We acknowledge the impact that TV and radio have on society, and appreciate our responsibility as a broadcasting company to use this power with care. We work continuously to improve the products we offer by listening to our customers and striving to respond to their needs.
Compliance with regulations
Our core business, broadcasting entertainment, is regulated by the Audiovisual Media Services EU-directive and the relevant national broadcast regulations. We follow the strictest of local laws and consistently seek to exceed them by being pro-active and self-critical in our compliance. We have meticulous internal policies regarding the scheduling and airing of programmes, which are overseen by our Legal and Compliance departments.
The main authority regulating TV advertising on our channels is the Advertising Standards Authority in the UK. In any advertising, we always see the protection of young viewers as a top priority. Our Compliance Team makes sure that only socially responsible product advertising is broadcast during children’s programmes.
Employees working in acquisitions and programming, scheduling, programme logistics and compliance are involved in the company’s broadcasting compliance procedures, and we therefore make sure that they receive regular compliance training in order to help them fulfil their responsibilities. Sales departments working with advertisers are also briefed on responsible and compliant sponsorship and advertising practices. This is done in order to make sure that we comply with the broadcast related laws and regulations in all countries where we are present.
Entertainment for everyone
We are primarily an entertainment company and we offer a wide range of content through our many pay and free-TV channels; sports, documentaries, films and family entertainment. Each channel has its own profile, offering something for everyone. We constantly strive to develop the content and quality of our services. We are committed to meeting our customers’ needs by implementing new and improved products and services, as well as launching new channels. Since January 2008, 16 new own branded channels have been added to our portfolio, increasing the number of MTG brands to around 70.
Our pay-TV platform lives by the mantra “Entertainment at your command” – giving the power to the customers by offering entertainment when, where and how they want. Viasat OnDemand in the Nordic region gives access to an extensive catch up service where TV programmes are available anytime, either for our subscribers through the recordable digital box, or, for all viewers online. Among the most popular products on Viasat OnDemand online are the pay-per-view live sports events, offering top sports from UEFA Champions League to Formula One and NHL. The OnDemand services also brings hundreds of films to our customers, some on a pay-per-view basis but many of them free to our movie channel subscribers. This way we make sure our valued customers are never left without good entertainment.
Protecting minors
Responsible provision of content is central to our programming and broadcasting policies. Since we provide a large variety of content across our channels, it is important that we recognise our responsibility to protect children from programmes that are not suitable for them. Two particular areas of importance when protecting those aged under 18 are the following:
- Violence – To ensure that any violence we broadcast does not have a negative impact on viewers, particularly children, we ensure that viewers are made aware of the type of content and that programmes which could have a negative effect on children are scheduled at an appropriate time. Programmes where violence might seriously impair the physical, mental or moral development of people aged under 18 are not show at all.
- Adult Material – We believe adult entertainment has its place in TV, as we strive to meet the interests of all our customers. However, this material is less than 2% of our programming content, and we have very strict guidelines to make sure minors don’t see this material, including options for parents to opt out of adult material and the late night watershed (i.e. 23:00). We always make sure that violent behaviour in relation to adult material is not screened.
On our digital satellite TV platform we offer our customers the option to restrict access to films that contain material unsuitable for children. In this way parents have the power to restrict access to films which are likely to include the most violent or adult content. We also acknowledge our responsibility to protect minors within the framework of our online business. Also Viasat OnDemand online has implemented parental control. CDON, our largest online store, demands that customers are over 18 to make purchases, and the same strict age limit applies to our online betting site, Bet24.com.
Customer care
We believe in clear communication with our customers, and seek regular feedback from them. The pricing of our pay-TV and online retailing products and services is clear, transparent and easily available online. We carry out regular customer satisfaction surveys, conduct customer focus group research and offer customer service facilities for feedback. We do this to maintain an active dialogue with our customers, and are fully committed to responding to their needs.
Our customer service teams offer support in local languages and are continuously trained on our products and services to ensure professional customer care. Locally recruited staff also ensures sensitivity to national and cultural values in all communication, as well as the necessary local knowledge to effectively respond to customer enquiries. We value the integrity of our customers and work in line with data protection regulations in all countries of operation to make sure our customers’ details are handled responsibly.