Broadcasters' council urges junta to revise role of NBTC

“Amid the transition to the digital terrestrial TV era, the industry needs to promote co-regulation in the industry, with a role for the PBC if there are controversial issues among key players and stakeholders. One example was the case of a bare-breasted painter in Season 2 of the ‘Thailand’s Got Talent’ competition on Channel 3, and another case on ‘Killer Karaoke’ on Modernine TV,” PBC president Aruneeprapa Homsethi said yesterday. 

In both cases, which had impacts on both TV operators and viewers, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) made the decision to punish the TV operators in question without any involvement by or consultation with the PBC, Aruneeprapa said.

She made the remarks after writing to Maj-General Pollapat Wannapaktr, Army secretary and representative of the NCPO, calling for a revision of the NBTC’s role in terms of promoting media co-regulation.

The PBC, which represents more than 30 leading content providers and TV stations including analog broadcasters, aims to govern and enforce media ethics among its members. 

Aruneeprapa added that if her council could not solve any conflict between its members and civil-society groups, it would bring that case to the NBTC for further administrative action. 

However, Pollapat said the conflict between the PBC and the NBTC should be a matter for the upcoming National Reform Council. 

“The 250 members of the NRC will be split into 11 groups to discuss various topics. Media reform will be one of those 11 groups,” he said.

The reform of the NBTC’s roles and obligations as raised by the PBC should be a key agenda item under the media-reform discussions, he said.