NBTC nod for broadcast draft rules
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission yesterday approved the draft rules defining four types of radio and TV broadcasting businesses and their licences.
It also endorsed temporary measures for regulating radio stations that use frequencies in airing programmes.
Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the NBTC’s broadcasting committee, said the committee would put the draft rules to a public hearing soon so that the broadcasting licences can be issued right away.
The watchdog has yet to determine the fee and term of each broadcasting licence type. However, the fee should initially not exceed 2 per cent of a licence holder’s revenue and the terms for radio and TV broadcasting are seven and 10 years, respectively, according to the Broadcasting Act.
As part of the draft rules, the first licence class is for providers of networks, such as transmission systems. The second class is for providers of facilities, such as broadcast towers. The third is for providers of services, such as radio and TV broadcasts. The fourth is for providers of application services, such as contents and pay per view.
The rules will be finalised and put into effect this year to allow the watchdog to grant licences, ranging from conventional broadcasting to digital TV to satellite TV and pay-TV.
The temporary measures regulating radio broadcasting will be applied to some 7,000 radio operators, which have already registered with the watchdog. The measures classify them as community, public service and commercial radio operators. The watchdog is also working on the permanent measures.
The NBTC meeting also acknowledged the draft of new regulations preventing foreign dominance of local telecom firms.
