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Tag: StarTimes

  • World Cup: OSMI battles StarTimes over TV right infringement

    World Cup: OSMI battles StarTimes over TV right infringement

    Optima Sports Management International (OSMI) and DStv are engaged in a battle with a low-end market pay TV over the infringement of its exclusive FIFA World Cup terrestrial broadcast rights.

    The Nation exclusively gathered from sources that StarTimes has been airing the World Cup matches on a terrestrial station, NTA 24, which is one of the TV channels on its bouquet. This action is said to have violated OSMI transmission agreement with the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON).

    BON is the umbrella body of radio and television stations in the country. Under the agreement, BON, through its network of radio and television stations, OMSI was billed to broadcast the 64 matches of the World Cup to Nigerians free.

    But, DStv was reported to have  blocked all terrestrial stations on its platform to avoid any infringement from StarTimes.

    The Public Relations Manager of StarTimes, Mr. Anetor Irete, confirmed the development, saying that StarTimes received a query from OSMI. “We received a letter requesting that we shouldn’t air the World Cup matches because StarTimes has no pay-TV right to show any of the matches on our platform,” he said.

    He added the terrestrial channels on the platform during the football season are free to access. “This means, no subscription is needed to view any of the analogue channels on the platform pay TV, hence it’s not a pay TV service we are offering Nigerians that have our set up box. As a result of the good relationship and understanding we have with analogue channels on the platform, we obliged them when they sent a request that we block signals during the football matches, and this, we have done to honour their request. During this football season, the matches can be viewed on super clarity channel NTA SPORT 24 and any other NTA Multi channels on the platform,”

    Irete said further that in the interest of public, NTA-Star TV Network is an operator and also a digital transmission platform, which has the objective to carry as many analogue signals on the digital platform as we are the main transition platform.

    “According to NBC law, we are obliged to transmit the obligations of states and local television stations in the province, especially in Jos (the pilot city or digital migration), StarTimes play the role of platform for digital migration.”

    “StarTimes is saddled with helping Nigeria migrate from analogue to digital and the only licensed carrier for digital terrestrial television in Nigeria.

    Every terrestrial digital TV platform must transmit public transmission channel (like NTA) in  the public interest.

    “StarTimes conduct legitimate evidence, and does not infringe the rights of others subjective intent and fault,” he told The Nation via an email.

  • Winners emerge in StarTimes’ promo

    StarTimes has rewarded the first set of winners in the ongoing extra time promo.

    The loyalty promo has produced five winners of 32-inch digital LED television and a winner of the grand prize – 2014 Toyota Yaris car.

    During the draw, Mr Farouk Mohammed, from Kebbi, Mr Alade Yinusa, Warri, Mr Salami Femi, Lagos, Mr Muyibi Dotun, Lagos, and Lazarus Igwe, Benin, won LED TV.

    The Public Relations Manager, NTA-Star Network, Mr. Irete Anetor, said the promo gives customers the chance of winning, and also enjoy extra viewing day on the StarTimes’Soccer.

    Anetor said the purchase of the StarTimes recharge card qualifies subscribers for the promo’s monthly draws, where they could win cars or 32-inch digital LED television.

    He said: “The Extra Time promo comes in parts. We will give an extra viewing day on our soccer card and the Extra Time promo card, sell our soccer card specially designed to cheer the Super Eagles for the FIFA World Cup season, and give out instant prizes through our Extra Time promo card. Customers can scratch and win instant prizes on its purchase.

    “Customers will automatically qualify for the Extra Time monthly promo draws on the purchase of our recharge cards – be it the usual cards, the soccer card or the Extra Time promo cards.

    “Instant gifts like the 32’ LED Digital TV Set or units of Viju Milk can also be won on the purchase of our Extra Time promo cards. The Extra Time promo card comes with a scratch and wins section for instant prizes. Instant prizes can be redeemed at our redemption centres. Our monthly promo draws would hold at our Lagos head office at the end of every month, starting from May when the promo begins, until it ends in August.”

