Home Technology The SABC wants people to pay a computer, tablet and smartphone TV license

The SABC wants people to pay a computer, tablet and smartphone TV license

1 min read
56

Laughing

You know what’s great about local TV these days? That you don’t actually have to ever bother watching it. I’m all for supporting talent that I like, and lately, that talent isn’t locked to an SABC contract or an analogue broadcast signal. It’s a feeling that a lot of people locally probably concur with, as the best entertainment around is found on YouTube, Twitch and several other streaming platforms.

Even better, that content can easily be accessed from tablets, laptops and smartphones. Devices which the SABC think should be regulated further, in the form of an additional TV license. That’s the word from parliament via Channel24 this week, as SABC CEO James Aguma described plans to petition the government to change the Broadcasting Act so that a mandatory TV license for such devices could be implemented nationally.

This all comes at a time when the SABC is, as some experts would call it, financially f***ed more than a coma patient in a UFC cage fight. Previous COO Hlaudi Motosonoeng’s disastrous policies have left the public broadcaster cash-strapped and in disarray, with the SABC interim board fingering video on demand and streaming content through other devices as one of the reasons for the internal crisis developing there.

According to Aguma, broadening the powers of the Broadcast Act would allow them to recoup lost revenue and result in a more stable income for the beleaguered public broadcaster. According to everyone else, doing that would result in a collective national middle finger that could be seen from space. Good luck trying to enforce that idea, SABC.

Last Updated: May 10, 2017

56 Comments

  1. Jacques "HoOdeh" Naudé

    May 10, 2017 at 12:35

    I thought this was satire, either way had a good laugh 😀

    Reply

    • Geoffrey Tim

      May 10, 2017 at 12:39

      It’d be easy to assume satire – but this is the sort of stuff you couldn’t make up.

      Reply

      • Original Heretic

        May 10, 2017 at 12:41

        And if you did make it up, people wouldn’t believe it.

        Biggest difference between writing fact and fiction? The fiction has to be believable!

        Reply

  2. TJames47

    May 10, 2017 at 12:40

  3. Christopher

    May 10, 2017 at 12:40

    But the SABC doesn’t supply any “services” for those devices :/

    Reply

    • Gardos

      May 10, 2017 at 13:58

      I’d KIND OF understand where they’re coming from if they had a service like BBC iPlayer. Then people would be consuming content on those devices, fair enough to put forth that argument. But we don’t even get the SABC channels on DStv’s app so their argument makes no sense.

      Reply

  4. RinceThis

    May 10, 2017 at 12:41

    • TJames47

      May 10, 2017 at 12:49

      Geez that is somewhat unsettling.

      Reply

    • For the Emperor!

      May 10, 2017 at 12:50

      Drax is awesome in GotG Vol 2!

      Reply

  5. Original Heretic

    May 10, 2017 at 12:42

    Like the way you put that, D. “..collective national middle finger that could be seen from space.” Bwahahaah! So accurate!

    Reply

  6. Gary Johns

    May 10, 2017 at 12:48

    …The sad part is – this will prolly get passed by parliament – not to mention we are already paying stupid “luxury” taxes on all sorts of things to “protect” local industries

    Reply

  7. Umar

    May 10, 2017 at 12:48

    Would things like consoles and media devices be considered for the same fee, as you can basically use it for streaming as well.

    Reply

    • Spathi

      May 10, 2017 at 12:52

      DON’T GIVE THEM IDEAS!

      Reply

    • Christopher

      May 10, 2017 at 12:58

      Those devices get connected to TVs though so we’d be paying twice for not using their services if that is the case.

      Reply

    • miaau

      May 10, 2017 at 13:49

      They define a TV somewhere as having the TV tuner electronic parts, so years ago, technically, computers with TV cards (PCI cards) should have merit paying a TV license.

      So,your consoles, right now, are safe.

      Reply

  8. Alien Emperor Trevor

    May 10, 2017 at 12:49

    • Ottokie

      May 10, 2017 at 13:05

      Look at you! using memes like a millennial xD

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        May 10, 2017 at 13:27

        Yoh. That’s uncalled for. Why are we getting so personal? :/

        Reply

        • miaau

          May 10, 2017 at 13:47

          Can it be both personal and DAMN funny?

          I think it can. What do you think about that?

          Reply

          • Ottokie

            May 10, 2017 at 13:49

            Oh no. It was personal alright xD

          • miaau

            May 10, 2017 at 13:51

            Yes, yes. but funny too

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            May 10, 2017 at 14:05

            I don’t think, I only react.

