Channel 3 to sue NBTC if it is banned from cable, satellite as planned
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CHANNEL 3 says it will immediately sue the broadcasting regulator if the 50 million Thais who watch its analog programmes via cable and satellite TV receivers face a blackout because of the edict forcing cable-sat operators to discontinue airing the popul
Meanwhile, a source at the National Broadcasting and Communications Commission said its broadcasting committee would call an urgent meeting with Bangkok Entertainment Co today to propose new incentives for it to simulcast Channel 3’s analog content on a digital channel. BEC is operator of Channel 3.
The source said NBTC might propose that BEC air the analog content on one of its digital channels on an interim basis in exchange for the company’s agreement to switch off its analog programming in areas covered by the terrestrial-based digital networks.
Pravit Maleenont, executive director of BEC, delivered a message to television audiences during a special 45-minute show yesterday evening, blasting the effort to restrict airing of Channel 3.
“Not only will our audience be affected by this edict, but this company will also suffer a severe impact. The value of this loss cannot be estimated,” he said.
Pravit suggested that only five members of the NBTC broadcasting committee held the key to defusing this crisis.
The NBTC edict should by now have reached the cable and satellite TV operators. If there is no change in that order, they should drop Channel 3 from their platforms some time between Sunday and Tuesday next week.
However, the head of Channel 3 still called for confirmation from the broadcasting panel on whether simulcasting Channel 3 analog programmes on a digital channel operated by BEC-Multimedia could be done without violating any laws.
“We will simulcast our analog TV programmes on our 3HD digital channel and adjust our business plan for digital TV if the NBTC can unlock the legal impasse,” he said.
Pravit was a key person in building Channel 3 into one of the most popular TV stations for drama and entertainment programmes.
Chatchai Thiamthong, vice president for finance at BEC World, parent company of BEC, insisted that under a 2008 law governing television broadcasting, the owners of TV licences must be the same entities as the digital-channel operators.
BEC runs analog Channel 3 under a concession contract with MCOT that will expire in March 2020. But BEC-Multimedia, a wholly owned subsidiary of BEC World, won three licences to run terrestrial-based digital TV channels – variety channels in high and standard definition and a third one for children’s and family programming.
Chatchai explained that because there were some obstacles and legal conflicts in the broadcasting concession with MCOT, BEC decided not to join last year’s licence auction held by the NBTC. Instead, its affiliate BEC-Multimedia joined the auction, while BEC continued to run Channel 3 independently without any plan to simulcast its programmes via digital terrestrial TV.
Pravit said the company’s three digital channels - 3HD, 3SD and 3Family – each had its own business plan.
“In terms of business, having four channels [Channel 3 analog, 3HD, 3SD and 3Family] should be better than [in effect] operating only three channels by simulcasting analog on 3HD,” he said. “Therefore, the NBTC should look into this matter to make simulcasts possible,” he said.
Also yesterday, cable and satellite operators lodged a petition with Takorn Tantasit, secretary-general of the NBTC, calling for postponement of the deadline to drop Channel 3 analog programmes.
Wichit Aurareevorakul, president of Charoen Cable TV, said he did not want to see any impact on customers who love to watch this popular channel. Therefore, the firm appealed to the commission to understand his reasons.
However, in a bid to minimise the impact, Wichit added that his company had prepared about 10,000 sets of old-fashioned TV antennas to be sold to his customers if the deadline remains unchanged. The antenna sets are priced at Bt500 including installation.
