Revealed: MultiChoice’s part in R100m-a-year plan to influence digital migration
SA’s leading pay-TV service provider‚ MultiChoice‚ is in the hot seat once more with new revelations from the DA over a R100m-a-year plan to gain access to the SABC’s "political influence over digital migration". In a statement on Tuesday‚ the DA’s Phumzile van Damme said SABC board minutes from June 6 2013 revealed the payments were to be "in exchange" for the SABC’s 24-hour news channel, which would be aired on DStv‚ and it would be up to the public broadcaster to monetise the channel. The SABC’s migration from analogue to digital broadcasting has been mired in controversy‚ as allegations of bribery‚ corruption and tender manipulation surfaced regarding the procurement of 5-million set-top boxes (STBs) that could receive the new digital signal. The STBs would be distributed for free‚ while a further 3-million would be sold by private retailers. Twenty six companies were awarded work on the contract to supply the STBs, but the process has been subject to a court challenge that ende...
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