News / National
SABC blackout for Zimbabwe
15 Jun 2012 at 04:33hrs | Views
Television viewers are anxious about a looming blackout of SABC TV channels broadcast through Sentech, SA's state-owned signal carrier.
This follows the expiry last month of a three-month grace period extended to Sentech by a Johannesburg court ahead of a signal cut-off, reported the Business Day.
In February, the court ordered Sentech to "take all reasonable steps necessary" to encrypt its signal within the next three months, after finding it guilty of being "wrongful, negligent and in breach" over its failure to encrypt its signal.
South Africa broadcast signal distribution company Sentech lost a high court battle with e.tv sister company eBotswana over the piracy of television signals in Botswana.
eBotswana alleged that Sentech was not encrypting SABC channels broadcast to SA's northern neighbour, leading to pirate viewing of the public broadcaster's channels and damaging that country's broadcasting sector. It alleged Sentech had done nothing to rectify Vivid's security problems.
The court, which handed down judgment, had found in eBotswana's favour, ruling that Sentech is "liable in delict for its failure to take all reasonable steps necessary to prevent pirate viewing in Botswana" of SABC 1, 2 and 3. The court described the failure as "wrongful, negligent and in breach" of Sentech's "duty of care" towards eBotswana.
Zimbabweans, who do not have independent television channels, watch SABC channels via free-to-air decoders that include Wiztech, Fortec Star and Philibao, which have created a booming market for satellite TV viewership.
Free-to-air decoders in Zimbabwe receive Sentech's SABC signals, allowing Zimbabweans to watch SABC 1, 2 and 3.
This follows the expiry last month of a three-month grace period extended to Sentech by a Johannesburg court ahead of a signal cut-off, reported the Business Day.
In February, the court ordered Sentech to "take all reasonable steps necessary" to encrypt its signal within the next three months, after finding it guilty of being "wrongful, negligent and in breach" over its failure to encrypt its signal.
South Africa broadcast signal distribution company Sentech lost a high court battle with e.tv sister company eBotswana over the piracy of television signals in Botswana.
eBotswana alleged that Sentech was not encrypting SABC channels broadcast to SA's northern neighbour, leading to pirate viewing of the public broadcaster's channels and damaging that country's broadcasting sector. It alleged Sentech had done nothing to rectify Vivid's security problems.
The court, which handed down judgment, had found in eBotswana's favour, ruling that Sentech is "liable in delict for its failure to take all reasonable steps necessary to prevent pirate viewing in Botswana" of SABC 1, 2 and 3. The court described the failure as "wrongful, negligent and in breach" of Sentech's "duty of care" towards eBotswana.
Zimbabweans, who do not have independent television channels, watch SABC channels via free-to-air decoders that include Wiztech, Fortec Star and Philibao, which have created a booming market for satellite TV viewership.
Free-to-air decoders in Zimbabwe receive Sentech's SABC signals, allowing Zimbabweans to watch SABC 1, 2 and 3.
Source - Business Day
