DEAR Editor, ASTRO needs to improve a wide range of its services as its monopoly has made it in efficient, indifferent and less proactive.

Astro cannot go on giving excuses that reception will be poor when there is bad weather.

As Malaysia is an equatorial country with a high number of rainy days accompanied with lightning and thunder, it needs to deal with this problem by upgrading its technology.

It is ironic that one can get better reception from terrestrial TV than cable TV during thunderstorms.

Many customers are also irritated with Astro’s answering machine service when making a complaint.

Astro should stop giving excuses that due to its many sub scribers, a queue on its hotline is inevitable.

There are many other firms with millions of customers such as Telekom Malaysia, TNB, the Mobile Telcos and Syabas who are able to provide quick personalised service.

Subscribers should also be able to view the 24-hour sched ule of any channel. This should not only be available online.

Why can’t the service be provided on TV?

The 24-hour schedule will help viewers not to miss@ any interesting programmes.

It will also replace the need for the Astro guide.

Trailers, ads, promos and mes sages should be kept to a minimum so as not to incense viewers.

Trailers are shown again and again, even within a short time.

For Tamil channels, it is even worse as ads, sponsorships, trailers and promos deprive viewers of their value for money.

There are far too many advertisements during prime time serials from 7pm-10pm.

What should be a half hour serial has been reduced to a 15-minute episode because of the lengthy signature songs, trailers and sponsorships publicity.

Astro must be aware of view ers’ rights.

V. Thomas

Sungai Buloh

Source: Malay Mail – April 17, 2008