Broadcasters' cautious nod amid regret at lack of industry voices

The broadcasters also expressed their "slight disappointment" that no direct representative from their industry was among the final 11 commissioners selected by the Senate this week.

"We have to respect the result of the NBTC's selection [process], and the successful commissioners have acceptable qualifications," said Radio-Television Broadcasting Profession Federation president Jamnan Siritan Nunbhakdi. "This is a new beginning for our industry after a long wait for such a broadcasting and telecommunications watchdog."

However, Jamnan confessed that she was a bit disappointed that there was no one from the broadcasting industry among the final 11 commissioners - because its representatives understood the industry and had many years' experience in broadcasting.

She explained that the broadcasting industry was quite sophisticated, in that it involved financial circulation of more than Bt100 billion as well as having a wide range of content providers, from community radio stations to national broadcasting companies. The industry was also engaged with key sectors such as the public service, security and the private sector.

Satellite Television Association (Thailand) chairman Niphon Naksompop suggested that the NBTC should select experts from the broadcasting industry and place them in a subcommittee that would take responsibility for developing a master plan. "Frequency reforming is very crucial for the broadcasting sector, both for free TV and cable and satellite television," he said.

Thai Cable Television Association president Kasem Inkaew said the process of creating a master plan should stay away from political and business interference to protect the public interest.

He said that over the past couple of years, the country had faced political instability partly because politicians had used new media such as community radio and satellite television to persuade people to take part in political activities. Unregulated community radio stations and satellite television had also become a key issue that should be addressed in the master plan.

Kasem said it would be a big challenge for the NBTC to change such a strong movement while at the same time creating reconciliation in the country.

Even though many broadcasters, including MCOT and Thai TV3, said they believed that having a newly appointed NBTC was a good start for both the broadcasting and telecom industries after a wait of almost a decade, they also questioned how frequency reforms could succeed as the military retained a strong role in both the NBTC and the broadcasting industry.

Apart from the Royal Thai Army's broadcasting company RTA Television, which operates Channel 5, and its concession to Bangkok Broadcasting Television for Channel 7, there are 163 FM and AM radio stations around the country. Of these, 126 belong to the Army, 22 to the Royal Thai Air Force and the rest to the Royal Thai Navy. A further 72 radio stations are run by the Public Relations Department and 62 by MCOT.

MCOT vice president for marketing Kematat Paladesh said the industry had to wait and see what the further process would involve. The 11 members of NBTC should be working closely with related sectors as well as taking a chance to prove their ability.