WestStar stealing channels

| 17/06/2013

CM3237919@TV_WATCHING.jpg(CNS): HBO Latin America says WestStar TV is illegally broadcasting its content and has lodged a complaint with Cayman’s regulatory authority. According to lawyers for the cable network company, the local TV station is broadcasting HBO and Cinemax programmes without paying any licencing fees to the company, contrary to US Federal law. While WestStar has been broadcasting HBO channels for some time, the move to get tough on the television company comes a few months after telecommunications firms LIME and Logic both launched their TV services in the Cayman Islands, having signed legal agreements with HBO Latin America, enabling both companies to broadcast all of its channels legitimately.

“WestStar TV Limited is not authorized or licensed by the copyright owners to distribute or rebroadcast HBO and Cinemax programming in the Cayman Islands,” law firm Hampson and Company stated in a release aimed at both the company and subscribers to the TV station.

The channels which the firm says WestStar is illegally broadcasting include HBO rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 17; CineMax rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 35; HBO Plus rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 151; HBO Signature rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 152, MoreMax rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 154; ActionMax rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 155; HBO Family rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 157; and HBO Latino rebroadcast as WestStar’s Channel 178.

“WestStar TV has engaged in an unethical practice of unauthorized interception of US satellite TV transmissions contrary to US Federal law, in breach of the terms of the satellite TV provider (Dish Network), by rebroadcasting and distributing this HBO and Cinemax programming to subscribers in the Cayman Islands for commercial purposes, without the consent of the owners of the copyright in that HBO and Cinemax programming and without payment of any form of licensing fees to HBO Latin America,” the law firm stated.

“HBO Latin America has given WestStar TV notice of the position and every opportunity to cease its interception and rebroadcast of HBO and Cinemax programming, and while WestStar has not denied these unethical activities it has continued to engage in these practices, compelling HBO Latin America to make the position public and refer the matter to the Cayman Islands regulator.”

HBO Latin America, the exclusive distributor and licensee of HBO and Cinemax programming in the Caribbean, said through their lawyers that they had pressed the local regulators, the Information and Communications Technology Authority (ICTA), to take appropriate action against WestStar “with a view to ensuring a level playing field among television providers in the Cayman Islands and avoiding an unfair competitive advantage to WestStar TV, in the interest of all subscribers in the Cayman Islands.”

They said, “HBO Latin America is confident that the local regulatory authority will take appropriate action to address this entirely unsatisfactory situation. HBO Latin America is proud of its licensed and authorized Cayman Islands’ partners, LIME and Logic, who offer world class HBO and Cinemax programming to their subscribers with the authority and license of the copyright owners.”

See Viewpoint: Why is piracy legal in Cayman? (29 January 2010)

Related articles: 

Telecoms firm launches fibre optic TV service (CNS Business, 17 January 2013)

Internet TV arrives in CI (CNS Business, 10 April 2013)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    If it is proven that they were in fact airing these channels without authorization, all Weststar customers should sue them.  All these years that customers have been paying these outlandish prices and it's a possibity that they might have been airing them illegally.  This is just madness.  Thank goodness I only have the basic WestStar package (for Cayman 27, CNN etc).  I have Apple TV, and pay US 16 per month for Netfix and Hulu.  I'm good with that!!

  2. Anonymous says:

    Let's get real. The Cayman Islands unfortunately get lumped in with Latin America for a variety of reasons which we can all agree is reduculous. Does anyone here really want all Spansih Programming? And yes everyone on this island that has Dish Network or Direct TV… you too are stealing programming. What everyone should also remember is that WestStar per its governing body ICTA and before that through the Cayman Islands Government and Law could not operate or air a single cable channel without providing Cayman a FREE OVER THE AIR Broadcast channel that carried local programming…maybe CNS you should look into that…as neither Lime nor Logic have a local station with local Caymanina programming or offer any channel FREE OVER THE AIR. It costs quite a bit of oney to run an operation like Cayman 27 I guess its truly not a level playing after all… 

    • Anonymous says:

      What do you mean those who have dishnetwork is stealing channels. I have directly subscribed to Dishnetwork and has a legal contract with them. Please get your facts right.

