e.TV 24-Hour News To Be New DStv Channel

Written by Tashi from the blog Tashi's TV on 13 Dec 2007
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The e.TV 24-hour News Channel goss has delivered yet another suprise - instead of being one of the channels on an e.sat subscription service as we've been thinking - it's going to be a new DStv channel instead.

It's gonna be a news channel alongside CNN, Sky etc. and be included in the regular DStv subscription. As time goes on e-sat's going to create more new channel's and they'll each be added to DStv the same way.

This from the press release that explains the reason:

"During ICASA’s hearings on pay-TV, e.sat argued that the South African market could only sustain two pay-TV operators. When four pay-TV licences were issued in addition to the Multichoice licence, e.sat decided to explore alternative opportunities as a content aggregator and channel supplier."

On one hand it's a cool unexpected bonus for DStv subscribers - there's no mention of DStv increasing their prices as a result and I very much doubt they will. Hopefully they'll rather have specials on subscriptions like they are with decoders.

On the other hand e.sat's no longer a competitive option for people who want a cheaper subscription service and hoped it would be.

They're right about five pay services being too much though aren't they? There's still Telkom Media, On Digital Media and On Water who'll provide something different and that's enough to give everyone a choice. If there are too many our money will be spread too thinly among them and we'll end up paying for it by way of the quality they deliver.

The service I'm very quizzy about at this point is On Digital Media. Telkom's huge and automatically seems to be the direct competition to DStv, On Water's religious programming will have it's own unique appeal but with On Digital Media we have no idea where they're going to be placed or what sort of programming or prices they're going to offer - all we know is that their satellite's in space and ready for action.

Imagine how interesting it would have been to be a fly on the wall during the e.sat/DStv buck negotiations. I've been wondering how it's working cash-wise - when it comes to channels things work differently with each one depending on a whole variety of factors.

For instance deals can range from Multichoice paying channels to be on the DStv platform to channels paying to be on DStv and I can't quite work out which one it would be with e's News.

The whole arrangements win-win for both of them - e.sat immediately get more than 1.2 million viewers without doing a thing and DStv have one less competitor, an extra channel that's very different from any they've already got and they get to be part of the buzz of the new players.

As for whether or not it's win-win for us - bring on 2008 with the answer.

20 Comments

funkymunky
12 Dec 2007 23:42

im quite disappointed actually with this decision of no longer offering a bouquet of channels,now rather piggy backing on Dstv.
Sure Dstv snapped this opportunity up,less competition you see.
Think WOW is a true waste of airtime. Really, there are about 12 christian channels that are free to air already on Vivid (Sentech) so why would anyone want to pay in the 1st place?
That now ONLY leaves ODM and Telkom Media....
Think Dstv's prices are exhorbitant, and this is clear by what Sky in the Uk charge. When you mention this to Dstv,they say different markets bla bla bla.
Please, thats why the paytv industry in Sa is a multi BILLION rand industry,they are milking us dry!
Their watered down 'bouquets' are a joke, instead they should allow us to subscribe to different genre's of channels, check www.sky.com and see what real choice there is out there. Look at their pricing too... 100's of channels at a fraction of the cost. Oh and their basic decoder and installation etc is FREE!!!
please please please bring on some form of competition!!!!!

realist
13 Dec 2007 02:33

"During ICASA’s hearings on pay-TV, e.sat argued that the South African market could only sustain two pay-TV operators.

So what you are saying is you are not good at beating DSTV with your prize, rather join them.

For now Let us wait and see what the other competitors come up with.

tizoz
13 Dec 2007 03:39

Think about it people how long did it take DSTV to get to a 1.2 m mark in south africa alone where we have a population of +-46000000 people. over 20 years clearly the market is not ready for a hostile takeover that Icasa is trying to enforce.

It is not only a matter of subscribing to esat of dstv or whatever, you need to buy a dish and a decoder that anounts to +-R2000.00 lets face the music South Africa is not as rich as we want it to be, The gap between the rich and the poor is widening instead of closing in. Sure we have plenty of black diamonds but why would I go and buy new equipment when I alredy have for DSTV just to see one or two extra channels that the other competitors will offer? I dont think so!

