The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ordered MultiChoice to stop telling DStv subscribers a TV show is new when recycled shows pushed to other DStv channels are actually old.<\/p>\n
The ASA found in favour of a DStv subscriber who complained that DStv was describing the American sitcom Mom<\/em> as new “when it was old content that is being repeated for the umpteenth time” on Naspers’ satellite pay-TV service.<\/p>\n The ASA ordered MultiChoice to withdraw the claim that Mom, starting its 3rd season on is new.<\/p>\n DStv subscriber Alison Job lodged a complaint against DStv at the Advertising Standards Authority and also said that a “so-called brand new series of Doc Martin’ on ITV Choice (DStv 123) was also old and recycled TV content.<\/p>\n MultiChoice in its defense argued that the ASA “does not have jurisdiction over this complaint as it relates to programming publicity” and that the “promos were not misleading”.<\/p>\n MultiChoice also argued that Mom<\/em> was previously only shown on M-Net (DStv 101) and that the on-air promo on DStv was announcing that Mom\u2019s<\/em> 3rd season was coming to Viacom International Media Networks Africa’s Comedy Central (DStv 122) channel for the first time.<\/p>\n Because the 3rd season of Mom<\/em> was on Comedy Central for the first time and because DStv subscribers who don’t have access to M-Net as a DStv Premium subscription channel, MultiChoice said Mom<\/em> was indeed “brand new” to these subscribers.<\/p>\n The ASA in its ruling slammed MultiChoice and said that “one would not expect the label ‘brand new’ to be applied to a show that has been available in South Africa since 2013”.<\/p>\n “In the second place\u201a the claim makes no reference to the channel. The words ‘only on [Comedy Central]’ further aggravate the matter,” the ASA found.<\/p>\n “By making this statement, the implication is that this is the only channel to ever air this ‘brand new’ season.”<\/p>\n “In fact\u201a these old seasons have been aired on at least one other channel\u201a if not more. They are also\u201a most likely\u201a available as DVDs,” the ASA said.<\/p>\n The ASA found that the MultiChoice claim “Mom 3<\/em> brand new season, Tuesday only on Comedy Central” is misleading.<\/p>\n The ASA said said MultiChoice isn’t allowed to make misleading claims in programming publicity.<\/p>\n