NBTC okays 48 new digital channels

Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the NBTC’s broadcasting committee, said yesterday that his panel had approved a draft plan to divide available radio spectra into national digital terrestrial broadcasting services for community-based purposes, public services and commercial uses.
Under this plan, the NBTC will offer 12 standard-definition (SD) broadcasting channels for community-based service broadcasters per area and 12 SD channels for public service broadcasters. Meanwhile, commercial broadcasters will be granted at least 24 channels, comprising 20 SD channels and four high-definition (HD) channels.
Natee added that licences for community-based, public-service-oriented digital TV channels would be granted to those who meet the required qualifications by end of this year, while commercial broadcasters will get to bid for the spectrum at an auction expected to be held in March.
Additionally, the television channels for commercial broadcasting services have been divided into four groups, namely five SD channels providing programmes for kids and family, five SD news and information TV channels, and 10 SD channels and four HD channels for general programming.
This follows the NBTC’s frequency-allocation plan for digital terrestrial broadcasting service, in which available spectra will be split into three parts: 20 per cent for community-based purposes, 20 per cent for public services and 60 per cent for commercial uses.
Natee said broadcasters who wanted to operate a digital TV station needed two licences, one for the spectrum and another for the broadcasting service.
The NBTC is also drafting a regulation that determines the maximum channels that a potential broadcaster can own and a regulation that sets the starting price for licences.
Natee added that these digital TV channels would be operated in line with the existing analog terrestrial channels, namely BEC’s ThaiTV3, the Army’s TV5, BBTV Channel 7, MCOT’s Modernine TV, the Public Relations Department’s NBT and Thai Public Broadcasting Service (ThaiPBS) until the analog is switched off or their contracts expire.
Once the analog era ends, the number of digital TV channels should more than double because the spectrum used by the six free-to-air channels is nearly half of the total.
Also, in the near future, when 41 towers for broadcasting digital terrestrial services nationwide are built, NBTC will be able to add more channels for regional and community-based levels.