TV assoc planned to protect viewer interests
By Vu Thuoc - The Saigon Times Daily
HCMC – The Ministry of Information and Communications has agreed in principle upon establishment of a Vietnam Pay Television Association to help protect the interests of TV stations and viewers and prevent disputes.
Deputy Minister Do Quy Doan told a meeting with major TV service providers in Hanoi on Wednesday that the gathering aimed at seeking workable ways to deal with an ongoing spat involving VSTV Company’s K Plus satellite channel.
Earlier, KPlus announced its exclusive right to English Premier League football matches on Sunday. This means local football fans will spend VND1.5 million buying a decoder and pay about VND250,000 for monthly subscription.
The deputy minister underlined the urgent need for establishing a television association to cope with such disputes between TV viewers and service providers.
He told the pay TV operators present at the meeting to make clear contract terms if they were to avoid price disputes.
According to the local media, VCTV, VTC, HCTV and SCTV subscribers might continue watching all of the Premier League’s Sunday and Saturday matches if VSTV Company reached pricing deals with other providers.
VSTV Company is a joint venture between Vietnam Television and France’s Canal Plus.
Vu Quang Huy, vice director of VTC, said the possibility of K Plus having a monopoly on Premier League matches on Saturday and Sunday was not high.
Huy said VSTV Company and other TV service providers would reach agreement pretty soon the Premiership tournament begins.