e.tv slams M-Net over digital TV

11 Oct 2011

Free-to-air broadcaster e.tv has slammed M-Net for suggesting last week that the country would be better off scrapping plans to build set-top boxes for digital terrestrial television, saying the pay-TV operator is acting out of self-interest only.

M-Net's director for legal and regulatory affairs, Karen Willenberg, told TechCentral last week that the country should instead consider the use of cheaper "digital converters" - which cost R350 or less - rather than full set-top boxes that could cost R700 or more.

e.tv chief operating officer Bronwyn Keene-Young says M-Net and its sister company MultiChoice, which operates the DStv satellite pay-TV platform, want to ensure that SA has "as weak a free-to-air platform as possible". By arguing against set-top boxes, Keene-Young says M-Net is hoping to prevent its free-to-air rivals from launching compelling multi-channel alternatives.

Continue reading the full story on www.TechCentral.co.za.

About Duncan McLeod: @mcleodd

Award-wining Duncan McLeod is the founder and editor of TechCentral (wwwTechCentral.co.za, @TechCentral]]), South Africa's latest technology news site offering breaking news, in-depth analysis and opinion that launched in September 2009. Before that, he was associate editor at the Financial Mail/FM. Contact Duncan on email duncan at techcentral dot co dot za and follow him on Twitter at @mcleodd.

Free SA domains, websites from Microsoft - 7 Nov 2013
KT Corp to build Rwanda 4G network - 11 Jun 2013
SA losing to Kenya in tech race - 10 Jun 2013
Microsoft in major push into Africa - 5 Feb 2013
Kenyan gov't embraces open source - 10 Sep 2012

View my profile and articles...