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The SABC has Nonsensical reports that you are demanding that Netflix and other internet streaming companies collect television license fees on your behalf.
That’s according to SABC’s chief operating officer Ian Plaatjes, who spoke to TechCentral on Monday about the company’s recently announced content sharing agreement with Telkom.
Various media reports in recent weeks have combined comments made in parliament by Deputy Communications Minister Pinky Kekana about the possibility of broadcasting companies charging license fees on behalf of the public broadcaster with suggestions. that the SABC is seeking such an arrangement.
“It’s confusion with the (draft) white paper (on audiovisual services),” Plaatjes said. “It has nothing to do with the SABC. Certainly, we have not made any statement (on this), nor do we have any aspiration to have Netflix or any streaming company to collect license fees (on our behalf). “
With only a small minority of South Africans paying the annual television license fee, the SABC must rely primarily on advertising for revenue, which has been impacted due to the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdown.
While the public broadcaster does not intend to ask streaming companies to collect fees on its behalf, it is keen that MultiChoice Group, parent of DStv, do so.
‘Compensation’
“We’ve been saying for a while that DStv sells boxes to the entry-level market using our properties (the SABC channels),” Plaatjes said. “Many of those subscribers do not have a television license. They (MultiChoice) should collect (license fees) on our behalf or pay us some compensation or tax. “
On the agreement with Telkom to supply content to the telecom operator’s new transmission platform TelkomOne, Plaatjes said the agreement is not exclusive, which means that the broadcaster can and will seek similar commercial agreements with other transmission providers.
Telkom’s deal comes ahead of SABC’s plan to launch its own streaming service by the end of 2021. TechCentral reported earlier this month that the broadcaster had issued a request for information to learn about the latest solutions before publishing a request. of proposals (a tender, in effect) early next year. Plaatjes said SABC hopes to launch the streaming platform by the end of next year. – © 2020 NewsCentral Media
