''Will they call it Top T*ts?'' asked a South African TV executive jokingly today when the full intent of On Digital Media's plan for porno channels was revealed.
The pay TV operator that runs TopTV since May 2010 wants to provide stiffer competition in South Africa's pay TV market by channeling at least 3 ''adult content'' channels as the industry euphemistically refer to encrypted sex channels that can show a range of salacious and explicit video content to pay TV subscribers. TopTV applied to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) that regulates the broadcasting industry for 3 porn channels that will have an R18 rating.
If approved, TopTV's sex channels will only be accessible on a secure, encrypted and separate subscription - the price not yet known - as part of TopTV's porn package.
Industry insiders said today that it was clear that the local TV industry has not yet made any attempt at integrating so-called adult video services within South Africa's highly-sensitive TV audience market in a more delicate way. ''From MultiChoice's porn research to e.tv's Naked News they don't go about it in the right way,'' said an executive. ''Compared to others [countries], nobody seems to have the expertise to implement it with a soft landing that doesn't damage the brand,'' said another.
Channels on the TopTV platform such as religious channels GOD.TV and Cape Town's Al Mizan Muslim channel have not yet responded publicly about the possibility of sharing space on a pay TV platform that also carries R18 rated content. (Top Gospel is TopTV's own self-compiled faith-centric channel.)
TopTV didn't respond to specific urgent questions as part of a media enquiry regarding TopTV's porno plans put to the pay TV operator by TV with Thinus following the issuing of the TopTV press release at 16:02 this afternoon.
ALSO READ: TopTV: From ''strong Christian ethical codes'' and not wanting ''to poison the minds of millions of SA children'' to adult channels.
ALSO READ: TopTV planning their own adult TV channels, now in an ungly porno spat with PSat.TV that has plans for their own porno channel.
ALSO READ: TopTV confirms its plans to pump pornographic channels to subscribers as part of a new ''rated R18'' separate subscription porno package.
ALSO READ: TopTV wants to titillate; has plans to start 3 adult channels on its pay TV platform.
ALSO READ: Porn operator Porn Satellite Television (PSat) targeting TopTV subscribers; intends to broadcast hardcore pornographic content into the country from 2012.
