How the Cable TV owners are ripping off consumers’

No time in the history of Nigeria has the need for Pay-As-You-Watch for the Cable TV consumers’ become dire as now. What with the incessant fuel crisis, the perennially epileptic, if not non-existent, power supply, consumers of the cable TV’s are beginning to groan under the weight of all these and feeling short changed. 

For those who still bother to watch their favorite programmes on the cable network, this is becoming unbearably expensive. For others who can’t afford both the physical and financial strains, subscribing to these networks seems like contributing to a non-existing charity.

Despite consumers ‘complaints, both the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, the regulatory body overseeing the activities of these cable networks and the cable providers themselves have remained adamant. They have continued to charge on a monthly basis regardless of whether you watch or not. At the end of the month, your money runs out, your TV is scrambled and you are required to pay for another month.

I have often wondered why the Pay-As You-Go system cannot work here. Why the NCC continues to allow a situation that exploits consumers baffles me.

In the last one year, power supply in my neighbourhood has been most unsteady. Never had we had it so bad. Over the past six months the situation has grown from bad to worse, as the electricity is just not there.  

My husband has been religiously renewing our DSTV/GOTV cable network without any electricity to watch it with. Months back, we used to fuel the generator to watch our favourite programmes- not anymore.  No thanks to the persistent and ever worsening fuel crisis. It irks me to know that whether we watch or not, at the end of every month we get scrambled.

My question again, is who is gaining from the present arrangement? Why can’t the government mandate these networks to provide the PAYG system, just like the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, introduced the Pre-Paid metre system?

I think it is about time those involved start to have a rethink, review their policies to suit the times. It only makes good economic sense.