Pay-TV smackdown

Origins of MIH - Part 2

@ MidnightWizard

I have just been browsing the SEC website @ www.secinfo.com and have found these further links as well:

http://www.secinfo.com/$/SEC/Name.asp?M=mih+(bvi)+limited

http://www.secinfo.com/dsVs2.25y.htm

http://www.secinfo.com/dsVs2.22n.htm

http://www.secinfo.com/dsVs2.3Q5.htm

http://www.secinfo.com/dRqWm.5y4p.htm

http://www.secinfo.com/dsVsd.6Xs.d.htm

There are also MANY other related links you can also search for here, too numerous to mention!!!

If you cannot access these SEC website inks, you can register for free on their Main Page, and then you will have access to them!

Regards

IVAN LEON:D
 
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DSTV -- an Alternative

For anyone interested in an alternative -- and all those that were blathering on about the "Free-Market" .........

Here is a chance to put your money where your mouth is.

This gentleman will be able to assist you

ZULU SIERRA SIXAH MIKE ECHO GOLF

:D:D:D


the DIALED & TUNED one
 
Nice idea but lotsa effort for cr@p tv lol...
certainly can't be more expensive than a couple of years DSTV subscription tho!
 
MidnightWizard said:
I agree about the "Free-Markets" BUT how "Free" are they really :confused:
Click to expand...
Not at all -- that's the point. At the moment, we just have 'markets'. :p

At the moment in SA do we have a "Free-Market" when it comes to Telecoms and DSTV :confused:
Click to expand...
Not with all the licensing required, no.

So focus on fixing the regulatory environment, and all the bits about various TV and telecoms providers that annoy you now, will have a much greater chance of changing for the better.
 
More Info About Mih

Here is a paragraph or two off the following SEC website:

http://www.secinfo.com/dRqWm.5y4p.htm#48bo

MIH LIMITED

From our origin as the leading provider of pay-television services in South Africa, we have grown into a multinational provider of pay-television and
interactive technology services.

We are now creating multimedia platforms in the markets we serve by leveraging our core media-based competencies of content aggregation, subscriber management, platform development and marketing and branding to expand our Internet operations.

Our company is divided into three principal business segments:

- pay-television platforms,

- technology and

- the Internet.

Through our subsidiaries and joint ventures, we now provide terrestrial and cable analog, digital satellite and other pay-television services to over 2.0 million households in Africa, the Mediterranean and Asia.

Our extensive pay-television experience forms the basis of our approach to our technology and Internet operations.

Through our Mindport technology division, we develop and acquire technologies that support and enhance the services provided by pay-media companies. Mindport, through its majority-owned subsidiary OpenTV, is the leading provider of software that enables digital interactive television.

In addition, Mindport currently provides pay-media companies worldwide with proprietary software solutions for subscriber management, conditional access and other pay-media related services.

We believe the Internet is a natural extension of our core media-based competencies. We have invested in leading Internet operations in South Africa and Thailand, and have recently begun investing in Internet operations in China.

PAY-TELEVISION PLATFORMS

We operate our pay-television businesses in three major regions:

- the African continent (South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Egypt and the
Middle East),

- the Mediterranean (Greece and Cyprus) and

- Asia (Thailand and development operations based out of Beijing and Hong
Kong).

In each region, we have implemented a strategy that emphasizes being the
leading supplier of pay-television services, offering exclusive programming, continually improving our customer care and offering new services and technology.

With the exception of Cyprus, where only analog service is offered, we provide both analog and digital platform services in each of these three regions.

We believe that two of the reasons we are the leading pay-television operator in each of the markets we serve--South Africa, the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, Greece, Cyprus and Thailand--are our exclusive, high quality content and our early introduction of emerging technologies such as digital television.

In most markets in which we operate, we have exclusive pay-television rights to transmit premium movies, major sporting events and popular children's programming.

We believe that access to this programming gives us the content necessary to attract and retain subscribers and grow successful pay-media services.

We have experienced significant growth in the number of our subscribers, revenue per subscriber and total pay-television revenue.

