UEFA insists broadcasting deal with GMM private
The Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) has declined to disclose the details of its broadcasting contract with GMM Grammy, which holds the rights to broadcast live matches of the Euro 2012 football tournament, the company said.
Dew Waratangtagoon, managing director for platform strategy at GMM Z, a business unit of GMM Grammy, confirmed that the deal struck by the two sides was confidential.
Uefa’s refusal was announced through the firm’s negotiating team, led by Kobkiat Sangwanich, GMM’s managing director for sports and content. The team is in talks with Uefa in Ukraine, co-host of the Euro 2012 tournament, to allow free-TV channels ThaiTV3, TV5 and Modernine TV, to transmit satellite TV signals carrying live matches to households with satellite TV reception.
In a previous interview, Dew said it was impossible that Uefa would allow GMM Grammy to reveal any details of the broadcasting contract. However, given the official statement from PM’s Office Minister Woravat Aua-pinyakul requesting Uefa to do so, the company appreciated the need to respond to this matter and solve the problem of non-availability of live Euro 2012 soccer matches on some cable and satellite TV networks, Dew said.
INSPECTOR-GENERAL
Meanwhile, the Federation of Consumer Organisations yesterday sought the inspector-general’s involvement in the Euro 2012 broadcasting feud, asking it to investigate whether the National Broadcasting and Telecommunica-tions Commission (NBTC) has fully complied with the law.
The federation, led by Saree Ongsomwang – secretary-general of the Foundation for Consumers – yesterday submitted a request to the Inspector-General’s Office.
It questioned whether the broadcasting regulator has fully complied with the law, given its failure to get pass-through broadcasting of the tournament to all consumers.
Earlier, the federation of 302 consumer groups asked the NBTC to order Channels 3, 5 and 9 to rebroadcast the matches.
In its request, the federation said the regulator had violated the Constitution, related laws and the broadcasting master plan. At least 10 million households could not receive the broadcast signal.
All members of the commission are named except Supinya Klangnarong.
The federation highlighted seven points it said might demonstrate the NBTC’s lack of compliance.
1. It may have violated the Constitution’s Article 47, which mandates a fair and level playing field in competition to provide public services.
2. It may have violated broadcasting laws by not taking action against Channels 3, 5 and 9, as the laws demand protection of consumers’ rights.
3. It may have violated broadcasting laws by not taking action against GMM Grammy (the Uefa-appointed broadcasting rights-holder). The laws demand action against any company that places financial gain above consumers’ benefits.
4. The NBTC could have ordered Channels 3, 5 and 9 to stop any action that takes advantage of consumers and ordered the broadcasting of the matches through all platforms.
5. By blocking public services on some platforms, Channels 3, 5 and 9 acted against the broadcasting master plan. Moreover, it is apparent that the public broadcasters did not inform the NBTC of the programming changes, though required to do so.
6. It needs to be investigated whether the NBTC complied with laws to prevent monopolies in the broadcasting field, as broadcasting via certain platforms and not others could harm free competition.
7. The NBTC may have failed to monitor CAT Telecom, which is in charge of the transmission of such signals. CAT’s handling of the transmission has benefited some private operators and limited consumers’ access to public services.
