Christian Peregin
A third of households watch TV by satellite
Copyright issue may be difficult to challenge
More than 30 per cent of households had installed satellite or internet-based TV connections like Dreambox by June, according to the latest figures.
Legal experts recently warned that such provision of free access to licensed channels could be breaching the Copyright Act.
The figure signifies an increase of 23 per cent over last year when only seven per cent of households registered such connections.
Despite this increased popularity, the market share of digital and cable television has continued to rise, by around nine percentage points over the past year, according to figures provided by the Broadcasting Authority.
In fact, nearly 55 per cent of respondents said they had more than one type of connection at home – a phenomenon that emerged during the last few months of 2009.
The statistics reveal changes in the TV habits of the Maltese, which industry sources say is probably the result of people being unhappy with conventional services being provided primarily by Melita Cable and Go.
“Football fans of the Premiership, Serie A and Champions League have no option nowadays than to subscribe to both Melita and Go. The satellite is the other option that has recently become more popular,” said Nationalist MP David Agius, who recently fronted a campaign calling for better access to football on television for consumers.
He pointed out that subscribing to both service providers was too expensive for many consumers.
The social affairs parliamentary committee set up to tackle this issue discussed these developments and the satellite matter will still be on the agenda when dealing with TV football rights, he told The Times.
Mr Agius pointed out that at the request of the committee there were three investigations under way by the Malta Communications Authority, the Consumer Division and the Copyright Board.
He noted that, due to the modern digital system, all those currently receiving TV channels via aerials would no longer be able to do so in the coming weeks.
“This means that all families will have to be subscribed, obviously against payment, to a service provider. This is another difficulty which the Maltese consumers will be facing and I will be bringing this matter before the competent authorities too.”
The legality issue highlighted by The Times has sparked heated reactions from consumers, who argued that the pricey and “arrogant” Melita and Go were responsible for the increased demand for satellite and internet-based connections.
Some also pointed out that the copyright issue will become increasingly difficult to challenge since many websites already provide free streaming of many licensed channels.
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Ruben Hili
Oct 10th 2010, 17:19
So Melita and Go qed igergru li min ghandu d-dreambox qed jikser il-ligi tal-copyright.
U min jaghmel download tal-films le? Dawn kemm il-GO u anka il-Melita qatt ma qalu xejn x'jista jsir. Jien wiehed minn dawn li jikri dvd original u jien u ohrajn bhali qed insibuha difficli li nibqaw nikri films originali. Imma David Agius anqas biss tkellem fuq din jew ta kasna.
Mela issa Melita u Go......hudu ftit mit-toghma qarsa li ili niehu jien u shabi bhali ghal dawn l-ahhar snin.
J.Agiua
Sep 29th 2010, 09:03
Due to Melita Cable bad customer care I changed to Go.Min got- Tagen al gon-nar!!!!
herbert borg
Sep 29th 2010, 07:54
I have a DVB-T box and with it i can get in digital form all the rai stations only but no maltese tv stations or media set tv stations .BUT the THE GO weather and information channel i also receive it , to which i am not subscribed.STRANGE BUT TRUE. MCA PLEASE NOTE AND WAKE UP. SUMMER HOLIDAYS ARE OVER.
j caruana
Sep 28th 2010, 22:30
"He noted that, due to the modern digital system, all those currently receiving TV channels via aerials would no longer be able to do so in the coming weeks"
Ma nistax nifhem kif l-ebda stazzjon malti, l-izjed l-istazzjon Nazzjonali, ma jitrassmettix via satellite.Nahseb li tkun alternattiva ghal min ghandu TV areials li jixtri FTA satellite, u b'hekk ma jkunx hemm spejjes kull xahar. Pero kulhadd jaf li jekk jigri hekk dik it-30% tirdoppja u tal Go u Melita jistghu jzarmaw. Ghalhekk iz-zghir jkollu jaghmel tajjeb.
ottebiiz hassan
Sep 28th 2010, 22:28
Watch live football HD Champions League. Premier League. Serie A.Bundesliga I. Spain - Primera Division + new films + wwe+ and more 4 free free on your pc click on www.atdhe.net if you connect from your pc to big screen tv you will enjoy
Randolph Peresso
Sep 28th 2010, 21:00
Fra due litiganti, il terzo gode.
