StarHub simplifies selection

Singapore - StarHub, reacting to the increasing number of channels available on its line-up, has moved to simplify its format and offer a new Basic Group and seven corresponding Basic Upsize Groups.

This is the first time the company has repackaged its channel offering since May 2001 when it unbundled the former large Basic Tier into Basic Groups of different content genres.

A new Basic Group - Lifestyle will be launched on StarHub Digital Cable, upping the number of Basic Groups to seven, and will comprise of six channels which are Asian Food Channel (AFC), Discovery Home & Health, Discovery Real Time, Discovery Science, E! Entertainment and The Biography Channel.

Co-Founder and MD for AFC, Maria Brown said being part of the Lifestyle Group was "an important part of the growth and development of the Asian Food Channel l" which has only been around for three years.

StarHub has also launched a new tier, Basic Upsize, for each of the seven Basic Groups which are Chinese Entertainment, Chinese Infotainment, Education, Entertainment, Kids, Lifestyle and World News.

"We take several factors into account when we select channels for our new Lifestyle Basic Group and Basic Upsize Tier. These include the appeal of each channel, how it complements the others in the group, feedback from customers and our commercial negotiations with the channel provider," Patrick Lim, StarHub's Head of Cable TV Services told Marketing.

Singapore's leading pay TV operator will also offer four new channels from May and July 2008 which will be part of the Basic and Basic Upsize tiers. AXN Beyond and The Biography Channel have launched this month while NBC Universal Global Networks' (NBCU) Universal Channel and Sci Fi channel launch in July.

The cable operator will also shift the existing Eurosportnews channel, currently offered as part of Family Plus, to the Sports Group.

StarHub will now have 159 channels in its line-up.