  • StarTimes: Why we celebrated our customers

    StarTimes has said it is inspired to appreciate its loyal customers since inception of the season of the love.

    The Public Relations Manager of the company, Mr. Irete Anetor, said the objectives of the gesture were to “celebrate and appreciate loyal subscribers that have never defaulted in their monthly subscription”.

    He added that the Valentine’s season was well celebrated and the laudable Digital Terrestrial Television – StarTimes platform decided to visit homes of lucky winners and offer them gifts and appreciation cards.

    StarTimes has promoted and made accessible quality and affordable digital entertainment in Nigeria to all Nigerians before the due date for digital migration in 2015.

  • Startimes begins promo

    Digital satellite television service provider, Startimes, has begun its Christmas promotion, called Startimes Christmas Extra Goodies promo.

    New subscribers are to buy its decoder for N4,900 to enjoy a month of free classic bouquet with 60 channels.

    The promo will last till January 31, 2014.

    Besides, the decoder comes with the Startimes’ Yagi antenna and a 10-metre cable for 1,000. They can also buy a decoder for N5,900 with a month’s unique bouquet with 80 channels, or buy a decoder for N5,900 with a month’s unique bouquet and a Yagi antenna with 10-metre cable for N1,000.

    Existing subscribers can recharge with N3,000 for a day and get free 1,000 worth of airtime and a ‘Yagi Antenna’ for N1,500.

  • StarTimes push South African in trouble waters

    More trouble has rocked TopTV parent On Digital Media (ODM), still the only direct-to-home pay-television rival to MultiChoice and its DStv service, as disgruntled shareholders representing more than 20% of the equity in the troubled pay-TV operator have taken the company and its business rescue practitioner, Peter van den Steen, to court.

    The two parties, First National Media Investment Holdings (FNMIH) and Mergan Moodley, who together hold 21,1% of ODM’s equity, have brought the application on an urgent basis. They claim they were excluded from a new shareholders’ agreement, required in terms of the business rescue plan for ODM.

    In papers filed in Johannesburg penultimate Friday, they asked high court to stop Van den Steen and TopTV from “taking any steps” to implement the business recovery plan in a way that has irreversible consequences pending the fulfilment or waiver of the suspensive conditions set out therein.

    The application is supported by an affidavit by former TopTV CEO Vino Govender, who is also chairman and CEO of FNMIH.

    FNMIH holds 20,4% of ODM, while Moodley owns a further 0,7%.

    According to Govender’s affidavit, the two shareholders want the high court to interdict Van den Steen from “unlawfully” and “prematurely” implementing the business rescue plan in a way that is not reversible while it remains subject to “suspensive conditions”. Doing so, they say, will “cause harm to the company, its creditors and employees”.

    The latest drama comes just six months after the shareholders and creditors of ODM approved the business rescue plan that involved an offer by China’s StarTimes to purchase a direct 20% stake. In return for its investment in — or, rather, rescue of — the business, StarTimes will receive an effective 65% economic stake in the company, meaning it will participate in 65% of any profits reported.

    Existing shareholders (exclusive European satellite operator SES, which is disinvesting) will participate in 15% of ODM’s profits, while a proposed new black economic empowerment (BEE) investor will participate in 20% of the profits and 65% of the shareholding.

    Although the business rescue plan leaves the restructuring of the shareholding in ODM to shareholders and StarTimes, the plan is conditional on such agreement being reached, Govender says in his affidavit. However, FNMIH and Moodley have not been party to any agreement between the other shareholders and have allegedly been excluded from negotiations in this regard.

    He says it is “clear” that for the suspensive conditions of the rescue plan to be fulfilled, ODM’s existing shareholders (excluding SES) have to enter a shareholders’ agreement with StarTimes and the new BEE shareholder and that Van den Steen is “duty bound” to ensure that shareholders reflected in the business rescue plan convene a meeting to negotiate a shareholders’ agreement.

    If a shareholders’ agreement is not reached or the suspensive conditions are not waived by StarTimes, Van den Steen must convene a meeting of all affected parties to devise a revised rescue plan or place the business into liquidation.

