MCOT to publicise era of digital terrestrial TV
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Television broadcasters, content providers, manufacturers of electronic devices and state media enterprises will gather at an event in July to build public understanding about digital terrestrial TV broadcasting, which is expected to go into full effect b
Hosted by MCOT and funded by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), “Go Go Digital Thailand 2013: Gearing Up for Asean Digitalisation” is scheduled for July 25-28 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok.
Polachai Vinijchaikul, chairman of the event’s organising committee and vice president for human resources at MCOT, said more than 50 delegates and top TV executives from Europe, the United States and the Asia-Pacific region, as well as Thailand, would be on hand to discuss the trends and technology in this industry.
During the four-day event, there will be a conference related to the business and social impacts during the transition to digital broadcasting. An exhibition will showcase new technology for acquisition and production, broadband content, digital systems, distribution and delivery, content management system, outdoor and mobile media, telecom access and telepresence.
The investment in this event is expected to be Bt10 million.
MCOT president Anek Permvongseni said the company aimed to develop this event as a regional annual broadcasting show at the same level as Singapore’s Broadcast Asia.
“We also wish to use this event to give Thais better understanding about digital TV,” Anek said.
Manufacturers and distributors of digital TV sets and set-top boxes will be able to offer their products at the event.
In a separate matter, MCOT is among broadcasters that want to join a spectrum auction for 24 licences to run commercial digital TV channels. It wants to acquire three licences for news, variety and children’s channels.
MCOT is revising its bidding plan, particularly for a variety channel, after the NBTC’s announcement of a revised proportion of high- and standard-definition channels in the commercial variety category to seven each, a change from the original plan of four HD and 10 SD channels.
MCOT also plans to form a new subsidiary to produce content for this variety channel, named “Nine Entertain”.