From the fiscal year ended March 30, 1996 to December 31, 1999, we increased our number of subscribers under management from 1,137,167 to 2,078,505.

Over the same period, our digital subscribers as a percentage of our total subscribers increased from 2.0% to 39.1%, which significantly impacted our revenue per subscriber as digital subscription fees are approximately two-thirds higher than analog fees.

As a result, we have increased our monthly revenue per subscriber, excluding Asia and the Middle East, which are not consolidated, by 9.0% annually, from $18.63 for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1996 to $24.11 for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1999.

Over the same period, subscription revenues increased 23.8% annually, from $233.3 million to $442.7 million."

So just where HAS this additional revenue gone?

To Source NEW quality programming & content on MANY of the so-called 'PREMIUM' channels?

NO WAY!!!

To source NEW "Premium Quality' channels & content to complement & improve on their current 'lack-lustre' offerings?

NO WAY!!!

To increase their shareholders dividends at the end of each financial year?

YES - PLEASE SIR, MAY I HAVE SOME MORE!!!!

This is the harsh reality of the current situation @ MIH:

PROFITS AND DIVIDENDS HAVE ESSENTIALY OVERTAKEN THE CUSTOMER AS THE MAIN GOAL AND FOCUS OF THE CONGLOMERATE!!

As Gordon Gekko so aptly said in the movie WALL STREET:

"The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed -- for lack of a better word -- is good.

Greed is right.

Greed works.

Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit.

Greed, in all of its forms -- greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge -- has marked the upward surge of mankind.

And greed -- you mark my words -- will not only save Teldar Paper (substitute 'MIH' here!) but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA (substitute 'the South African Government' here!)."

:D:D
 
MC "setting" the record straight:
MC said:
MultiChoice would like to set the record straight regarding Mr Ivan Leon.

For more than ten months the company has been actively communicating with Mr Leon regarding his queries on the Electronic Programme Guide, programming and repeats on DStv. While we welcome criticism and comments, Mr Leon’s tone and manner of raising issues has not been constructive.

* He uses abusive and derogatory language towards our employees.
* He makes unreasonable demands and does not treat our employees with respect.
* Almost on a daily basis, we receive queries from Mr Leon and he is not prepared to accept our explanations, regardless of the complexity of his query.

MultiChoice has bent over backwards, spending considerable amounts of time explaining to Mr Leon how the Pay Tv business operates and why we have repeats. We have had numerous telephone conversations with him, inviting him to our Randburg offices for a tour, and even arranging a meeting with our CEO. We also allocated two people to deal with his queries and advised him to interact with these people directly, which he never did.

This is despite the fact that Mr Leon is not a DStv subscriber.

MultiChoice receives regular feedback and criticism from its customers, and the DStv forum was created with this in mind. We have never rejected criticism from our customers. Unfortunately Mr Leon’s communication goes against the spirit of constructive criticism.

The truth and facts regarding our programming and repeats are as follows:

The Pay TV business model is built around repeats, and these vary from genre to genre and channel to channel.

# Repeat patterns Repeat patterns for Movies on DStv and in South Africa are one of the lowest in the world
# Movies on average are repeated 20 times in America, 12 times in the UK and 8 times in Brazil. In South Africa the average repeat rate is 10.

Piracy
# Technology convergence has enabled consumers to access content on non traditional media, and major content suppliers have realised that piracy has unfortunately become a business model.
# As a result window periods for the licensing of content has become shorter in order to deal with piracy
# Before Internet downloads and large scale DVD piracy, movie licenses allowed movies to be premiered and repeated over a period of three years on Pay TV

Viewing habits
# South Africans watch on average four hours of television every day – far higher than Europe or the US.
# And we watch all year – no difference between summer, winter, spring and autumn.
# Other countries have seasonal behaviour, and television networks have created high and low seasons – using premier content in high seasons and repeats in lower seasons.

