New film lot, Studio Joburg, started at the Johannesburg Expo Centre as a film and TV content creation hub for the Gauteng province.

The Johannesburg Expo Centre (JEC) in Nasrec is adding a film lot called Studio Joburg as a film and television content creation hub.

"We believe that this new development will provide a top class facility for the production of content within the film industry," says Craig Newman, JEC CEO.

"It will also be an important development for the people of Soweto and the surrounding areas in terms of job creation and skills development."

Discussions are currently taking place with a film school and broadcaster that could become anchor tenants at the Studio Joburg facility.

The multipurpose facilities of the JEC where the Neill Blomkamp film District 9 was filmed, provide more than 50 000m²  of indoor space, more than 100 000 m² of versatile outdoor space as well as a multipurpose arena that can accommodate up to 20 000 people.

Eddie Mbalo, a former CEO of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) and former CEO of pay-TV operator On Digital Media (ODM) running StarSat, is part of the Studio Joburg endeavour.

"The Expo Centre is the ideal location for an undertaking of this nature," says Eddie Mbalo. "We believe that Studio Joburg will become an important content and entertainment hub for the Gauteng province."

Today's interesting TV stories to read from TV with Thinus - 15 September 2015

SABC fires Sammy Sosa.
"Sick" Sammy secretly used her time to film Vuzu AMP (DStv 114)'s hip-hop reality show The Hustle.


India gripped by murder mystery of the TV executive who allegedly murdered her sister - who was actually her daughter!
India's numerous 24-hour TV news channels are all going insane with lurid live coverage, panel shows, discussions, gripping satire and commentary of TV executive Indrani Mukerjea, Indian's first TV mogul, who allegedly strangled her sister Sheena Bora to death ...
... only for the shock revelation that Sheena Bora was actually ... her daughter!
... with the irony that her husband was a pioneer of satellite TV 24-hour TV news!
... going from setting up 24-hour TV news, to be covered by it incessantly!
... who now claims his domineering wife abused him!
... viewers across India are gripped - just like South Africa's Oscar Pistorius trial, by the surreal, real-life crime drama about rich and famous people engulfed by murder, hidden identities and a body burnt in a forest!
... it's a sensational TV news moral fable about materialism, media and motherhood.


Tumultuous exodus underway at Bloomberg Television (DStv 411).
A dramatic string of TV executives are out at the business news TV channel. Also went through one of its biggest firings last week when 80 Bloomberg editorial staffers globally were shown the door.



M-Net South Africa CEO Yolisa Phahle shares her story.
M-Net top executive who was raised in Britain with South African parents, tells CliffCentral how she got to the position and her music history in a wide-ranging 54 minute interview.
The relevant M-Net part starts at minute 22 until minute 46 where she talks about Mzansi Magic, reveals she was worried and panicked about the Channel O youth day mock-up ad, talks hit shows and scandals, transformation, reveals she was involved in casting the judges for The Voice South Africa and that they've been chosen and says M-Net wants to make "TV that people will talk about".


John Oliver forced to shut down his fake church.
After exposing some unscrupulous televangelist practices by starting his Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption "church", the Last Week Tonight with John Oliver host on M-Net (DStv 101) decided to shut down his church - because people mailed him sperm. It comes after he asked viewers to send him their seed (meaning money).


Isha Sesay is doing NewsCenter from Los Angeles
since she and John Vause will soon be doing a new, simulcast show on CNN International (DStv 401) and CNN.

Can Uzalo on SABC1 just bring Gxabhashe back already?
The character that was "killed off" is set to return (and fake, unsourced tabloid stories that there was friction between the actor and the production wasn't true).

Doctor Who needs a lot more kissing
Says Peter Capaldi.

A must-watch sneak peek at the The Unauthorised Beverly Hills, 90210 Story.
The Lifetime channel's unauthorised biographical film about the hit 90s teen drama is absolutely spot on.

Vanity Fair looks at why American late-night television is "better than ever".
But sadly completely excludes women and female comedians. It's "Manity Fair" and such a great unintended example of a "boy's club".


On Digital Media (ODM) and director and consultant Eddie Mbalo's fight continues in licence and shares battle.
Eddie Mbalo says its impossible to place a value on a company that was near liquidation.

The X Factor UK has long ago lost all credibility says Graham Norton.
The ITV star seen in South Africa on BBC First attacks the reality competition show seen on M-Net and says he "hasn't watched in years".

Public pressure group SOS Coalition slams parliament over the SABC.
Vacant positions for the SABC board remains unfilled and vacant.

Four key elements for over-the-top (OTT) television to survive and flourish.
The same elements hold true for South Africa's growing number of video-on-demand (VOD) players like Naspers' ShowMax, Times Media Group's VIDI, MTN's FrontRow and others.

e.tv has started moving to its new high-definition (HD) Cape Town building.

Orange plans to start a video-on-demand (VOD) service in South Africa.
Orange Horizons wants to launch it in 2016 and want to partner with a local player under the name Orange VoD.

Jon Farrar at BBC Worldwide explains new BBC channels
Is responsible for the programming and acquisition strategy for BBC Worldwide's new channels BBC Earth, BBC Brit and BBC First. He explains how the channels are different, what they're looking for and more context to the channels' alignment.

M-Net's ex boss in Africa starts her Grooming for Greatness project.
Former managing director of M-Net Africa Biola Alabi is starting a leadership development initiative.

Comedy Central (DStv 122) is taking a "multi-platform" ad approach to market Trevor Noah.

The real history of The Golden Girls theme song.
Which has traveled down the road and back again and is now 30 years old.

Sophia Zhang appointed as the new CEO of On Digital Media (ODM)'s StarSat; interim CEO Eddie Mbalo to remain until business rescue is done.

China's pay-TV operator StarTimes has appointed Sophia Zhang as the new CEO of South Africa's pay-TV operator On Digital Media (ODM) which runs the StarSat (formerly TopTV) service.

The Chinese StarTimes, operational in several African countries, came to the aid of the struggling ODM in 2013 as its new financial backer after the Woodmead based company filed for business rescue last year.

One of the  requirements of StarTimes - if its bid for a capital injection waa approved, whereby it would acquire a stake in ODM - had been that it would replace ODM's CEO with its own CEO from within StarTimes' executive ranks.

Sophia Zhang now becomes ODM's third CEO.

She takes over from interim CEO Eddie Mbalo, who took over from the founding CEO Vino Govender.