      • NoUDidnt says:

        No Mr. Anonymous, you signed a contract with Dish by telling them a lie and pretending to live in the US by providing them with a US address.  Dish would not have sold you service had you disclosed you were in the Cayman Islands.  So you are not doing things legally.  Please get YOUR facts right.

  3. Anonymous says:

    West Star is obsolete. I used to use it just for live sports and news, but network TV news is so far behind what you can get on the internet now I never watch it. As for sports….they have such a limited selection and it usually doesn't work anyway. I tried watching the US Open on channel 23 last week and the picture froze or cut out every 2 or 3 seconds. Eventually I went online and was able to watch it live in HD at no cost.  If their service wasn't included in my rent there's no way i would be a customer.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Just another step as Cayman grows up and becomes a “responsible” nation. Old companies that flout the rules don’t last forever and eventually get found out. This is a prime example of a dinosaur company dying in the face of modern competition. This is bad for this company, but is good for Cayman as a whole. Progress.

  5. Anonymous says:

    let's all revolt against WestStar and force them to give us Premium channels.

    Oh wait, They'd charge us to enter the building

  6. Anonymous says:

    Cayman is full of thieves high and low. 

  7. Anonymous says:

    Dish Network here I comeeeee

  8. Anonymous says:

    This is not public outcry, this sounds like a bunch of typical trashing being done. Some of these comments are so irrevelant. Get back to work people! bet some of you using your office computers to bash Weststar. Just wait, it will be Lime and Logic getting bashed next. Whining, whining, whining…boo hoo hoo!.

  9. Anonymous says:

    When they refused to give me a less than CI$50 refund over 7 years ago I called it quits with the local TV station.  I told them that if refusing my refund was good for them, then my hard earned $$ was even more precious to me and my bank account. 

    When I left them I was paying CI$99 or CI$100 for my package. 

    $100 x 12 = $1,200 per year

    $1,200 x 7 years = CI8,400 lost income from this former customer.

    Now we find out they are grabbing signals without HBO permission.  What a bunch of ….!

  10. DAMind345 says:

    This ain't news all you have to do is watch WestStar and see the DishNetwork information pop up on the screen. And I have long since believed that they are robbing the public, charging exorbiant prices for barely any channels!  I hope they hit em in the pocket, like they hit us in the pocket every month.

  11. Anonymous says:

    I switched to Logic and the service is great.

    • People have done studies you know... says:

      Great is a strong word. Just ok more like it, let’s if it gets better in the long run. Pam, is that you promoting?

  12. JTB says:

    So Weststar are no longer broadcasting the only channels worth watching.

    Anyone able to offer advice on the best alternative available? I’m in a strata so putting a dish up is not a option

    • Anonymous says:

      Talk to your Strata manager – most of these executives are discussing the various options right now, including bundled TV and fibre internet at speeds up to 25 Mbps.  LIME's next-generation submarine cable won't be here until Q3 2014.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Many people are accusing the ICTA of not doing anything about WestStar 'stealing' HBO Latin America's programming, but the fact is that the 'stealing' of copyrighted material in the Cayman Islands is regulated by our national copyright law and HBO need to go through the Cayman courts to enforce its rights. If the courts decide that WestStar is breaching HBO's copyright, the ICTA would then have the power to do something about it. The ball is really in HBO's court (no pun intended) on this one, and not the ICTA's.

  14. Young_Caymanian87 says:

    So wait, they are just figuring this out?????

  15. The lone haranguer says:

    Maybe we can sue HBO for bombarding us with they dastardly radiations ? Counter sue ?

    • Anonymous says:

      you sir, are an idiot.

