The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) wants to ‘redefine’ TV licences in South Africa and has recommended the introduction of a household levy to help stabilise its finances.<\/p>\n
This levy would be imposed on all households and is based on the possibility of access to SABC services, rather than the actual usage of its services, News24<\/a> <\/strong>reports.<\/p>\n In public hearings held on Monday (20 September), the national broadcaster said that dominant subscription broadcaster – such as MultiChoice’s DStv – should be required to collect the public broadcasting household levy from its subscribers on the state-owned broadcaster’s behalf.<\/p>\n “Unfortunately, the SABC Bill retains the outdated TV licence system and does not take into account the SABC’s view that it should be replaced by a technology-neutral, public broadcasting household levy that would exempt the indigent and should be part-collected by the dominant pay TV operator,” it said.<\/p>\n “The SABC reiterates its submission on that \u2013 as a pro-competitive measure and regulatory obligation – the dominant subscription broadcaster should be required to collect the public broadcasting household levy from its subscribers.”<\/p>\n The SABC has previously mooted an\u00a0annual household levy<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>of R265 on the eight million households currently in its TV licence billing system.<\/p>\n