Groups still opposing rebranded ANN7 licence bid
Lobby groups have vowed to continue opposing Gupta-owned ANN7’s bid for a new licence, despite the channel rebranding to distance itself from the family, notes a Business Day report. Mzwanele Manyi, owner of Afrotone Media Holdings, said ANN7 would change its name to Afro Worldview on 30 April. The New Age (TNA) newspaper would be rebranded as Afro Voice and its editorial policy would be in line with the press code.
Manyi said he had repaid his debt to the Gupta family and the original amount owed had been lowered after renegotiations. ANN7 will be dropped from the DStv bouquet in August. Manyi’s company has applied for an individual commercial free-to-air television broadcasting service and radio frequency spectrum licence.
The SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition and Media Monitoring Africa have called on Icasa not to grant the company the licence, citing, among others, its links to the Guptas. A final decision on the licence is expected by March 2019.
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