Plans to set up Eastern Cape’s second television channel are under way with a team of 20 people working towards launching MCTV in Mdantsane early next year.
MCTV is the brainchild of Mdantsane’s Siphiwo Booi, 26, who grew up with the vision of creating a platform for the province’s talented youth to showcase their skills and talents in different fields.
MCTV stands for Mdasbee Creations TV and has already created a frenzy around East London after news got out the channel would go on air on the first of December.
Updates on the channel’s Facebook page also invited filmmakers, actors and TV personalities to prepare for auditions “soon”.
However station manager Bishop Simphiwe Rasmeni said yesterday they were now looking to broadcast in February.
Despite the plans, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), said yesterday that it was not aware of any commercial TV station or channel with the name MCTV that had received a licence to launch in Mdantsane.
Icasa spokesman Paseka Maleka said: “Any broadcasting service needs a licence issued by Icasa in terms of the Electronic Communications Act; providing such service without a licence constitutes a criminal offence punishable by law.
Booi said: “The dream of having a TV station for the Mdantsane community started in 2011 when I saw the need for a platform where the youth could get exposure to showcase their talents,” Booi said.
He said a lease agreement had been signed between his company and Mdantsane City Mall.
The agreement was confirmed by Mande Ndema, spokesman for the Billion Group, which owns the mall. However he said there were some details that needed to be finalised.
The channel promises to offer viewers a 70% IsiXhosa, 20% English and 10% Afrikaans content.
Rasmeni said the channel was in good hands and had to be taken good care of as Booi had sacrificed a lot for the dream to become a reality. —mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Mdantsane TV channel could soon be a reality
MCTV is the brainchild of Mdantsane’s Siphiwo Booi, 26, who grew up with the vision of creating a platform for the province’s talented youth to showcase their skills and talents in different fields.
MCTV stands for Mdasbee Creations TV and has already created a frenzy around East London after news got out the channel would go on air on the first of December.
Updates on the channel’s Facebook page also invited filmmakers, actors and TV personalities to prepare for auditions “soon”.
However station manager Bishop Simphiwe Rasmeni said yesterday they were now looking to broadcast in February.
Despite the plans, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), said yesterday that it was not aware of any commercial TV station or channel with the name MCTV that had received a licence to launch in Mdantsane.
Icasa spokesman Paseka Maleka said: “Any broadcasting service needs a licence issued by Icasa in terms of the Electronic Communications Act; providing such service without a licence constitutes a criminal offence punishable by law.
Booi said: “The dream of having a TV station for the Mdantsane community started in 2011 when I saw the need for a platform where the youth could get exposure to showcase their talents,” Booi said.
He said a lease agreement had been signed between his company and Mdantsane City Mall.
The agreement was confirmed by Mande Ndema, spokesman for the Billion Group, which owns the mall. However he said there were some details that needed to be finalised.
The channel promises to offer viewers a 70% IsiXhosa, 20% English and 10% Afrikaans content.
Rasmeni said the channel was in good hands and had to be taken good care of as Booi had sacrificed a lot for the dream to become a reality. —mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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