Activist and Patriotic Alliance member Felicia April opines that the decision by ICASA to shut down StarSat pay TV channel is very harsh and that the broadcast authority must review its decision and set it aside.
April told Tshwane Talks at the weekend that she will not tire in her efforts to get ICASA to at least issue a warning or some penalty against the station, but ultimately allow StarSat TV, which is owned by On Digital Media (ODM), to continue broadcasting to thousands of its subscribers.
On 2 October 2024 ICASA officials accompanied by the police descended upon the ODM broadcast headquarters in Midrand whereby they switched off decoders and confiscated broadcast equipment, thus disabling StarSat to continue broadcasting.
A message that appears on the screens of StarSat TV viewers reads as follows:
“There is no signal! This may be due to bad weather or a faulty connection in the installation.”
But the truth of the matter is that ICASA has literally stopped StarSat from broadcasting any further, due to failure by the channel’s owner OMD to renew the station’s license timeously as ordered by ICASA.
On 18 March 2024 ICASA indicated to StarSat (and owners ODM) to close its broadcast business by 18 September 2024.
StarSat provides content like world class movies and shows across a broad spectrum of genres, including reality TV, Bollywood, Nollywood, local, documentaries, kids show, sports, news, music, religion and diaspora material.
It broadcasts from Midrand.
“By closing ODM viewers are left only with DStv which most of them can’t afford and StarSat was offering them good service at a cheaper price,” said April.
Last week on 7 Octiber Felicia April and members of her advocacy group known as Rejected Cornerstone Foundation protested against the closure of StarSat TV at the headquarters of ICASA in Centurion, and later engaged ICASA CEO Tshiamo Maluleka-Disemolo and chairperson Dr Charlie Lewis in a meeting with the aim of getting them to change their decision about shutting down StarSat TV.
“But nothing fruitful came out of that meeting as ICASA is not willing to reconsider its decision, and whilst the chairperson promised to consult his colleagues on this matter, the CEO made it clear that she doesn’t want to raise any hopes regarding the decision to shut down StarSat,” explained April.
“We are standing in solidarity with the 600 individuals who are going to lose their jobs if ICASA doesn’t reconsider its insensitive decision and acknowledge the devastating impact that the closure will have on the families and children of those who will lose their jobs,” she said.
“ODM/StarSat hopes that ICASA will assist in exploring solutions to the current situation in the service of saving jobs and ensuring healthy competition in the pay TV market,” read the company’s statement.
According to ODM, StarSat TV plays a key role in ensuring the dissemination of information, entertainment and education and half a million subscribers who enjoy its services at an affordable price.
Another statement released by ODM reads as follows:
“Owing to challenges in securing new investment in a competitive market, along with the introduction of new shareholders agreement and the economic pressures following the Covid-19 pandemic, ODM submitted its license renewal application to ICASA later than the required deadline.”
The statement further reads as follows:
“Despite multiple attempts to seek guidance from ICASA officials to address these regulatory challenges, ODM did not receive the necessary support.”
The statement also indicates that a review application is pending in court between ICASA and ODM and that given all the above-mentioned factors, ODM is surprised and concerned by ICASA’s decision to nevertheless go ahead with shutting down the TV station.
“Over the past 18 months ODM and StarSat have maintained consistent and comprehensive communication with ICASA and any suggestion that the company has failed to engage with the regulatory authority is incorrect as extensive correspondence is evidence of our commitment to constructive dialogue.
The statement also indicates that besides the 600 jobs that will be lost by those directly employed by ODM/ StarSat, a broader network of over 4000 dealers and sales agents who rely on the channel’s operations will be disrupted.
As a parting shot, April told Tshwane Talks that it seems like ICASA wants to eliminate competition by shutting down StarSat operations so as to give monopoly control to one of the well-known pay TV channels in the country.