I was caught by this article on Vanguardngr.com that
highlighted the growing concern over the acquisition of a distressed South
African cable TV known as TopTV by Startimes, Nigeria’s most affordable
satellite TV network.
The reason for the concern as many would know by now, was
the fact that TopTV was recently licensed to broadcast 3 adult channels –
Playboy TV, Desire TV and Private Spice in South Africa. The distressed Pay-TV
owned by On Digital Media had faced battles over the decision to launch the adult
channels. They eventually got the license despite attempts to frustrate
their effort. The launch of these adult channels was a move to try and
kick-start On Digital Media’s financial recovery which was going down the drain.
What a dirty cheap remedy.
But that didn’t seem to be enough to lift the company out of
its financial doldrums.
Enter Startimes to rescue as reported by the vanguard:
“Earlier this month, shareholders of On Digital Media,
ODM, voted to accept the business rescue plan offered by Chinese company, Star
Times. ODM has been distressed and in business rescue since last October.
The development has
raised palpable fears that the Chinese pay TV operator may include the Top TV
porn channels in its Nigerian bouquet offerings.
But spokesman of
StarTimes Nigeria, Ayokunle Idowu, in a telephone conversation said his company
had no such plans.
“We have no such
plans. Apart from that, I’m sure the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC,
will not approve such,” he said.
But aggressive
marketing of its T-1 decoders at N3,000 fuel fears that addition of the hard
core channels will drive up subscription.”
I suspect something afoot and the truth being withheld.
Years back when Startimes first debuted in Nigeria, it was
mostly Alaba marketers and small time dealers that were peddling its service
then and one of the main things being highlighted that made many to subscribe
to it was the fact that it had porn stations. This pushed the sales of the Startimes
decoder back then. On partnering with the Nigerian Television Network (NTA ),
the porn channels suddenly stopped airing.
Could it be because the government was now involved that the
porn stations disappeared?
Now Startimes had grown bigger as one of the major players
in the Pay-TV business and is buying up TopTV, the South African station licensed to air porn
channels. Fears are being expressed because we are a society where our moral
values do not allow it.
According to another
excerpt from the Vanguardngr.com:
“The approval for the X-rated channels also
sparked the anger of the South Africa’s Muslim Judicial Council, MJC, which
described it as “inconsistent”. Nabeweya Mallick, spokesperson for the
MJC, said the council was “disappointed,” at ICASA’s (Independent Communications Authority of South
Africa) insensitivity
to the rights of tastes of religious and race groups and cultures.”
[Emphasis mine]
If South Africa’s
Muslim community could raise noise over the approval of the approval of the airing of these stations, imagine
what the Nigerian Muslim community would do if the channels kick off here.
That
would probably give the Boko Haram insurgents more reasons to bomb more places
in Nigeria.
I hope Ayokunle
Idowu is telling us the truth…because if it’s a lie, we should all get ready
for the worst.
Images Coutesy
www.mybroadband.co.za
www.scoop.it
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