TV viewers turn to cable
Ha Noi — The TV service market is very hot in major cities such as Ha Noi, HCM City and some central provinces.
In Ha Noi audiences can view domestic channels such as VTV1,2 and 3, Ha Noi TV, however they also have access to very different programmes provided by the Viet Nam cable TV (VCTV), Ha Noi cable TV (HCTV), digital TV (VTC and DTH), MMDS or VietnamNet TV.
But, for some this range of programmes is not enough, and quite a few people are using a disc illegally imported from China to watch foreign programmes.
Anyone who is interested in using the service provided by HCTV is required to pay a start-up cost of VND 550,000 for the first TV set, plus VND165,000 for the second set and VND88,000 for the third set, which allows the subscriber to view 20 Vietnamese channels and 9 foreign channels.
The householder will also have to pay a monthly fee, depending on the number of TV sets they register, which is set at VND30,000 for the first TV and VND 15,000 for subsequent ones.
The procedure is also similar for VTV, but the monthly subscriber fee is VND 15,000 more expensive for the first TV set. At this date there are more than 50,000 subscribers for HCTV and 20,000 subscribers for VCTV.
In April last year, another choice was added to the menu of TV channels, with the approval from the Ministry of Post and Telematics, Viet Nam TV launched the ground digital TV after a 3-year trial for people living in Ha Noi, HCM City and the southern province of Binh Duong.
Since November last year, VTV officially started the service of Direct to Home(DTH), which is relayed on satellite and available to everyone.
In HCM City at present there are only two providers of cable TV networks – the Saigontourist cable TV (SCTV) and HCM City TVN (HTV), however, another five limited liability companies are about to join the market.
According to the director of HCTV Le Duc Hung, his company has developed a detailed strategy for its ‘booming’ service by 2006. In preparation, HCTV has signed contracts to run promotional programmes for some 30 channels, free of charge, on HCTV.
In the central provinces of Da Nang, Hue, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon and the ancient town of Hoi An, many companies have offered cable TV networks to their viewers.
With different suppliers involved in the cable TV market, in addition to the service run by the Government, TV viewers now have a wider choice, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
An ‘underground war’ on frequencies and air-coverage has started. For example, the Quang Nam Radio and TV Station (QRT) applied to erect a TV tower at a height of 1,458 meters on top of the Ba Na mountain but the proposal was rejected by the Da Nang Radio and TV station as it claims the tower would cause interference to its broadcasts. Similar disputes have occurred between other stations.
Director of the Saigontourist cable TV (SCTV) Do Duc Chien said competition promotes better quality service.
SCTV expects to have 200,000 subscribers by late 2005, and can provide 47 channels. "We understand the market will be very tough, but we hope the competition will be healthy and in the interests of the viewer, "said Chien.
Viet Nam News, May 4, 2005
