If anyone from FetchTV is reading this; it's not too late to back out! If 22,000 subbies can't keep you afloat, then you're in trouble!
No its only an offense to trade when a company is insolvent. Sounds from reading the article that Bruce Gordon is selling his under-performing subsidiary.
Now random thought - wonder if any action could be taken (this community) with getting the ACCC to investigate as to if this is reducing competition in paytv area - although seriously, ACCC have never been seen to have teeth when it comes to enforcing anything, as most of there cases brought before a law court are a joke!
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them - Albert Einstein
mandc (20-08-10)
Senior Member
I dont see what the ACCC has to do with this company deciding to close shop unless Fox/Austar did some underhanded business to force their 'closure'.
The end of SelecTV just confirms what I have said before regarding our small market not being able to support these business's and I dont think we have seen the end of such happenings as neither the US or World economy appears to be all that healthy presently and I think the old remark of 'If the US catches a Cold, the World sneezes' is very relevant currently.
Last edited by admin; 21-08-10 at 08:54 AM. Reason: Politics removed
I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!
Senior Member
I have been with selectv since they first started and for me it will be missed if they go away.
be interesting to see what the future holds
Last edited by admin; 21-08-10 at 08:54 AM. Reason: Politics removed
I was with Select from day one and dropped them 3 months ago because no one here was watching it, everyone was online download what they wanted.
Sort of regret that its over, they really helped out the sat enthusiast that wanted their own equipment and a cheap as you go package without contracts.
Looks like the big boys will be back to their monopoly, i bet there are new price rises on the horizon for Fox and Austar customers.
It is interesting that when clicking on the "Select Your Package" link, there is NO English channel options displayed apart from the Discovery Package. Previously, it displayed English channels, with the option of choosing Greek, Spanish and Discovery packages.
Having said that, the TV Guide link still displays all channels. It's interesting, that it is mentioned all English subscribers will be contacted very soon.
The questions are piling up like: What sat will they use; Will offers include using current boxes (incl after market); What will happen to our Greek and Spanish subscribers if only English subscribers are being contacted; What pricing and/or special enticer will they offer; Will they send techs to re-align dishes or supply a new dish... and the list goes on.
I'm not going to go on, as I'm sure most of us are thinking the same things. I guess time will tell.
beer4life (20-08-10)
Junior Member
It wouldn't surprise me if the next news announcement is that Foxtel takes over Austar..... hopefully sooner rather than later.
So when will screens go blank for english package subscribers?
They only called me two days ago about setting up! Oh well.
Sanity I see you like the Avatar I uploaded for me. LOLO
Thats ok tho.
Keepleft (22-08-10)
dryfry (22-08-10)
I only posted that thread as a general interest.
The reason I am not surprised is that Australia just isnt big enough ( population wise ) for too many players. Especially one that offers very little assistance to the people that tried to assist Selectv.
I gave up trying to be a dealer for them as they were impossible to deal with. The guy in charge of dealer promotion material would never contact you no matter how many messages you left for him and you could learn more about dealer changes on forums like Austech......they wouldnt inform you. The content offered was the same as Fox/Austar so it was nothing new, just different package and price.
Having said that, I wish they did survive because some form of competition is important for us all. But to compete with Foxtel, you need to spend a lot of money, be prepared to run at a loss for about 8 years and give FULL support to those supporting you. This just didnt happen.
At a guess I would say Fox/Austar will contact all subscribers and offer them some sort of deal that involves realignment of dishes and the service on Intelsat 8 will cease in the future.
Godzilla (22-08-10)
I wonder if they will have a special offer for ex-selectv customers with similar pricing and channel options to selectv...... like they did when they introduced "digital" channels.
The old "analogue" customers were allowed to keep their channel package but any extras meant you had to go "digital" and could not go back...it would be a way for them to keep the selectv customers on side, divy up the customers to Austar and Foxtel areas and only cost them a box and dish re-align.
bodgie (21-08-10)
What pees me off is I'm in a rental unit and the landlords won't allow Austar to be installed (no dish on roof) so I have my 1.2m dish in the back yard which they approve of.
