Star Times to replace GTV, Smart TV decoders

By Macharia Kamau

The battle for the pay-television segment is set to intensify as the latest entrant Star Times moved to grow its subscriber base by taking over subscribers that were abandoned by GTV and Smart TV.

The company said it would replace decoders that GTV and Smart TV customers had been using before the two firms shipped out under unclear circumstances, leaving their customers high and dry and with obsolete gadgets.

Star Times, which holds a licence for distribution of digital TV signals, said it would take up the ex-GTV and Smart TV customers at no cost but on condition they pay an upfront two-month subscription fee of between Sh3,000 and Sh5,000. The two firms had a combined subscriber base of about 50,000 subscribers.

“They will only be required to present the set top boxes at StarTimes customer service centre where they will get a free StarTimes T2 decoder in return upon payment of the monthly subscription,” said Leo Lee, chief executive StarTimes. 

Stiff competition

“It is an opportunity for former subscribers of the two fallen Pay TV companies to recoup their losses by exchanging their now obsolete decoders with approved decoders.”

The Pay TV company is currently operating six packages whose cost range between Sh500 and Sh3,000 a month. The Chinese headquartered firm launched its Kenyan operation in June.

The company has over eight million global subscribers and is currently operating in ten African countries where it has amassed over 1.4 million subscribers to date.

This came as market leader Multichoice increased the number of channels available to its DStv subscribers as it fights off growing competition in the Kenyan market.

Danny Mucira, general manager Mulitchoice Kenya, said the company would be increasing the channels on offer for their Kenyan clients and will include more entertainment channels. The changes, which also include a revision in channels numbers, will take place October 1.