2 me this controversy just has 2 do with government policy of tryin 2 promote things that are nigerian and nigerian entrepreneurs. before u say that govt does this in a halfhearted or hypocritical manner they still do so for the benefit of nigerians.
they average dstv package is quite expensive n exploitative so if we can get it at a cheaper rate then fine.
the foreign investors should stop exploiting nigerians becuase of our supposed wealth[karrox niit mtn celtel and a host of others] havent u noticed that until a nigerian comes with a cheaper package most of all these products are for the rich and middle class[ eg glo with econet and mtn with the story of per second billing] to me up hitv all the way.
as i always say be proudly nigerian..
ise oluwa ko le baje ooh

HiTV has now backed itself into a corner such that it cannot raise its prices beyond 3,000 naira without a political response. Checkmate. That's how entrepreneural freedom dies and we become political pawns. Milton Friendman, a nobel prize winning economic consultant called it 'the business comunity's suicidal impulse'. I'll be back, theone.

gidig:


Do you know that the executives of the EPL were billed to visit Nigeria as part of the developmental package that are incentives to the broacast right; one or two premiership team(s) will have a pre season tour in Nigeria(all of them wont go the USA or Europe if they see cheaper alternatives) members of the NFA/NFL went to England with the Hitv team when the rights were facilitated.

What a bare-faced lie This guy must think we are all ignoramuses on this forum.

One or two Premiership club will visit Nigeria for a pre-season tour because HITV now got the right to broadcast Premiership football? Complete and utter nonsense

Why does HITV need government intervention to survive? We don’t make rational arguments sometimes. Why doesn’t the government shutdown Shell /Chevron so as to make Zenon Petroleum or Sadiq Oil more competitive? This is all about supporting Nigerian companies. Did NITEL/MTEL use police to intimidate MTN, CELTEL, and GLOMOBILE? The point is that the Nigerian cable market is huge and untapped, so these two companies should strive to provide services to Nigerians at a competitive price. Closing one company automatically shuts down the competition. Intimidation from govt agencies will make HITV be like other Naija moribund agencies eg NEPA. Over protectionism kills businesses. Have we taken into consideration that some politicians own a lot stakes in HITV?

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nobody is shutting down DSTV. If you have one you should see that they are still broadcasting. The guy was arrested for rights infringement SIMPLE!!

Don't confuse issues

The One @
Who determines who has broadcast rights? Police, Nweke or courts? Has this case been adjudicated on in any law court of competent jurisdiction? Why can’t HITV seek redress in the court? They can obtain an injunction restraining DSTV from broadcasting EPL pending the determination of a substantive suit. Could broadcasting rights be changed mid season given the fact that DSTV has been a competent provider of EPL in the horn of Africa?

If the rights have been bought by HITV and DSTV were broadcasting these programs then by rights the appropriate authorities whoever they may be should stop DSTV gone are the days when might is right in Nigeria and yes,for those who have a DSTV subscription thinking they would be ablr to watch premiership and other such sporting activities that DSTV said they had the rights to show should ask DSTV for a refund because it seems they never had the rights to show these programs as such they are in breach.
I say more grease to HITVs elbow they have bought the rights and they should enforce it. If DSTV think thats not the case they can contest it.

^{If the rights have been bought by HITV and DSTV were broadcasting these programs then by rights the appropriate authorities whoever they may be should stop DSTV gone are the days when might is right in Nigeria and yes,for those who have a DSTV subscription thinking they would be ablr to watch premiership and other such sporting activities that DSTV said they had the rights to show should ask DSTV for a refund because it seems they never had the rights to show these programs as such they are in breach.} Only if HITV has the right to broadcast. They should sue DSTV and seek for damage not by using the police and politicians.
^{I say more grease to HITVs elbow they have bought the rights and they should enforce it. If DSTV think thats not the case they can contest it.} Why do we like to praise illegality? There is an appropriate channel to follow, why do we always want to circumvent the rules?

I dont have soft spot for any business outfit who does not mind the customer's purse in dishing out their services, and that is why I will never have anything to do with MTN, no matter what type of service they rendered, and that is the reason people like us will stick with GLO no matter what type of service they rendered. Having said this, DSTV has got what it bargain for, because you cant continue to rip some people off for long, it will come to an end one day, just like those of us who cannot afford DSTV, we believe that it will come to an end one day, where we will also afford to watch EPL and other live matches in the comfort of our homes.
Truth is, DSTV should also feel what other competitors are feeling when they corniously have the monopoly of showing these channels while others could not. And I dont think the licence was taken away from them as some people are insinuating here, they could not bid as high as HITV. And I dont care what will happen to the subscribers of DSTV, because those of us who do not own DSTV are far more than them. Shebi, they have money to pay for DSTV subscription, I dont think it will be too much for them again to subscribe for HITV. HITV has come, and there is nothing anything can do about it, in fact, I am waiting anxiously in Abuja here for them to debut, I can hardly wait.
What DSTV is charging us is damn too much and they dont fight fair, take for an example, they just introduce Family bouquet of 2,100 per month, those channels comprises of most Nigerian TV stations and some unpopular channels, they intorudce this bouquet just to checkmate MYTV, since they offer the same channels. Now let us see how they will checkmate HITV?
As for their subscribers, let us see how DSTV love them by at least reduce their subscription. Those of us who are really tired of DSTV monopoly knows the way and manner they try to block all avenue to the alternatives of watching EPL, the moment the DSTV sense that there is a free to Air that is showing EPL, they petitioned and block same. I remember that some people are even arrested by NCC in that period.
The arrest of their CEO in Nigeria is not a strange arrest, DSTV had also arrest group of people of recent for pirating their channels, so it goes the same way with what they did to others.
Enuff said, DSTV should go and chill out, I am quite sure HITV will deliver, and not only that, it will also promote past DTH like FSTV, CTL, Trend etc who will be ready to enter into good partnership with HITV, as against DSTV who does not want any partnership.

