Pending talks with GMM Z

"TrueVisions is to apologise to subscribers for the absence of Euro 2012 signal, as TV operators refused to transmit the signal. Still, TrueVisions will continue with its attempt to negotiate with the rights holder for the sake of all subscribers. This should be finalised on Monday or Tuesday," it said in a statement released at around 8pm.

Chiefs of TrueVisions and GMM Z Co Ltd in the evening were in talks over the broadcasting of Euro 2012 on TrueVisions network, according to a source close to the matter. The source then said that "good news" is expected.

In a statement released in the afternoon, GMM Z blamed TrueVisions' slowness in settling the dispute over the broadcasting, for the blank screens that TrueVisions subscribers would suffer during the 1-month-long tournament.
 Thana Thienachariya, chief executive officer of GMM Z - a subsidiary of GMM Grammy and the authorised broadcaster of the tournament, said that the company contacted TrueVisions to sell the sub-broadcasting rights in December but there was no action.
 "TrueVisions, as a provider of international contents in return for subscription fee, has to buy copyrighted items for the broadcasting. However, it asked GMM Z to unlock the signal for its subscribers (for free of charge). That's impossible. It's certainly that during the broadcasting time slots for the matches, TrueVisions' screens would turn blank," he said in the statement released today.
 He noted that it is vital that the subscribers had GMM Z's set-top box for the viewing, to ensure that no broadcasting signal is released beyond the Kingdom's border. This is in line with the UEFA's broadcasting condition.
  In addition to viewing the matches through antenna on ThaiTV3, TV5 and Modernine TV via conventional antennas, viewers can watch the tournament via authorised cable and satellite TV operators such as Cable Thai Holding’s network; DTV satellite TV sets and GMM Z set-top boxes. They can also watch the matches on AIS-networked smartphones. GMM Z estimated that the singals would reach 17-18 million households nationwide, or over 80 per cent.
 Still, Thana said that GMM Z is ready to forge business cooperation with True Visions through the broadcasting of world-class sports tournaments and entertainment programmes.He said that GMM Z's parts in bidding for the broadcasting rights of such event would indeed reduce TrueVisions' operating cost. Moreover, as the events are bundled in cheaper packages for GMM Z's customers, this would benefit Thai population as a whole.