Miriam Sargent
Sep 28th 2010, 20:26
Everyone keeps mentioning that they watch TV on the internet....how do you do that, does anyone have any URLs please?
P.Pulis
Sep 28th 2010, 20:21
Would be great to have some MP start a national campaign to abolish the injust TV license.
C Ellul
Sep 28th 2010, 20:19
The present situation with both GO and Melita is like going to a supermarket and you can only find prepacked combinations of stuff for general consumption.
You have to take junk food along your vegetables because these are included in the prepacked package.
Would this situation be acceptable if all markets started to use this system.
MCA should reason this out and get the cost of service calculated either in a pay per use system plus a basic connection fee and monthly rental OR a monthly fee per channel and a basic service rental fee.
Free to air stations are free , the other stations rates are proportional to what the service provider pays.
Simple and logical and just!!!
jimi Xerri
Sep 28th 2010, 20:17
Has anybody ever checked how many of the stations we are made to pay for by the duopoly are actually transmitted free-to-air!
Is the transmittion of internet deliberately being kept low so as not to receive television station transmissions via internet?
c bugeja
Sep 28th 2010, 20:15
It is certainly worthwhile not paying anything to watch football, but is this sustainable- If SKY see their profit going down, football will be no longer screened LIVE and that will be the end to football screening. If Melita and GO see that it is not worthwhile screening football, they will reduce workers and investement and that will be a big hit to the Maltese economy - so a solution has to be found because sharing is putting in danger the livehood of many workers-
raymond agiuis
Sep 28th 2010, 20:05
time will pass rapidly,time will come for us to vote,and on that day nor MELITA or Go will vote but us the 30 per cent and many more that in the future will wake up. Please dont forget that not every body on this beloved land can pay the Melita and Go bills.
Phil.Reece
Sep 28th 2010, 23:44
I think that your Melita and Go providers have alot to learn from us Britons, its much cheaper and more competition for less then half the price AND a much faster internet i have you know, these providers in your country are charging the Maltese. To me it looks like day light robbery, and it is on the same scale as that Ugly horible illegal VAT on our already registered imported family cars. If it weren't for the sun and the beautiful blue sea we will be off like a shot.
M. Xicluna
Sep 28th 2010, 19:33
All i can say now after reading some encourging comments ' i say to GO....Go and don't come back,as far as melita cable well they might be cheaper then Go but their days are numbered as most are using satellite decoders, and most programes are FREE, MBC 1-2-3-4 films in english 24x7 astra 2 sky tv programes. and many many more., but if one wants to use their pc to watch live tv, i would suggest Melita are more reliable then Go, so Go Man Go and do not. come back. Cheers.
matteo lamanna
Sep 28th 2010, 19:30
In my humble opinion i will suggest the"legal experts" and mr agius to check the community laws regarding the wrights of ALL EUROPEAN CITIZENS to access television programs via satellite to avoid una brutta figura per ignoranza delle leggi thank you
Joe Demanuele
Sep 28th 2010, 22:26
You are correct. They seem to have forgotten the satellite dishes debacle. They had been warned that the EU Court had already decided a case about Brussels imposing a tax on satellite dishes which was declared illegal by the Court. But our so-called legal experts may be eggsperts as someone had commented a long time ago on these posts.
P.Cassar
Sep 28th 2010, 18:50
BUT ISN'T IT CLEAR THAT THE DUOPOLY IS FOMENTING THIS ''DEBATE'' TO MAKE US PAY THROUGH OUR NOSES AS THE MONOPOLY USED TO DO.
C Falzon
Sep 28th 2010, 18:30
I think David Agius doesn;t know what he is talking about. He said “This means that all families will have to be subscribed, obviously against payment, to a service provider. This is another difficulty which the Maltese consumers will be facing and I will be bringing this matter before the competent authorities too.”
