GMM Z stays on air as Z Pay TV ends
GMM Z, the satellite TV unit of GMM Grammy Plc, has reaffirmed its business will continue as usual even though its pay TV service will end early next month.
Customers can continue to watch free TV and other satellite channels via GMM Z set-top boxes but the Z Pay TV service allowing viewership of content from CTH will be cut on Feb 6.
Grammy issued a statement that the cut of Z Pay TV from GMM Z set-top boxes was a decision by CTH LCO Co, which now operates the pay TV operation. The parent sold GMM B, which owned Z Pay TV, to CTH LCO Co, a subsidiary of CTH, in July 2014.
After the sale, GMM Z and CTH jointly promoted the pay TV business with a number of cross-marketing packages. GMM Z handles the sales of GMM Z settop boxes, while CTH is in charge of pay TV content.
Some 4 million set-top boxes have been sold, with 1 million still active.
GMM Z informed its customers this month that the Z Pay TV service would end on Feb 6, and this created a lot of confusion, Grammy said. Customers were directed to contact the call centres 1619 and 1629 for more information about compensation.
A GMM Z source said the problem was quite complex, as many packages were jointly created by GMM Z and CTH. For example, a large number of GMM Z customers bought the EPL package and paid in advance up to one year to watch English Premier League football matches.
Yesterday many GMM Z customers rang the call centres for information, leading to a long delay. Sataporn Kawewong said he spent 50 minutes waiting on hold before a centre employee told him CTH would send him a new set-top box and extend the package for another year.
Earlier, many GMM Z customers lodged complaints with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). The NBTC’s subcommittee on consumer protection called GMM Z and CTH to discuss a measure to help customers on Jan 13, but CTH did not show up.
NBTC member Supinya Klangnarong said the subcommittee asked GMM Z and CTH to take responsibility and give customers a clear explanation about compensation. She will discuss the matter at the broadcasting panel’s meeting on Monday.