only traditional satellite pay-TV competitor to MultiChoice's DStv, defying Icasa's shutdown order and vowing to keep broadcasting despite losing an urgent court interdict against its shutdown order in the Gauteng High Court.

On Tuesday, at a hastily-arranged press conference, Pule Mabe who is now StarSat's head of strategy and public affairs and previously was national spokesperson for the ANC political party, claimed that "StarSat is not operating illegally".

During its business rescue under which the financially imploded TopTV became StarSat, China's StarTimes acquired a 20% share in StarSat, the maximum allowed by a foreign company in a local media business. 

On Tuesday ODM refused to provide the current shareholding structure and composition of StarSat.

"We are trying to recover on the two years that we have lost. During that period, our own shareholding at the level of StarSat got to be tampered with," Pule Mabe said.

He said StarSat is going to do roadshows over the next weeks with mobile operators "depending on where we get the right and best offer for our customers to launch fully our over-the-top (OTT) platform so that our people know that they do not only have to rely on satellite dishes for them to watch content".

After StarSat claimed it has 500 000 subscribers and 600 workers who will lose their jobs if the unlicensed StarSat is forced to shut down, an insider told News24 that these numbers are very likely overstated.

Meanwhile, TV channel operators and distributors including the SABC, e.tv, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), ZEE, The Walt Disney Company, AMC Networks International, the BBC, Bloomberg, NBCUniversal, Sky News, Trace Africa and others have not pulled their channels from StarSat and continue to supply their channel collections to the illegal pay-TV operator.

Icasa didn't respond to a media query earlier this week, asking whether it told channel distributors to stop providing their content to StarSat since it is unlicensed and was told to shut down.

Justine Limpitlaw, an expert in electronic communications law, told SABC News that "until a court sets aside Icasa's decision, Icasa is the regulator under the constitution".

"StarSat simply didn't apply in time and Icasa has therefore said to it you need to wind down your operations."

Icasa and the police shuts down unlicensed On Digital Media's StarSat in raid on Midrand offices as staff huddle in prayer circles


by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's broadcasting regulator on Wednesday morning cut off the signal of the unlicensed On Digital Media's StarSat in a raid on its Midrand office complex in Johannesburg after a defiant ODM continued broadcasting and refused to shut down.

StarSat staff stood around, huddled in prayer circles.

Thousands of StarSat subscribers who were warned not to pay for another month, after the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) warned the public that StarSat was meant to shut down on 18 September, suddenly lost signal and got an "E001: There is no signal! This may be due to bad weather or a faulty connection in the installation" on-screen message from their decoders.

On Wednesday morning ODM didn't respond other than to say on social media "We are aware of the connection issue and we will provide further feedback".

It didn't tell subscribers that Icasa had shut it down when the regulator's officials arrived at its offices in Halfway Gardens, ripped equipment out and carried it away.

Icasa officials ripped out servers, cables and other broadcasting equipment since 9:00 on Wednesday morning. 

Icasa's StarSat raid and shutdown was televised live on SABC News.

Jan-Hendrik Harmse, StarSat marketing manager, told SABC News that Icasa arrived on Wednesday morning with a search and seizure order.

"Icasa started unplugging things. They started just ripping out all the equipment we need to broadcast. But not just to South Africa, but to the rest of Africa as well. So as we speak, our customers have nothing showing on their screens."

"If we have to go to the courts we are going to go to the courts," he said.

On Wednesday afternoon a StarSat's customer call centre operator, when asked if StarSat had been raided and shut down, said "No, that is not the case".

StarSat which has been broadcasting unlicensed for over a year and failed to renew its licence, claims it is not operating illegally, with the Chinese-run pay-TV provider that says it will continue to defy South Africa's broadcasting regulator and stay on the air.

ODM didn't immediately respond to a media query about Icasa’s shutdown of StarSat. Icasa also didn't respond yet to a media query seeking comment on its shutdown raid.

Icasa warned ODM multiple times in 2023 to renew its broadcasting licence in time, which the Midrand-based satellite pay-TV operator ignored and failed to do. 

ODM's 15-year broadcasting licence expired on 8 July last year and simply kept broadcasting without telling StarSat subscribers, installer agents, its staff, or local and international TV channel providers that it is operating without any valid licence.

By March this year Icasa told ODM it must shut down by 18 September and in advance of the shuttering date tell all its stakeholders, subscribers and channel providers that 18 September will be its last day on air.

The date came and went with ODM, the only traditional satellite pay-TV competitor to MultiChoice's DStv, defying Icasa's shutdown order and vowing to keep broadcasting despite losing an urgent court interdict against its shutdown order in the Gauteng High Court.