    • Centrist says:

      With all due respect to CNS, the particular headline should only used if they know for a fact that Westar is stealing channels.  If the case was so cut and dried I doubt that HBO would be trying the public embarrassment approach.  Lets reserve judgement until we know the facts.

  16. mccarron mclaughlin says:

    Thank god I have Dish Network live and direct CI$80.00 = 250 plus channels, I know someone paying CI$ 140.00 to pissstar and they might have 100 channels.

    • Anonymous says:

      Even though you are operating that dish illegally in a territory where the rights of your subscription don't extend?

    • noname says:

      Funny how the world works, ain't it?

       

      If a man steals a $200 lawn mower and then resells it for a hundred bucks, it's off to Northward Prison with him and good riddance, right?

       

      But if another man steals a product valued at millions of dollars and then sells it to make huge profits, he's just a business man, right?

       

      What are the odds that anyone will ever spend one second in a jail cell for this obvious crime? I'd say about zero. What do you say?

       

      Lesson, if you have it in you to be a crook, the first step is to put on a tie and talk often about God, morality and the youth while you steal and lie.

       

      It works.

       

      The only catch is that you have to be a hollow enough human being to sleep at night and look at yourself in the mirror without flinching.

  17. Anonymous says:

    Those aren't the only channels they are stealing – LOTS of channels cut off and display a "PAY YOUR DISH NETWORK BILL"

    I've taken photos and asked WESTSTAR WTF is going on.

    Standard answer – NADA.

    Pirates Week runs year round in Cayman.

     

  18. Anny omis says:

    I am very unhappy with my Weststar service, but the payment is in my strata fee, so I am screwed. The service is horrid, ‘customer service’ is a joke, and the channels constantly go out. Any time I change the channels quickly I get the dreaded ‘channel list has changed, please wait’ msg. I have to reset the box 2 or 3 times an hour. Not to mention the silly, high prices, and idiotic ‘package’ upgrades that put news with sports. I watch the news, I never watch sports. But if I want the news channels I have to pay for sports. Plus, a quarter of the channels are in Spanish, Which I do not comprende, or comprendo, or understandemos.

    • Anonymous says:

      I'm in a similar situation. I recommend you talk to someone on your strata board to have the issue raised to find an alternate solution. I will be having the same chat with my landlord.

    • Anonymous says:

      I have not been able to watch a single show for 2 days on Westar because of a horrible signal. I'm so glad there are finally options to this brutal service.

  19. Anonymous says:

    Yeah they stealing channels and my hard earned money when they make us pay for 30 channels in order to see few messed up ones you really Iike to watch. Cant wait till they get punished by losing customers. Wish now the electrical and water companies will get some much needed competition!

  20. Anonymous says:

    With an address in the US (friend or family) it is very easy to get dishnetwork here.

    The only difference is, you pay half of what you pay to westar, lime or logic and get even more channels.

    And don't forget the better customer service.

     

    • Anonymous says:

      Except that too would be illegal as you do not have the rights to access the broadcasts in Cayman.

  21. Anonymous says:

    So I see they have taken all the HBO and Starz channels down.  Does that mean subscribers will be seeing a reduction in their monthly charge?  Me thinks not!! Yet it should not be something that needs to be requested, they need to show some integrity and automatically reduce monthly subscriptions without having to be shamed into doing so!  Let's see if they have any 'backbone!

    • Anonymous says:

      Its more than HBO disconnected, seems like the majority of their channels are now down!

      I wonder if this has anything to do with the current issue?  If so I hope we get a lower bill although I am not banking on it.

      Or is it that the ICTA has finally pulled the plug or taken their finga out.

  22. Knot S Smart says:

    So would we call that stealing from Peter to sell to Paul?

  23. Kadafe says:

    If their stealing the channels why do they charge us so much for them then?

    • Anonymous says:

      Greed?  One of the effects of the barriers to entry to the local market?  Those two reasons usually account for most of the gouging in Cayman.

