You might need a TV licence for your phone, tablet and laptop soon
The SABC CEO, Mr James Aguma, told the parliament today that the SABC wants the Broadcasting Act changed so that more people need a SABC TV licence, for instance for computers, cellphones and tablets.
Aguma, SABC executives and the SABC’s new interim board appeared before parliament’s portfolio committee on communications to brief members of parliament about the crisis-riddled public broadcaster’s current situation and its revised corporate plan.
He said the SABC is budgeting for lower revenue from TV licences this year, but it wanted to make it mandatory for people to pay a TV licence for more devices they view content on.
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Currently, a TV licence is compulsory for a device that can receive a TV signal. As video-on-demand (VOD), digital broadcasting, streaming and video content channeled through other devices such as media players grows, more and more South Africans are watching TV content on computers, laptops, cellphones, tablets and other devices.
Aguma told parliament that if the Broadcasting Act is changed, it would broaden the collection base for TV licences which in turn would help to increase the potential revenue the public broadcaster could collect from this income stream.