Global channels are geared for the global audiences – and we are global
# MultiChoice does not schedule channels. Channels are run by independent commercial distributers that determined their own schedules, based on the business model for the channel.
# These channels originate abroad and the same feed is often shared amongst different territories.
# Seasonality is big in global markets – all new content premiers in autumn for the winter viewing months and is then simply repeated throughout spring and summer.

More bouquets = more channels = more repeats
# Previously MultiChoice only had the Premium bouquet. The introduction of other bouquets has resulted in MultiChoice needing to source channels for these bouquets. However, these new channels are also being carried on the Premium bouquet. This may result in Premium bouquet viewers seeing a programme or series on more than one channel i.e. Desperate Housewives will broadcast on MNet and the Series channel

We trust the above clarifies the matter

Yours sincerely

Jackie Rakitla
MultiChoice General Manager: Corporate Affairs
Click to expand...
 
MultiChoice response to Ivan Leon

29 May 2008

MultiChoice would like to set the record straight regarding Mr Ivan Leon.

For more than ten months the company has been actively communicating with Mr Leon regarding his queries on the Electronic Programme Guide, programming and repeats on DStv. While we welcome criticism and comments, Mr Leon’s tone and manner of raising issues has not been constructive.

  • He uses abusive and derogatory language towards our employees.
  • He makes unreasonable demands and does not treat our employees with respect.
  • Almost on a daily basis, we receive queries from Mr Leon and he is not prepared to accept our explanations, regardless of the complexity of his query.
MultiChoice has bent over backwards, spending considerable amounts of time explaining to Mr Leon how the Pay Tv business operates and why we have repeats. We have had numerous telephone conversations with him, inviting him to our Randburg offices for a tour, and even arranging a meeting with our CEO. We also allocated two people to deal with his queries and advised him to interact with these people directly, which he never did.

This is despite the fact that Mr Leon is not a DStv subscriber.

MultiChoice receives regular feedback and criticism from its customers, and the DStv forum was created with this in mind. We have never rejected criticism from our customers. Unfortunately Mr Leon’s communication goes against the spirit of constructive criticism.

The truth and facts regarding our programming and repeats are as follows:

The Pay TV business model is built around repeats, and these vary from genre to genre and channel to channel.

Repeat patterns
  • Repeat patterns for Movies on DStv and in South Africa are one of the lowest in the world
  • Movies on average are repeated 20 times in America, 12 times in the UK and 8 times in Brazil. In South Africa the average repeat rate is 10.

Piracy
  • Technology convergence has enabled consumers to access content on non traditional media, and major content suppliers have realised that piracy has unfortunately become a business model.
  • As a result window periods for the licensing of content has become shorter in order to deal with piracy
  • Before Internet downloads and large scale DVD piracy, movie licenses allowed movies to be premiered and repeated over a period of three years on Pay TV
Viewing habits
  • South Africans watch on average four hours of television every day – far higher than Europe or the US.
  • And we watch all year – no difference between summer, winter, spring and autumn.
  • Other countries have seasonal behaviour, and television networks have created high and low seasons – using premier content in high seasons and repeats in lower seasons.

Global channels are geared for the global audiences – and we are global
  • MultiChoice does not schedule channels. Channels are run by independent commercial distributers that determined their own schedules, based on the business model for the channel.
  • These channels originate abroad and the same feed is often shared amongst different territories.
  • Seasonality is big in global markets – all new content premiers in autumn for the winter viewing months and is then simply repeated throughout spring and summer.

More bouquets = more channels = more repeats

  • Previously MultiChoice only had the Premium bouquet. The introduction of other bouquets has resulted in MultiChoice needing to source channels for these bouquets. However, these new channels are also being carried on the Premium bouquet. This may result in Premium bouquet viewers seeing a programme or series on more than one channel i.e. Desperate Housewives will broadcast on MNet and the Series channel


We trust the above clarifies the matter

Yours sincerely

Jackie Rakitla
MultiChoice General Manager: Corporate Affairs
 
Fair answer from DSTV, but at the end of the day your customer has got to be happy, I am no big fan of DSTV but its a must have for various reasons. I think that it could be a lot better though, We pay a lot of money for DSTV, so therefore expect some quality.