ODM tells TV with Thinus that "StarTimes has named Sophia Zhang as ODM's new CEO, although interim CEO Eddie Mbalo will continue to serve alongside Sophia Zhang until the business rescue process has been concluded, or until there has been significant progress towards its implementation".

Sophia Zhang has experience of the TV market and pay-TV in Africa - she will head up ODM after she looked after StarTimes in Africa as the CEO of the NTA-Star TV Network in Nigeria.

StarSat, which launched as TopTV in May 2010, currently has just over 100 000 subscribers.

On Digital Media (ODM) on the death of Nelson Mandela: 'Sadded on hearing of the passing of our nation's father.'

The South African satellite pay-TV operator On Digital Media (ODM) says the company "is saddened on hearing of the passing of our nation's father and first democratic president of South Africa".

"President Nelson Mandela's passing comes at a time of the dawn of South Africa's 20 years of democracy and ODM joins South Africans from all walks of life, in thanking him for his enormous role to the betterment of our society," says Eddie Mbalo, ODM's interim CEO.

"ODM will continue to honour his exceptional and exemplary life by practising his principle of untained humanity and that of broad-gauged justice for generations to come," says Eddie Mbalo.

"Our condolences go to his family and close loved ones at this very difficult time."

ODM started running a special tribute on-air promo to Nelson Mandela since 12:00 on Friday on ODM's StarSat channels.

Eddie Mbalo, StarSat's interim CEO proud to bring porn to South African television; more sex channels coming in 2014.

Eddie Mbalo, the interim CEO of On Digital Media (ODM) is proud to bring porn to South African television, with the South African satellite pay-TV operator planning to bring more sex channels on its pornographic package in 2014, including pornography coming from Africa.

ODM and StarSat's porn plans are raising new concerns within South Africa about "a flood of filth" on South African television.

"We at StarSat are proud to deliver this offering for the first time to South African viewers," says Eddie Mbalo about StarSat's pornographic bouquet which South African viewers can now subscribe to at a cost of R159 per month.

ODM and StarTimes changed the TopTV brand into StarSat. ODM and its financial backer, China's StarTimes, are now planning more porn in 2014 for StarSat besides the Playboy TV and hardcore Private Spice channel which come with an R18 rating. ODM will include pornography coming from Africa.

ODM and StarTimes changed the TopTV brand into StarSat. The separate Playboy Plus bouquet with the porno channels is supplied by Playboy TV UK / Benelux Limited in England and runs from 20:00 to 05:00 daily.

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) granted ODM a license earlier this year following a second application.

Eddie Mbalo says the erotic sex channels will "in the long run promote healthy relationships, positive images of sexuality, and of women in particular," for South Africa.

Errol Naidoo of the Family Policy Institute (FPI) has called for a renewed nationwide boycott in of On Digital Media and StarSat "with immediate effect", saying South Africans need to "take a bold and uncompromising stand against the flood of filth infiltrating our nation."

"Research consistently shows that regular porn consumption lead to addictions and often fuels sexual crimes against women & children." According to Errol Naidoo "our government is making it easier for children to be exposed to hardcore pornography on the internet and TV". He says people supporting ODM and StarSat are contributing to pornography on South African television.

The Justice Alliance of South Africa (Jasa) which is also opposed to ODM and StarSat's porn broadcast intends to have a court relook the pornography on South African television issue.

Jasa has brought a court application against ODM, Icasa, and the minister of communications. The case will be heard early in 2014. A group of teenagers also opposed to porn, has joined the case.

Jasa wants a court to review Icasa's decision regarding the broadcasting times. ODM initially wanted to broadcast the channels 24 hours per day but backed down and decreased it to starting only at 20:00 at night. Jasa says it is still too early if the sex television has to be shown at all.

"We don't think pornographic programmes should be broadcast at all, but after 23:00 would be a more reasonable time," says Jasa in a statement. We contend that fixing a watershed time of 20:00 flies in the face of common sense, bearing in mind that most teenage children finish their homework at about 20:00 and then watch TV for an hour or two until bedtime."

TopTV as StarSat orders a lot of Chinese off of the menu for subscribers for its new TV dinner.

On Digital Media (ODM) is ordering Chinese off the menu for its new TV dinner.

It follows China's StarTimes TV conglomerate which is in the process of acquiring a 20% foreign interest in ODM after a capital injection into the South African satellite pay-TV operator. Through this StarTimes gets a 65% economic interest in the second company being set up to manage the operations.

The struggling Woodmead based pay-TV operator is rebranding the damaged TopTV name into StarSat. At the same time ODM and StarTimes is  in the process of launching and restructuring a new bouquet of TV channels with new packages, heavy with Chinese TV channels and Chinese sourced content.

Besides multiple self-compiled channels which will now bear the StarSat name and logo - Star Music, Star Gospel, Star Guide, Star Movies 1, Star Movies 1 + 2Hrs, Star E1, Star One, Star Africa 2, Novela E1, Novela E2, Kung Fu 1, Star Chinese 2, and Star Bollywood - ODM and StarTimes is adding a new StarSat Chinese package from January.

Like the StarSat Indian additional package and StarSat's pornographic package, StarSat Chinese will be available as an additional bolt-on subscription for R149 per month for 17 further Chinese TV channels.

Also included in the new StarSat channel line-up is Chinese news and documentary channels such as CCTV9 Documentary, CCTV News and the Times Now news channel sourced from India.

A new white high definition (HD) enabled StarSat HD decoder manufactured in China is now available in South Africa. A StarSat installation costs R599 but existing TopTV subscribers who want to upgrade can order the new StarSat decoder for R300. No HD channels will be available however until 2014 according to the pay-TV operator.

e.tv's newly launched "e+" TV channels are also being added to ODM and StarTimes' StarSat bouquet according to the new StarSat website.

Sabido Investment Limited's eKasi+, eAfrica+ and eMovies+ channels are coming to StarSat which is already available since mid-October on Platco Digital's new OpenView HD (OVHD) platform but not on MultiChoice's DStv.

e.tv, asked for comment about the additional e.tv channels to be added to StarSat says "e.tv's policy is platform-neutral and we aim to be on as many platforms as possibe. A media statement will be issued as and when e.tv becomes available on new platforms."

StarSat's porn channels are already running although ODM and StarTimes is not publicising the fact. Instead of the three sex channels ODM applied for and for which South Africa's broadcasting regulator granted permission, two of the pornographic channels - Private Spice and Playboy TV - are available in a separate sex TV package of R159 per month.