On Tuesday, at a hastily-arranged press conference, Pule Mabe who is now StarSat's head of strategy and public affairs and previously was national spokesperson for the ANC political party, claimed that "StarSat is not operating illegally".

During its business rescue under which the financially imploded TopTV became StarSat, China's StarTimes acquired a 20% share in StarSat, the maximum allowed by a foreign company in a local media business. On Tuesday ODM refused to provide the current shareholding structure and composition of StarSat.

"We are trying to recover on the two years that we have lost. During that period, our own shareholding at the level of StarSat got to be tampered with," Pule Mabe said.

He said StarSat is going to do roadshows over the next weeks with mobile operators "depending on where we get the right and best offer for our customers to launch fully our over-the-top (OTT) platform so that our people know that they do not only have to rely on satellite dishes for them to watch content".

After StarSat claimed it has 500 000 subscribers and 600 workers who will lose their jobs if the unlicensed StarSat is forced to shut down, an insider told News24 that these numbers are very likely overstated.

Meanwhile, TV channel operators and distributors including the SABC, e.tv, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), ZEE, The Walt Disney Company, AMC Networks International, the BBC, Bloomberg, NBCUniversal, Sky News, Trace Africa and others have not pulled their channels from StarSat and continued to supply their channel collections to the illegal pay-TV operator.

Justine Limpitlaw, an expert in electronic communications law, told SABC News that "until a court sets aside Icasa's decision, Icasa is the regulator under the constitution".

"StarSat simply didn't apply in time and Icasa has therefore said to it you need to wind down your operations."

On Wednesday afternoon StarSat in a statement confirmed "that today Icasa, accompanied by the South African Police Service entered its Midrand offices and disconnected services".

"During this process, not only were ODM's services impacted but also those of StarTimes Media's pan-African broadcast. As the service provider to ODM and a subsidiary of the larger StarTimes Group, StarTimes Media holds a valid individual electronics communication network service (ECNS) licence for transmissions across Africa."

"While we acknowledge Icasa's mandate to shut down ODM's South African services, we are appalled by the manner in which Icasa disregarded ODM's reasonable initial request for a discussion regarding which equipment should be removed, should the execution order be carried out."

"Instead, Icasa opted to remove all equipment, including that belonging to StarTimes Media, which has adversely affected its pan-African broadcast services. This disconnection is highly concerning as it affects legitimate operations under this licence."

"While ODM acknowledges an ongoing dispute, it strongly contests the disconnection of a valid
StarTimes Media connection, which it believes to be unlawful."

"ODM is exploring all legal avenues to resolve this issue swiftly and restore services. The company's legal representatives have urgently approached the courts and will continue to keep all stakeholders, including customers, employees, and the media, informed as the situation progresses."


Unlicensed StarSat kept shutdown order secret for 6 months, says ‘recent order came as unexpected surprise’


by Thinus Ferreira

StarSat which is broadcasting illegally without a licence kept its subscribers, staff, local installer agents and even its global TV channel providers in the dark ever since South Africa's broadcasting regulator told it six months ago to shut down by September, now claiming "the recent shutdown order came as an unexpected surprise".

Yet StarSat also says it didn't believe it was "necessary to raise concerns with our stakeholders at the time" after it was told in March to shutter by 18 September.

South Africa's broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), warned the Chinese-run On Digital Media (ODM) last year to renew its broadcasting licence in time, which the Midrand-based satellite pay-TV operator failed to do. 

ODM's 15-year broadcasting licence expired on 8 July last year, but has since then kept operating its StarSat service.

On 18 March this year, Icasa finally decided that ODM should wind up its affairs and shut down by 18 September and told the Midrand-based satellite pay-TV operator to tell StarSat subscribers that StarSat would stop on this date.

ODM knew for six months about its StarSat shutdown order from Icasa but decided to keep this a secret from staff and subscribers. 

In response to a media query, ODM claimed that "Unfortunately, the recent shutdown order came as an unexpected surprise, impacting both our business and staff".

After Icasa told StarSat that its licence wasn't renewed and that ODM must shut down, CEO Debbie Wu in June denied that StarSat would be shutting down when she was asked about it.

In response to a media query in June, Debbie Wu said "We can assure you and the public that ODM/StarSat will not be closing its operations anytime. Should such an event materialise, which we doubt will happen, we will respect our obligation in terms of the law to notify all interested parties".

ODM was sent questions about StarSat's shutdown order through Eclipse Communications appointed to do ODM's crisis communications, asking for comment about StarSat subscribers, staff, StarSat installers and agents, as well as TV channel distributors, who say they were not notified over the past half a year by ODM that Icasa told StarSat to shut down by 18 September.

