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I am given to understand that our esteemed MLA of Cortalim Senior Mathany Saldanha is also a Cable operator based in Panjim. The question is 'IS HE TOO INVOLVED IN THIS GIMMICK TO KEEP THE SUBSCRIBERS HOOKED? Cheers Floriano > Cable operators gimmicks to keep subscribers hooked > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ > Navhind Times Team > > "Give them the samples till they are hooked to it and once it is done, > there is nothing like it." That was the master strategy adopted by > drug-peddlers > all over the world, for boosting sales of deadly narcotic products. Well, > the cable operators in the neighbourhoods seem to have resorted to the same > gimmick. The monthly fee charged by them has been enhanced to Rs 250 > per month from September, from a paltry sum of Rs 75 which was charged > when the satellite channels were first beamed into the drawing rooms, > way back in the early 1990s. > > This unreasonable rise has irked most of the cable subscribers, however, > they are not ready to let go their membership, now that serials like > Kyon Ki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki have > become their staple diet. > > A recent survey conducted by The Navhind Times brought out some > interesting revelations. The cable subscribers across the state, > who were recently interviewed by TNT team, presented a somewhat > clear picture about the cable operators. > > It was not surprising that cent per cent of those interviewed thought > that the consumers court should take up the subscribers' complaints > against the cable operators. > > Around 49 per cent people were happy with the channels provided to them > against the fee charged, while 48 per cent demanded more from their > cable operators. > > As much as 89 per cent of the customers declared that they should have a say, > in the choice of the channels, while 6 per cent did not mind if their view > was not taken into consideration. The rest 5 per cent were confused. > > The lack of support for the cable operators was also visible, when 46 per cent > of the consumers wanted the entertainment tax charged, to be directly passed > on to the government coffers, 32 per cent said that it should be handed over > to the cable operators. Around 14 per cent of those interviewed demanded > abolition of the tax. The rest did not know what to say. > > Sixty-five per cent of those interviewed, blamed the cable operators > for the recent imbroglio that raged between them and the Star TV channel. > Only 8 per cent held the TV channel responsible for the problem, > while 15 per cent said that both the parties had their share in it. > Around 12 per cent people were totally ignorant about the same. > > As an extension to this question, almost 80 per cent of the 66 people > interviewed, > opined that the consumers should not pay full fee, when some of the channels > are shut off for a particular period. Seventeen per cent wanted to continue > full payment of fee, even in such conditions, while 3 per cent did not know > what to say. > > An interesting aspect that surfaced from this survey was the number of > channels > provided to the consumers around the state. The provision of channels > had no uniformity and were not directly proportional to the fee charged. > In one case, they varied from 15 to 17, while two other persons stated > that their channels ranged between 18 and 20. > > The minimum number of channels provided were 15, to the consumers > from Valpoi village, while a maximum of 50 channels were provided > in Salcete taluka. > > The fee charged was also disproportionate as compared to the channels > provided. > In 40 cases (62 per cent), the fee charged was Rs 200, followed by 25 per cent > being charged Rs 150, 9 per cent charged Rs 250 and 2 per cent each were > charged Rs 220 and Rs 175. Two of the consumers were ignorant > about the fee charged. > > The ratio of issuing a receipt after collecting the fee was 58:42, with > majority > of the urban customers receiving the same. The consumers from the urban > areas mostly enjoyed this facility. > > Regarding the complaints, 57 per cent persons were attended to, while 41 > per cent > did not receive any service even after registering a complaint. Around 2 > per cent > said that they received the response irregularly. > > The mode of registering complaints also differed. In this aspect, there was > a lot of disparity, with 29 per cent receiving the service for their > complaints > through dedicated phone number, 23 per cent through dedicated serviceman, > while 5 per cent through both the modes. Around 8 per cent persons had to > personally contact the cable operators. The 29 per cent consumers had > no complain against their service and 6 per cent did not make any comment. > > The survey shows that almost all the cable consumers are dissatisfied > with their cable operators, and would go for an alternate arrangement > if it existed. The only bond that keeps the relationship going is the > entertainment factor, in many forms, which the two existing government > channels have miserably failed to provide. > > "The recent hike in the cable fees is like increase in the rate of petrol. > If you don't want to buy it then in the first place, you should be prepared > to stop the use of the vehicles. In the present scenario, asking a person > to stop viewing the satellite channels was expecting too much from him," > exclaimed a viewer of the programmes beamed by the cables operators. > > And that sums up the popularity of cable television, even if one > has to pay through his nose for the same. > --------------------------------------- > The Navhind Times 6/10/02 ======================================================================== To view GoaNet's archives http://groups.yahoo.com/group/goa-net ======================================================================== For (un)subscribing or for help, contact: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Don't want so many e-mails? Join GoaNet-Digest instead!
