CAPE TOWN, South Africa — More porn will be broadcast to South African pay TV subscribers in 2014 if the interim CEO of On Digital Media (ODM) has his way.
ODM is the parent company of TopTV that recently changed its name to StarSat after a capital infusion deal with China’s StarSat.The channel now delivers the Playboy TV and hardcore Private Spice channels that come with an R18 rating.
A separate Playboy Plus bouquet of adult channels, supplied by Playboy TV UK/Benelux Limited in England also runs from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.
The new plans call for an increased amount of adult content, including porn from Africa according to CEO Eddie Mbalo. "We at StarSat are proud to deliver this offering for the first time to South African viewers."
Earlier this year, the The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA ) granted ODM a license to air the porn channels after numerous attempts. Mbalo told Channel 24 that the new sex channels will "in the long run promote healthy relationships, positive images of sexuality, and of women in particular," for South Africa.
But StarSat’s pans are being met with concern over a "a flood of filth" on South African television.
The Family Policy Institute (FPI) has called for a renewed nationwide boycott of ODM and StarSat "with immediate effect.”
"Research consistently shows that regular porn consumption lead to addictions and often fuels sexual crimes against women and children," FPI spokesperson Errol Naidoo, said. "Our government is making it easier for children to be exposed to hardcore pornography on the Internet and TV."
And the Justice Alliance of South Africa (JASA) has taken court action against ODM and IACSA to reconsider the channel’s broadcast air time for porn programming, that’s scheduled for review early in 2014.