Although no mention is being made of the porno package in press releases or marketing materials, the package is available to subscribers who call the ODM call centre and request the porno bouquet specifically.

In response to a media enquiry ODM says "the Playboy package is being managed and marketed in a very targeted manner". It's not yet clear why the third applied for sex channel, Desire TV, is not available, and whether it would be added later.

Other new TV channels ODM and StarTimes is planning to add to StarSat according to the StarSt website include Nat Geo Gold and FOX Crime. FOX Crime is already available since June on MultiChoice's DStv. While still lacking a proper sport offering, StarSat is adding NBA TV with basketball coverage, and retaining Fuel TV and Setanta Africa.

Other new planned StarSat channels which were not available on TopTV before include Animaux (a French TV channel about the animal world), news channels CNC, TVC News and Bloomberg Television.

StarSat says it hopes to have "over 100 channels" by 1 January 2014. Eddie Mbalo, ODM's acting CEO who will soon be replaced by a CEO from StarTimes, says in a statement that "the new [channel] structure offers more channels per package, and at more competitive prices."

Although TopTV subscribers were promised at the end of October by ODM that they will get free access in November to new channels, no further channels have so far materialised.

On Sunday ODM and StarTimes broke the promise and told subscribers free channel sampling will now only take place from December.

"For December you will be charged your current package price, but will receive additional channels. In January you will be charged the new package price. If you would like to choose a different package, you should call before 10 December," ODM has now told existing TopTV subscribers.

BREAKING. On Digital Media (ODM) to unveil TopTV's change to StarSat and its new StarSat pay-TV offering on Thursday.

You're reading it here first. 

Tomorrow On Digital Media (ODM) intends to take the wrap off of it's "new" StarSat offering when the struggling South African satellite pay-TV operator, which is dumping and completely getting rid of the terminally damaged TopTV brand, plans to officially unveil its new StarSat name and TV channels offering.

ODM in business rescue since the end of 2012 and is waiting for regulatory approval regarding stakeholder shareholding changes following a bail-out by China's StarTimes which is getting a foreign effective 65% economic interest in ODM.

On Thursday ODM will unveil that its new StarSat brand will include StarSat branded TV channels, third party TV channels, ODM's first-ever offering of some high definition (HD) channels, as well as a new bouquet grouping restructure.

It's not clear whether ODM will also launch a pornographic TV bouquet of sex channels which it got permission to launch from South Africa's broadcasting regulator at the end of April this year after a second application but which dented the company's public image and reputation and the TopTV name.

Interestingly, as On Digital gets ready to reveal its new pay-TV offering to South Africa, competitor MultiChoice is making a raft of premium channels from its most expensive package available to lower-tiered DStv subscribers in November at no additional cost.

From Monday 11 November to Sunday 17 November MultiChoice will unblock dozens of TV channels for subscribers who are not on the DStv Premium bouquet.

On Thursday ODM plans to give an update on On Digital Media's progress regarding the business rescue.

The Woodmead based company has seen court action as shareholders fight behind the scenes and an ongoing diminishing channel line-up this year. StarTimes promised a major restructuring and shake-up of the business as well as a major upgrade of TopTV's on-air content offering.

On Thursday ODM's acting CEO Eddie Mbalo plans to launch StarSat as a new brand in the place of TopTV, promising a "new viewing experience" to subscribers.

Discovery Networks CEEMEA resumes its carriage agreement with TopTV and returns its 3 Discovery channels after a massive public embarrassement.

Discovery Networks International for the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMEA) region restored its carriage agreement with the struggling On Digital Media (ODM) today to resume carrying its three Discovery channels - TLC (TopTV 453), Discovery Science (TopTV 302) and ID: Investigation (TopTV 303) - on its TopTV satellite pay-TV platform in South Africa after a massive public embarrassement.

In a case study of "how NOT to" when it comes to crisis management and crisis communication, neither the arrogant and aloof Discovery Networks International nor the arrogant and aloof TopTV bothered or felt the need to talk to those who presumably matter most: its viewers and pay-TV subscribers.

TopTV's pay-TV subscribers - those who remain after multiple public missteps from the company currently in business rescue and which faced liquidation - were left angry, perplexed - and vented - after Discovery Networks CEEMEA abruptly and without any warning from them as content provider or from TopTV, pulled the three channels.

TopTV's channels were set to go dark on Tuesday night if TopTV shareholders didn't vote to approve the StarTimes bail-out deal. TopTV's third-party channel providers and creditors were aware of that and were ready to shut down their channels.

It's foreseeable that TopTV forgot to tell Discovery Networks CEEMEA that TopTV is still an ongoing business after the end of April - or that TopTV didn't communicate and that Discovery presumed the carriage agreement is over.

It's also possible that Discovery would have shut its channels down anyway at the end of April similar to Manchester United Television (MUTV) in November 2012 and Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) which pulled Showtime, Star! and Silver in December 2012 due to millions in outstanding debt.

It's also possible that TopTV didn't in time,or forgot to do so in time, communicate with Discovery Networks CEEMEA to discuss the new bail-out agreement with StarTimes and to ask Discovery to be lenient since new cash flow will be forthcoming.

Which one of these possibilities it is - or anything else - is not yet known since Discovery Networks CEEMEA and TopTV declined to give answers when asked and offered the opportunity to explain.

At 16:51 today TopTV's PR company paid to handled public relations and media enquiries, Amplified Communications, suddenly issued a press statement saying "TopTV is pleased to announce that the three Discovery Channels broadcast from its platform - Science, ID and TLC - will be restored on-air after 17:00 this evening."

It follows after media enquiries on Friday with specific questions as to what went on - both to TopTV marketing and publicity executives, Amplified Communications, as well as to Discovery Networks CEEMEA through their local employed South African PR firm, Fleishman-Hillard.

Specific questions about what is going on with the missing Discovery channels all went blatantly unanswered. The PR companies of course get paid by Discovery and TopTV and operate according to their instructions.

During the day TopTV didn't communicate with TopTV subscribers and refused to answer questions from the press about what is happening and why it happened, as TopTV subscribers wondered what's going on.

"Due to the technical nature of the business rescue process and a misunderstanding between the parties, Discovery Communications suspended its services to TopTV yesterdat (02 May)."

"Following a discussion between TopTV and Discovery earlier today, the situation was resolved and the three channels will be switched back on during the course of this afternoon," says the late-issued statement attributing quotes to Eddie Mbalo, TopTV's acting CEO.

"TopTV would like to apologise to its subscribers for this inconvenience and thanks them for their continued and loyal support."

