CTH to apply for broadcast licences
Cable Thai Holding is prepared to apply for two licences from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission when they come available, said CTH chairman Wichai Thongtang.
The NBTC is expected to issue these two broadcasting licence types, one for network providers and the other for service providers, late this year for terrestrial digital, satellite and cable TV services. It will also issue a third type for broadcasting facility providers.
CTH was jointly formed up by local cable companies to buy imported content on a cost-sharing basis as well as to provide selected packages to its members. It now has about 345 cable TV operators.
It is investing in a nationwide fibre-optic infrastructure network on which its can provide cable TV service.
Wichai said CTH was not interested in bidding for a slot on the third-generation 2.1-gigahertz spectrum, though many companies had approached it to propose a joint bid. CTH wants to focus solely on the cable TV business, he said.
However, the company is in talks with several potential partners on a possible joint bid for the right to broadcast live English Premier League (EPL) soccer matches in Thailand.
Many companies are interested in that bid, ranging from the existing rights holder TrueVisions to CTH, RS, GMM Grammy and InTouch. TrueVisions’ three-year right to broadcast EPL matches expires in 2013. Bidding for the right to broadcast next season’s matches will begin late this year.
Wichai said CTH was still in talks to finalise a deal to sell shares to GMM Grammy to create a strategic partnership.
GMM Grammy reportedly plans to acquire a 23-per-cent stake in CTH. Wichai owns 25 per cent, while Vachara Vacharapol, chief executive officer of Trend VG3, a subsidiary of Vacharapol that publishes the Thai Rath newspaper, holds another 25 per cent. Another 30 per cent is jointly owned by CTH’s members. It is wooing a potential partner to hold the remainder.
Yesterday CTH signed a memorandum of understanding with TOT to lease its transmission network to serve its members in providing cable TV service as part of its plan to invest Bt8 billion over the next two years on expanding the cable network nationwide. The TOT network will facilitate the transmission of 120 high-definition TV channels, up from 16 HDTV channels currently. In the first phase, the TOT network will serve 150 CTH members.
CTH members currently serve 3.5 million households.
Cable Thai Holding was capitalised at Bt1 billion, of which Bt800 million is paid-up.
