MDA Issues New Pay-TV Guidelines for Singapore

SINGAPORE: The Media Development Authority has issued a new set of guidelines governing contracts between pay-TV platforms and subscribers that include a limit on how much service providers can charge customers for early subscription terminations.

The new guidelines go into effect March 1, 2012, and come in response to the growth in Singapore’s pay-TV sector, which has expanded from 490,000 in December 2006 to more than 857,000 today. The new regulations are intended to help consumers switch platforms with greater ease.

Beginning in March of next year, the maximum contract period is two years. In addition, the MDA is calling for "graduated early termination charges." The regulator says, "Consumers need only pay early termination charge that is commensurate with the remaining length of the unfulfilled contract." Moreover, platforms will also have to inform consumers of the early termination charge at the time of the contract signing.