NBTC starts reclaiming spectra with its own radio station
The broadcasting and telecom watchdog has begun the process of taking back spectra for reallocation, starting with nine channels leased by its radio station.
One is FM 106.5, used by GMM Grammy’s subsidiary A-Time Media for the GreenWave radio channel.
Under a resolution passed by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission at its meeting yesterday, the NBTC’s 1 Por Nor radio station will refuse to renew contracts with firms airing programmes on its nine frequencies.
NBTC member Supinya Klangnarong said the resolution would take effect in January after the contracts for the nine radio channels expire in December. The NBTC will inform them about the resolution soon.
In 2004, the now-defunct National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) allowed 1 Por Nor to stop renewing the contracts to these nine radio stations. But then the contracts were renewed on a yearly basis, since the watchdog had not completed drafting the plan on the use of the returned spectra.
The 1 Por Nor station rents out FM 106.5, FM 98.5, AM 1035, AM 1089, FM 102, FM 99, AM 1089, FM 89, and AM 765 for combined monthly income of about Bt6 million.
GMM co-chief executive Saithip Montrikul Na Ayudhaya declined to comment.
Supinya said the resolution was part of the NBTC’s move to take back telecom and radio spectra for reallocation via auction, pending completion of the master plan for spectrum management.
The NBTC’s broadcasting committee was assigned to come up with a plan to use the frequencies of the 1 Por Nor station. They will likely be turned into public service channels, such as for disaster information, she said.
The 1 Por Nor station was owned by the now-defunct Post and Telegraph Department before it was transferred to the NTC in 2004 and later inherited by the NBTC.
The NBTC is developing the spectrum-management master plan, a key to auction spectrum licences. It will also have to take back unused telecom and broadcasting spectra for reallocation and determine the periods the spectrum users have to return the spectra to it completely.
The watchdog is expected to finish the master plan early next year and auction the licences in midyear.
