National 7 (Spotlight Weekly)

Cable TV: Students' Perspective

Although television broadcasting made its formal debut in Nepal in 1985, the people of Kathmandu valley already had a taste of foreign channels, particularly India's state-run Doordarshan.

After the restoration of democracy in 1990, the media, like other sectors of national life, gained unprecedented freedom. As other South Asian countries, especially India, began opening their markets to foreign companies, foreign TV channels were among the first capitalize on the region's huge market.

Because of geographical proximity, the Nepalese people easily accessed channels marketed for Indian customers. Initially they were marketed as non-pay channels. A few cable operators in Kathmandu started transmitting foreign channels. Later when these were aired as pay channels, the majority of the people had to rely on cable operators.

In less than 15 years, viewers in Kathmandu valley have witnessed a significant rise in the number of cable operators. Today, there are more than a dozen operators. As viewers are loaded with more and more channels carrying a wide range of programming content, it is vital to have a clear understanding of the usage patterns of cable television in the valley. Such understanding is especially crucial in determining the kind of services the people need.

In a dynamic world, goods and services needed to be updated on a regular basis. Adding or improving service does incur some costs. It is, therefore, important to know whether the people of Kathmandu can and are willing to pay more for being entertained. Do value-added services such as Internet access, video conferencing and video on demand, associated with cable in the West, have a future in Kathmandu valley? Information on the usage pattern of cable television provides an import glimpse into the future.

With this objective, a study was conducted in June 2001. The research mainly focused on the views and opinions of students and a fair bit on the operators as well. Students were selected because they represented the up and coming group of society who would use these facilities well into the future.

The research was conducted through a sample group of 50 students, which comprised 54 percent females and 46 percent males. The age ranged between 14 to 32 years, while the respondents' education varied from grade school to master's degree.

Students' opinion about cable TV was quite diverse. About 70 percent of the respondents viewed TV as a means of entertainment. The rigid idea of the operators increasing the number of channels to improve viewing was almost completely rejected by the students. In fact, the students strongly believed that quality, not quantity, mattered the most to them.

The low rating of Nepal Television is another factor that should be considered in the long run. As far as viewing goes, based on the respondents' reply, entertainment programs such as TV serials and soap operas were the most popular (26 percent) followed by movies (21 percent), sports (15 percent), documentary (12 percent), music (11 percent), news (10 percent) and others (5 percent).

As far as coverage goes, Space Times Network (STN) had the maximum number of viewers, while other small operators were concentrated within their own localities. Cable TV Network of Nepal claimed to be the first operator to provide service in the valley. Operators such as STN and Subusi were found capable of providing value-added services such as Internet access, video conferencing, and video on demand. But the rhetorical guidelines of the government were found to be a major hindrance. On the other hand, there is a

widespread believe that Cable TV just as a source of entertainment. This stereotype needs to be shifted in order to improve the content and reach of cable TV.

As the viewers themselves can act as a catalyst, service providers are bound to change with the times. Students are the obvious players in infusing such concepts within the masses where pragmatic ideology is a scarce resource.

(Contributors: Abhaya B. Singh, Prasad Gyawali and Dibya Dhungel, MBA students at Kathmandu University School of Management)