South Africa – from www.ecr.co.za – Satellite service provider TopTV is going ahead with its plans to launch a hardcore pornography package this year, with the launch expected within the next two weeks.

TopTV’s has also apparently ignored procedure, announcing that its channels would be available before any public hearings could be made on its application for the new channels. The broadcaster has not received any physical approval certificate either.

TopTV applied to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) for authorisation to screen three Playboy TV channels. The package will have a separate monthly subscription fee of R199, so at least viewers have a choice about whether they’d like the package or not.

The usual methodology of approval includes the application for authorisation, which must appear in the Government Gazette – it appeared on November 17 – and which must be followed by two weeks of pubic and stakeholder comment. A public hearing follows on a date determined by Icasa.

However, TopTV said in December, according to TV with Thinus, that as far as it was concerned, “the channels are automatically approved”.

Vice-president for Content Marketing at TopTV Heather Kennedy told TV with Thinus that the channels should be live within the next two weeks, which means they should be live by the end of January.

Icasa on Monday applied for an urgent court interdict to prevent this from happening until the authority has held the necessary public hearing.

TV with Thinus also revealed that Icasa would call for a public hearing on January 16. The authority has received several complaints from the public and from industry stakeholders regarding the porn plans, and the initiative has also been met by resistance from the Film and Publications Board, which said it would “strongly oppose” TopTV’s application.