On Digital Media (ODM) officially unveiled their name of TopTV for the pay TV platform earlier today as well as the complete TV channels that TopTV will carry (RIGHT HERE). I can exclusively publish the first interview with Elouise Kelly, ODM's chief marketing officer after this morning's TopTV unveiling.
See what she says when I asked about ODM's plans for high definition channels and a PVR, customer care, where TopTV wants to be in terms of the number of subscribers and more on what subscribers will get to see.
For the full interview, click on READ MORE below.
Elouise Kelly, ODM chief marketing officer: We're actually broadcasting at the moment. We've been doing a lot of tests. Officially for subscribers we will start to broadcast from the beginning of May. And then of course we will have a staggered launch, so decoders will become available in the market from May as well.
How is On Digital Media (ODM)'s broadcasting customer care centre looking? Where do potential subscribers go to?
It is important. We have a walk-in centre that will be based at our office. We are in Woodmead, Johannesburg where people will be able to exchange boxes – hopefully there won't be too many of those – and make payments and do general enquiries. Then we're also going to make use of our installer network and some of our retail outlets. We will definitely be there for the public. We will also have a dedicated call centre for TopTV which, from the time we launch, will be open on a daily basis from 07:00 in the morning until 23:00 and people will also be able to call in with questions and to activate services. Of course we will also have information on our website (click HERE). At a later stage TopTV subscribers will also be able to pay their bills online.
What's interesting is that there's very little overlap and channel duplication with MultiChoice's DStv platform.
We really were not going to, or try to duplicate, what is on the current bouquet. Then of course there is the issue of current content availability and the deals that MultiChoice has already signed with their own channel providers in terms of exclusivity, so that was also a factor. Lastly we really wanted to launch something that would work for our subscribers and something that will resonate with our potential subscribers and audience. I think we have managed to go across the globe and find some of that content that can work. The intention is not to duplicate. I have to, in all fairness, say that there are programmes – not channels – especially the documentary stuff and so forth – that do flight on MultiChoice on some of their TV channels – and that will flight on some of our TV channels on TopTV, because there is some access because of that. So channels, no. But in terms of some of the specific programme content, definitely you will see some of that.
How much will decoders cost?
You will have to wait another three weeks before I can give you that information. We have a price that we're working on but we're still looking at a few models in terms of how we lay it out in the retailing environment, so definitely we will be happy to talk about that.
Is it possible to give me an indication of what TopTV's target is of subscribers where you want to be after a year or five years?
Yes. We want to break even. We are a business after all, so we know in terms of our business model we break even at 360 000 subscribers so that is going to be our target to reach in 36 months.
High definition (HD) channels and a personal video recorder (PVR)?
We have a roll-out strategy and PVR certainly is within our 12 month roll-out plan. Once we have launched TopTV people will hear a lot more about it and when the PVR will be coming to market. I can tell you that we are testing that at the moment as well, along with our bouquet. So without a doubt we will have that. Our name is On Digital Media. We really want to be on top of our game in terms of technology and ensure that we bring our consumers whatever is the latest and greatest in the market and at an affordable price of course, so that is part of our trial phase and we have been testing it.
