Electronic Communications Act, 2005 (Act No. 36 of 2005)RegulationsDigital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Regulations, 20091. Definitions |
In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise indicates, a word or expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the Act has the meaning so assigned.
"the Act"
means the Electronic Communications Act, 2005 (Act No. 36 of 2005);
"Channel authorisation"
means the granting of permission by the Authority to a licensee to commence broadcasting a digital channel within the capacity allocated in terms of these regulations;
"Digital broadcasting"
means the use of digital data rather than analogue waveforms to carry broadcasts over assigned frequency;
"Digital incentive channel"
means a new public or commercial channel which is authorised as an incentive for migration, subject to the capacity allocated to existing television broadcasting services in terms of these regulations;
"Digital Terrestrial Television" (DTT)
means the application digital technology to provide a greater number of channels and/or better quality of picture and sound using aerial broadcasts to a conventional antenna/aerial instead of a satellite dish or cable connection;
"Dual illumination"
means the transmission of the same broadcast content in both analogue and digital technology;
"Dual illumination period"
means the period commencing 01 November 2008 until and including 30 April 2012;
"Existing television broadcasting services"
means broadcasters that provided analogue television services before the publication of these regulations and does not include services awarded one year licenses for test purposes;
"Hard switchover"
means a direct migration from analogue to digital television, without dual illumination, in a period not exceeding Twelve (12) months;
"Multiplex"
means a network of frequencies designed to simultaneously permit the transmission of two or more channels;
"Multiplex operator"
means an ECNS licensee who operates a multiplex;
"Multiplexing"
means the combining of data and video streams into one signal over a shared medium;
"Multiplex 1"
means the multiplex allocated for the purposes of broadcasting public, public commercial and community broadcasting television services;
"Multiplex 2"
means the multiplex allocated to commercial free-to-air broadcasting television services;
"Multiplex 3"
means the multiplex allocated to commercial subscription service, subject to M-Net conducting a hard-switchover;
"Public Value Test"
means the requirement that the authorisation of public channels be subject to a public process to meet the requirements of section 10 of tile Broadcasting Act, 1999 (Act No.4 of 1999) and section 2 of the Act;
"Standard Definition Television (SDTV)"
means digital transmissions with a resolution of at least 720 x 576 pixels, either interlaced/interfaced or progressive scanned formats.