M-Net has embarked on market research under its pay-TV subscribers to try and find out and get a better idea of what the subscribers to its terrestrial, analogue service want to see on the channel and what they're thinking of the channel and its programming.
I've heard of M-Net analogue subscribers who were uncertain of what to do and the legitimacy of an email they've received purportedly from a marketing research company asking them to answer a few questions regarding the M-Net Terrestrial Channel. Viewers and subscribers told me that they were not sure what a "terrestrial channel" and that "my M-Net is not a terrestrial channel", to wondering whether they're receiving spam or hoax mail trying to get them to click on dubious links in an attempt to solicit personal details.
M-Net assures me that the email and the marketing research campaign is indeed legitimate and that M-Net subscribers can definitely go ahead and complete the survey at the link provided in the email sent to M-Net's database of terrestrial analogue subscribers. The request is legitimate and not part of an online phishing scheme.
M-Net's terrestrial analogue subscribers are all of those who watch and get the M-Net channel, SuperSport channels and the Community Service Network (CSN), where available, without a satellite dish but through a normal antenna and decoder box. These are the people M-Net wants to hear from in the survey. One of these subscribers completing the online survey will also be able to win a flatscreen TV.
With the advent of digital terrestrial television (DTT) in South Africa, M-Net's terrestrial analogue service will have to switch to a digital service - part of a nationwide process known as digital migration.
It is conceivable that M-Net will be able to use the marketing research from this survey to analyse and determine what additional TV channels the pay-TV provider might launch when the single M-Net channel will expand to multiple more channels as part of its DTT offering when that happens.
M-Net tells me that Columinate, an independent research company, is conducting research on behalf of M-Net. "The aim of this research is to get feedback about our M-Net Terrestrial Channel and the insights will be used to improve and innovate M-Net's Terrestrial Channel offering."