Sadly for thousands of TopTV subscribers this "apology" came far too late.

TV with Thinus asked Amplified Communications and TopTV for specific answers to specific questions early on Friday after first asking on Thursday evening. On Friday no answers or explanations were forthcoming.

Fleishman-Hillard repping Discovery Networks CEEMEA said today "Discovery Networks will not be commenting on the issue at this stage."

I asked TopTV bare-minimum, bare basics questions which ordinary TopTV subscribers wanted and needed - and has a right - to know, since they pay actual real money for a service (they're not getting).

Subscribers of TopTV say they can't get their Discovery channels and were not told the channels are discontinued.
Why did the channels stop broadcasting?
No response.
Subscribers are wondering whether more TV channels on TopTV will be lost. Can TopTV give any assurances that the channels currently broadcasting will remain "on", or what does TopTV want to say and communicate to subscribers?
No response.
Why was TopTV subscribers not told that the Discovery channels would no longer be transmitted from yesterday, or, was TopTV informed, or when was TopTV told?
No response.

After the press statement was issued 9 minutes before the Discovery channels came back on, I asked - again - to please get specific answers to my specific questions and media enquiries made. I was told the press statement answers the "issue".


ALSO READ: Shocking lack of communication from Discovery Networks CEEMEA and TopTV after Discovery's 3 TV channels abrupty disaappear.
ALSO READ: Discovery's three TV channels on TopTV - Science, ID and TLC - all gone and blank as Discovery Networks International pulls their channels from TopTV.

Editor's note: You would think PR companies, media companies, companies whose business is relationship management and companies whose business is making money from communication would communicate better than the average. Clearly not. That's sad.
Companies, entities, corporations and individuals of course have the right of reply.
As a journalist I have to ask people. I also have to ask because it's my job and I ask on behalf of those who can't.
Companies and people and institutions have a golden opportunity to mitigate brand and reputation damage by responding and talking and being open, instead of pulling back, instead of having publicist become gatekeepers and blockers instead of being instrumental communicators and conduits for information. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's the business you're in. Media. Communication. How terrible when its not happening.
And the people suffering the most? The TopTV subscriber who not only gets handled and treated badly and without respect - but who are also shown through a total lack of proper corporate and public communication that they seemingly don't even "deserve", and are unworthy, of real-time answers.

TopTV aims to publish a business rescue plan for the struggling South African pay-TV operator by the end of March.

The struggling On Digital Media (ODM) running the TopTV pay-TV platform in South Africa which is currently in business rescue and and is urgently looking for cash, aims to publish a business rescue plan by the end of March.

About R1,4 billion has been sunk into the Woodmead based pay-TV business which launched its commercial service almost three years ago in May 2010.

Since then ODM has become "financially distressed" and its major shareholders, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and The National Empowerment Fund (NEF) are no longer prepared to inject any further funding into ODM.

Neither were prepared to extend a bridging fascility to ODM to enable it to operate within the "protective bubble" of business rescue as the pay-TV operator tries to restructure itself and attempt to prevent liquidation.

During December 2012 ODM's business rescue practitioner, Peter van den Steen, was approached by three separate interested parties who expressed interest in acquiring an equity interest in ODM since the company entered business rescue under the Companies Act at the end of October 2012. One withdrew in January.

In February one of the parties sent a written formal offer, and Peter van den Steen received another two expressions of interest. TopTV's aim is now to publish a business rescue plan based on offer(s) received from successful bidder(s) by the end of March.

According to TopTV which is currently being led by the interim CEO Eddie Mbalo, discussions are "at an advanced stage" with an announcement which would be made soon.

This past Thursday at TopTV's public hearing before South Africa's broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) to start a separate porn bouquet of channels, ODM told Icasa that it now has 250 direct employees.

TopTV now only wants to show porn on its proposed bouquet of sex channels during the watershed period; amends its submission.

TopTV which wants to broadcast porn on South African television changed its application submission for three pornographic channels on a separate bouquet and now wants to show porn only during what the TV industry calls "the watershed period" - between late night and early morning.

It's a big about-turn for TopTV which in its first written application to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) in its second attempt to launch a porn bouquet, said that it won't be "commercially savvy" to just run the channels after and before what is known as the "watershed period".

 The struggling On Digital Media (ODM) which runs TopTV, and which is currently under business rescue according to the Companies Act, applied for a second time to broadcast three sex channels as a separate bouquet.

This time TopTV wants to broadcast Playboy TV, Desire TV and Private Spice as a separate bouquet and with a rating classification of R18.

The sex channels are provided to TopTV by Playboy TV UK / Benelux Limited in England and are uplinked through SES Platform Services in Munich, Germany to South Africa.

In its written application to Icasa for it's second attempt at a separate bouquet, TopTV said that it wants the sex channels to broadcast all day long and not just during what the TV industry refers to as the "watershed period" - the time period after 20:00 and before 05:00 when more mature and riskier visual content and language content can be shown and heard on television.

"It will not be practicable to only schedule some material outside of the watershed period as all material will be of an adult nature. It will also not be viable and commercially savvy to run a channel from 20:00 to 05:00 only, as that will not be suitable and/or appealing to the majority of the audience interested in the channel/content."

TopTV has now changed its stance and wants to only broadcast the sex channels within the watershed period. In a just-issued press release, TopTV which is arguing its case in its public hearing before Icasa today, says the turnaround about restricting its porn broadcasts to just the watershed period comes "in response to considerable public inputs and feedback".

"ODM's new submission offers to restrict the broadcast of the three adult entertainment channels to the so-called 'watershed period' which falls between 20:00 and 05:00".

"We acknowledge that there is genuine public concern about the protection of children from viewing adult TV content," says Eddie Mbalo, the acting CEO of TopTV. 

"Even though we have strict mechanisms in place to give parents full control over the access to these channels, as an extra precaution we have made the decision not to broadcast adult material outside the watershed period, when children are likely to be awake," says Eddie Mbalo.

The South African Film and Publication Board (FPB) tells me that "we believe this type of distribution [through television] has the potential to expose children prematurely to adult content. With pornographic content as such, people have the right to view such content, but it can only be distributed by licensed distributors at specific businesses and the law still applies in that regard."

ALSO READ: TopTV wants porn all day; planned porn channels will "not be commercially viable" to run just during the watershed period, says TopTV.
ALSO READ: TopTV promises African porn.

TopTV wants porn all day; planned porn channels will 'not be viable' to run just during watershed period, says TopTV.

