On Digital Media (ODM), the operator behind StarSat and the South African branch of StarTimes Media, will exit the subscription television market as its broadcasting license has not been renewed.
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) announced that ODM’s 15-year Individual Broadcasting Service Licence, which expired on 8 July 2023, was not renewed after ODM failed to submit a renewal application on time. According to the Electronic Communications Act, applications must be submitted no earlier than 12 months and no later than six months before the license expires. Despite multiple reminders, ODM only submitted its application on 10 November 2023, after the expiry date, making it ineligible for consideration.
However, ICASA has invoked Section 15(2) of the Electronic Communications Act, allowing ODM to continue operating temporarily to wind up its affairs and protect subscribers. ODM was asked to provide a timeline for winding up and a communication plan for informing subscribers but failed to respond.
As a result, ICASA has mandated that ODM must cease its broadcasting services by 18 September 2024 and notify subscribers accordingly. The regulator emphasizes the importance of adhering to renewal processes to ensure the continuity of communication services, which are essential for social cohesion, economic growth, and the dissemination of information and entertainment.
However, in June Debbie Wu, CEO, StarSat assured that the company will not be closing its operations anytime soon and is actively liaising with Icasa to find a resolution.
“We can assure you and the public that On Digital Media/StarSat will not be closing its operations anytime soon” Debbie Wu, CEO, On Digital Media told Nigerian Communications Week.
“There’s been no notice to staff and StarTimes is still selling StarSat decoders to new customers,” an insider told TVwithThinus.
Reports that Icasa hadn’t renewed StarSat’s licence surfaced in early June 2024.