That is entirely false. When the analogue transmissions are stopped they will be replaced with digital transmissions that are also free. All one will need is a set top box similar the one gets with the GO service. It isn't expensive (less than the cost of a small TV) and there is no subscription charge.
Of course that won't get you the football channels and such, but you don't get those for free through the aerial either today.
G. Mangion
Sep 28th 2010, 17:54
@ Mr Agius.
With All respect, what are you trying to tell us ? and before the coming Budget ?
You are one of the Fisrt to back with the common Ckku l' Poplu, go & melita can go to hell !!
but we the man in the street CANNOT afford there infamous montly bills any more and Please tell us who the hech are these EXPERTS you are talking about no big deal for that to..
????? .............
mario nicholas pace
Sep 28th 2010, 17:20
I really think that something is going to happen in the near future about Dreambox service and anything like it . I still urge Maltese citizens not to subscribe with both Melita and Go sports channels ,they are too costly . I myself am a football fan but I wont budge to their prices!
N. Bonello
Sep 28th 2010, 16:07
Legal experts. Who are these 'experts' and who is paying them. I think we know the answer.
As for 30% of households - where did they get this figure from.
Paul Caruana
Sep 28th 2010, 16:05
As far as I know all operators who were allocated frequencies for their digital transmission service had to provide free to air without any encryption all the local and foreign TV stations that we used to receive as free to air so that anyone with a digital set or with a digital set top box could still receive them without any payment to any of the operators. Can the Communications Authority tell us if this is going to be enforced on the service providers and if not why? When is this service going to be provided by the operators? Is it true that they are blocking reception so that people will have to subscribe to their service? What are the authorities doing about all this?
Adrian Darmanin
Sep 28th 2010, 15:21
Melita and GO eat your heart out. Your only hope for duopoly lies in the ignorance of consumers, because anybody with the initiative to inform themselves will find that through the internet they can access a wealth of streaming channels, as I currently do. And so far we live in a country where censorship of the internet is not on. With this though, word to the wise, one must choose their internet provider wisely, because these two companies can favour their digital tv packages by controlling their internet. And there is always satellite Free to Air thankfully.
Hugh Morris
Sep 28th 2010, 15:03
What I cannot understand is how the so call Free-to-Air channels (TVM, RAI etc..) are STILL being encrypted by the local DTV supplier.
I have a laptop with a DVB-T tuner built in and all the free to air channels have suddenly become encrypted in the last year or so.
Surely that must be illegal.
Emmanuel Ebejer
Sep 28th 2010, 14:16
I am neither subscribed to Melita nor to Go with regards to TV. I don't need them and am absolutely not interested. With all due respect to the Maltese TV providers and Maltese TV stations...free to air satellite programmes are much more entertaining and worth it. People... check out the MBC package, its free and very entrertainng.
C. Azzopardi
Sep 28th 2010, 14:02
Isn’t the ultimate aim of competition to make the customer better off – receiving more for less? So why is it that, as from this year, to watch Champions league, Europa League, Premiership and Serie A football one has to pay more than previous years? If such a matter happened in Germany, the European Commission would have at least investigated the two companies and the government for anticompetitive behaviour. MCA, please wake up.
Simon Agius Bugelli
Sep 28th 2010, 13:46
"He noted that, due to the modern digital system, all those currently receiving TV channels via aerials would no longer be able to do so in the coming weeks"
Has a new cutover date to digital beein announced? I though this was delayed? Can the MCA or Broadcasting authority shed some light on the situation. Has a new DVB-T network been set up. Consumers have a right to know.
g bonello
Sep 28th 2010, 14:12
As far as I know, you can purchase a digital reception receiver from wherever you want and still watch local and Italian FTA channels via your aerial with this, without having to subscribe to Go or Melita. Therefore, there will be a cost, but a one-off cost.
JOe VELLa
Sep 28th 2010, 13:27
Sir,
I am one of those satellite TV followers that watch ONLY FREE satellite TV, and I do not regret to have installed the system!
How long are we going to keep silent paying a license to see more of the same faces, of course these faces are putting on weight because they are doing financially well thank you. As for us we are served like any third world country nothing but S#@T!