Yes they will be cheaper but I dont see then cannibalising on any of the DSTV subsribers, remember DSTV is established they have loads of money and they are ready for price wars they have clearly demonstrated this by offering packages of R20 they have nothing to loose. but an not sure if the other operators will have that luxury while trying to scramble for subscribers.

This game is going to get very dirty and at least these guys are clever enough to get in the market and be sensible about the realities that we are currently faced with in this country.

dorothy777
13 Dec 2007 04:34

I am rather disappointed that e-sat is hooking up with DSTV, rather than be a competitor. I am a DSTV subsciber and I was really waiting for e-sat to ditch DSTV. I agree with the comments of funkymunky. I was in the UK recently and I was amazed at the number of channels on Sky's bouquets. It even comes with a package as well. You can also subscibe for internet and telephone services as well. It is extremely cheap.Have to wait to see what the others are offering.

Brown Shuga
13 Dec 2007 04:46

Agree with Tizoz....
I don't wanna go to the trouble of getting something different , what would I do with my current decoder/dish etc?
I'm for them adding more "channels" to my subscription...no surprise price increases though, please, we are paying too much as it is!

funkymunky
13 Dec 2007 05:01

@BrownShuga,ok... what if i pose this question:
FREE SATELLITE DISH AND DECODER WITH ODM OR TELKOM MEDIA... would u interested then?
Dstv is VERY expensive,i mean i have pvr that means i am paying half a grand a month now for tv! FOR TV????? come on...
The R20 "bouquet, for lack of a better name is basically what u get for free on Vivid,so why pay for it?
I am not a huge sport fan,so if ODM or Telkom Media offer cheaper (this is already confirmed that its cheaper) with good bouqets, I AM GONE!
The reason Dstv is so powerful and with 2million subscribers (not 1,2 mil as mentioned) is because they have NO competitor!
So with e-sat now piggy backing,we are left with only 2 companies that MIGHT compete....
oh well... the next 6-12 months are going to be fun and games!!!!

funkymunky
13 Dec 2007 05:05

ps. I hear the next batch of channels on Dstv come Feb, and i hear BBC Prime is to be replaced with BBC Entertainment.Right after that we get the next annual increase 1April.
come on Dstv, MILK US DRY!!!! u are sooo good at it!!

Brown Shuga
13 Dec 2007 05:14

<<@BrownShuga,ok... what if i pose this question:
FREE SATELLITE DISH AND DECODER WITH ODM OR TELKOM MEDIA... would u interested then? >>
Does that come with Channel O, SABC 1, AfricaMagic, Supersport 3 or Robert Marawa, a generic of the PVR (coz I can't afford it still), an equivalent of E! News and free installation? If I get that for cheaper then yeah, I will be interested!

How come we don't have a "comedy" channel? Stand up comedy all day long!!!! if that's too much mix it up with these 30 minutes comedies ke...
All these news channels that are springing up, we need to laugh too....

Brown Shuga
13 Dec 2007 05:17

<<I hear BBC Prime is to be replaced with BBC Entertainment>> I'm not complaining!!!

<<Right after that we get the next annual increase 1April. come on Dstv, MILK US DRY!!!! u are sooo good at it!!>>
Gaaaaaddd!!!!!!! Maybe competition is not such a bad idea after all....I mean, I can't afford to pay more than what I'm paying now....really now!!!

funkymunky
13 Dec 2007 05:20

*grin* welcome to our side BrownShuga!

Brown Shuga
13 Dec 2007 05:35

LOL that was too easy Funky, let's start again.....ummmmmm, what do I do with my current Dish/decoder?? I don't have space for it in my garage!!!!!!!!!

tizoz
13 Dec 2007 06:43

The R20 "bouquet, for lack of a better name is basically what u get for free on Vivid,so why pay for it?