TopTV wants porn all day.

TopTV which is applying for the right to broadcast three sex channels in South Africa on the South African pay-TV operator's platform wants to pump the pornographic material for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and says in its written application that it won't be "commercially savvy" to just run the channels after and before what is known as the "watershed period" in the TV industry - between late night and early morning.

ALSO READ: TopTV now only wants to show porn on its proposed separate bouquet of sex channels during the watershed period; amends its submission.

 The struggling On Digital Media (ODM) which runs TopTV, and which is currently under business rescue according to the Companies Act, is having its public hearing for its "application for authorisation for channels" today before South Africa's broadcasting regulator, the Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa).

TopTV applied for a second time to broadcast three sex channels as a separate bouquet. This time TopTV wants to broadcast Playboy TV, Desire TV and Private Spice as a separate bouquet and with a rating classification of R18.

The sex channels are provided to TopTV by Playboy TV UK / Benelux Limited in England and are uplinked through SES Platform Services in Munich, Germany to South Africa. It's TopTV's second try at a trio of porn channels a year after Icasa denied TopTV's first application. This time TopTV is proposing a double PIN instead of a single PIN for the separate bouquet.

In its written application to Icasa, TopTV says it wants the sex channels to broadcast all day long and not just during what the TV industry refers to as the "watershed period" - the time period after 20:00 and before 05:00 when more mature and riskier visual content and language content can be shown and heard on television.

"We respectfully submit that the watershed period should not be an issue with respect to this channel as the material would remain blocked at all times and be viewable only to those adults who select to use the combination of PINs provided to access said material," says TopTV in its written application.

TopTV says the all the programmes on the porn channels will have "a rating of at least R18". "It will not be practicable to only schedule some material outside of the watershed period as all material will be of an adult nature," says TopTV in its application.

"It will also not be viable and commercially savvy to run a channel from 20:00 to 05:00 only, as that will not be suitable and/or appealing to the majority of the audience interested in the channel/content. Thus, to ensure that there is no transgression or circumvention of the protection offered by the watershed period, ODM will ensure that all material on the channels remain blocked at all times."

ODM's acting CEO, Eddie Mbalo says the group "sees adult content as a key business driver".

TopTV plans to talk today at its public hearing before the regulator and answer questions, something which TopTV declined to do in its public hearing a year ago, after which Icasa denied its first "authorisation for channels".

 The South African Film and Publication Board (FPB) tells me that "we believe this type of distribution [through television] has the potential to expose children prematurely to adult content. With pornographic content as such, people have the right to view such content, but it can only be distributed by licensed distributors at specific businesses and the law still applies in that regard."

TopTV promises African porn; public hearing to broadcast sex channels on television set for Thursday at SA's broadcasting regulator.

TopTV promises African porn "commissioned in Africa" for the separate porn bouquet the South African pay-TV operator wants to start. TopTV has to appear before South Africa's broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) in a public hearing which anyone can attend, starting at 09:00 on Thursday, 14 March at Icasa's head office in Katherine Street in Sandton.

The struggling TopTV, currently under business rescue according to the Companies Act, wants to introduce pornographic TV channels in South Africa exactly a year after South Africa's broadcasting regulator denied TopTV's first application.

TopTV's first try and the second porn again plan a year later has met with public resistance which has dented TopTV's public image and inflicted reputational damage on the struggling pay-TV operator's brand. TopTV is also looking for investors to save it with a much-needed cash injection to recapitalise the ailing operation.

In its application to the regulator, TopTV's CEO Eddie Mbalo says "our ability to offer certain of our subscribers the channels that form the subject of this application, would help greatly in our attempts to take the business to a sustainable future."

TopTV plans to talk tomorrow in its presentation, something which TopTV refused to do in its public hearing a year ago, after which Icasa also denied the "authorisation for channels".

TopTV wants to broadcast the three TV channels - Playboy TV, Desire TV and Private Spice - as a separate bouquet and with a rating classification of R18. The channels are provided to TopTV by Playboy TV UK / Benelux Limited in England and are uplinked through SES Platform Services in Munich, Germany to South Africa.

On Thursday, TopTV will have half an hour from 09:30 to make its case for porn broadcasting.

TopTV is proposing a double PIN system for its separate bouquet of sex channels but all TopTV subscribers will be able to see and have access to the trio of titillating channels on TopTV's on-screen electronic programme guide (EPG) in terms of show names and programme synopses. TopTV says the EPG information will be "watered down".

In its application TopTV says the Desire TV channel will have content from several porn studios "with new productions commissioned in Africa".

The broadcasting of pornography on television is South Africa is illegal. The South African Film and Publication Board (FPB) tells me that the overall commitment should remain to "protect children from such content and not to have minors exposed to such material. We believe this type of distribution [through television] has the potential to expose children prematurely to adult content."

With pornographic content as such, people have the right to view such content, but it can only be distributed by licensed distributors at specific businesses and the law still applies in that regard."

TopTV says e.tv and M-Net were both struggling financially when they started as the struggling pay-TV operator looks for recapitalisation.

On Digital Media (ODM) finds itself in serious financial difficulty but the struggling South African pay-TV operator which runs the TopTV service in South Africa says e.tv and pay-TV provider M-Net were both struggling financially in the same way when those TV operations started.

Eddie Mbalo, ODM's acting CEO, told Karima Brown on Beyond Markets on CNBC Africa (DStv 410) that "we're not closing shop".

ODM is currently in business rescue and needs a serious capital injection into its pay-TV business for the Woodmead based pay-TV operator to survive and recapitalise the business.

"We need to accept that what has happened to TopTV is not unique in the broadcasting environment. e.tv - two years after they've launched, were in a similar situation," said Eddie Mbalo.

"Also we know, M-Net, after they launched, it took them about 8 years to break even."

Eddie Mbalo refused to say how much money TopTV needs from potential investors but said "the business needs cash. That is what we are looking for."

"We do have interested parties on the table," Eddie Mbalo said. "We are currently in discussions about how we can all together ensure that the business is recapitalised."

TopTV says pay-TV operator is 'doing everything we can' to find replacement channels after Turner pulls Star, Showtime and Silver channels.

TopTV says the struggling South African pay-TV operator is doing everything it can to find replacement channels in the place of Silver, Star and Showtime which was yanked from the operator's line-up at the start of 2013.

Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) which also runs channels such as TCM, Boomerang, Cartoon Network and CNN International on MultiChoice's DStv, pulled Silver, Showtime and Star on 31 December 2012 from On Digital Media's TopTV and refused to give the South African TV industry or TopTV subscribers a reason or any explanation.

