VietNamNet has received many emails asking what K plus (K+) television station is. Some people collected hundreds of opinions protesting K+ to send them to VietNamNet.


Exclusive broadcasting rights hit football audience  

A senior coal worker in Quang Ninh province asked what K+ was, whether it was a private or a state-owned television station. Why it holds the exclusive right to broadcast some foreign football events in Vietnam? Why it has up to 70 television channels?

 

K+ is the product of a limited liability company owned by the Vietnam Cable TV Technology Centre, a subsidiary of the national Vietnam Television (VTV) and Canal Plus International Development, a French firm. The chartered capital of this firm is $20.1 million, including $9.87 million or 49 percent from the French partner.

 

The partnership between a Vietnamese and a French firm is legal but the law doesn’t allow the operation of private television stations in Vietnam so this company is only permitted to provide technological services, not to produce television programs.

 

Some wondered why this company had to call for modest investment ($10 million) from a French firm, not from local firms. K+ is also using equipment of VTV, TV programs from VTV and VCTV.

 

Many people suspected that K+ is the disguise of privatization of Vietnam’s television. This company is trying to hold the television market, firstly the broadcast right of the British, Italian and Spanish leagues. What will they do in the future?

 

They also questioned  whether VTV wanted to give the exclusive right to K+ so it failed to buy the broadcast right of major Spanish and Italian football events.

 

K+ currently offers very expensive services while most of its 70 channels come from VTV, HTV, HNTV, VOV, SCTV and VCTV. It has only one special product – K+ football which exclusively broadcasts the UK, Spanish and Italian leagues.

 

A lawyer said that VTV should end its contract with K+ by re-purchasing the broadcast right of foreign football tournaments. It can mobilize capital from local firms or ask the government’s permission to issue television bonds.

 

TVN