'Why so much rubbish?': Curly questions at Sky AGM

Although it was a largely subdued annual general meeting, Sky TV bosses were faced with a couple of curly questions from shareholders and customers this afternoon.

One woman suggested Sky focus more on quality than quantity and took surveys to see what subscribers were actually watching.

"I see you've got an awful lot of channels that keep popping up with rubbish on them," she said.

"I do fit into a certain age group and a certain type -- maybe there are more people that do watch the nonsense."

Sky chief executive John Fellet replied that the company took surveys every night of 5000-10,000 Sky decoders to see what was working and what was not.

Another woman asked whether directors should be taking a pay cut just as shareholders' dividends had fallen.

"Given that the dividend's been reduced -- which I completely understand -- would not the directors' fees follow?"

Sky chairman Peter Macourt pointed out that directors' fees were significantly lower than their counterparts at other companies and it was important for Sky to be able to attract quality leaders.

"Comparative to equivalent companies in the Australian market even I think they are probably about half," he said.

At the same time, directors were having to take on more work as the company made major technological changes in an increasingly complex regulatory environment and for no extra pay.

Fellet was also asked whether Sky would retain rights to the NRL, to which he said he understood the company had these for the next five years.

Another woman said she was disappointed that there was not enough airing of womens' sport on Sky, which she said could be a cheap and popular option.

Fellet said "I don't just go after the cheapest content," but the women interrupted: "This way you can get cheap and better."