  24. Anonymous says:

    That’s odd, I don’t see anything about it on the channel 27 site

  25. Anonymous says:

    So………What is it that ICTA does anyway? 

  26. Anonymous says:

    Stealing channels is not the only way Weststar rips people off.

    Their classic package includes Fox Soccer Channel. Guess what the main sport covered on FSC is?  Soccer and that soccer  includes a lot of live English Premier league games.

    Do you get to watch the live games you've paid for? No, you do not, because when they come on, Weststar swtiches the feed to their Sportsmax channel which is part of an additional package for $15 per month. Weststar makes the subscriber pay twice  – seem fair to you?

    Maybe the ICTA should look into this as well.

    • Arsene Wenger says:

      I totally agree,this is so annoying weststar,not fair at all.We pay for this total package that includes the channel 11 feed.Maybe now that you have some competition you reconsider your position…Actually I believe major changes are in the air as fox have lost a lot of rights to show these games next season…Wha happen now !!!!!!!!!

  27. Anonymous says:

    This shouldn't come as any surprise. Glad to know this is finally being dealt with. Those are only a few of the channels that are/appear to be illegally re-broadcasted from Dish Network.

  28. Admiral D Byrd says:

    Get up get up lets get down tonight don't they know we are pirates! This has been going on for years and when this was brought to certain officials attention as far back as the early nineties when a certain CITN official was applying for his WUK Pimit people were told not to "interfere wid dey business" Now dat dey have become high society people "you cant touch dis" aaaaah bwoy Mi nah have no friends in high society mi nah need no1 to mark my identity? well Cayman Tek hood!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      And all the customers are breaking the law too, becuse you are purchasing stolen property

  29. West Baya!! says:

    Just like how they are stealing our money…………………………….OVERCHARGING!!!
     

  30. Anonymous says:

    The fundamental problem I see is that logic is only going to be available by fibre optic and that will only be in west bay and george town…are we back to ripping satellite feeds directly by dish again??

  31. Anonymous says:

    I jus come but I was yah fuss. Typical of any new comer who ventures into other peoples backyards. This happens in every business in the Cayman Islands.

    Who will be next, the people who have been providing pirated TV to Caymanians for years because Dish Network dont want your business legally???

  32. Anonymous says:

    So here is exactly how WestStar screws us, still screwing us over. 

    Like most people here that have been so annoyed with the s**ty service, they bully people and have gotten away with it for so long. What they do is, like most people do when upset with their bad service, is go pirate with dish network. They buy a package for every channel, which is only less than US$100 per month. Then charging each and every customer on island a minimum of CI$70 per month. 

    They have XXX us for so long its about time they get what they deserve and have these channels revoked and not even allowed to have them. Make them rent these channels from LIME or Logic XXXX

    I was one of the first people to switch to Logic because I don't support LIME as they did the same to us for the longest time with their monopoly.

    Times are changing and these companies need to get whjat they deserve.

    Next on the horizon should be C.U.C our beloved electricity company

    • Anonymous says:

      Sorry to disappoint you, but Logic is owned by a Bermuda company called KeyTech which partnered with WestStar 13 years ago to gain control of a company called Bermuda Cablevision. Logic and WestStar are very much bedfellows. KeyTech itself is currently under review by the Bermuda Regulatory Authority for its aggressive portfolio of interests in various Bermuda telecom companies. It even owns 100% of the cable connecting Bermuda to the US, just as LIME (together with partners) owns the cables serving Cayman.

       

      I'm afraid wherever the hapless consumer runs he will find he has run into the octopus-like grip of another predatory conglomerate. 

       

      It is part of a wider pattern of late. When Dart took over Progressive Distributors several of my favourite grocery products were replaced by lower quality versions sold for the same price. The private equity group at the Ritz has slashed quality and choice at each of their restaurants. They even replaced the supplier of meat. It is now an American company called Niman Ranch which is, itself, owned by a private equity group that lowered production standards and forbid the founder of the company, Bill Niman, from using his own name commercially ever again when they bought him out. Just 2 small examples.

