DSI may get involved in dispute over Euro matches
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Criminal legal action and state consumer-protection mechanisms could play roles in the dispute between GMM Grammy and TrueVisions over broadcasts of the Euro 2012 matches, with PM's Office Minister Woravat Aua-pinyakul threatening to get the Department o
Speaking yesterday after a special session of the House committee on tele-communications, Woravat said testimony would continue and that he aimed to end the dispute today.
“I've reached a conclusion over the dispute after listening to what was told to the panel, so GMM Grammy should review its stance, because under [Office of the Consumer Protection Board] regulations and actions, imprisonment and fines are involved,” said Woravat, who oversees the OCPB.
He did not elaborate, nor did he mention what roles would be played by other parties in the dispute, including TrueVisions, operators of two other satellite channels, and the National Broadcasting and Telecom-munications Commission, representatives of which were also present at the session.
“If the deal is done, it’s all over, but if not, both criminal and civil legal actions are possible if the issue is not solved,” Woravat said.
At his request, DSI agents were present during the session so they could take immediate action if it was determined that the dispute was to be scrutinised under DSI jurisdiction.
GMM Grammy has been asked to make public written statements from the Union of European Football Associa-tions (Uefa) over its refusal to allow broadcasts of the Euro 2012 by any parties other than those who’ve been granted the exclusive rights, after a Grammy executive testified over the dispute.
After the session, Woravat said he needed to exercise his authority and order Grammy to submit Uefa’s statement of refusal so the OCPB could proceed further.
During the testimony, panel member Sirichoke Sopha, a Democrat Party MP, asked Deo Worratangtrakool, manager of Euro 2012 broadcaster GMM Z, to produce the Uefa statement, but Deo said it was confidential and could only be revealed with Uefa’s written approval.
Deo insisted that Grammy was not at fault while a True-Visions representative said his company would welcome a sanction by the authorities in working out the issue, which could set a legal precedent for such an issue in the future.
The testimony yesterday was divided into two sessions. Before noon, there was an open discussion with TrueVisions and then with all parties involved, including the NBTC. After lunch, there was a closed-door session, and no participants gave details about what was discussed.
After the testimony ended, Deo said that GMM Grammy was waiting for a statement from the OCPB to be submitted to Uefa asking for it to reconsider its refusal to allow TrueVisions to broadcast the matches.
