South African pay TV viewers are fuming mad over the 12.12.12 concert which was shown last night by Fox International Channels around the world and by Fox International Channels Africa (FIC Africa) in South Africa on the DStv's National Geographic Channel (DStv 181) through MultiChoice and on TopTV's Fox Entertainment (TopTV 180) through On Digital Media (ODM).
FIC Africa said that the 12.12.12 "global event" will "make history as the most widely distributed live musical event ever as nearly 2 billion people around the globe will have access to the benefit through television."
The 12.12.12 concert was in benefit of the Hurricane Sandy victims in America.
Viewers are upset that the electronic programme guides (EPGs) were apparently not correct, so those who tried to record it, would not have gotten the entire show. While other countries had toll free numbers to call to donate money, South Africa apparently had none.
While viewers are blaming the channels and pay-TV operators, it is the distributor who made some mistakes, although ordinary pay-TV subscribers judge by what they see - or don't see - on screen.
"Was South Africa the only country that didn't carry it live?" asks one upset viewer. "I ask because the toll free numbers for donations displayed during the gig didn't include South Africa. Why didn't anyone make a plan when countries like the Dominican Republic and the Ukraine obviously did?"
"Then to add insult to injury, DStv's electronic guide had the delayed show finishing at 23:00 when it's still playing, with no sings of ending at 23:20? They've changed the EPG finishing time now to midnight, so my recording is at least an hour short!"