       

      The mantra guiding what you as a consumer will receive in the Cayman Islands is now 'it just has to be good enough'. That is because there is a process underway whereby the economic benefit of our business is increasingly going to interests that do not need, use or care about the actual products. The so-called unacceptable face of capitalism can appear in unlikely places. Its gaze now seems to be fixed upon us. 

      • 'Ol Pirate rob-i says:

        What a fantastic reply. Thank you for bringing up these topics. It would be a great piece to investigate and write about in a series here on CNS.

        I recently read and watched the story about Luxottica’s grip and influence on the sunglasses industry. Needles to say, no more name brands made by Luxottica for me. Goodbye Oakley. Hello Maui. Anyway, your input was an eye opener.

        To quote Gordon Gekko, “Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures, the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge, has marked the upward surge of mankind…”

        Sad really when greed in any form takes hold. We all suffer and we then repeat same towards others. But nothing beats greedy corporations, nothing. HBO and WestStar, one in the same really.

        • Anonymous says:

          You left out Dart to whom the qoute was tailor made for. 

        • Anonymous says:

          I respect the Gordon Gekko one-liner, but Luxottica still has the licence to Maui Jim as well as the following eyeware collections: Ray-Ban, Oakley, Prada, Revo, Vogue, Arnette, Persol, Dolce & Gabana, D&G, Versace, Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Ralph, Tiffany & Co., Bvlgari, Chanel, Gucci, Tory Burch, Giorgio Armani, Stella McCartney, Paul Smith, DKNY, Brooks Bothers, etc. 

          None of this has anything to do with HBO or Weststar.

          • 'Ol Pirate rob-i says:

            License to sell? Thought they got out of that deal in 2010?? In any case, they don’t do manufacturing for Maui Jim (Maui Jim is not listed on Luxottica’s website, so I’m not too sure about your statement). And I don’t shop Sunglass Hut or other Luxottica owned retail stores. So your point is mute.

            The relevancy to this story, was in reply to the poster at 06/17/2013 – 12:16; about companies who actually own or are in partnership with others, behind the scenes. See that comment and then understand why I commented as such. The devil is in the details.

      • Anonymous says:

        Dart took over Progressive Distributors? Don’t think so. As far as I am aware it is still owned by the Fosters. What is the next conspiracy theory? The problem in Cayman is that everybody wants premium service but don’t want to pay for it. The small number of Consumers on this island makes low price service difficult. In the short run the current large number of competitors entering this market may bring prices down but this is not sustainable and only one or two will survive whether we like it or not.

      • Anonymous says:

        You see that is how American free market economics messes things up.  I know the European models are seen as "socialist" by those that sip the Republican/Fox Kool-aid, but the meat sure is better.

    • Anonymous says:

      I like CUC, our electric company. If the gas bag politaicans would do thier job and stop all the excesive spending we would not have all the surcharges which run the bill so high. CUC is reliable and, in the Caribbean, that is very unusual.

  33. Anonymous says:

    Do you think Lime brought this to HBO’s attention?
    You think?

    • Anonymous says:

      Don’t be a Jack**s, HBO have been pursuing this for years. Do some research on the people who are affiliated with this station and who were with another outfit in Bermuda…..

  34. Michel says:

    We are in the process of switching to Lime. Better channels, no more replays and real HBO programs. We too are tired of paying so much for networks that are pirated for free. We shall not encourage that any further and if more do the same hopefully they will wake up and smell the …..

    • Anonymous says:

      No HD

    • Anonymous says:

      Come back and let us know how LIME TV is. I have some friends that say it freezes ALL THE TIME. I want to get it too, perhaps when they work out the bugs.

      Cant wait to get away from Weststar who, it appears, are actual Pirates that the CI Govt claims is a bad image for our nation. WAY TO GOWESTSTAR!!!

