Yesterday (25 July) saw the launch of TVSA Gold, a prepaid premium membership subscription service granting you access to exclusive site content and capabilities.
Today we explain what it's all about...
TVSA has always been a free-to-use website and will continue to be just that until either someone blows up the Internet or the world ends.
But the reality of running a website that is free to all is that it is tough - very tough - to find ways to pay the bills and keep the website running. Someone has to pay for something, or the website will cease to exist.
Since its inception TVSA has relied on an advertising model to keep the site running, but being a relatively new website (a year old in Internet terms is very young) this model has not yet proved sustainable.
We have every confidence that in the future TVSA will be one of the first destinations of choice for Internet advertisers, considering its staggering rate of growth, huge membership and uniquely cross-cultural readership.
For now, however, we had to find a way to keep the site afloat, and you guessed it - TVSA Gold is it.
So what is TVSA Gold anyway?You can read all about the ins and outs of TVSA Gold in
this article, but basically it's a whole new experience of TVSA.
Everything that has always been free on TVSA will remain so, but TVSA Gold gives you a world more.
The purpose of TVSA Gold was two-fold: firstly for the reasons described above, and secondly because we felt there were genuine needs our readers have that were not being met and which would be worth a few bucks a month.
These needs range from having a much more detailed and personal presence on the site, to giving potential TV stars the ability to show off that potential, actors a chance to showcase their work, community members the ability to interact easily with one another, and much more.
There have been numerous calls for us to provide a platform for non-TV content, which we have done by offering TVSA Gold members blogs that do not have to be about TV-related subjects.
You can even turn your Gold Home Page into a commercial venture if you have the resources to do so. You can run your own affiliate deals with online stores like Kalahari or Amazon, in which you earn revenue for any sales you make of DVDs, music, books or other products; you can carry banners advertising your own services or products; you can organise a sponsor if your home page becomes popular; or if you don't need to make money yourself you could always advertise a friend's or colleague's business as a way of helping them out.
Any comercial deals you make are your own business - TVSA does not get involved, nor do we attempt to take a percentage of your earnings. If you can sell it, it's your baby. We hope you make millions.
Instead of a commercial venture you could also use your home page as a promotional tool. For example, you may be a musician who needs to advertise your gigs, or you may have your own website you wish to promote.
If none of that appeals to you, then at the very least TVSA Gold gives you hours and hours of fun, making it impossible for you ever to be bored again. When the millionth discussion starts about uKelly or uKhanyi and you simply have to get away, you can retreat into the depths of TVSA Gold and amuse yourself, far away from the madding crowd.
We have tons more wonderfully exciting features that we will be adding in stages to TVSA Gold, meaning new and exciting things will constantly be waiting to surprise and delight you.
Ja, but I'm only LSM 5Forget your LSM for a moment, OK? TVSA Gold only costs R45 a month and it's prepaid, meaning no hidden costs or surprises. Prepaid = Peace of Mind.
Let's consider what R45/month is equivalent to:
ZimbabweR45 will buy you the whole of Zimbabwe. In theory getting an entire country for just 45 bucks seems like a steal, but this is Zim we're talking about. We thought you were looking to make a good investment, not seeking ways to ruin your life.
53 B&H Special MildYou don't even get two full packs of Special Mild 30s - seven cigarettes short. It couldn't hurt to cut down by two packs a month, could it? That's TVSA for you - always thinking about your health. Because you're worth it.
9 loaves of SaskoThat's right - with 45 bucks you could buy nine loaves of Sasko Sam Sliced White Bread 700g from Pick n Pay, which is about one loaf every three days. You could argue nine loaves will keep you fed for a month, but we'd argue that you'd die on the very first loaf, choking at the thought of Mara Louw.
Half a cheap Spur dateR45 will only pay your half of a Spur meal for two, and only if you stick to burgers and leave before dessert. You think that's gonna impress chicks? Think again. What
will impress chicks is a studly profile of yourself on TVSA Gold, with a photo gallery of your babe-magnet Mzansi Ride.
One movie date for twoYou can buy two tickets to a movie once a month, but if you're such a big movie fan why are you visiting a TV website? Hmm??!! Take her to the mall instead, or go for a walk in Hillbrow or something. You know - something romantic.
Less than four beersYou can't even buy four Castle Lagers on a night out for 45 bucks. Tough one this (who in their right mind would willingly deny themselves four extra beers on
any given night?), but look at it this way: those four beers will give you nothing but a few hours of fun before the headache and dry mouth begin, with nothing to show for it except maybe making your name gat. Your alternative - a month on TVSA Gold - will give you countless hours of fun and plenty to show for it.
Those are just some suggestions for how your R45 could be better spent. And if you're not prepared to give up any of your guilty pleasures, ask yourself this: are you prepared to give up TVSA?
If not, then join TVSA Gold and help us to continue building this website into the biggest, best and most influential place to be. We want to be around at least as long as it takes for someone to blow up the Internet - after that we'll have seen it all and can retire peacefully.
Show support, better your life, go Gold. 'Nuff said.
More About TVSA GoldSign Up!