Mario Sammut
Sep 28th 2010, 13:26
God bless the internet . Melita and Go will not have a stranglehold anymore in the future. I can watch whichever football matches I choose on the internet at a very low cost without having to sign a contract for two years . They have been ripping us off for years now !!!! When they smell competition , they start picking on everything else that might take their custom away . We got rid of monopolies . We now have Duopolies to contend with .
g.cassar
Sep 28th 2010, 13:26
As a Maltese ex-pat living in one of the Gulf States I can assure you that the Dream Box is not illegal as it is used all over the place here, except for the UAE where the state has a monopoly on all communication sources.
The solution to reduce the popularity of dream box was for Show Time and Orbit to merge and thus reduce the subscription and make their product more attractive to the subscribers plus introduce a better quality picture by changing, free of charge, their TV-Top boxes with HD ones.
Go and Melita see some sense and come to some form of agreement. It is a human nature to look out for cheaper and better services. Don't blame the consumer but blame yourselves!!!
One last thing, Al Jazeera of Qatar, who has the rights to Serie A, La Liga and Champions League only charges 80USD for a year's subscription to their service.
g bonello
Sep 28th 2010, 14:14
However, Orbit/Showtime lost the English Premiership rights in the Gulf to Abu Dhabi TV as their revenues were reduced due to the increase of Dreamboxes.
T Mifsud
Sep 29th 2010, 01:48
Dreambox is available for sale from Deira, Dubai and Abu Dhabi too in the UAE.
N Xuereb
Sep 28th 2010, 12:54
What about those who watch TV, Films, Sports, live, through the pc via the internet, including the undersigned? Is that breaching the copyright act as well? I cannot understand this when we are in an advanced digital era.
Alex Demion
Sep 28th 2010, 12:33
Well do you really blame them, all sat. F.T.A. programes are very good and mostly in english, we are British Residing in Gozo, and watch nothing else but Sat.Progs. We never watch Maltese tv, cause lets face it, its absolutly Rubbish besdes its all mambo jumbo to us, even when we used to have Maltese tv, most ads. are mostly in Maltese, so what do we do get an interpreter to tell us where the best restaurants are? no way pedro. We constantly read that most films and programes are repeated, so who in his right mind would want to subscribe to old to repeats. As from lately we now have British tv via our PC, so realy even a dish and decoder IS NOT* necessary,* and this is called tv at its best or progress for either free or less then half the price of what most people are paying for watching crappy repeats in Malta.,ofcourse some people will say yes but you also have reeats in the Uk, Yes true but the difference is that we have hundreds of channels to choose from, whatever turns one on or prefer i suppose. even Ausstralian/Can/BBC/ all there sunshine.. A.Demion Gozo
Michael Neville Cassar
Sep 28th 2010, 12:31
To Whom It May Concern:
We are paying to providers for channels which are free also we are paying the government to keep TV and now we have a public toilet in Valletta that in order to pee you have to pay 32 cents . Now you are hinting that action is on the way on the Satellite .
For information purpose unless you have bought a card you cannot see on the Satellite except free stations so don’t press your luck because this manoeuvre will back fire on the providers.
Nick Galea
Sep 28th 2010, 12:31
I recently switched to Go to be able to watch the EPL and the service and the quality of the product are terrible! The picture is so unclear and when i complained at the store they gave me a number where no one ever picks up. This has been a big down grade from melita.I will have to re-assess what to do next at the end of the season.
Jason Attard
Sep 29th 2010, 08:45
Definetly, with GO the quality is terrible, just like their mobile, and the service is non existing. With Melita you can see the same program 153 times in a week with excellent quality, to the point that you can really learn the full script of their programs, what a joke. I think both GO and Melita are trying to make sure that People have no other choice, that is why we get these absurd articles in the front page.
Joseph Cauchi
Sep 28th 2010, 12:21
@ David Agius,
In other words, if I am not subscribed to any of these two providers, then I won’t be able to watch the local stations such as PBS, Net, One, etc… through my ordinary TV antennae!
Why should I be forced to subscribe to either Melita or Go against my will, in order to watch some local television programmes, when I am today satisfied of watching these stations through my antennae.
