Distributors of digital-TV receivers 'should avoid political links'

“Let’s be clear. The scheme of giving away Bt690 vouchers to all households is a key element of the transition of the national broadcasting backbone from analog technology to digital terrestrial TV broadcasting. 

“We do not wish to see this policy get involved with political activities,” said Takorn Tantasit, secretary-general of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). Some distributors were reportedly planning to use two major political parties that cannot be named.

This issue surfaced after Crown Tech Advance, the manufacturer of ‘AJ’ digital TV set-top boxes, sent out a press release that it might join forces with two major political parties and use their networks in the provinces as distribution channels. 

The NBTC set up a fact-finding committee and called on the company to submit further details. The company explained that this was only an idea and nothing was implemented yet. The company claimed that its PR agency released the news without its permission. However, the investigative committee also found that only two supply chains – 7-Elevens and the company’s own branches – were authorised by the NBTC. 

To prevent such a problem from reoccurring in the near future, the NBTC will circulate a reminder about this matter to all 56 authorised distributors of digital TV receivers.

Besides Crown Tech Advance, two other brands – Aconatic and Samart – reportedly also toyed with the same idea. So far, 700,000 coupons have been redeemed for set-top boxes, but the NBTC found some problems with about 100,000 of them, he added.

Thanit Sriprathet, deputy secretary-general of the Election Commission, said on Monday that from a political perspective, such a business appeared to be in breach of the Election Act, as political parties are not allowed to get involved in any commercial activities.