You seem to have forgotten your core market, the customers that made you who you are today - the premium bouquet people, now its all about African Magic 1 & 2, BB Africa etc etc and while I dont deny where we live you are selling a first world product at first world prices and thats what we expect.
 
Also, Ivan had some valid points. Did MC change anything after listening to Ivan, or did they just meet him to keep him happy, and hopefully out of their hair. If you see the lack of responses from MC on their own forum, it is no wonder that Ivan got upset and started using abuse. MCs replys are always more or less the same (i.e nothing concrete, just we will forward your query / suggestion / complaint to some department, and nothing comes back that was not expected).

After people begging for MTV2, Kerrang, Sci-Fi, etc. Nothing has changed. No new channels worth mentioning. The best MC could manage, was to show a sci-fi movie now and again on action-X. No alternative music is played at all on any of the 5 (?) music channels (VH1 is not an alternative music channel).
 
Well my biggest gripe with DSTV is that I'm forced to pay for expensive sport and movie channels. In all other major and even smaller markets like New Zealand subscribers have a choice whether they want to pay for the premium channels or not. This is one thing DSTV just does not want budge on it seems. DSTV select et al does not solve the problem as I want all entertainment channels not just a selection.
 
@ DSTV Webmaster / Jackie
OMW Where to begin after reading that! I’ll just take the first point and avoid 10 pages of writing


Jackie Rakitla - MultiChoice General Manager said:
• Repeat patterns for Movies on DStv and in South Africa are one of the lowest in the world
• Movies on average are repeated 20 times in America, 12 times in the UK and 8 times in Brazil. In South Africa the average repeat rate is 10.
Click to expand...
Whahahaha – Lowest in the world repeat patterns, are you mad - Sky channels have more repeats than DSTV –Bwhahaha – ROFLMAO.
What idiot is going to beleive that! You take us for absolute morons!

Over what time period? And Answer the question – it was NOT about movies per say anyway! twisting the answers.

Seriously Jackie, who is feeding you these lies? Find them and sack them, because you obviously believe it or you wouldn’t have posted such a load of BS on probably the biggest & most widely read national forum in SA!

Maybe you should go over there for a few months then come back and tell us all how great DSTV is, has better channels with better content and less repeats than Sky!

Who did this survey anyway ? – the same ghostly entity that does “subscriber opinion polls on a regular basis” that hardly anyone has ever heard of bar 1 or 2! Do they only ask 10 people and base their frikking survey on that?

Nod said:
After people begging for MTV2, Kerrang, Sci-Fi, etc. Nothing has changed.
Click to expand...
Where are these channels?

You have answered us (poorly) as to why you do not like Ivan, but not one shred of evidence to address his queries and/or problems that he (and everyone else) has, or offered any solutions.

Perhaps you should substantiate your answers, and you can start with this one:

Why did you remove the Sci-Fi Channel?

a) Not many people watched it
Balls, it probably had the biggest following (was survey done by same ghost company above)

b) Some buffoon at MC messed up the deal between yourselves and Universal Studios.
More plausible as professionals are a bit expensive and it’s cheaper to hire idiots

c) It was not economically viable to yourselves, tuff to subscribers.
The most likely answer as it is a premium channel (even our watered down version) and not been allowed to interrupt programs or serials with your adds had a seriously negative impact on your millions of profits.

Tell us – I'm dying to find out…(the truth - not MC rhetoric)

[EDIT] Lol -They didn't ban me yet - i was able to post this reply! :D
.
 
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DStv webmaster said:
29 May 2008

MultiChoice would like to set the record straight regarding Mr Ivan Leon.

<<A LOT OF CRAP IN THIS SPACE>>

We trust the above clarifies the matter

Yours sincerely

Jackie Rakitla
MultiChoice General Manager: Corporate Affairs
Click to expand...

Go post your spam somewhere else. This thread is about you using your monopoly to try and stop competition. We don't appreciate that.
 
