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The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is planning a series of changes to its television licensing system, including the possibility of expanding the definition of “televisions” to other devices.
Sylvia Tladi, head of SABC’s television licensing division, said TimesLive that the current Broadcasting Law is almost 21 years old and must be updated to consider new technologies.
“People don’t just consume content or streaming services from a traditional (television) set the way they know it to be. That poses a problem. Now you have people consuming content from everywhere, but they don’t need to have a license.
“One of the recommendations we made was that the definition of a television as it is in the legislation should be changed (and) expanded to take into account how the media have converged, changed and left room for content to be consumed through other devices, ”he said.
The planned devices include, but are not limited to, smartphones, tablets, and computers.
Currently, only a TV license is required when purchasing a TV that is capable of receiving a broadcast signal. A TV license is valid for twelve months and is renewed at the end of the license period.
Transmission
Tladi said that if people were streaming SABC content, a process was also needed to ensure they had valid TV licenses.
This aligns with a presentation to the parliament portfolio committee on October 20, in which the national broadcaster said it needs a number of key regulatory reforms to remain viable in South Africa’s changing media environment.
The SABC said regulations around payment service providers like Multichoice (DStv) and video-on-demand providers like Netflix are needed to collect television licenses on behalf of SABC.
The SABC said this would be similar to municipalities collecting traffic tickets and motor vehicle license discs. The SABC said the expanded definition of a television license is outdated and must be adjusted to current realities.
“How do we make sure, through Icasa, that they can also help us to collect TV licenses, but are we not only limiting it to TV? We also have other platforms where people consume content and in all those areas is where we should see how we can get license fees from SABC for those devices, ”said Vice Minister of Communications Pinky Kekana.
Read: 3 Proposed Tax Changes For South Africa Including A New ‘Netflix Tax’
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