Magazine publishers get Icasa hearing against Post Office

01 July 2015 - 13:21 By RDM News Wire

The outcome of a hearing by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) could potentially lead to the SA Post Office’s (Sapo) “currently exclusive licence” being revoked. Icasa will hear complaints made against Sapo by a group of specialist magazine publishers.A statement from Chris Yelland‚ the spokesperson for the complainants‚ said the setting of a date by Icasa’s Complaints and Compliance Committee (CCC) follows months of “apparent stonewalling from Sapo”.Since the complaints were filed in December 11‚ 2014‚ Sapo has either failed to respond to the complaints timeously or asked for “indulgences” to allow it to reply at later dates.On May 21‚ however‚ the CCC chairperson “delivered a ruling…stating that no further extension would be granted to Sapo and that the matter will be set down for hearing”.According to Yelland’s statement: “The complainants are asking Icasa to consider and review numerous complaints against Sapo and the financial and other damage to the magazine publishing industry caused by Sapo's extended failure to meet its license conditions‚ and to sanction SAPO accordingly.”These sanctions‚ it said‚ could include “punitive financial sanctions; entertaining alternative license applications to that of Sapo; considering additional licence applications to supplement the activities of Sapo; or even the removal of SAPO's (currently exclusive) licence”.The complainants in the matter are Yelland’s EE Publishers‚ Brooke Pattrick‚ Creamer Media‚ Crown Publications‚ Interact Media Defined‚ Now Media‚ Technews Publishing and TE Trade Events...

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