Shift focus to content, NBTC urged at forum

The private sector yesterday urged the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission to focus more on quality of content than on frequency allocation.

At the “X-Ray NBTC” seminar hosted by Isra News Agency, the panel commented on the watchdog’s three months of operation, noting that it had worked quickly to produce drafts of three master plans. These plans are in the public hearing process, and are scheduled to be completed and officially come into effect by April.

However, the panel also commented that the NBTC seemed not to focus on content regulation, which the participants deemed important. 

Wichit Aur-Areevorakul, president of Charoen Cable TV, said the draft master plans the NBTC had released did not reveal how the commission would regulate or encourage quality content on cable and satellite TV. 

“In the master plans, the NBTC focused on how to allocate frequencies rather than how it would encourage a suitable environment for content development,” Wichit said.

He added that promoting quality broadcast content would require more than regulation. Currently, the real regulators influencing content are advertising agencies and ratings monitors.

“The major source of revenue for the broadcasting business is advertisements. It seems advertising agencies and rating firms like ACNielsen are the leaders dictating the kinds of content [produced] rather than the NBTC. We would like to see the NBTC play an active role in this matter,” Wichit said. 

Moreover, he said, the NBTC should set up an organisation to operate the fibre-optic network throughout the country to help broadcasting operators reduce investment costs and reduce duplicated investment. 

Adisak Limparungpatanakij, president and chief executive officer of National Broadcasting Corporation, said the NBTC’s master plans did not dwell much on the road map of digital TV and radio deployment, which he said was a must and should not be delayed. The NBTC should make itself clearer on “self-regulation” and should come out with guidelines on content regulation and balance the types of content through different types of licence. 

“The NBTC should help local content producers, especially those of small and medium size, through management of a media development fund as well,” Adisak said.

Suwanna Sombatraksasook, president of the News Broadcasting Council of Thailand, said the NBTC should focus on ethics and transparency, since it seemed the commission had spent money inappropriately and inefficiently. 

She added that it should focus on human-resource development and supporting efficient regulation rather than strict enforcement, which was not suitable for the broadcasting business, as it required quick movement and decisions. 

“Last, we need to see the NBTC listen to the people’s voice and feedback to adjust or improve the master plans,” Suwanna said. 

She also agreed that quality of content was the key issue that the NBTC should pay attention to.