The satellite newcomer planned to launch the three adult channels this week/FILE
The High Court in Johannesburg stopped TopTV from putting to air three, 24-hour porn channels, planned to launch Friday, for subscribers until the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) has ruled on the controversial move.
“The judge made his decision today, this morning, ruling in favour of Icasa stopping TopTV from launching the broadcast of the three channels on the 20th,” said Icasa spokesman Jubie Matlou.
The regulator has until January 31 to rule on the matter, after TopTV filed a request in September to air the channels.
“Icasa is still going to deliberate on this matter and it will come up with a decision either for or against,” Matlou told AFP.
The satellite newcomer to South African television had planned to launch the three adult channels this week, saying its application to Icasa in September had gone unanswered.
The planned channels – Adult XXX, Playboy Europe and Private Spice – have met opposition from religious parties and the state’s Film and Publication Board.
“We have high rates of rape in South Africa. Young children who are involved in such acts always point to pornography as their source.
The launch of the channel will add fuel to a fire that is already burning,” African Christian Democratic Party president Kenneth Meshoe was quoted as saying in the Sowetan newspaper.
On Monday, Icasa hosted public hearings into the matter, which Matlou said were “largely people who were opposed to TopTV’s initiative”.
South African television is dominated by the public broadcaster SABC which airs three channels alongside an independent free-to-air station eTV and a multiple-channel subscription service DSTV.
TopTV was launched in 2010 as the country’s second pay-television service.
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