Like i said ealier, we will all just have to wait for HITV to start before counting our gains and losses!

Great posts all round.Just a few comments though.

1.Monopoly has never been good for the consumer.The consumer is the only reason anyone is in business.In a monopoly it is not quite so .The consumer deserves, nay, insists on having a choice. In a monopoly he cannot but ultimately he will get his choice someday,somehow.

2.I do not support the transfer of monopoly.If monopoly is simply transferred to Hitv we may still be in the same boat.

3.Consumers always feel aggrieved when firms appear not to hear them.Competition makes all deaf firms hear.
Example:

a)MTN said per second billing will not be possible until 2007. Thanks to competition we have been on per second billing for 3 years now.It does not necessarily make it cheaper,but hey that is WHAT THE CONSUMER WANTS.

b)People queued ,begged and died to get NITEL lines before now.Today?It's the other way round.Why?Competition.

c)Still on telecoms:Before Glo came on board how many promos was MTN/ECONET doing in spite of the huge returns they were making.Today a month will not pass without some promo or the other.The so called premium brands have given way to the realities of the huge Bottom of the Pyramid market

Submission:

1.By omission or commission DSTV has alienated itself from the generality of consumers . Between MTN and ECONET MTN was seen as arrogant then even though both were foreign.NEPA though a local brand is seen as incompetent and arrogant .So it's not just about being foreign.

2.DSTV had a chance to pre-empt this move. Just like MTN who did not believe(rather dumbly )that some things were possible and waited for Glo to have 1st mover advantage,DSTV could have pre-empted these moves . I can assure you that their prices would drop next year and they will still not be operating at a loss. Cost of decoder acquisition should have been dropped massively so those with decoders would have increased substantially.Then you can entice with lower tariffs.

3.It is early days yet to say whether Hitv will succeed or not. You know what?It is possible that the subscription costs may not drop substantially in the immediate.(It happened with GSM)But drop it will.And we will be spoilt for choice.And we will no longer be given DRY bouquets.Nor will we EVER feel again that we do not have a choice. The greatest feeling of any consumer is the fact THAT HE/SHE HAS A CHOICE.

4.That choice will drive both Hitv and Dstv and any others to perform.Unfortunately I have to use MTN as an example again because circumstances appear so similar.I stopped using MTN 2 years ago because a customer service staff was inexplicably rude to me(despite virtually tolerating them for 4 years) and I did not get the kind of treatment a consumer expects to get when such faux pas occur.

Why could I do that .I had a choice.Today I want to think MTN is getting better for it though I still do not use them.

Now I can do the same to any cable TV operator that makes me unhappy. For that singular reason I am happy.



WAN UNITED

There is no any transfer of mnopoly here, if HITV getting the EPL and Laliga and Serie A licence is what we seen as being or seeming transfer of monopoly, I put it to you that it is not. Though having a licence to beam matches is always exclusive, but HITV unlike DSTV will share the right provided other willing TV stations can meet its terms. I want to also say this that it is only DSTV who is not ready to share this exclusive rights with other competitors in Nigeria.

Now I can do the same to any cable TV operator that makes me unhappy.

Sorry, but you can't. HiTV is the new monopoly as far as European football is concerned. You've been **cked.

Though having a licence to beam matches is always exclusive, but HITV unlike DSTV will share the right provided other willing TV stations can meet its terms.

How do you know? Are you the CEO of HiTV? What exactly are those "terms" that other stations have to meet?

@Seun,
Really that remains to be seen.


WAN UNITED

Anyway, make we siddon dey look wetin go happen. Some peeps here would eat their words. No long thing!    

Well Maybe twinstaiye has got some insider information he is sharing with us, If indeed they are able to share the rights with other stations, then case closed , but if not, it mean we will still be in the same spot as we were with DSTV, Only time will tell
At all: i went to read some other thread about HITV on this forum and i understand that what is making HITV much cheaper is the technology they are using, i have attached it here.
Also the news articles on the vanguard website makes for interesting reading, Nweke Jr. was involved in the negotiation for HITV's premiership rights, it simply means some politician/top shot has some interest in HITV, which makes the whole issue much more understandable!! But if HITv are able to share the rights and are also able to keep the price low at the end of the day, they would be vindicated
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/features/technology/tec107032007.html

Yea, the issue of their technology has been mentioned before. That is why we can get good channels at a low price. That's the whole point!