TopTV CEO Eddie Mbalo tells me that "TopTV is doing everything we can to replace the channels and yes, we are talking to other possible suppliers".

PORN AGAIN. TopTV says it would be 'naive and malicious' to think that approval to start its porn bouquet would be enough to save the company.

TopTV which has made an application - the pay-TV operator's second after the first one failed - to start broadcasting a separate porn bouquet of sex TV channels in South Africa says in a statement issued late on Thursday that it would be "both naïve and malicious to conclude that the granting of permission to broadcast channels would be sufficient to save a company that requires a capital injection."

In the cover letter on an On Digital Media (ODM) letterhead of ODM's application for authorisation for the channels, ODM's acting CEO Eddie Mbalo wrote to Icasa saying that Icasa "will also be aware that ODM has recently filed for business rescue in terms of chapter 6 of the Companies Act, 2008. We firmly believe that our ability to offer certain of our subscribers channels that form part of this application, would help greatly in our attempts to take the business to a sustainable future."

In the application cover letter signed by Eddie Mbalo, he writes: "Given that the business has received limited regulatory assistance in the past in order to assist it against extremely tough market competition, we would hope that the authority is able to look upon the application favourably and also do this as expediously as possible, in order to give ODM a fighting chance of survival."

In the statement on Thursday evening, Eddie Mbalo says "there have been many inferences made in the media that TopTV has made this application in a last-ditch effort to save the organisation, which was voluntarily placed in a business rescue process by the board towards the end of 2012."

"However, nothing could be further from the truth. As previously stated in the statement issued by TopTV at the time, the business requires a capital injection from a strategic equity partner. It would therefore be both naive and malicious to conclude that the granting of permission to broadcast channels would be sufficient to save a company that requires a capital injection."

"The current application that has been submitted to Icasa differs from the previous one, and takes into consideration the various submissions, viewpoints and comments made previously."

"We acknowledge that TopTV's failure to participate in the previous hearings denied us the opportunity to state our viewpoint clearly and to set the record straight with regards to how the channels would be broadcast and the necessary protective mechanisms that have been put in place."

"We are willing to listen to differing points of view, but equally expect everyone to respect the democratic rights of all South Africans, including those consumers who have expressed an interest in subscribing to such an offering."

In the statement Eddie Mbalo says that the constitution "guarantees all citizens their democratic right to read, view and consume material of their choice in the privacy of their own space, so long as that consumption is not in any way in contravention of the law. This right, he said, was as important a constitutional right as the right of all citizens to be protected from exploitation and abuse."

"It should also be noted that TopTV, and all other broadcasters for that matter, are not precluded from scheduling adult content in the normal course of their business, as our competitors have done in the past, and continue to do."

"TopTV has continually avoided going this route in its belief that there should be sufficient protection, particularly for children who might otherwise access this content in the normal course of their television viewing."

TopTV wants to launch the three TV channels Playboy TV, Desire TV and Private Spice with a rating of R18.

The South African public and all interested parties can comment on TopTV's porn plans. Comments can be sent to Ndondo Dube, Broadcasting Licencing Unit, Licencing and Compliance Division, Block D, Pinmill Farm, 164 Katherine Street, Sandton Johannesburg, or email pndube@icasa.org.za or fax 011 566 3200.


ALSO READ: TopTV says "the vast majority" of South Africans "welcome the prospect of adult television".
ALSO READ: All TopTV subscribers will be able to see porn channels' "watered down" descriptors and programme synopsis on the EPG.
ALSO READ: Double PIN planned for TopTV's porn bouquet; all programmes to carry a restriction of "at least R18".
ALSO READ: TopTV on its new porn plans with Playboy TV: "Girls of the Mansion is top rated on DStv".

PORN AGAIN. TopTV says 'vast majority' of South Africans 'welcome the prospect of adult television'.

TopTV which wants to try again to start a separate bouquet of 24-hour pornographic channels on its South African pay-TV service says "the vast majority of South Africans either welcome the prospect of adult television or acknowledge the right of others to watch adult TV".

In a statement issued by the struggling pay-TV operator on Thursday evening, TopTV's acting CEO Eddie Mbalo says "we believe that South Africans are mature enough to take personal responsibility for their television viewing habits".

"We believe people are capable of choosing for themselves what they would like to view in the privacy of their homes, and that the vast majority of South Africans either welcome the prospect of adult television, or acknowledge the right of others to watch adult TV, even if they themselves are not particularly interested in this content."

TopTV wants to launch the three TV channels Playboy TV, Desire TV and Private Spice with a rating of R18.

The South African public and all interested parties can comment on TopTV's porn plans. Comments can be sent to Ndondo Dube, Broadcasting Licencing Unit, Licencing and Compliance Division, Block D, Pinmill Farm, 164 Katherine Street, Sandton Johannesburg, or email pndube@icasa.org.za or fax 011 566 3200.

PORN AGAIN. TopTV launches second attempt to broadcast a package of porn TV channels in South Africa to save the pay-TV operator.

You're reading it here first. 

On Digital Media (ODM) which runs TopTV has launched a second attempt to introduce pornographic TV channels in South Africa exactly a year after the country's broadcasting regulator denied TopTV's first application.

TopTV is currently under business rescue according to the Companies Act and seems to now believe that porn will save it. Icasa confirmed to me that TopTV filed its second application for porn channels at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) just before Christmas.

Icasa told me that TopTV is again applying for so-called "adult" TV channels.

TopTV CEO Eddie Mbalo responded to a media enquiry I made this morning, saying "this is a new application and not necessarily what was denied to TopTV by the regulator."

I can reveal that TopTV wants to launch the three TV channels Playboy TV, Desire TV and Private Spice.

The South African public and all interested parties has 21 working days from 19 December to comment on TopTV's porn channel plans with correspondence which has to be sent to Ndondo Dube, Broadcasting Licencing Unit, Licencing and Compliance Division, Block D, Pinmill Farm, 164 Katherine Street, Sandton Johannesburg or fax 011 566 3200 or email pndube@icasa.org.za

In its application letter TopTV tells Icasa that "we firmly believe that our ability to offer certain of our subscribers the channels that form part of this application would greatly help in our attempts to take the business to a sustainable future".

TopTV says it wants Icasa to licence the porn channels as quickly as possible to "give ODM a fighting chance of survival".

TopTV describes Playboy TV as "a 24 hour erotic entertainment service starring the world's most beautiful women".

