South Africa's Film and Publication Board (FPB) that last month told TV with Thinus it would ''strongly oppose'' TopTV's application to broadcast hardcore pornography, did so yesterday at the public hearing of South Africa's broadcasting regulator convened to hear arguments around On Digital Media's (ODM) pornography application.
The Film and Publication Board told the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) that for TopTV to broadcast hardcore pornography - which TopTV intends to do with the channels Adult XXX, Private Spice and Playboy Europe - would be illegal to do on South African television.
According to Film and Publication Board spokesperson Mlimandlela Ndamase the Broadcasting Act clearly stipulates that the distribution of pornography can be done only through licensed stores and classified videos. The sale of pornographic content is only allowed to be made to people over the age of 18. Hardcore pornography can't be broadcast on television.
The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) also weighed on on TopTV's porn application.
FXI executive director Elston Seppie said that if this porn package channels were to be allowed, that TopTV would have to focus on the rights of women and children. ''“We don't have a level of censorship, but we need to consider the impact these channels would have on women and children,'' says Elston Seppie.
