ICASA threatens legal action over adult channels

South African regulator the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has vowed to take legal action if pay TV operator TopTV continues with plans to launch three adult channels. On Digital Media, the company that owns the pay TV service, has said it will go ahead with the launches as planned despite the objections.


The two parties disagree over the legality of the channel launches. TopTV, which has around 300,000 subscribers, says that ICASA failed to finalise its application in the required three months, allowing TopTV to launch the channels, while ICASA maintains that TopTV needs approval ahead of the launch. 
ICASA spokesman Paseka Maleka told local press that the regulator would have “no option” but to take action if the broadcaster went ahead with its plans.