So by now you will have all seen the reply posted on both this forum, and on the DSTV forum by Jackie Rakitla.

As I am BANNED from the DSTV forum, I have to make use of this forum to post my reply to Jackie Rakitla, so if anyone out there STILL has access to the DSTV forum, please feel free to post this response there on my behalf! (No doubt you WILL ALSO BE BANNED IMMEDIATELY for casting a 'voice of dissent against MC'!!

Due to the 10000 character limitation on this forum, my response to Jackie Rakitla will be split into TWO parts!

Point No.1

JACKIE:
While we welcome criticism and comments, Mr Leon’s tone and manner of raising issues has not been constructive.

IVAN:
So my pointing out to MC that there are CONTINUAL SERIOUS PROBLEMS with regard to the EPG, and suggesting a few 'possible' solutions to them, is NOT constructive?

So, providing an EPG to your subscribers that CONSISTENTLY FAILS to provide us with either ACCURATE OR DETAILED information on programming, omits BASIC info such as SEASON & EPISODE NUMBERS or a PROGRAM SYNOPSIS for MANY CHANNELS - the recent GO Channel "Programme TBA" , the SUPERNATURAL 3 vs RESCUE ME 4 debacle on MNET ACTION, and the almost constant amendments, alterations, unannounced removals, substitutions and time fluctuations that occur DAILY with schedules on BBC PRIME, spring to mind - IS THIS SUPPOSED TO BE 'CONSTRUCTIVE' @ MC, in order to keep us completely clueless as to what is ACTUALLY GOING to appear on our screens, and is this NOT a BASIC service that we expect to be provided with MORE DETAIL & ACCURACY from MC, than is currently the case?

JACKIE:
He uses abusive and derogatory language towards our employees.

IVAN:
When the SAME MISTAKE was made for NEARLY THREE MONTHS SOLID, WEEK AFTER WEEK, EARLIER THIS YEAR with regard to the CONSTANT INABILITY of the EPG capturers (or the people providing the information from BBC PRIME to MC) to provide us with the CORRECT END TIMES of the Saturday night repeat of Judge John Deed on BBC PRIME (from Jan-Mar 2008) - it was ALWAYS incorrectly entered as a 60-minute episode, even though it WAS entered correctly as a 93-94 minute episode for the the preceding Friday night's 'premiere' (only 24 hours earlier), would you NOT ALSO GET A BIT 'HOT UNDER THE COLLAR' with the MC employee/s responsible with CONTINUALLY perpetuating this error?

The fact that the PVR utilises the EPG information emplicitly, in order to record any viewer preset EPG entires, and that ANY ERRORS in this information would then cause the PVR to NOT record the entire programme that had been previously preset - either the beginning or more often than not, as indicated above, the END would be cut off prematurely, due to these 'last-minute' time fluctuations NOT UPDATING in the recordings ALREADY PRESET INTO THE PVR's MEMORY (due to the fact that the PVR's software DOES NOT HAVE ANY 'EVENT TRACKING CAPABILITY as yet!), does NOT appear to have factored in to Jackie 'apparently being puzzled' by the level of frustration and anger that these frequent errors cause to their viewers, and that this is why the DSTV forums were often utilised by me - to make them AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS, and HOPEFULLY, for MC take SOME FORM OF REMEDIAL ACTION, IN ORDER TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER RE-OCCURENCES OF THE SAME ERROR HAPPENING AGAIN (and AGAIN)!

JACKIE:
He makes unreasonable demands and does not treat our employees with respect.

IVAN:
So an accurate EPG we CAN rely on, SOME FORM OF DECENT (AND NEW) PROGRAMMING on 'PREMIUM' Channels such as BBC PRIME, HALLMARK, DISCOVERY, NAT GEO, HISTORY, MNET STARS, and ANY SORT OF REDUCTION in the current 'extremely high' levels of repeats OF THE SAME REGURGITATED OLD CONTENT on these channels in particular, is an 'unreasonable demand' by me - or ANY other DSTV viewer?