So will Austar let me still have only a card and box with no dish installation?
I highly doubt that they would somehow.
With Select from the start and will be sad to see them go.
SelecTV folds English-language platform
From
Australia satellite pay-TV provider SelecTV is closing its English-language offering, with an agreement to market Foxtel and Austar services to the subscriber base instead. SelecTV, which offered a low-cost English-language satellite package as well as various foreign-language (eg. Spanish, Greek, Italian) packages aimed at diasporas living in Australia, had struggled to sign customers. Various reports put English-language subscriber figures at just 22,000, although including foreign language programming this is thought to be around 45,000.
Channels available included Turner Classic Movies, EuroNews, BBC World, CNN, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Nat Geo Adventure, Eurosport Asia, Ovation Channel, E!, MTV, Nat Geo, Discovery Turbo and Discovery Home & Health.
The platform is owned by privately-held WIN Corp.
SelecTV will continue to offer services for a 90 day transition period after which the English language service will cease.
Foxtel said: "We are working with SelecTV to contact relevant SelecTV customers to offer them Foxtel, ensure a continuity of their service and to manage their transition from SelecTV to Foxtel as seamlessly as possible over the next 90 days."
Austar CEO John Porter said: “AUSTAR wants to ensure that all regional SelecTV customers will have the opportunity to have not only continuous service, but also an improved product offering for a very similar price.
“Every English language service SelecTV customer will receive a letter setting out our offer and explaining what to do to ensure we can assist them to transition smoothly and not lose service.”
Of SelecTV’s subscriber base, around 8,000 are in Austar regions with the remainder in cities served by Foxtel.
Bruce Gordon's SelecTV to make changes
From
SELECTV, the small pay-TV business owned by media baron Bruce Gordon, has wound up its English language services.
Pay-TV operators Austar and Foxtel announced today they had signed exclusive marketing agreement with SelecTV that would ensure the continuity of service.
SelecTV, which is part of Mr Gordon's privately owned WIN Corp, has been struggling to make money from an estimated 22,000 English-language subscribers.
Foxtel and Austar hope to use the marketing agreement to generate new customers for SelecTV.
"Foxtel wants to warmly welcome SelecTV customers to Foxtel,” the company said in a statement.
"We are working with SelecTV to contact relevant SelecTV customers to offer them Foxtel, ensure a continuity of their service and to manage their transition from SelecTV to Foxtel as seamlessly as possible over the next 90 days."
Austar chief executive John Porter said: :Every English language service SelecTV customer will receive a letter setting out our offer and explaining what to do to ensure we can assist them to transition smoothly and no lose service."
SelecTV boss Jim Blomfield recently stood down from the Win board.
Foxtel restructures with new Oz focus
Well, been with Selectv since day one for english channels, also have Foxtel here - IQ2's, have had Fox prior to STV arriving on scene. Also had Austar ar rural place that owing STV's arrival on scene, and owing those earlier Austar countermeasures against "owner equipment", - I dropped. . . .
Recently (week or two) changed to the Spanish package in order to receive TV Chile (to view their armed forces day and news gathering). Phone chap - OS, re-jigged it all so that my Spanish service was the "main lot" @ $34.95, and then added the "Premium" channels (were/are the main english language channels we all know) discounted from $34.95 to $29.95, and then the "Discovery Pack" @ $6.95.
Sad to see STV's :"english alone" channel package demise, but I'll keep my Spanish pack (unless they remove TV Chile), and am thankful for Blomfield even trying competition in this place, very brave.
I suspect, that one could sub say to Spanish, add the 'premium' (english channels), then add the Discovery lot still, but not english channels alone....?! Seems so on their website anyhow, it just doesn't show what those Premium english channels are @ $29.95
Notes Foxtel's messing around with new channels and packages. Thread elsewhere here.
Love that C band.
Last edited by Keepleft; 22-08-10 at 10:34 AM.
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