OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Wednesday 11.00am.
THE Independent Broadcasting Authority on Tuesday hit out at newly-launched free-to-air television station, e.tv, accusing it of contravening up to seven of its licence conditions in its first seven days of broadcasting.
According to the long-delayed IBA report, e.tv flouted its African language requirements, and failed to broadcast any programmes in Zulu, Xhosa, seSotho or seTswana as set out in its provisions. It also broadcast only 30 minutes of childrens programming each day instead of the maximum of three hours and 37 minutes, fell short of the required informational programmes and exceeded its advertising quota.
The IBA expressed its dissatisfaction with e.tv a day after its launch when it accused it of failing to comply with its mandate to provide a round the clock broadcast, opting at the last minute to broadcast from 5pm to midnight, starting with its launch on October 1. Twenty-four-hour programming was planned from February 1, 1999.
In terms of the IBA mandate, e.tv could be hauled before the Broadcasting Monitoring and Complaints Committee should it fail to answer to charges of contravening its licence conditions. The Star reports that e.tv plans to release its own report on its ratings on Wednesday.