      Fibre optics coming for LIME too very soon, but why does everyone always run West Bay Road first. We out in Bodden Town, Newlands and Savannah have the same currency as the West Bay Roadies.

      • Anonymous says:

        We have LIME TV, and that is because they have paid for licences so we are happy to pay the price. So far one month on, the TV does not freeze, and the quality and load speed is great. But it is the South American or Central American feed, so most ads in Spanish and some programs too… But all in all much better than Weststar quality, and Legal….

      • Fiber Up Ya says:

        12:13 – Don’t worry, Infinity, Lime & Logic fiber Networks on its way to East!

      • Anonymous says:

        i use LIME tv and experience no freezing-even when I am downloading and watching at the same time. Maybe I am one of the lucky ones, but i have spoken to other users who agree it works just fine.

        BTW- fibre roll out will hit west bay and george town first as the bulk of bandwidth requirment steems from these two business communities.

      • Anonymous says:

        Whilst it is new and they are going to have some setbacks, I am pretty happy with LIME TV so far….  I was more than happy to turn in my cable boxes to the completely miserable customer service person at West Star.

    • Anonymous says:

      Good grief.   LIME TV.       The internet they provide is not what you pay for —— SLOW and it cuts in and out.      Imaging the freezing and crappy reliability of  LIME TV service.    PASS.        I see system overload with only a few users.

  35. Anonymous says:

    Piracy Lives…………… ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

  36. Anonymous says:

    Wouldn’t that make their profits potentially the proceeds of crime and thus liable to confiscation by the Cayman Islands government?

  37. 4 Cayman says:

    Shame on you Westar! You over priced your service and to know now that it was stolen goods? Looks to me a class action suit by the people who owned your boxes. I’m glad I got rid of my box in the 90’s.
    Certainly doesn’t look good for cayman. Where are the icta board are they not supposed to be balancing and checking these things to ensure these companies are compliant? Wonder what the other companies are getting away with and who is really benefiting?

    Let us see where this goes from here!

  38. Fun Fact says:

    Fun fact: The fat-cat technocrats at the ICTA are doing little or nothing to ensure the laws are being followed.

    For example, pornography is illegal in Cayman yet the hotel chains have it on demand. Why are they allowed to sell these movies? Also, anyone can access these types of websites online. Why are the Internet Service Providers not required to block this?

    • Anonymous says:

      because publie outcry would cause the antiquanted law to be changed.

    • Lil Axe says:

      Hey now. Let’s not get jerky and go shooting off about Internet porn. Trying to plug that is another whole kinda thing. Best letthe professionals handle it. I’m available anytime this week.

      I would say to you, if a dolla make you holla, go up in the Sound for more. Until then, relax, don’t do it…

    • Anonymous says:

      We love porn.  That is why.

  39. RadarContact says:

    Im pretty sure all of WestStar TV is bootleg, not just the HBO stuff! Its all Dish Network and they just rebroadcast it onto us!

    Its why a lot of folks now just go and buy their own dish and set up a dish network account. Youmay pay quite a bit for the dish and receivers, but after the initial cost, you can get a whole lot more and still pay less than the Weststar packages!

     

    On a side note, while it may be the only legitamit way forward, getting Latin America feeds really sucks. 

  40. Anonymous says:

    Well no suprise there!!!!!!!!!

  41. Anonymous says:

    westar is like nearly everything in cayman……. 5 star price for a two star product….

    if they are found guilty they should be made refund subscriptions to their customers…

  42. durrrr says:

    Since when does US Federal law apply in Cayman?

  43. Anonymous says:

    If this is true, HBO Latin America will be entitled to be paid every dollar that Weststar charged for these services.

  44. Anonymous says:

    My question would be; Who gave HBO permission to broadcast into the Cayman Is.?In other words does HBO have legal rights to charge for programming originating in the US and being received in the Cayman Is.I remember in the past  when local consumers wanted to subscribe to HBO and other US providers ,we were told that it could not be done since these providers held only US rights and not international rights.So when was this changed?

