A recent raid by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) has put the future of 200 StarSat employees in jeopardy, while also impacting over 1,000 dealers and sales agents.
The regulatory body’s search and seizure operation has disrupted Starsat’s business, raising concerns about widespread unemployment and financial instability across the company’s network.
“The latest situation orchestrated by ICASA’s vehement rejection of constructive engagement with StarSat TV will undoubtedly affect the livelihoods of more than 200 workers and disrupt the broader network of over 1000 dealers and sales agents who rely on its operations for their subsistence and ongoing earnings to support and provide for their families,” Amos Phago, Media Relations Specialist at StarSat, said in a statement.
The search and seizure operation comes after ICASA issued a statement directing StarSat parent company, On Digital Media (ODM) to wind up its affairs and cease providing broadcasting services by September 18.
The directive was due to ODM’s failure to renew the individual broadcasting service license that was issued in 2008 for a 15-year period.
“During the heavy-handed operation characterized by Hollywood-style tactics, not onlywere StarSat TV’s broadcasting services impacted but also those of StarTimes Media’s pan-African broadcasting network,” said Phago.
“This was done without allowing StarSat TV to even consult its legal counsel against the very provisions of the ICASA Act under 17G, which states: These procedures include providing notice to the person affected, providing reasons for the inspection or seizure, and allowing the person to consult with legal counsel.
“ICASA arrogantly rejected advice by the StarSat technical team on which equipment to remove and hastily removed all broadcasting equipment from the server room, disrupting Internet and call center operations without regard to the ownership of the equipment.”
Phago added that the ICASA inspectors laterally and in broad daylight went against the spirit and letter of the ICASA Act guiding their work, which also states that “Inspectors may examine records, documents, or other materials that are relevant to their investigation.”
“It is on record that the removed equipment is owned by StarTimes Media (STM), which holds a valid Electronics Communication Network Service (ECNS) license and is not under any investigation. This illustrates once again the lack of knowledge of the ICASA Act by its enforcers,” said Phago.
Star Times Media hardware removal, largely servicing the Pan African Broadcasting network important to maintain both regional as well as BRICS relations, adversely affected Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT), Direct To Home (DTH), and Over The Top (OTT) services depended on by over 60 million people across 23 African countries who
have done nothing wrong, said Phago.
StarSat continues to pursue open dialogue with ICASA to find reasonable resolutions and avoid the imminent jobs bloodbath affecting both direct workers and dealers, further impacting the livelihood of multitudes spread across the country.
“Before being hastily disrupted by the regulator, StarSat TV provided quality content to over 500,000 subscribers at affordable rates in South Africa. Its service offers a diverse range of programming that supports the informational and entertainment needs of South Africans,” said Phago.
“For us, this is the battle of bread-and-butter issues, diversity in the pay-TV market, and freedom of choice for hundreds of thousands of our subscribers who are eagerly waiting for our transmissions to resume. Over the past 18 months and following the expiry of its license, StarSat has maintained consistent and comprehensive communication with ICASA, including pointing the regulator to the relevant sections in the Electronic Communications Act enabling and empowering StarSat TV’s continued provision of broadcasting services.
“It is uncalled for and should be discouraged with the strongest terms possible any display of an agenda to deliberately and intentionally aid job losses in a country that is already grappling with a high unemployment rate.”
Phago added that while StarSat is law-abiding and continues to explore all legal avenues at its disposal,
we also strongly believe that these matters require political will and decisive leadership.
“It is necessary to address any agenda that deliberately harms employment in a country already facing a high unemployment rate. We call on state institutions, such as ICASA, never to kowtow to any form of external force or pressure designed to curtail competition.
“At StarSat, we carry the courage of our convictions and assert without fear or favour once more that the broadcasting regulations, in their current form, empower ICASA to consider and authorize the continued operation of StarSat TV.”