If indeed they are able to share the rights with other stations, then case closed

Not so. Even if they are able to share the rights, they might ask for unreasonable terms in order to hold on to the monopoly. For example, they might ask for 25 billion naira or the tail-feather of a pink dragon from Arabia.

WOW! So it is actually true that they plan to bring an English Premiership side to Naija! Is that cool or what?

I can't wait for this guys to kick this thing off!

WOW! So it is actually true that they plan to bring an English Premiership side to Naija! Shocked Is that cool or what?

ANd where did you get that information?

'If they are able to share the rights' = that they are able to reach some kind of agreement with other stations (that wont be monopoly again!)afterall they are in it for profit too and not charity!

If this is a game, then DSTV has lost. It's a pity, but it's a lesson about the power of politics in our world. Adieu.

I i think that the kind of monopoly DSTV is enjoying is very unfair to other groups in the same business. This has also led to chages that is not encouraging. I hope that government could brake that monopoly to eneble Nigerians enjoy veiwing from different tv stations and not to be subjected to DSTV alone.

Razorr:

WOW! So it is actually true that they plan to bring an English Premiership side to Naija! Is that cool or what?  

I can't wait for this guys to kick this thing off!

Na big fat lie.Do you want us to bet on it that no Premiership club will be coming to Naija

Someone mentioned due process.That is why many people think Nigerians are uncivilised.If you have a broadcaster infringing rights of exclusivity,you simply go to the courts and obtain an injunction prohibiting them from continuing.If they continue,then you can have grounds for arrest

It is only a people who abide by the law of the jungle who find nothing wrong with this story.This is March,when where these exclusive rights obtained? in the  middle of the season?

4play, its true. A major premiership side is coming to do their pre-season training in naija in July to mark the celebration of the take off of HITV's premier league broadcast in naija. It's true - Mark my words!

HiTV is fighting DSTV over English Football rights in Nigeria.

I think it is high time NFL propose the banning of English Football in Nigeria so that our League can grow and get enough fans to support our football clubs.

An Arsenal Fan was stabbed last month after a disagreement with a rival fan during the Arsenal vs Bolton Match.

If some Agricultural Goods were banned to protect Nigerian Farmers, the a ban on English football for 2-3 years will do wonders to our League and the players will get more recognition.

Still believe its okay for HITV to broadcast rights they have bought and yes its true EPL are coming over and providing technical assistance see http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/6467433.stmnot sure if thats HITVs doing or just a technical development agreement between EPL and NFL

Nigerians are always mixing issues. Was DSTV boss arrested because of overcharging customers? What is govt agency doing in making sure that customers are not taken advantage of? Does Nigeria have Attorney General? the issues is that it wrong to arrest a CEO simply because his company is in conflict with a fellow competitor.

I think it is high time NFL propose the banning of English Football in Nigeria so that our League can grow and get enough fans to support our football clubs.

You cannot just go about banning what thousands of people are enjoying for the sake of a handful of wannabes.
What if I propose that football should be banned in Nigeria so that more important industries like agriculture can grow?
If we continue like that, we will end up as a frustrated nation. The government should only ban criminal activity.

@ Seun

How do you know? Are you the CEO of HiTV? What exactly are those "terms" that other stations have to meet?

Yes, HiTV will share the rights as they are already being doing with the rights of Spanish La-Liga and Italy SerieA. MBI and DBN always show spanish la liga and Serie A on saturday and Sunday.
Besides, this is an indigenous company, I don't think they would want a monopoly of beaming live matches. Aside this, it is quite clear also from the type of platform the HiTV would be using, they cannot stationed in all over the federation, so once any DTH is ready to partner with them and meet up with their terms, they can show and beam their channels through their own DTH, that is the arrangement as opined by Zubair himself.

adconline:

Nigerians are always mixing issues. Was DSTV boss arrested because of overcharging customers? What is govt agency doing in making sure that customers are not taken advantage of? Does Nigeria have Attorney General? the issues is that it wrong to arrest a CEO simply because his company is in conflict with a fellow competitor.

He was arrested and now charged to court for infringing on the rights of Hitv on spanish la liga and italy serie A.
HITV websites is coming up now, check this link and see some of the advertised channels and subscription rates. http://www.hientertainment.tv/

Quote from Adblues-

Also the news articles on the vanguard website makes for interesting reading, Nweke Jr. was involved in the negotiation for HITV's premiership rights, it simply means some politician/top shot has some interest in HITV, which makes the whole issue much more understandable!!

That is what is really at the heart of the matter.Some well connected people have seen an opportunity to make money from pay TV in Nigeria and have decided to use the instrument of Govt to force their way through.