  45. Anonymous says:

    This country isn't exactly bubbling over with moral, ethical people. Like government corruption, everyone tolerates it because too many people have benefited from it. Now the critics will pour out of the woodwork as the bandwagon passes by.

  46. Anonymous says:

    This is just part of the natural evolution that has been taking place in Cayman for more than 30 years.

    First it was illegally recorded tapes then it was illegal cards to get TV receivers to show TV programs and then it was wholesale stealing of a sufficiently large number of TV programs to entice someone to create a TV station. Not much has changed.

    Times have changed in Cayman and our Government will soon realise that by ignoring the copyright issue it will not gain any kudos. This tolerance of illegal activity must eventually be brought into line with the newfound realisation that money laundering is an oldfashioned activity for a world financial center.

    It is inevitable that pirated programs will go off the air to be replaced by properly licenced programming being re-broadcast by properly licenced providers. These pirates will go the way of the pirates of yesteryear.

    • Anonymous says:

      I wonder when the dvd shops that sell you a copieddvd for $7 or $5 will be told to stop doing that also. Yes, they rent dvds, but you can buy copies of all the dvds as well. This is illegal in the US due to anti-piracy laws. There are no such laws here in Cayman? I guess not since these dvd shops operate in every district in every neighborhood.

      • Anonymous says:

        It is illegal here too, but our authorities are either to weak, or disorganized, or tainted by corruption themselves, to do anything. Most bizarre, they actually give work permits to people to sell the illegal crap!

  47. Anonymous says:

    WestStar is in big trouble, not because they have been stealing channels (which most of us have known for years) but because of their crappy service. Many of us have been waiting for the day that TV competition would arrive, and it's here. Their customers will flee them in droves because they feel that they have been taken advantage of for years, both in price and in quality of service.

  48. Anonymous says:

    Yup..been saying this for years. The entire icta staff should be fired too, as it was their job to regulate and make sure weststar was operated legally. Since they didn’t pay their licensing they should be made to reimburse their customers for supplying them with pirated tv. Blasted crooks

    • Anonymous says:

      So what does the ICTA staff do anyway, if they cant enforce TV in a non competitive environment but wait for competition to come to highlight these issues for them?

  49. Anonymous says:

    Though i disagree with the blatant acts of profiting off of piracy, using the LaTam feeds dont tend to work very well here as they tend to be broadcasted in Spanish, i hope that a english stream of the bigger channels can be organized for cayman legally….

    • Anonymous says:

      To:Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/16/2013 – 22:17                          You are so right .It is really annoying and unfair to have to not only sit through Spanish language commercials but to have to abandon a favourite program because it is broadcast in Spanish.HBO Latin America needs to understand that English is the language used in the Cayman Is and a host of Caribbean countries that fall under the HBO Latin America footprint.So can we have our programming in English please.

    • Anonymous says:

      You do know that we Caymanians are descended from pirates, right? So don't sweat the legal bit too much, the main thing is to get us as many channels as possible to enjoy.

  50. Anonymous says:

    so let me get this right… Weststar steal TV channels and then charge astronomical rates for watching stolen goods. Does anyone else think this sort of behaviour is acceptable. Can I get a refund? Any lawyers out there want to start a class action lawsuit so we can all get our money back? 

    • Anonymous says:

      To:Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 06/16/2013 – 22:08                          Go ahead and start it ;but becareful that you do not end up creating a list of people being charged for receiving stolen property.

  51. Anonymous says:

    Wow is this suppose to be a surprise — LOL

  52. Anonymous says:

    Say it nah so….I thought Mac Mac wah gah tek care dis ya stuff.

    SupaMac…whay part yah is?

  53. Anonymous says:

    Robin Hood would turn in his grave if he was alive today when he finds out that Robin Hoodie his Cayman cousin is (allegedly) robbing satelite channels from the rich and s-e-l-l-i-n-g them to the poor in Her Majesty's domain.