TopTV describes Desire TV as "a brand-new, bespoke 24-hour adult service designed to appeal to men, women and couples. The service will showcase sensitive, erotic, and sensual driven sex scenes." TopTV says this channel will "only contain content that celebrates women, the human form and the act of love making".

TopTV describes Private Spice as "a 24-hour adult service" which will feature "beautiful women and stunning locations" and that the channel "sets the standard of adult entertainment".

The channels are provided to TopTV by Playboy TV UK / Benelux Limited in England and uplinked through SES Platform Services in Munich, Germany to South Africa.

TopTV again plans to use a PIN code to block the separate bouquet from minors but this time wants to introduce a double PIN blocking mechanism.

TopTV applied in 2011 to Icasa to launch a porn package as a separate bouquet with a set of 24-hour pornographic TV channels - Private Spice, Adult XXX and Playboy Europe - during Christmas 2011 although the operator had no approval on the channel application.

In a resultant court case following an urgent court interdict by Icasa, the South Gauteng High Court said TopTV had to wait for Icasa to have the public hearing on the channels. TopTV didn't appear before Icasa to answer questions regarding its own application and in early 2012 TopTV's porn application was denied.

During the resultant porn debacle, the plan met with huge public resistance. Scores of outraged TopTV subscribers cancelled their contracts and TopTV investors threatened to disinvest from the company.

All of it dented TopTV's public image and inflicted reputational damage on its brand since the first TopTV CEO, Vino Govender, at the TopTV launch in May 2012 said the company is run "with strong Christian ethical codes and we are not planning to introduce a porn channel" and that TopTV "doesn't want to poison the minds of millions of South African children out there."

In February 2012 TopTV announced that Vino Govender was out with immediate effect, suddenly replaced by Eddie Mbalo as the new interim CEO. Later in 2012 Eddie Mbalo said Vino Govender had "no broadcasting experience".

Now TopTV which is looking for something to save the troubled pay-TV operator, is looking at porn as a possible saviour of its business. TopTV is trying for a second time and has submitted an application for authorisation for such channels to Icasa again.

TopTV which keeps losing general TV channels from its bouquet - the latest was three channels from Turner at the end of December without providing a reason - announced at the end of October that the company has entered business rescue but has made no public announcement about the new channels application.

Asked whether TopTV has any news to share regarding its business rescue plan, Eddie Mbalo says that "the business rescue practitioner will communicate at an appropriate time any information that is for public consumption".

Asked why TopTV decided to apply for this type of channels again, Eddie Mbalo says "all the questions related to our application to Icasa will be responded to when we have our opportunity to respond during the public hearings if they do occur."

Asked how TopTV sees the future of the company in 2013, Eddie Mbalo answers that "the future of TopTV will be communicated at an appropriate time as part of the business rescue plan".

TopTV luring some cancelled subscribers back through its new prepaid voucher service; quarter of active subscribers switch to prepaid.

On Digital Media (ODM) running the TopTV pay-TV service which is currently in business rescue has  managed to lure some cancelled subscribers back through the introduction of its prepaid voucher system the struggling pay-TV operator introduced in August.

TopTV which has been battling massive churn - subscribers signing up to the pay-TV service, only to cancel because they don't like the service and/or offering - introduced the voucher programme in August whereby subscribers can pay for a month's access on a prepaid basis.

This was a business strategy formulated to try and recoup some of the 250 000 lost TopTV subscribers out of the 400 000 TopTV decoders which ODM installed, fully subsidised. With only 150 000 active paying subscribers each month, TopTV decided to target this 250 000 former subscribers who have TopTV decoders and satellite dishes first.

Since August, 65% of the subscribers TopTV regained are activations by customers whose subscription had either lapsed or who have been disconnected, says TopTV.

"Some interesting stats are emerging regarding who our prepaid customers are, and their TopTV subscription history. Of the current activations, 26% are new, first-time subscribers who have signed up to the service within the past three months, since prepaid was launched.  Another 26% originally subscribed to the service when TopTV launched in May 2010," says Kgomotso Lekola, the interim chief operating officer (COO) of TopTV.

Interestingly, almost another quarter - 23% - of TopTV current active subscribers who were previously paying through debit order, EasyPay or cash, have now switched to the prepaid system. TopTV have twice damaged subscriber trust by running double debit orders - once in 2011 and once in 2012.

TopTV says the operator is successful in luring lapsed subscribers back to TopTV. According to the company 700 000 vouchers has been sold to retail partners with 500 prepaid vouchers being activated daily "in recent weeks". "The majority of national retailers will only start selling the vouchers in late November ... it is clear that the best is yet to come," says Eddie Mbalo, the interim CEO of TopTV, in a statement issued Friday afternoon.

"We pride ourselves on being a market disruptor," says Eddie Mbalo, saying that the prepaid voucher system is "already making a significant impact in promoting access to pay-TV for South Africans".

"We are able to grow the business without increasing the administrative burden - that's important because it allows us to contain costs. We believe that we have now found the right business model: one based on flexibility and that understands the current realities of doing business in South Africa."

"We are satisfied with the way in which the concept for pay-TV has taken off and is performing in our market. As an innovator in the pay-TV segment of the industry, TopTV is cognisant of its subscribers' needs and what works for them," says the company.

BREAKING. TopTV urgently needs cash; adopts business rescue as the pay-TV operator looks for a local business partner with deep pockets.

On Digital Media (ODM) running the TopTV pay-TV platform in South Africa has gone into "business rescue" under the Companies Act, saying the pay-TV company urgently needs cash - preferably from a South African industry player - since the board, looking into the future, feels that TopTV might possibly have problems in meeting its current payment obligations and those due within the next 6 months.

TopTV which started a major turnaround process with new interim CEO Eddie Mbalo earlier this year, says that the bottom-line of the struggling pay-TV business has improved, and that TopTV is "in the strongest position the company has been in since inception".

Yet TopTV, facing financial difficulty, now needs business rescue under section 129 of the new Companies Act to "provide a protective bubble around the company and buy it some time to complete the search for a strategic equity partner".

TopTV calls it "a precautionary measure". TopTV says the pay-TV operator will "function as normal" but refers to operating its pay-TV business as "continuing our battle".

TopTV needs more money urgently and has struggled to find a business partner willing to make a large cash injection into South Africa's second pay-TV business which started its commercial operations in May 2010.

"The business has always required a significant cash injection to recapitalise it in order to complete the turnaround and take the business to the next level of competitiveness," says Eddie Mbalo in a statement released late Wednesday night.

