A People and Computers reporter was asked to leave a Cellcom press conference, because he asked a question that the CEO did not like * So who is afraid of criticism?
Avi Blizovsky, personal column. It was first published in the journal People and Computers on 11/5/2005, and is presented here including the comments
The cellular companies are probably using illegitimate tactics to silence public criticism of the crazy increase in rates, far above and beyond what was requested due to the too small reduction in connectivity fees. The most blatant example was at a press conference held by Cellcom yesterday. The company decided to forego the question stage, and invited the journalists to test devices. Since our job is not only to do what the press conference inviter demands, but also to investigate questions for which the public is entitled to an answer, I tried to ask the CEO, Dr. Yitzhak Peterburg, whether in light of the fact that Cellcom has opened up new avenues of income in areas such as music, and in light of the huge increase in profits The company in 2004, perhaps Cellcom should cancel the increase in rates, and ask for forgiveness from its subscriber. The answer was expulsion from the Fusion club in Tel Aviv where the press conference was held, on the grounds that it was a closed event, and this after the same spokeswoman, Galit Tuchterman, bothered to invite me in advance, send reminders and ask for permission for my arrival at the event.
Yossi Lovton, the VP of Marketing, apparently volunteered to answer, but instead of a factual answer, he tried to attack my knowledge of economics (BSc in economics and management plus seven years of daily study from Nehemiah Strassler at editorial meetings when I worked in Israel) on the grounds that this type of question cannot be asked by anyone Who understands economics - probably only those who agree with Cellcom's violence are those who understand economics.
Simulated losses
As consumers we all feel that the cell phone bills are increasing, and like in the banks, we don't even know exactly what we are paying for. It is time for the companies to return the lost millions to the public. Any company with billions of shekels in revenue must be exposed to public scrutiny, because otherwise there will always be suspicions that it made the billions illegally. After all we are in Israel, which is supposed to be a western country and where business is done with maximum transparency, and not in Sicily or Russia.
9 responses were found
Mickey | 11:29 11/05/05
lacking in doctrine
Believe me, none of the cellular networks put a cut on their customers...
Too bad it was.
They only think about getting richer and richer…
how much is possible That's it, they are millionaires... not enough for them? So now they have to care a little more about consumers..
Isaac 16:15 12/05/05
Keep it up and don't let Cellcom's "Stalin" run amok
Father, this is exactly how a journalist should act - keep it up.
As for "Cellcom", it is worth knowing that Yitzchak Peterburg - the CEO, even before he was the CEO of the Klalit Health Insurance Fund and before he dreamed of managing Cellcom, was already awarded the title of "Stalin". The nickname was probably given to him due to being quite a demagogue back then.
colleague | 07:31 03/07/05
Why hurt Sicily?
My father... here it is worse than Sicily sometimes.
Golan Shalom 17:30 30/08/05
Go to the fight - we are with you
Avi - you are an exemplary journalist, keep asking the questions that the public wants answers to. If you go to fight - we are with you, good luck, Golan Shalom
Capricorn 15:14 02/07/06
We will go to fight
Maybe an energetic journalist and adventurer like the above can organize some 50 or 100 thousand people and more to turn off their cell phones for a week, believe me, you'll start talking at 10 AJ per minute
Kobe | 20:13 17/11/05
Mirs and Cellcom are fooling their customers
Mirs is the most problematic company trying to steal as much as possible from the customers
Yossi P. | 09:46 19/04/06
Cellcom - the Ayatollahs company
Abi, you are not the only one who feels that selectivity and these problematic questions are tools of the problematic body - Cellcom. We will meet again when Orange will be the biggest company thanks to better service
Dmitry 12:45 15/09/06
Well done to those who are not afraid
All the best to those who are not afraid to damage the honor of the power "Cellcom". But I ask why the only thing you dare to comment on the diesel companies is the economic aspect. After all, the health aspect is no less important and it is also reflected in the economy of every cancer patient and his family, so why - if you dare to say things that the exterminators don't like - why don't you raise this issue as well, an issue that is no less important than those who know ?
Yossi 22:53 05/12/06
Well done for your defense of the public interest
