O Sole Mio! MultiChoice's DStv is available 'everywhere' - just not in Italy.

MultiChoice's DStv is available "everywhere" ... just not in Italy - and that is just not right according to a consumer who complained to the Advertising Standards Authority of South Africa (Asasa).

A consumer Manlio Molino lodged a complaint with Advertising Standards Authority because MultiChoice advertised that on DStv you can "enjoy your favourite TV programs anytime, anywhere, stream live TV, and stay up to date with the biggest shows on Catch Up".

Molino was upset and lodged a complaint with Asasa over MultiChoice's "Enjoy your favourite TV programs anytime, anywhere" claim and said the advertising is misleading as he could not access the service whilst in Italy.

He wanted to stream and watch soccer while in Italy and was told that the service is not available.

MultiChoice told the Advertising Standards Authority that the "anywhere" claim in regards to its "DStv Now" product is actually meant in relation to DStv subscribers who are interested in receiving DStv services in different devices other than decoder and a television.

MultiChoice said that the phrase "Anytime, Anywhere” refers to convenience rather than geographic location. In other words, subscribers who have access to "DStv Now" may access DStv anywhere outside their homes.

The Asasa directorate was divided on the matter. The minority of the directorate thought that in this day and age, with the internet and live streaming, it is not unreasonable to expect to be able to live stream or access a service globally, and that the DStv commercial should have been more clear on this issue.

The majority of the directorate however didn't consider the matter misleading. The majority felt that the hypothetical reasonable consumer would understand that licencing laws would limit international dissemination of content.

Therefore Asasa found that the commercial contains no content that suggests that the word "anywhere" applies to the whole world and the complaint was dismissed.

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 21 February 2017.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read, and that you should too:

■ The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) should polish its dismal programming.
After Zimbabwe's Reserve Bank last week criticised DStv subscribers in Zimbabwe for damaging the struggling country's economy, criticism is building about how bad Zimbabwe's television offering is.

■ Is StarTimes Kenya stealing from StarTimes subscribers?
StarTimes Kenya subscribers are furious about how they're constantly being cut off too early.


■ Why there's no NBA basketball on DStv anymore.
MultiChoice lost the rights to NBA broadcasts in sub-Saharan Africa to Kwesé Sports with the deal "that is a huge blow for SuperSport". Of course it was the NBA All-Stars and nobody in Africa could really watch.
- Making it even more bizarre is the NBA planning to return to South Africa. Hilarious considering that a dead brand for a barely there American sport doesn't want its actual content and matches shown on television in South Africa.


■ Dishing dirt on Awful Park:
The rot at the SABC is finally being exposed - choice quotes from parliament's ongoing SABC investigation.

■ Nigeria's Ndani TV has burnt down.
The online TV channel in Lagos, Nigeria saw its Ndani Studio go up in flames over the weekend, billions feared lost - including already filmed new seasons of shows, as well as back-up copies.

■ Complaints about OnAir who does direct marketing on behalf of MultiChoice continues.
More bad service and lies by OnAir according to DStv subscribers when it comes to upselling DStv subcribers in South Africa who are unhappy with how they're being lied to.


■ BEST TV story headline this year:
"Trolls worse than zombies," says The Walking Dead star.
Of course actor Josh McDermitt of The Walking Dead on FOX (DStv 125 / StarSat 131) is talking about internet and social media shamers.


■ The end of male audience focused linear TV channels?
With Esquire, Spike and others shut down, are channels catering to male viewers now in danger?

■ Tina Wamala hasn't been fired.
MultiChoice Uganda's publicist who was embroiled in controversy last month goes on NBS to talk about DStv in Uganda. Little actual news and information, but note the mention of "reshuffling" of content coming.

■ From a TV news anchor's lips to Donald Trump's ears and Sweden's disbelief.
Donald Trump watches TV at night, and then uses that in his tweets, speeches and interviews.

■ Italy's Roman Catholic church TV is sexy-ing up - complete with Colin Firth in wet shirt.
TV2000, a Roman Catholic owned TV channel, has bought its first content from BBC Worldwide, including racy dramas like Pride and Prejudice.

■ TV ratings system: Australia to become largest per capita people metered market in the world.
What is means is that Australia's ratings, or viewership measurement, will have the best "accuracy" in terms of how what is listed actually relates to what the whole nation is really watching.

■ Naspers' ShowMax launching new short-video series QHits on 1 March.
ShowMax, working with QYou, will launch the new series QHits in ShowMax in East Africa with presenter Rachel Marete.