"The board, management and staff at TopTV are committed to the company, and we are determined to work together as a team to make it a successful business," says Eddie Mbalo.

"Good progress not withstanding, and as part of the turnaround process and good corporate governance, the board of directors of On Digital Media, the holding company of pay-TV operator TopTV, regularly assesses whether the company is in a position to meet its current obligations and those due within the nexy six months."

"Based on this ongoing assessment and precipitated by the difficulty in finding an appropriate partner, the board has prudently opted to adopt the provisions of business rescue as per the new Companies Act. This will provide a protective bubble around the company and buy it some time to complete the search for a strategic equity partner. The company will continue to function as normal," says Eddie Mbalo.

"Since the start of the turnaround programme, the bottom-line has improved and some limited funding has been sourced and injected into the business. However, the business has always required a significant cash injection to recapitalise it in order to complete the turnaround," says the company.

Now TopTV is making a public plea for a business partner - hopefully a South African one - with deep pockets. "The best source of such a cash injection would be a current industry player," says TopTV in the statement. "Such a partner would also be in a position to assist with other required strategic resources that would take time for TopTV to accumulate. Due to the competitive landscape locally and the legislative requirements that allow a foreign entity only a 20% share in ownership, the process of finding an appropriate partner has proved challenging for the start-up business."

"It is still very much business as usual at TopTV. While we are taking precautionary measures and being prudent with our current cash reserves, the board has taken this decision to ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of the company."

"TopTV has already made its mark in this space by providing healthy competition within the industry and giving consumers an alternative pay-TV experience. We further believe that this decision will cement our commitment to transparent business practices while we continue our battle on what we hope will become a more transformed landscape and a level playing field."

TopTV introduces a prepaid voucher system as the pay-TV operator seeks to reclaim lost subscribers and lure new ones.

On Digital Media (ODM) which operates the TopTV pay-TV platform in South Africa today officially launched its TopTV prepaid voucher system, hoping to recapture a lot of the disconnected TopTV decoders under the 400 000 the pay TV platform had installed since it launched just over 2 years ago - as well as to win new subscribers in its target market.

TopTV which held a press launch - its first major press day offensive since its official launch day two years ago besides a quarterly preview screening in Johannesburg and Cape Town earlier this year - saw TopTV executives and staff cheerful and out in full force.

At a cinema at the Maponya Mall in Soweto, TopTV executives did a launch presentation, followed by a demonstration of the prepaid system as well as an extensive Q&A session, after which the press launch moved to the adjacent The Tavern restaurant.

Led by the interim CEO Eddie Mbalo, decidedly much more open to engage with the press than his predecessor Vino Govender and willing to patiently answer journalists' questions in one-on-one interviews, TopTV explained that it will now be using Pep Stores and Blue Label (the largest distributor of prepaid cellphone airtime in South Africa) as retail distributors.

"Now you can buy your TV like you buy your electricity," said Eddie Mbalo who said that TopTV is "reconfiguring the model for pay-TV" by introducing the TopTV prepaid voucher system as a South African first.

The TopTV prepaid voucher system was delayed by over a month due to retail issues, but the first vouchers were already sold this past Monday.

TopTV wants to get Spar as well as South Africa's four biggest commercial banks on board as well as TopTV renews its effort to grow its subscriber base by capturing the unbanked market, those who don't want pay-TV contract accounts because of the lack of money to make monthly debit orders feasible, and recapturing the massive number of deactivated former TopTV subscribers who already have TopTV decoders but who are not using them.

TopTV said the pay-TV operator is focusing strongly on subscribers and potential subscribers living outside of main urban centres and television viewers in the lower income bracket. Subscribers can use their cellphones - or even someone else's cellphone - to input and activate a voucher and their TopTV decoder since the decoder's smart card number is keyed into a cellphone with the voucher number.

TopTV prepaid vouchers will from today be available at 6 000 retail outlets countrywide; TopTV plans to increase it to 100 000. "We have in the region of 400 000 TopTV decoder boxes out there," said Eddie Mbalo, "and in many instances people can't pay month to month or don't have money in their bank account when the debit order is activated. We want to reactivate those customers."

TopTV prepaid vouchers are available in two "denominations": R109 for a 30-day period for the Variety package, and R279 for a 30-day period for the Ultimate package. The Ultimate package has 62 channels. These two packages are the lowest (cheapest) and highest (most expensive) two bouquets TopTV offer out of its tiered channels' offering. TopTV said 80% of its existing active subscriber base on contract are on one of these two packages and that the company therefore decided to start of by offering these two on a prepaid basis.

The two types of vouchers each cost R10 than what normal contract subscribers pay since TopTV has to include an administration and distribution fee to pay resellers who offering the vouchers on their behalf. A bought voucher must be used within a period of 3 years. TopTV prepaid customers will get a SMS reminder 5 days before their 30-day package is due to expire so they can buy a new voucher. They will get a second SMS reminder 5 days after their 30-day package has expired.

There's no reconnection fee between recharges and no hidden costs. Recharge instructions are simple and a help menu is clear and has several options. TopTV said the TopTV prepaid voucher system also frees subscribers from calling the call centre (although they still can). "Many subscribers and ordinary consumers simply don't have the money to be on the line with a call centre," said Eddie Mbalo.

TopTV prepaid subscribers can upgrade from the Variety package to the Ultimate package anytime and will get an automatic subscription days' remaining extension. Subscribers can also downgrade from Ultimate to Variety, although only at the end of the current 30-day period.

TopTV also hopes that it will alleviate pressure on the TopTV call centre, but said TopTV isn't downsizing or doing away with its call centre. "It's merely another option."

"We're taking our position as a market disruptor very seriously and we will be introducing a number of market firsts besides the TopTV prepaid voucher system in the next few upcoming months as South Africa's 2nd pay-TV player," said Eddie Mbalo.

"The vast majority of South Africans live far away from banks and urban centres," said Kgomotso Lekola, TopTV's chief operating officer (COO). "So if TopTV wants to enter into transactions with them, we wil have to make it easy, hence the prepaid model."

Eddie Mbalo said TopTV has been looking at its entire pay-TV business, operational model and management and that it has implemented a turnaround strategy which is currently being carried out. "The first major part is making TopTV accessible to TopTV subscribers. We conducted focus groups and questionnaires and we took a serious look at what is the content that our subscribers want and are looking for, and we're working on new content strategies to serve our subscribers' needs."