The end of an era
Amid rising competition, dwindling magic, Channel 7's 'Big Sister Daeng' shown exit
The end has come quite unceremoniously, not in the way soap operas supervised by Surang Prempree have always been known for. Bangkok Broadcasting and Television (BBTV), operator of the country’s largest free-TV station – Channel 7 – brought the curtain down on her 26-year reign at the TV channel operator with a brief statement, and that was it.
The TV industry was left speculating on what could have caused Channel 7 and “Big Sister Daeng” to part ways, what direction the TV station will now take, and what challenges lie ahead in the face of rising competition from Channel 3.
Yesterday, Krit Ratanarak, the captain of the Ratanarak family, who own a majority stake in BBTV Channel 7, endorsed a major reshuffle. He decided not to renew the annual employment contract of Surang and appointed Saran Virutamavongsa, director and deputy managing director, as acting managing director. The decision comes into effect on January 1.
According to a source in the local advertising industry, the obvious reason for dumping Surang is a huge drop in the channel’s ratings, particularly programmes that used to be the prime-time money-making machines for Channel 7. There were times when Surang worked her magic by turning a bland soap opera into an unlikely big hit, or turned clueless actors or actresses into household names overnight. Apparently, her ability to create miracles is thought to have waned.
“These programmes are vital for all marketers and brands with nationwide coverage. The loss of TV stars and major producers to Channel 3 probably is another reason, as a station and programmes without stars is not competitive. I feel that Channel 7 is not competitive enough in either prime-time news, soap operas or local drama programmes,” the source said.
An industry watcher, however, questioned why Surang, who has a 20-per-cent stake, should be away from Channel 7 permanently, though in the past couple of years there were similar rumours at least twice. However, she continued to remain in power.
“BBTV Channel 7 may need big changes so that the company can be well prepared for tougher competition from key rivals such as ThaiTV3 as well as an industry revamp after the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission implements the broadcasting-frequency reallocation plan,” he said. He believes that the latest decision might have been for that reason.
Additionally, he believes that as a highly experienced banker and investor, Krit wants to improve business performance and restructure BBTV Channel 7 to generate more profits, not only from the entertainment business and TV-programme production, but also from many other sources, including entertainment, news, sports and events.
Meanwhile, Workpoint Entertainment plans to move its two popular game shows “Ching Roi Ching Larn” and “Kon Aud Phee” to ThaiTV3 next year.
Parames Rachjaibun, chairman emeritus of the Advertising Association of Thailand and chief executive officer of Turnaround Focus, described Surang as “symbolic” of Channel 7. He said that Surang’s departure might affect advertising and media agencies’ confidence to buy advertising with Channel 7 even though it is the largest free-TV station.
Surang is technically retired but still works for the company on a special contract, which must be renewed on an annual basis.
There have been reports over the past few years that Surang’s days at BBTV were numbered. Since 2007, when the Ratanarak family sold its stake in Bank of Ayudhya and focused on the entertainment business, Krit has introduced big changes in the BBTV management. In 2008, he appointed Surang as managing director, taking away her control over the channel’s programming.
Surang was ranked the 14th-richest Thai in 2011, according to Forbes magazine, with a fortune of US$790 million (Bt24.7 billion). The previous year, her ranking was 15th.
