Panel to mull licence fee for Channel 33

However, Surin Kritayapong-phan, an executive vice president of BEC World, the parent company of BEC-Multimedia, said last week that Channel 33 should not be subjected to the licence fee as it does not generate revenue from simulcasting the analog content of its sister firm Bangkok Entertainment Co (BEC), the operator of Channel 3. It is BEC that gains revenue from its programmes, he said.

BEC-Multimedia operates three digital TV channels, including Channel 33. BEC started simulcasting analog content on that channel on Friday.

Supinya Klangnarong, a broadcasting commissioner, believes Channel 33 has generated revenue from BEC’s content on its channel.

Thawatchai Jittrapanun, another broadcasting commissioner, said BEC-Multimedia should be asked to pay licence fee on the simulcast content that is aired on cable and satellite TV networks. All cable-sat TV operators have carried the digital TV programmes of all channels.

Surin said BEC-Multimedia has also adopted a simulcast model similar to that of Bangkok Broadcasting and Television Co (BBTV), which operates analog Channel 7, and MCOT, which runs the analog Modernine channel.

BBTV and MCOT operate both analog and digital channels and simulcast their analog content on their digital TV channels. 

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) considers that BBTV and MCOT’s digital TV channels do not make revenue from the simulcast content, so they are not subject to the licence fee. 

This is unlike the case of BEC, which operates only the analog channel, while its sister company operates the digital TV channels.