Ch3 wins injunction against NBTC order
BEC takes matter to PM, seeking 'fair treatment' over watchdog's order to drop its analog programmes
The Central Administrative Court yesterday granted an injunction to Channel 3 by extending the deadline for satellite and cable TV networks to drop its analog programmes to October 11.
This follows Channel 3’s petition against a recent order by the National Broadcasting Commit-tee for satellite and cable TV networks to drop the channel’s analog programmes from tomorrow onwards. The committee is part of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC).
Bangkok Entertainment Company (BEC), the operator of Channel 3, led by executive vice president Surin Krittiyaphongphun, petitioned against the broadcasting regulator’s edict that cable and satellite TV operators drop Channel 3 from their service line-ups. September 28 was the deadline for the blackout of the popular channel, whose analog format does not comply with the NBTC’s definition of “free TV”.
Channel 3 yesterday also petitioned the prime minister, seeking “fair treatment” over this matter.
BEC legal adviser Paiboon Amornpinyokeat said his company had to protect the interests of 15 million households who watch Channel 3 via cable and satellite TV receivers.
The broadcasting committee has mandated that cable and satellite TV networks are required to carry free TV channels, which are now defined as digital only.
The legal team of Channel 3 told the court that numerous leading cable and satellite TV operators would be affected by the committee’s edict. They are Dynasat Communication, CTH Bangkok, CTH Cable TV, K Master, Leo Technology and Marketing, CAT Telecom, Symphony Communication, TOT, RS, GMM Z, Big4 Satellite Group, DTV Service, Smart Engineer, TrueVisions Group and Poly Broadcasting.
Plea against watchdog’s edict
Meanwhile, the Lawyers Council of Thailand under Royal Patronage lodged a similar lawsuit against the broadcasting watchdog’s edict.
Yesterday, a group of content producers and actors under contract with Channel 3 led by Somluck Narongwichai, vice president for production at BEC World, lodged a complaint with Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha against the broadcasting committee’s edict. Channel 3 had collected about 200 signatures from people at affected TV production houses and artists.
Wittawat Soonthornvinet, the host of “At Ten”, a variety show on Channel 3, said that if the service were to be discontinued on cable and satellite TV in the next couple of days, many people would be directly affected.
The content producers and artists who work for the station would also suffer from the blackout.
Nattachai Arksorndit, president of the Thailand Cable TV Association, said that if its members had to remove Channel 3’s analog programmes from their platforms, they would lose part of their subscriber base, as Channel 3 is one of the most popular in the line-up.
Viewers might opt to watch Channel 3 either via an online service or conventional TV antennas. This would have a big impact on the cable-TV business.
If so, the association would lodge a petition with the broadcasting committee calling for remedies, including a waiver of annual licence fees and fees for the broadcasting research fund.
