International broadcasters need licences for Mandela coverage

Its website has a dedicated link for the Special Events licence application forms to enable international broadcasters to apply for requisite licence to cover such events. It should be noted that such licences generally take two days to be issued but the ICASA will do everything to expedite such applications.

For the coverage of international special events, broadcasters usually bring communications equipment such as Satellite News Gathering (SNG) to relay their broadcasts to their respective international audiences.

Broadcasters usually bring communications equipment such as Satellite News Gathering (SNG) to relay their broadcasts. (Image: Bidgee, via Wikimedia Commons)

The SNGs require a radio frequency spectrum licence to be allocated for this purpose and some video cameras with microphones and a wireless capability needs type-approval to ensure that there are no reported cases of interference with licensed services. The type-approval label has to be attached to the communication equipment.

In covering the funeral, all international broadcasters will have to go through this standard licensing process for compliance purposes and, when a radio frequency spectrum licence is issued, the licensee is obliged to show it to ICASA inspectors as they continue to conduct routine monitoring and compliance duties.

For more information, go to www.icasa.org.za.