When MC 'disrespects' their viewers by failing to ADDRESS OR RECTIFY MANY OF THESE ISSUES - even AFTER I had pointed them out to MC on their forums, or MC just continues to give us 94% repeat programming per month on DISCOVERY, or BBC PRIME screens THE SAME PROGRAMMES OVER & OVER AGAIN YEAR AFTER YEAR, or MNET STARS screens the SAME MOVIE 12 TIMES IN 13 DAYS, does MC REALLY expect us to STILL treat them with 'respect' & 'admiration' as well?

JACKIE:
Almost on a daily basis, we receive queries from Mr Leon and he is not prepared to accept our explanations, regardless of the complexity of his query.

IVAN:

So where is the 'explanation' from MC regarding the 'complexity' of these postings?

http://www.dstv.com/Gysmm/Forum/threadView.aspx?sid=31556&Id=132

or this one?

http://www.dstv.com/Gysmm/Forum/threadView.aspx?sid=31904&Id=132

or this one?

http://www.dstv.com/Gysmm/Forum/threadView.aspx?sid=31915&Id=132

or this one?

http://www.dstv.com/Gysmm/Forum/threadView.aspx?sid=31830&Id=132

I could go on further, but you get the point - I hope!

TO BE CONTINUED IN PART TWO!!!!!
 
JACKIE:
MultiChoice has bent over backwards, spending considerable amounts of time explaining to Mr Leon how the Pay Tv business operates and why we have repeats.

IVAN:
Explaining away - YES!

Trying IN ANY WAY, SHAPE, MATTER OR FORM to either adapt, re-structure or alter their 'excessive repeat patterns' for the 'more discerning' DSTV PREMIUM viewers - who pay MORE, and so should EXPECT a better deal from MC than their 'lesser' subscribers - NO!

JACKIE:
We have had numerous telephone conversations with him, inviting him to our Randburg offices for a tour, and even arranging a meeting with our CEO.

IVAN:
One of the MC staff that I DID interact with telephonically @ MC, Merlin Naicker, who WAS actually willing to listen to my 'criticism, comments & suggestions' with an 'open ear', and DID IN FACT go 'the extra mile' on numerous occasions, to either resolve or
explain certain situations to me to my satisfaction, has since left the employ of MC.

Due to logistic problems, I was unable to attend the 'guided tour of the Randburg offices' on the 4th of December last year - see the following DSTV forum thread for further details I gave MC regarding this 'issue':

http://www.dstv.com/Gysmm/Forum/threadView.aspx?sid=25991&Id=132


JACKIE:
We also allocated two people to deal with his queries and advised him to interact with these people directly, which he never did.

IVAN:
The only TWO people that I was given DIRECT CONTACT INFORMATION by MC at my meeting in March this year with their CEO, Nolo Letele, Jackie Rakitla and Aletta Alberts, were the personal business cards of Nolo & Jackie - they offered them to me, and asked me to keep in contact with them if I had any further queries, complaints or suggestions to provide to MC.

NO OTHER MC CONTACT INFORMATION was provided to me at this meeting, regarding any other 'lines of communication' between MC & myself!

JACKIE:
This is despite the fact that Mr Leon is not a DStv subscriber.

IVAN:
I have already posted the specific reason why I 'appear to NOT be a DSTV subscriber to MC' on their systems, in an earlier posting on this thread!

JACKIE:
MultiChoice receives regular feedback and criticism from its customers, and the DStv forum was created with this in mind. We have never rejected criticism from our customers. Unfortunately Mr Leon’s communication goes against the spirit of constructive criticism.

IVAN:
Would a HAPPY & CONTENTED MC subscriber EVER COMPLAIN? NO!!

Would a MC subscriber, like myself, who can CLEARLY SEE THAT THERE ARE ONGOING PROBLEMS IN SOME AREAS, TAKE THE TIME TO POINT THESE OUT TO MC BY PROVIDING FEEDBACK - OFTEN IN GREAT DETAIL - wait a 'reasonable period' for SOME SORT OF REPLY OR REMEDIAL ACTION TO BE FORTHCOMING from MC, get ABSOLUTELY NO RESPONSE AT ALL FROM MC, then NOT BE ENTITLED TO VOICE HIS DISPLEASURE AT SUCH on the various DSTV forums that WERE SET UP FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE by MC?