    Govender says in his affidavit that FNMIH has also been excluded from the process. He says both he and Moodley wrote to Van den Steen requesting copies of the agreements. These were not supplied as they were “confidential” and could not be disclosed to non-signatories.

  • Startimes spends N20bn on digital TV across 16 cities

    Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) provider, Startimes, a subsidiary of Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), has so far spent N20 billion to be viewed in 16 states and cities in Nigeria.

    Addressing journalists on the third anniversary of Startimes operations in Nigeria in Abuja, Mr. Maxwell Loko, Director, NTA Star Television Network Limited, said new cities and states will be covered by Startimes’ DTT signals before the end of this year.

    According to Mr. Loko, the digital television station “has spent close to N20 billion in the present cities, DTT is capital intensive because you have to be physically present in all the locations.”

    He assured “every Nigerian of quality signal coverage, quality contents and unbeatable service centres and most especially to help Nigeria keep pace with the rest of the world by transiting from analogue to digital before the due date of 2015.”

    Asked if the presence of Startimes in all the states of the federation is not a sales pitch, Mr. Loko said their engineers have finished installing and erecting the necessary equipments in all the state capitals and that transmitters have been delivered and frequency allocation from the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) secured.

  • StarTimes begins Xmas promo

    One of the fastest growing pay-tv companies in Nigeria, Nta-StarTV Network popularly called StarTimes is offering its subscribers and customers the best Santa Claus gifts this Christmas season with a bumper promo called “StarTimes Merry Saver Promo.” The promo, which officially commenced on November 5, will run till January 31, 2013 and will allow new subscribers to walk into any StarTimes business outlet and buy a StarTimes decoder for N2,900 and instantly recharge one month of any bouquet of choice.

    Monthly subscription for Basic bouquet is N1,000; Classic bouquet is N2,000 while unique bouquet cost N4,000 monthly.  Existing subscribers will only need to recharge their decoder with N3,000 for any bouquet and instantly get rewarded with N1,000 worth of subscription within the promo period.

    Speaking at a press briefing to formally announce the promo to the public, the Marketing Director, NTA-Star TV Network Limited, Mr Eric Liu disclosed that the promo is aimed at giving back to the society that has supported the company in the past years that the organisation has been in Nigeria.

    “The slash in price of our decoder for this Christmas period is a way of showing appreciation to our customers and as well as giving opportunity to people that are yearning for our decoder to acquire one” he said.

     

     

     

     

     

    Eric disclosed that Startimes digital TV will stun its subscribers in this yuletide season with increased channels of sport, music, moveis, news, kids and teens entertertainment couple with local programmes that people can relate with like Papa Ajasco, SuoperStory and other local dramas from the stable of Wap Tv, E.stars, orisun, Amc e.t.c We are celebrating the Christmas season with our loyal and esteem customers by slashing our price, which means that you can walk into any of our outlet and get a decoder as low as N2,900.

    ”It is important to inform our dear subscriber that this “Merry Saver Promo” is only available at the existing StarTimes operating states, meaning that the “new states just being added to the StarTimes family will not  participate in the promo” Eric stated.

    Those existing states according to the Marketing Director are: Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Port-Harcourt, Kano, Kaduna Benin and Onitsha.

    Meanwhile, for new states in this Christmas season, Eric said that the subscribers will enjoy an introductory price of N5,900 which consist of a decoder with two months subscription for Basic Bouquet. Subscribers in the new cities will also have the opportunity to get a FREE decoder when they pay N7,900 for two months of Unique Bouquet. The package which originally cost N11,900 will now be selling at N7,900 meaning that N4,000 has been taken off the price.All these according to Eric are to make the Christmas season more enjoyable with their affordable, easy to install StarTimes decoder adding that customer are in for great enjoyment and uninterrupted signal with StarTimes new T2 Technology.Also Speaking, the representative of Director General NTA, Mr. Maxwell Loko disclosed that StarTimes and NTA partnership is to make life more meaningful and enjoyable for Nigerians during and beyond this Christmas period.