Backyard technicians 'reconnecting' SABC channels

BACKYARD technicians are cashing in on neighbouring South Africa's decision to black out its television channels from free to air decoders, charging up to $40 to "reconnect" SABC 1, 2 and 3. Scores of shop owners were also left stranded with thousands of dollars worth of free to air decoder stocks, after the receivers became worthless overnight.

Millions of Zimbabweans who used to access SABC 1, 2 and 3 free of charge through decoders like Wiztech, Philibao, Fortec Star and Vivid, were also left watching screens that carried the message that the channels had been scrambled, on Monday when the channels went off air.

Viewers in neighbouring countries that include Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar, and Angola where free-to-air decoders were prevalent, were also affected.

In Bulawayo yesterday, posters placed by people purporting to be able to reconnect the channels mushroomed at most street corners in the city centre.

"$25 for SABC," read one of the posters which had contact details of the technician who claimed to be able to reconnect the channels.

"I contacted one of the guys who said they can re-connect me. He said I should bring my decoder and $40. The man warned that if I delayed, he might increase his price as he was making brisk business. He assured me that by Friday, I will be watching my favourite soap, Generations on SABC 1. I am not sure whether I should trust him," said Miss Keline Phiri of Pumula North.

Another Bulawayo resident said he had paid $30 to a man who said he could bring back the SABC channels on his decoder.

"He said it was a once-off payment and I would be activated by the end of the week. He told me that next week, he would hike his fee because he believed those who doubted it could be done would flock to him, once they saw that he had assisted their friends," said the man who declined to be identified.

Residents who rushed to DStv offices were disappointed to learn that SABC was not available on any of the subscription bouquets.

"I am very disappointed, at first I thought it was a temporary loss of transmission, but now it has finally dawned on me that we could have permanently lost SABC.

"I am already suffering severe withdrawal symptoms from not watching Isidingo my favourite soapie. I went to DStv and I was told SABC was not included in their service menu," said Miss Tawanda Makumana of Gwabalanda.

Contacted for comment, Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) chief executive officer Mr Orbert Muganyura, warned the public to be wary of people who claimed to be able to restore SABC channels on free to air decoders.

"I am not sure how they would go about doing it, but I would be very careful with my hard earned money when approached by such people," said Mr Muganyura.

He said the problem with free to air channels emanated from differing interpretation of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) regulation on radio and satellite transmissions.

He said the ITU principle stated that a broadcasting station should not employ power exceeding what would be necessary to maintain economical and effective national service of good quality within the borders of the country it operated in.

"Some service providers are taking advantage of loopholes in the principle to beam their services into other countries, thereby giving unfair competition to local service providers. Most broadcasters who do that, want to influence culture or views in other countries," said Mr Muganyura.

It is estimated that there are about three million satellite dishes in the country but about 2,4 million owners can only afford to watch the free to air channels.

The blackout of the SABC channels came about after the State-owned South African broadcasting giant, Sentech dropped its appeal after losing the battle for distribution of its signal on free-to-air decoders to e-Botswana.

In February 2012, e-Botswana, a subsidiary of South Africa's e-tv approached the Johannesburg High Court seeking an order compelling Sentech to encrypt its signal, as failure to do so had given rise to signal piracy through free-to-air decoders.

Mr Dave Coles, e-Botswana managing director, was quoted in the media in that country saying the court gave Sentech 90 days to re-encrypt its signal.

He said the 90 days expired on Monday.

A Press release from SABC states that the broadcaster has introduced a new decoder 'Vivid' which only viewers in South Africa will use to access SABC channels beginning on Monday.