          • Ottokie

            May 10, 2017 at 14:06

            For every Trevor reaction there is an equal and opposite pun.

  9. Unavengedavo

    May 10, 2017 at 12:52

  10. For the Emperor!

    May 10, 2017 at 12:52

    That would be the fastest way to get people to move back to Feature Phones…or yeah, just say screw it you a-holes I ain’t paying nothing to you mother forklifts!

    Reply

  11. Magoo

    May 10, 2017 at 12:59

    Some organisations innovate when they are falling behind. Some up their prices. SABC is innovating by putting a price on using alternative sources of media.

    Reply

  12. DragonSpirit009

    May 10, 2017 at 12:59

    I guess someone sniffed a whole lot of stupid again!

    Reply

  13. Guild

    May 10, 2017 at 13:24

    If people were watching SABC on their devices then I might agree with this but no. No one watches SABC. Only way I can see this being enforced is same process is applied with purchasing a TV, provide license as proof to buy which is annoying as hell. I stream everything now.

    Reply

  14. BakedBagel

    May 10, 2017 at 13:37

    inb4 the mssa requires you to have a fully paid up to date TV license

    Reply

  15. miaau

    May 10, 2017 at 13:43

    who will this target? As I understand it, you will still pay standard licence fees.

    If you have a car radio you need to pay, for example. Not looking at the non-payers and stuff, assuming legal usage.

    So, they are now targeting people that do not already have TV, car radio, radios or any other form of radio wave catching stuff OTHER than a smartphone?

    Reply

    • BakedBagel

      May 10, 2017 at 13:46

      This will target anyone who consumes media using almost any device.
      Regardless of device.

      Watching them try to enforce this is gonna be laughable.

      What about PC’s used purely for servers? They gonna tax those too?

      Reply

  16. Craig "CrAiGiSh" Dodd

    May 10, 2017 at 13:58

    Fuck off …

    Reply

  17. HvR

    May 10, 2017 at 14:27

    Here
    Hlaudi gets an upvote
    Aguma gets an upvote
    EVERYBODY AT THE SABC GETS AN UPVOTE!!!!!!!!!!
    http://p.fod4.com/p/media/877ebc4f55/3KBJmudXRv2SHPJBnhVj_Horse-Mask-FU.gif

    Reply

  18. Graeme Selvan

    May 10, 2017 at 14:31

    What a LOL

    Reply

  19. Avithar

    May 10, 2017 at 15:04

    highest level of education for this guy?

    Reply

    • BakedBagel

      May 10, 2017 at 15:15

      EDUCATIONAL HISTORY
      TERTIARY
      University of Cape Town
      Cape Town, South Africa | 1998 – 1998
      Post Grad Diploma – Accounting

      University of Cape Town
      Cape Town, South Africa | 1996 – 1997
      Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) – Accounting

      Makerere University
      1988 – 1991
      Bachelor of Commerce – B.Com.
      Marketing/Marketing Management, Hons, 2.1

      http://whoswho.co.za/james-aguma-1879185

      Reply

      • Avithar

        May 10, 2017 at 15:20

        very highly educated… but eish he really put his foot in it on this 1

        Reply

        • BakedBagel

          May 10, 2017 at 15:26

          That sweet sweet tax payer money definitely influenced their statement Lmao

          Reply

  20. JansenSensei

    May 10, 2017 at 17:29

    Let me just see if I have this straight… If I have a TV I must pay a license even though I haven’t plugged anything other than game consoles into it for 4 years…

    Now I need to pay the same SABC that hasn’t shown anything worth watching in 4 years a SECOND license if I own wither a phone or a PC? A TV license for owning a PC? Seriously? A PC License? OMG!

    I can’t comment or ask a question because I am still speechless. Still trying to wrap my head around that statement…

    Reply

  21. Raptor Rants

    May 10, 2017 at 17:42

    and you know what? Like any government linked institute it will be passed.

    Proof? Eskom. Every time they pay gazillions of Rands in bonuses and claim they need to recoup financial losses guess what… It’s approved.

    Reply

  22. Jim of the Banana

    May 10, 2017 at 19:56

    Lmao! Nope, not paying a cent Sabc.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also

Itel Vision 1 Pro Review – A modest smartphone that won’t break the bank

For its price, the Itel Vision 1Pro certainly can do a lot, but don't expect it to excel i…