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Debbie Wu, CEO of OnDigital Media, has assured customers and stakeholders that despite a shutdown order, the company will continue its operations. “We can assure you and the public that OnDigital Media/StarSat will not be closing its operations anytime soon,” Wu stated.
She mentioned that the company is actively working with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) to resolve the issue.
An insider revealed to TVwithThinus that the company is still selling StarSat decoders to new customers and has not yet informed its staff or parent company, StarTimes, about the licence renewal issue.
Reports emerged in early June 2024 that Icasa had not renewed StarSat’s licence. The regulator claimed it had sent a letter to Wu and Ronald Reddy, OnDigital Media’s General Manager for Legal, Risk, and Compliance, in mid-March, advising the company to inform subscribers, content providers, and investors of the impending shutdown.
“Icasa may publish a notice on its website and/or in the Government Gazette advising affected subscribers, content providers, and stakeholders about the winding up of ODM’s broadcasting services,” the regulator warned. Icasa instructed OnDigital Media to share its plan for notifying subscribers, content providers, and investors, clarifying that it lacks the mandate to consider transfer or renewal applications for expired licenses.
Wu stated that the company is exploring all regulatory and legal avenues to renew its licence and prevent a shutdown. “If all else fails, which we doubt will happen, we will comply and notify all interested parties,” she added.
StarTimes, a Chinese pay-TV service, owns 20% of OnDigital Media, the maximum ownership allowed for a foreign company in a South African media business. Reports suggest that if StarSat were to shut down, competition in South Africa’s pay-TV market would be significantly affected, as StarSat is one of the top three players, alongside DStv and Openview.
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