This is a strategy for DSTV to get people to buy decoders and as soon as the competition heats up they are ready to play in the low income market. Trust me we can screm and shout but DSTV have positioned themselves in a way that competing with them is just not going to be easy, but that doesnt meant it cant be done.

Fair enough they are expensive but lets face it you are paying for the best channels in the word, CNN, Aljazera, Sky, CNBC, BBc etc, those are widely recognised brands and you get your free to air channels as well, lets face it how many of you have DSTV but still find ureselves watching SABC or eTV, do you honestly think DSTV will ever give up on carrying SABC. Hell no I dont think so.

As good as competition sounds they are facing a rocky road ahead of them and they better have prepared themselves for that.

funkymunky
13 Dec 2007 06:59

@Tivoz did you know (god i sound like a chappie wrapper) hehe that MOST channels you just mentuioned are in FACT free to air channels in Europe... yip! FREE!in fact u can get them free here too on c band dishes.
Some competition in a monopolised market is better than none... its good, we get more channels, hoping there will be a price war (although Dstv said they would not engage in one....)better service etc... has any1 tried calling Dstv's call centre, you hang on FOREVER!!! imagine now if Mtn or Vodacom with a combined subsriber base of 40 million dealt with u in the same manner?acceptable!? HELL NO!!!!
@Brown Shuga, let me receommend a super site called www.bidorbuy.co.za
great for getting rid of sh1t! *laughs*

might just join you... buy one get one free offer perhaps... lol

tizoz
13 Dec 2007 07:23

I dodnt know Funky one thanx for the insight but one thing you have to remember this is not europe this is Africa, and my opinion came from a south african who is looking at things with a south african perspective. Yes we can compare but we are not that developed and for DTV to bring in that frr to air channel from europe they dont do it for free and so I dont think it would be fair to expect them to beam those channels to you for free. As much as you and I are forced to pay extremely high licence fees from SABC truth of the matter is do you get your money's worth. Well I dont and that is unfortunately what we have learnt to accept. Look at the quality of local productions that come out of multichoice(dstv) they are brilliant why because they put their money where their mouth is. (not sure if that is correct)

Compare that to the public broadcaster who is monopolising the market, they get the biggest share of advertising and sponsorships, they get the licence fees (only god knows why), and they get yours and my tax money from the government. you keep pumping thousands of money to the sabc and yet you complain about DSTV who yes they are expensive but at least you get a bit of a choice. They bring you top quality up to date international products and we both know thats a fact

funkymunky
13 Dec 2007 07:32

ive never mentioned quality of what they offer, i have however mentioned:
*awful service at call centre
*exhorbitant pricing due to being a monoply
*their packaged watered down "bouquets" and not allowing us to chose channels per genre(like SKy)

Brown Shuga
13 Dec 2007 07:52

I would really like to know how many people subscribe to those "watered down bouquets"....such crap, really!

funkymunky
13 Dec 2007 08:02

if im not mistaken,when they announced the BIG 2 million subscribers a week or 2 back, they said 170,000.
(think that was for compact, would love to know Dstv Select, or even Easy View figures)

Brown Shuga
13 Dec 2007 08:15

My sister is a DSTV Compact subscriber and her poor kids are so irritated with it....she, on the other hand, doesn't care coz she doesn't watch TV at all, just got it to stop the "Mama o reke DSTV" complaints........

tizoz
13 Dec 2007 09:30

if im not mistaken,when they announced the BIG 2 million subscribers a week or 2 back, they said 170,000. that goes to show the market is not ready for extreme competition as Icasa would like us to believe. I mite be wrong but it is definately too early to tell.

Given the opportunity to be in etv's shoes trust me I would have done more or less the same thing. This is more complicated than just launching one channel, look at how long it took them to make this one FREE to air channel make money, Almost seven years and at some stage they were written off but they pulled it together. I believe the decision they made was the best business decision under the circumstances.

Again it's too early to tell.

Shirmell
20 Dec 2007 02:32

Mmmm, interesting all very interesting.

Yeah DSTV is way too expensive but at least you get choice, something I'm not willing to let go of for anything inferior.

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