As regards to other international TV programmes, I am not bothered at all because I can watch all the thousands of TV channels provided by satellite and internet?
If this is the future for TV viewing in Malta then I have no doubt in my mind that the system is geared up to favour these two TV providers and leave the consumer with no choice whatsoever!
Hon. David Agius, do you call this fair and does it ameliorate the standard of living of the Maltese citizen?
Parliament is there to safeguard the interests of the citizen and NOT of the monopolists and cartels!
JC.
A Bonnici
Sep 28th 2010, 11:49
Why not also mention that to subscribe either to Go or Melita you're doomed to see the same program over and over and again,all you see are just repetitions,is this what we're actually paying good money for.Its just a rip off!!
Guy Mahoney
Sep 28th 2010, 11:40
If last year there were 7% satellite viewers and this year this has risen to 30%, then the increase is not of 23% but of 228% (viewers more than quadrupled!).
Is this another article instigated by the likes of Melita and GO to highlight and lobby the control of satellite viewership? Whey dont Melita and GO bring their house in order to keep their clients and keep them happy?
I cannot understand why this article says that "The statistics reveal changes in the TV habits of the Maltese"...... the right explanation is that the Maltese are being FORCED to change their habit because they have no decent alternative and the viewers HAVE NO PROTECTION WHATSOEVER. It is only the providers of the service that are receiving all the protection but not the user. Huh!
JOE INGUANEZ
Sep 28th 2010, 11:36
Is the TV licence we pay a licence "to keep a TV set" or "to watch TV"? One must assume it's the latter. If so, it is only logical, that both GO and Melita should offer all programmes transmitted from Maltese TV stations should be free of charge. CAN THE MCA GIVE US ITS STUDIED OPINION, PLS?
Again.... CAN THE MCA TELL THOSE WHO DO NOT WANT TO USE INTERNET, WHEN THEY WILL HAVE A FULL< YEARLY PRINTED TELEPHONE DIRECTORY? HAS MCA ANY CLOUT? HAS THE MBA ANY AUTHORITY ON TV
Paul Brincat
Sep 28th 2010, 11:36
What has been free-to-air must remain free-to-air. Melita and GO can all go to hell and if the politicians do not make sure that we can still receive free what we used to receive free then they had better not come knocking on our doors at election time. You have been warned.
edwad ciantar
Sep 28th 2010, 11:23
Thru my official internet provider this company gave me the opportunity to view any sport, entertainement, listen to music and so much more just for a monthly fee which is far less than the duopoly companies already known. By the way one of the company in the said duopoly provides my service.
S. Schembri
Sep 28th 2010, 11:22
I suggest to MP Agius to get his facts right , the switch off in December will not force anyone to pay for the "Free" TV they already receive by the Analog signal. http://www.timesofmalta.com/technology/view/20090305/news/the-death-of-analogue-tv-gives-leading-role-to-pbs
Free TV as in paid from TV licenses.
victor borg
Sep 28th 2010, 11:13
If the number of people watching tv by satelite is increasing rapidly is the fault of the two service
providers.They have always been very expensive especially for pensioners and low wage earners,so who can blame any one to do his best to watch the football by other means since the two providers decided to split the game between them. It was expensive enough to subscribe to one provider let alone two.
K Vella
Sep 28th 2010, 10:59
The standard of living is quite high when compared with salaries and service providers are ripping off their customers.
Just zapping on our current TV stations one can easily notice the miserable SKY monthly fees for just only 19Euros, with all movies, sports channels, etc...
Patrick Bellia
Sep 28th 2010, 10:53
tell the commitee to check also why we need to pay for free to air channels like canale5 italia1 rete4 etc, on satellite everyone can see them because they are FREE TO AIR, so why we need to pay for them if we have the reception only when they are free to air? check this too pls
Joseph Cauchi
Sep 28th 2010, 10:52
@ Joe Azzopardi,
Why all this opposition towards satellite and internet tv or is it perhaps it may be hurting your pocket as a Melita or Go shareholder?
JC.