Obviously NOT, according to Jackie!

See this thread on the DSTV forums, for more insight:

http://www.dstv.com/Gysmm/Forum/threadView.aspx?sid=28787&Id=132

I also spent a considerable time ASSISTING various DSTV subscribers on their 'technical' forums, often providing detailed step-by-step instructions on how to resolve issues with the setup & connection of their DSTV installations!

So NOT ALL MY TIME was spent 'slagging MC' - I also helped out quite a few subscribers as well - who had NOT YET managed to get a suitable response from MC, regarding their queries!

JACKIE:
The Pay TV business model is built around repeats, and these vary from genre to genre and channel to channel.

Repeat patterns
• Repeat patterns for Movies on DStv and in South Africa are one of the lowest in the world

IVAN:
MOVIES - possibly - can we see a DETAILED breakdown or analysis therof by an 'independent' market research company? Also, the 'global repeat pattern trends' that MC so often refers to in ANY response to 'repeat patterns' queries, have NEVER been published by them, despite my (and others) requesting substantiation therof by MC.

JACKIE:
• Movies on average are repeated 20 times in America, 12 times in the UK and 8 times in Brazil. In South Africa the average repeat rate is 10.

IVAN:
Yes - but what is the TIME PERIOD under review for this number of repeats in these countries, compared to the TIME PERIOD for the level of repeats in SA?

Also, NO MENTION AT ALL has EVER BEEN MADE by MC with regard to providing us with details of the level of repeats on NON-MOVIE CHANNELS such as DISCOVERY, NAT GEO, HISTORY, BBC PRIME, and a channel like HALLMARK that COMBINES movies & series in its lineup!

JACKIE:
Viewing habits
• South Africans watch on average four hours of television every day – far higher than Europe or the US.

IVAN:
So how can this be a justification for MORE REPEATS - the reverse should hold true!

JACKIE:
• And we watch all year – no difference between summer, winter, spring and autumn.
• Other countries have seasonal behaviour, and television networks have created high and low seasons – using premier content in high seasons and repeats in lower seasons.

IVAN:
The reason for this is that MC 'normally' used to get series about 6-9 months AFTER their release in the US, that is why we use dto see 'XMAS Specials' in July!!

Lately however, due to the US Screenwriters' Guild strike last year, this time span has shrunk considerably - some series are now only an episode or two BEHIND the US!!! Also, as most series have a break between seasons, MC often slots in ANOTHER series in its place to fill the vacant time-slot - unlike the US where they run REPEATS OF THE OLD SEASON!!!

I, and no doubt MOST DSTV subscribers, actually prefer the 'South African' model - MNET & MNET SERIES have a reasonable & tolerable 'repeat pattern' - except when they screen the SAME SEASON a few episodes apart on BOTH channels simultaneously!

This NEW trend only started happening about a year or so ago - if I remember correctly, THE TUDORS was the first series to have this 'concurrence' happen to it!

JACKIE:
Global channels are geared for the global audiences – and we are global.

• MultiChoice does not schedule channels. Channels are run by independent commercial distributers that determined their own schedules, based on the business model for the channel.

IVAN:
I would love to see the business model for BBC PRIME - that would make interesting reading!

JACKIE:
• These channels originate abroad and the same feed is often shared amongst different territories.

IVAN:
Please could MC clarify this for me:
Are the following channels compiled locally (in-house @ MC) or by MNET in Randburg, as opposed to being sourced from an 'overseas content provider'?

MNET / MNET SERIES / GO! / MNET ACTION / MNET MOVIES 1 / MNET MOVIES 2
MNET STARS / KYKNET

and as such, does MC not IN FACT HAVE SOME MEASURE OF CONTROL OVER THEM, seeing as MNET is ALSO a subsidiary of MIH, MC's parent company?

