Liberia's state TV boss retaliates and demands DStv Liberia shuts down after MultiChoice refused to carry its LNTV for free.

by Thinus Ferreira

Liberia's dictatorial state TV boss is demanding the immediate shutdown of MultiChoice Liberia as a private pay-TV company in the struggling West African country, after MultiChoice Liberia refused to add and carry its LNTV channels on DStv Liberia's service for free.

Eugene Fahngon, the director-general of the Liberia Broadcasting System (LBS), Liberia's state-controlled broadcaster that runs LNTV, on Tuesday at a hastily arranged press conference demanded that MultiChoice Liberia be shut down for refusing to carry LNTV for free on DStv.

MultiChoice Liberia is run by LIBMAX Consolidated Group Incorporated (LIBMAX), a local concession agency of MultiChoice Africa.

Mary Williams, CGI's general manager for content at MultiChoice Liberia, revealed at a press conference over the weekend that Eugene Fahngon wants to destroy DStv Liberia.

Together with the politician and businessman Simeon Freeman, through the Liberian government's House of Representatives, Eugene Fahngon allegedly wants to shut down DStv Liberia after LIBMAX refused to add and carry the state-run LNTV channels to DStv.

The Liberian Observer reports that LIBMAX and MultiChoice Liberia told LBS and Eugene Fahngon that it can't uplink and broadcast LBS's LNTV channels for free, which is expensive.

MultiChoice Liberia told Eugene Fahngon that LBS would have to pay $38 000 per month for LBS' LNTV to be added to DStv, which Eugene Fahngon rejected. He then decided to retaliate against MultiChoice Liberia and now wants to get it shut down.

Eugene Fahngon said on Tuesday "The Liberia Broadcasting System will not pay a dime to DStv for the inclusion of our national broadcaster".

He also cited regulations claiming that the LBS controls and oversees all pay-TV services in Liberia to make sure they provide so-called local content.

Eugene Fahngon also slammed MultiChoice Liberia for having a "control system" he and LBS can't control and which is therefore not a proper control system and another reason why DStv Liberia should be shut down.

According to Mary Williams, Eugene Fahngon told DStv Liberia in a meeting that LBS is working on its own subscription-based pay-TV service which will cost $5 and which will be in direct competition with DStv Liberia.

The Liberian Investigator reports that Mary Williams accuses Eugene Fahngon of making politically motivated demands and unreasonably expecting LIBMAX and pressuring the company to offer the state-run TV channels for free.

"It costs money, equipment and several other requirements to be on satellite. We as an agent in Liberia cannot unilaterally put any content, including LBS, on the platform," she said.

She revealed that LIBMAX wrote to Eugene Fahngon in July to set up a meeting and explain the procedures involved, but that he failed to show up. A second meeting was then scheduled and took place, during which Eugene Fahngon demanded that MultiChoice Liberia uplink LBS to DStv for free.

"He insisted that as a government-owned broadcaster LBS should be exempt from paying for services but I explained that it doesn't work that way because we are just an agent of DStv here in Liberia."

"We saw no reason to continue discussions after learning that LBS was offering similar services, effectively making us competitors in the market."

She said LIBMAX is disappointed with Eugene Fahngon who can't dictate how LIBMAX is supposed to run DStv Liberia as a private company.

"I am surprised that after our interaction with Eugene Fahngon he chose to take this route. It is becoming more political than professional." She said LIMBAX's "legal team is fully briefed and prepared to take action if necessary".

DStv Liberia announces massive subscription fee price drop from July 2023 and says reduction is its way to thanks DStv subscribers for their loyalty.

by Thinus Ferreira

DStv Liberia is dropping monthly subscription prices massively for customers in the West African country from July 2023 who will see an enormous drop in its American dollar-based fee pricing from next month.

Liberia is the first country in Africa in 2023 where MultiChoice is reducing monthly DStv subscription fees, after hiking prices in several African countries this year from South Africa and Kenya, to Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and from July also Tanzania.

DStv Premium in Liberia is getting reduced from US$91.00 to US$61.00 from July, while the DStv Compact Plus package will drop from US$59.00 to US$36.00. DStv Compact is getting a price reduction from US$28.00 to US$23.00 monthly.

The DStv Family package will be cut from US$21.00 to US$13.00 monthly, while DStv Access is getting cheaper from US$14.00 to US$8.00.

In a press statement announcing the reduction in DStv fees in Liberia, Simeon Freeman, Consolidated Group and DStv Liberia CEO, says MultiChoice is reducing its DStv subscription fees in Liberia since it is looking at various ways to thank its many customers for their ongoing support and loyalty whilst delivering world-class entertainment at a price they can afford.

DStv Liberia says reducing monthly DStv fees is MultiChoice's way of "demonstrating commitment to its customers to ensure that they receive the best possible access to great entertainment at an outstanding value".

"DStv Liberia is delighted to announce that DStv customers in Liberia will now enjoy quality entertainment for less. This means that monthly subscription prices on DStv have decreased effective 1 July 2023."

"We are constantly looking at various ways to thank our customers for their ongoing support and loyalty whilst delivering a world-class entertainment service at a price they can afford. The price drop across the DStv bouquets is our way of demonstrating a commitment to our customers to ensure they received the best possible access to great entertainment at an outstanding value."

"As a lead partner to DStv, MultiChoice is committed to putting customers at the heart of every decision we make and we aim to continuously delight them with great entertainment and the best value. DStv viewers of all ages and tastes are in store for great entertainment."

"Across the African continent, DStv presents the most value from other competitive pay-TV offerings. Over the past 26 years of which DStv Liberia has operated in the market, we have worked tirelessly to ensure we provide an unrivalled channel for our customers to enjoy. Our key priority is to put our customers' needs at the heart of everything and we undertake to continue doing so."

After MultiChoice and Mzansi Magic's rating flop of Big Brother Titans in South Africa, DStv Liberia also announced that the company is going back to the Nigerian version for another season, with MultiChoice Nigeria that has commissioned a new season of Big Brother Naija.

DStv Liberia says "Big Brother Nigeria will return. MultiChoice will make great entertainment even more accessible to our customers in Liberia".

ALSO READ: MultiChoice Tanzania increases DStv prices by up to 8.8% from July 2023 as the latest African country getting a DStv price hike.

ALSO READ: PRICE HIKE. MultiChoice Ghana hiked fees by 19% in 2023, blames country's deteriorating economy as well as currency devaluation and fuel costs.

ALSO READ: PRICE HIKE. MultiChoice Nigeria hikes DStv prices again from May 2023 by up to 22.2% with cheapest GOtv bouquet seeing biggest price hike.

ALSO READ: SHOCKER. MultiChoice Kenya does second DStv price hike of up to 10% from April 2023 just 7 months after last fee increase, angry subscribers say they're cancelling and going to streaming.

ALSO READ: Six months after its last increase MultiChoice Uganda does another DStv price hike from April 2023 up to 10.25% as outraged subscribers slam pay-TV operator for 'garbage' content that's 'repeated and super old' .

ALSO READ: MultiChoice: Here is the pay-TV company's DStv pricing from April 2023.