True units to bid for variety, children's channels

Managing director Anat Mekpaiboonvatana said yesterday that under this startegy, the company had established two new subsidiaries on top of Thai News Network (TNN) to join the spectrum auction of 24 commercial digital terrestrial TV licences, which will be held by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) by the end of this year.

The company that operates True 10 will be assigned a satellite free-to-air TV channel, to secure a licence for a variety HD channel, and another newly established company will be responsible for acquiring the kids’ channel. 

Anat added that as content for kids and family is fully imported from leading production houses like Walt Disney and Explore Channel, besides its own “Plook Panya” channel, the company would be able to get the right programme content for this channel and also for the right audience. 

 

True 10 

After being spun off from its pay-TV service for six months, True 10 channel has become a free-to-air channel targeting family audiences. 

The channel emphasises on developing its own programmes, particularly drama and entertainment programmes.

Additionally, TNN, the operator of TNN 24, will be another arm to bid for a licence for a variety channel in standard definition service. TNN is affiliated to CNN, the world’s leading global 24-hour news network.

Following this plan, the managing director expects to spend at least Bt2 billion for the bidding, calculated from the starting price of each TV licence category. 

The price of variety HD channel starts from Bt1.501 billion; variety SD channel from Bt380 million; and kids from Bt140 million.

Apart from the budget for the upcoming spectrum auction, the company says it is setting aside at least Bt1 billion a year for TV production.