Also, why is it that the 'watered-down versions' of DISCOVERY, NAT GEO, HISTORY, BBC PRIME and HALLMARK that we get here, are VASTLY INFERIOR to their US counterparts (or MANY other overseas countries, like Australia, as well)?

For example, we get NAT GEO from Romania - of ALL Countries - was there NO OTHER version that we could have sourced for SA? If I remember correctly, it USED TO BE SOURCED FROM HOLLAND a few years ago!

Here are some examples of DIFFERENT CONTENT in different markets for NAT GEO:

US Version: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/tv-schedule

Then compare THESE versions:

SA Version: http://www.ngcafrica.co.za/
© 2006 NGC-UK Partnership. All Rights Reserved

UK Version: http://natgeochannel.co.uk/
© 2008 NGC-UK Partnership, All Rights Reserved

Netherlands Version: http://www.ngc.tv/
© 2008 NGC-UK Partnership. Alle rechten voorbehouden

Romanian Version: http://natgeochannel.ro/
©2007 NGC-UK Partnership. Toate drepturile rezervate

Australian Version: http://www.natgeotv.com.au/
© 2008 NGC-UK Partnership, All Rights Reserved

Does ANYONE notice the copyright info for ALL the European / Australian channels is for THE SAME PARTNERSHIP?

Same story for DISCOVERY CHANNEL, HISTORY, HALLMARK & BBC PRIME - it's a case of 'different content' for different regions as well - so much for being global!!!

JACKIE:
• Seasonality is big in global markets – all new content premiers in autumn for the winter viewing months and is then simply repeated throughout spring and summer.

IVAN:
See my comments earlier regarding this 'seasonality' topic.

JACKIE:
More bouquets = more channels = more repeats
• Previously MultiChoice only had the Premium bouquet. The introduction of other bouquets has resulted in MultiChoice needing to source channels for these bouquets.

However, these new channels are also being carried on the Premium bouquet. This may result in Premium bouquet viewers seeing a programme or series on more than one channel i.e. Desperate Housewives will broadcast on MNet and the Series channel

IVAN:
I don't mind DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES on both MNET & SERIES, as this DOES give DSTV Compact viewers (who can only get MNET SERIES & MNET ACTION) a chance to see it as well, but WHY NOT let it FINISH its run on MNET, BEFORE it then starts on SERIES?

But having it appear MULTIPLE times on TWO DIFFERENT channels (on different days) in the space of a week - twice on MNET, once on MNET EXTRA, and a further four times on SERIES - is a BIT MUCH!!!

Even a one month gap in-between channels should be sufficient to 'keep up the hype and momentum' regarding viewership!

I trust that the above points will be adequately clarified (or otherwise explained away) by MC!

Yours Sincerely
IVAN LEON
 
Good points Ivan. As I don't watch a lot of tv these days. My only gripe is their rip-off pricing and lack of flexible packages. Even with our weak currency DSTV is easily one of the most expensive services in the world.
 
The AIRWAVES "RUMBLE in the JUNGLE"

Man oh Man ,

PLEASE guys & Gals keep this up -- this is better than ANY soapie on MIH or MNet or MWeb -- or whatever.........

BUT oh Man my time -- this is a whole series in ONE episode

I cannot really comment much because I am NOT a subscriber -- I only get to watch the TVSATBOX when at family or friends.

I DO have a question though.

IF the Gov is so serioussss about education and knowledge enabling the population WHY can we not have all the Education / Edutainment channels PLUS all the normally FTA that get bundled with the pay content on a SEPERATE bouquet with a cost of about R50.00 per month ALL inclusive.

MIH could ask the GOV for TAX RELIEF on this one -- as well as using SPORT to subsidise it. ( I mean that is the ANC model -- rob the rich to pay the THEMSELVES -- & then the poor get the little bit left over at the end:mad: ) at least THIS way they would be doing some good.


SO THERE MR DSTV Webmaster -- WHAT do your bosses say to that one ????:confused:


Remember -- I am the WIZARD -- I have the "MAGIC" :eek:
 
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