Make demise of analog TV a priority, NBTC urges
The switch-off of analog terrestrial TV must be a national priority to transform the national backbone to full digital as planned, the broadcasting regulator said yesterday.
"This milestone is very important to ensure the sustainability of digital TV services in the future. Therefore, we will work on the documents in line with industry consultation before submitting the proposal to the government," said Supinya Klangnarong, a member of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commissions (NBTC).
She said the broadcasting committee would soon propose to the government that it support the process of switching off the nationwide terrestrial-based analog TV broadcasting service, which is one of the cornerstones to transform and digitise the country.
Under this proposal, the NBTC aims to scrap this old broadcasting service across the country by 2018.
The key national providers of analog TV transmission networks – the Army, MCOT, the Public Relations Department and Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) – have also agreed to make it happen at that time.
However, there is a huge challenge for the NBTC and other parties – the analog concessions of two major stations, Channels 3 and 7, will not expire before that.
Bangkok Entertainment Company (BEC) runs Channel 3 under a concession from MCOT, which continues to March 2019.
Bangkok Broadcasting and Television (BBTV) operates market leader Channel 7 under a concession from the Army, which goes to November 2023.
However, the Army has promised to negotiate with Channel 7 about surrendering the concession by 2018 in return for the right to manage a second network for commercial digital TV broadcasters.
Supinya expressed concern about the negotiations between the Army and Channel 7, which seemed to be progressing at a snail’s pace, while hoping that MCOT and BEC can find a way to shorten the analog switch-off for Channel 3.
"The faster we turn the analog system off, the more opportunities we gain to initiate new public and community-based digital TV channels," she said.
To mark the beginning of this crucial process, the NBTC and Thai PBS yesterday said they would pull the plug on Thai PBS’s analog service on Koh Samui and Koh Phangan in Surat Thani province.
Viewers on those islands can continue to watch Thai PBS programmes via a digital TV receiver connected with a new version of the TV antenna.
However, according to Thai PBS’s study, more than 90 per cent of 40,000 households on the islands are watching free TV through cable and satellite TV.
Kantachai Srisukhon, director |of engineering at Thai PBS, said |the station also planned to start retiring its analog broadcasting service in three more areas – some districts in Chiang Mai and Roi Et and Ubon Ratchathani – early next year.
This process was right on track and in line with the third year of the digital TV network expansion.
The organisation is committed to achieving coverage of 90 per cent of all households by next June, he said.
