True scoops a major bonus from 'AF3'
True Move has gained an additional 250,000 subscribers from public participation in the popular television reality show "Academy Fantasia 3", which ended last Saturday.
The new customers came from giving free SIM cards to each of the 480,000 subscribers to pay-television operator UBC True. UBC True and True Move are both subsidiaries of True Corp Plc. "Academy Fantasia", which was launched two years ago by UBC True, is the country's most popular reality show, where viewers can vote for and rate their favourite contestants by SMS. The contestants compete in a singing contest. Unlike the first and second series of the show, "Academy Fantasia 3", which began on July 3, allowed only True Move subscribers to participate in the voting, at a cost of Bt3 per message. Hence, the free SIM cards for UBC True viewers. True Move said it made about Bt40 million from the SMS voting and would return the full amount to the voters. True Move CEO Supachai Chearavanont said about 13.5 million votes were sent by viewers to the show, 22 per cent more votes than for "Academy Fantasia 2". He said True Move would retain the additional subscribers by launching new campaigns. UBC True spent about Bt100 million to produce "AF3". Usanee Mongkolporn The Nation
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