More people tempted to switch to satellite
by David Kelleher
With the rising costs of cable television in Malta, many households and condominiums are considering installing a satellite dish rather than retain a cable TV service.
A number of people told The Malta Business Weekly that they were actively considering changing to satellite because "cable TV is becoming too expensive".
"When you take everything in consideration and the number of packages you have to buy to see what you want to see, the price on a monthly basis is quite hefty. And not everyone can afford Lm25 and over per month to see their favourite channels," a Gzira resident said.
He added that even though the price of a satellite dish, the annual rental fee and the need to purchase cards for certain channels can be a sizeable capital outlay, it does pay off in the long term.
Contacted yesterday, a number of satellite importers said the number of inquiries on the cost of having satellite reception had increased, especially after Melita Cable announced that Telepił would only be available as a separate package.
The move had irked many subscribers, who put the blame on the cable company and asked whether cable TV was a viable option any longer.
The removal of Telepił from the basic package is not Melita's fault however, because the Italian company had set down two options - stop transmission altogether or else set it up as a separate package at the same price it is sold at in Europe.
Due to international commitments, Melita said in a statement yesterday, it is bound to retain the same level of cost across its European market. In Italy the basic packages costs around L.IT51,000 which works out at around Lm11.
Cable subscribers wanting a full package from Melita will be charged as follows: TV Plus Package, Lm10.87; Movie channel, Lm3.82; Sports channel, Lm5.41; and Tele+, Lm11.77. Total monthly cost: Lm31.87. Total annual cost: Lm328.44.
Installing a satellite package costs approximately: Lm350 for a satellite dish and decoder (there are cheaper and more expensive); Lm25 annual licence and package cards at around Lm100 per card per year.
"On a long-term basis it is better to have a satellite system than cable TV, but then again you have will have a problem with certain cards," a satellite TV user told The Malta Business Weekly.
"Many believe that there are only pirated cards in Malta, but this is not the case. For example, an original BBC card can be bought in Malta and it is legal. The choice is not limited to just Telepił or Sky, although admittedly they are among the best and local viewers have become used to the programmes on these channels," he added.
Another user, who purchased his card in Italy, receives the Telepił package which has more than simply Telepił Bianco and Nero.
"You have Formula 1, football, the Disney channel and dozens more. The only problem is getting the card," she said. "There are other packages that can be purchased from abroad and which can be used in Malta. If you just want Jerry Springer repeats you can stick to Living, but with over 160 free air channels, I am quite happy with what I get, and so is the rest of the family," she added.
Sources working in the business told The Malta Business Weekly that there is a remote possibility that Telepił cards could be sold legally in Malta and that importers had already made a number of inquiries.
Contacted yesterday, a spokesman for Telepił said that it is possible that the company reaches an agreement with foreign cable TV companies to transmit Telepił Nero and Telepił Bianco, but decoder cards were certainly not available for sale in other countries.
| 
