News 07/07/2002

Satellite TV pirates set to crack codes by August

Satellite sales that have dipped considerably during the last two months are expected to start picking up again by early next August. At the moment the business is not doing very well. The reason for this is that many satellite stations are changing frequency to try to kill off piracy that exists throughout the world.

Some six weeks ago the film favourite Tequila stations moved from one package (Seca 1) to another package (Seca 2). The rival Palco stations have also moved. Last week it was the turn of the Telepiu. At the moment Italian satellite stations are bombarding viewers with an advertising campaign informing Telepiu subscribers that they have to change their cards.

The changes have caused a lull in satellite sales in Malta. Prospective buyers are holding their breath until things settle down. The sale of satellite receiving equipment is not illegal and consumers can still have access to the free-to-air channels, which do not require cards.

It is a known fact that no original satellite TV cards are sold in Malta and all cards on the market are pirates.

Although consumers have been promised that the 65 stations, which have gone off will be visible again in six weeks time, they're being cautious.

MaltaToday stalked them while they probed satellite dish dealers at the Trade Fair in Naxxar. Many are asking when the hacking will work again. Not all the satellite dealers are giving the same answers. Most say that in August everything will come back to normal while some say that the new hacked cards will be available in a couple of weeks.

Meanwhile although most of the dealers have put down the prices for satellite dishes and decoders, most people still won't take a chance. Most of the satellite business dealers are not selling as they were in the past.

Speaking to MaltaToday a salesman for one of the leading retailers of digital products, including satellite-receiving equipment said that the market is still sceptic. He expects things to come back to normal when the so-called new "silver cards" are available.

Another dealer said that he is being bombarded with loads of questions regarding the stations that recently went off air. He too was reassuring people that soon the stations will be accessible again thanks to a new card.

Starting prices for digital satellites are now in the region of Lm240. Some would-be buyers still get cold feet because of the Lm25 yearly licence.

With the drop in sales and the annual licence fee, businessmen fear that they may lose customers to cable television.

MaltaToday is informed that leading companies in the satellite field were installing up to nine digital satellites per week until some time ago. Now they are selling less than that amount in a whole month.