Time Out

Whoa, time out! You know this xenophobia thingy is getting a wee bit out of hand if thin-skinned football fans raise the red flag over crummy giveaways like a mug, portable fan, 6-can cooler bag and travel bag. Anybody familiar with marketing mechanics will know that the cost price of the gift items are way less than the purported $50. You get more value in your National Day Parade goodie bag.

Unfortunately for Starhub's Ms Ong, head of corporate communications and investor relations, the politically correct charged atmosphere of recent weeks required an apology of sorts. Hence a segment marketing exercise ended up, by their official admission, as "an own goal". It's either that or subject of another police report. Never mind if the original aim was to target the skinflint Ang  Mohs to sign up, especially the chao kuan types (literally, Hokkien for "smelly-type" - used to denote a cheat or devious person, according to the Coxford Singlish Dictionary) who bring their own 6-packs to the kopi-tiam to watch for free.

What the protesters should really grouse about is why Singaporeans have to pay in the first place when some countries get to watch for free. Media Development Authority's new "cross -carriage" rules merely requires Starhub to share it's broadcast rights with its competition. Sports group subscribers 4 years ago only paid $10 - $20, while non-sports group subscribers paid $50. Now it has gone up to $69.55 - only early birds who sign up before 30 April are entitled to the $58.85 pricing. Now, that's something to grumble about.