Public broadcaster the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) says Etv and SOS/MMA are using its stance on analogue switch-off to pursue litigation against communications minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni.
The SABC is referring to its statement issued on 25 March, where the public broadcaster raised concerns about the 31 March analogue switch-off deadline and called for a delay of the process.
In the statement, the SABC argued that not all households are ready to migrate − a result of slow access to the set-top boxes (STBs) that will enable the switch from analogue to digital TV.
In a statement issued yesterday, the SABC board says it has noted that Etv and SOS/MMA have “inappropriately used and continue to use” its media statement in pursuance of their litigation against the minister.
It states: “The board has informed Etv and SOS/MMA that its media statement was not intended for the purposes of the ongoing court case; the appropriation of the media statement by them in their court application is inappropriate and no probative value should be placed on the media statement.”
After missing the International Telecommunication Union-mandated June 2015 analogue switch-off deadline as well as several self-imposed deadlines, government planned to shut down the country’s analogue TV signals on 31 March.
This, as government tried to expedite the years-long-delayed broadcasting digital migration programme.
eMedia’s Etv, joined by community TV channels and the civil society campaign #SaveFreeTV, challenged minister Ntshavheni’s gazetted plan to have analogue TV signals switched off at the end of March.
Etv argued the move to switch-off analogue TV signals at the end of March will kill the businesses of free-to-air broadcasters.
The Pretoria High Court last month ruled the country’s analogue switch-off be postponed to end-June, a decision that was welcomed by the minister, saying it will give government sufficient time to complete installations of STBs for households.
For its part, the SABC has apologised to the minister for its earlier statement on analogue switch-off and its oversight.
It further says its media statement dated 25 March 2022 on the analogue switch-off may not have exhausted the agreed procedures; that is, the shareholder compact between the SABC and the government of South Africa, regarding engagements with the minister as the shareholder representative.
“The SABC will, in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, continue to adopt an approach that balances the needs and expectations of the shareholder in a way that the SABC board independently believes best serves the interests of the SABC in meeting its public mandate.”
The SABC board also welcomed the minister’s assurance that she will continue to engage with the SABC on all issues relating to the analogue switch-off.
Says the public broadcaster: “The SABC will continue working closely with the minister and the department on the planning and implementation of the analogue switch-off, focusing on the opportunities digital offers to the SABC, whilst mitigating any risks associated with the analogue switch-off.
“Both parties will continue engaging each other as they are committed to the constitutional public mandate of the SABC of informing, educating and entertaining South Africans.”
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