H Schembri
Sep 28th 2010, 10:50
Thank god for YouTube, Proxy Server and Internet TV Websites ;-)
victor rodenas
Sep 28th 2010, 10:39
I watched many World Cup games via satellite on a German station while listening to the commentary of the game in italian via a portable radio...it works and its free.
Paul Camilleri
Sep 28th 2010, 10:37
Legal experts recently warned that such provision of free access to licensed channels could be breaching the Copyright Act.
Who are these so-called legal experts and by whom are they employed? Melita and GO you can keep your %$*& programs.
Ramon Casha
Sep 28th 2010, 10:36
I'm smelling a law coming up that will make it illegal not to buy TV from Go or Melita.
Of course it won't actually say that - it will just make it illegal to access TV channels from any source other than the approved ones.
m.zammit
Sep 28th 2010, 10:23
due to the modern digital system, all those currently receiving TV channels via aerials would no longer be able to do so in the coming weeks. NIstaqsi min se jbati zgur li mhux is-sinjur imma l-fqir, il-haddiem iz-zghir li ma jistax jhallas ghal servizz ta provider. Min sejjer igawdi zgur il-providers li diga ħaxnu buthom. Barra minhekk irnexxilhom bil-mod kif qed jahdmu jaqsmu il-poplu fi tnejn jigifieri dawk li jzommu mat-taljani u dawk li jappoggaw lil Inglizi. Din hija xi haga li giet imposta fuq il-poplu Malti minhabba l-EU. Nispera li l-P.L. jaqbez għal minma jistax ihallas ghal servizz. Hafna huma dawk li jibqaw bla servizz ghax jinsabu fil-livel ta poverta.
Joe Azzopardi
Sep 28th 2010, 10:22
This is an incredible statistic and it bewilders me how the Police allow this theft to happen. Can anyone explain to me how these operators can get away with bringing in original satellite cards then using card sharing software to provide pay-TV services to thousands of households without paying for content rights, without being regulated by the MCA and also without paying any VAT to the competent authorities. This is daylight robbery and we allow it to happen as though nothing is wrong. It also bewilders me that the Social Affairs Committee in Parliament talk about satellite card sharing systems in Parliament as a sort of system that we have to condone because the operators cannot get their act together. This is ridiculous. There should also be clear distinction between Internet streaming for personal use to broadcast content and organising an underground business that requires a licence. Wake up.
Patrick bellia
Sep 28th 2010, 10:58
ghedt hafna kontra dan l imbierek sharing, biss wegibni din u ghidli hux hazin jew le..... Ghaliex ghandi nhallas ghar reception meta dawn free to air, ghidli hux sew le, jekk ghandek l aerial inti tarahom b xejn, ganni ghaliex ihallas ghalihom dawn
victor rodenas
Sep 28th 2010, 11:21
I guess that there is pirated software in most offices , houses and institutions in Malta.Nobody is a Saint.
Chris Grillo
Sep 28th 2010, 18:56
The real problem is that many people talk and do not know that they are indeed also breaking the law inadvertently.
Let's take your PC. I can prove unequivocally that you have material on your computer that does not belong to you.
Do you have the original OperatingSystem? Great. And Office? Original too? Nice. (You HAVE the MaltaReleaseVersion do you?). Not UK and US releases.
Ever downloaded one single mp3, picture of your favourite team, movie trailer or text file or quoted Wikipedia without asking permission? Ah got you there...never done that? Really?
Is your browser cache enabled?(It is always on by default) Then I am 100% sure that you do have something on your local disk that is not legally yours. And what's more, you cannot evade it.
Have you ever rented a DVD?Made sure it is region2?
The lines for copyright are so blurred that it is a real hassle....and many doubts persist.
Even the providers themselves are not without blame. How much of what we pay goes into the channels they pass on to us? Many of them are Free to Air.
Just a point,that's all
Chris Grima
Sep 28th 2010, 10:03
I am happy that Go and Melita are about to feel the pinch.
The population is clearly saying 'Hey mate, you're too expensive! We can't afford our telly'
And what about changing from FREE antenna to PAID cable or digital. So unfair.
There is so much on the net to watch for free....