None of these specific questions were answered. 

In a statement from Eclipse Communications, ODM said that after an urgent interdict application to stop the Icasa shutdown order failed, "A review application is pending to address the substantive legal issues between the two parties once the court date is set".

A question about what exactly ODM's "review application" entails, what court and what it means, also went unanswered.

Instead, ODM notes that "StarSat has always prioritised open communication at every level of our business. We maintain ongoing dialogue with stakeholders to ensure smooth operations, and it has been our hope that our engagement with Icasa would result in positive outcomes for both our employees and customers".

ODM which claims it has 500 000 StarSat subscribers and 600 staff, says it didn't tell anybody that its pay-TV service was ordered to shut down because it didn't believe it was necessary and didn't want to alarm stakeholders.

"Throughout this process, StarSat remained in regular contact with Icasa, submitting our late application with full justification, believing that ICASA understood the challenges we faced. Given our confidence in a positive resolution, we did not believe it was necessary to raise concerns with our stakeholders at the time."

"Unfortunately, the recent shutdown order came as an unexpected surprise, impacting both our business and staff."

"Like any organisation filled with passionate and dedicated individuals, we were disheartened by the sudden decision. Our current focus is on finding a solution to continue delivering our unique offering to South African audiences."

"We remain committed to working with Icasa and sincerely hope for a resolution that supports the livelihoods of our employees and the pay-TV industry as a whole."

ODM's StarSat is the only traditional pay-TV competition for MultiChoice's DStv in South Africa. It is 20%-owned by the Chinese pay-TV service StarTimes – the maximum allowed for a foreign company of a South African media business. 

StarTimes took over the running of a rebranded StarSat following a business rescue process a decade ago, after Top TV came to the verge of collapse following controversy and public outcry over TopTV's eventually abandoned plans to carry a bouquet of pornographic TV channels.

Channel operators are distributors like the SABC, e.tv, Warner Bros. Discovery, ZEE, The Walt Disney Company, AMC Networks International, the BBC, Bloomberg, NBCUniversal, Sky News and Trace Africa have taken a wait-and-see approach and have not pulled their channels from StarSat's channel line-up since last week although they are currently providing services and content to an unlicensed and now illegal pay-TV operator.

ODM says "StarSat remains committed to engaging with Icasa in a respectful and constructive manner. We look forward to a platform where we can discuss any concerns or discrepancies and work toward a positive outcome."

"In the meantime, we have sought legal counsel and will be transparent in sharing updates with stakeholders as the matter progresses."

"Our primary focus remains the well-being of our employees and continuing to contribute positively to the South African economy. We are optimistic that, in partnership with Icasa, we can find a solution that benefits all parties involved".

According to Icasa, the industry and StarSat subscribers should prepare for "StarSat's imminent exit from the subscription television market in South Africa".

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

MultiChoice Kenya hikes DStv fees from November 2024 by over 5% with 4th increase in two years as subscribers say they're done and cancelling


by Thinus Ferreira

MultiChoice Kenya is hiking DStv prices in the East African country from November for the 4th time in two years, this time by up to 5.4%, leading to massive outrage under DStv consumers saying they're cancelling.

MultiChoice Kenya is hiking DStv Premium by 4.7% from Sh10500 to Sh11000, with DStv Compact Plus increased by 4.6% from Sh6500 to Sh6800.

DStv Compact is increasing, 5.4% from Sh3700 from Sh3900. MultiChoice is hiking DStv Family by 5% from Sh2000 to Sh2100.

It's the 4th time in two years that MultiChoice Kenya is hiking DStv subscribers' monthly fees. 

When MultiChoice Kenya last hiked prices in the country in March by up to 6% it was the third price hike in a year after price increases in April and August 2023.

"We would like to inform you that MultiChoice Kenya will be making adjustments to some of its DStv subscription prices effective from 1 November," Nzola Miranda, MultiChoice Kenya managing director, announced.

MultiChoice Kenya failed to provide any reasons for the latest price hike.

DStv Kenya subscribers are furious and say they're cancelling - similar to DStv subscribers in other countries from Uganda to Namibia where MultiChoice Africa announced further recent price hikes.

"DStv Kenya, you are being greedy and uncontrollable," says Michelle Katami. "You cannot increase pricing, whenever, wherever you feel like. What is your excuse this time? DStv subscription in Kenya is overpriced. Only sports channels matter to me. MultiChoice Kenya needs to be regulated at this point".

Ron Peter asked MultiChoice Kenya to "provide justification for the increases in your prices. Otherwise I haven't seen any improvements in content except for SuperSport channels. Over the years you have remained stagnant. We welcome other pay-TV into the Kenyan market".