In South Africa, at the High Court hearing of the ongoing challenge to the country’s planned switch-off of analogue signals, the Communications Minister’s legal team has accused eTV of prioritising its commercial interests rather than the public’s needs.
Led by Advocate Kennedy Tsatsawane, Malatsi’s legal representation argues that eTV has shifted from initially supporting an expedited switch-off to opposing it. Tsatsawane claimed, “eTV is not litigating to protect the interests of the underprivileged but to protect its commercial interests.”
He highlighted that when eTV began turning off some analogue transmitters, arrangements were made with Sentech, the state signal distributor, to inform viewers about the change. According to Tsatsawane, eTV requested that a message be broadcast indicating that its analogue service would no longer be available and encouraged viewers to purchase an Openview decoder from local retailers.
Tsatsawane emphasised that the decoder suggested by eTV is not the government-provided set-top box that assists low-income households in accessing public TV after the switch-off. He questioned why eTV did not inform the poorest communities about the availability of state-sponsored set-top boxes, stating, “There’s no explanation for it, which reinforces our point that this is more about their financial interests.”
In December 2024, Minister Malatsi announced that the cabinet agreed to postpone the analogue switch-off from December 31, 2024, to March 31, 2025, to allow more indigent households to maintain access to broadcast services.
Malatsi noted that free-to-air broadcasters like eTV and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) had expressed concerns that the original deadline would leave millions without TV access. His department estimates that around 467,000 households still require digital set-top boxes (STBs) to transition successfully.
Malatsi remarked, “The commitment of broadcasters and stakeholders in supporting the migration of free-to-air households is crucial for the project’s success.” He acknowledged the significant delays that have affected the Broadcasting Digital Migration (BDM) project and emphasised that extending the deadline would help maximise the number of households that can transition before the analogue signals are switched off.
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies recently informed the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee that no additional funding would be available for dual illumination in the 2024/25 financial year. The ongoing discussions underline the need for a strategic approach to ensure that vulnerable communities can access essential broadcasting services amid the digital transition.
