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Icasa publishes revised DTT promotion of diversity regulations

28th August 2014

By: Natasha Odendaal

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

  

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The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has outlined the conditions for the assignment of capacity on the digital television channels on Multiplex 3 and any excess capacity on Multiplex 1.

The latest regulations overseeing the long-awaited digital terrestrial television (DTT) migration process focused on the frequency allocations and multiplex structuring during South Africa’s transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.

A multiplex is a block of transmission capacity holding a range of digital channels.

The recently gazetted Promotion of Diversity and Competition on Digital Terrestrial Television Regulations, which aimed to promote diversity and competition on the DTT platform, stipulated that up to 45% of the available capacity on Multiplex 3 would be assigned to commercial subscription broadcasters.

The balance, up to 55%, would be allocated to commercial free-to-air television broadcasters.

Multiplex 3 was a product of the redesigning of a second mobile DTT multiplex into a third multiplex to promote competition, enable a platform for new entrants, stimulate the uptake of DTT services, foster content and enhance consumer choice.

In 2012, Icasa cemented the final capacity allocations for existing broadcasters, with State-owned broadcaster, the South African Broadcasting Corporation, allocated 85% of capacity on Multiplex 1.

Community broadcasters could potentially collectively receive 15% on the same multiplex to broadcast existing channels.

Free-to-air broadcaster e.tv and pay TV broadcaster M-Net had been allocated 50% and 40% respectively of the capacity on Multiplex 2, with the remaining 10% to be available to existing holders of temporary licences for testing or trials, after which the capacity would be divided equally between e.tv and M-Net.

Television broadcasting service licensees assigned capacity would have 36 months to provide content or risk having the unused capacity revoked.

Further, the regulations stipulated that broadcasters needed to apply for authorisation to broadcast a specific digital television channel on the multiplexes.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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