Divisions inside broadcast regulator affect transition to digital TV era

Clash of opinions among the five members of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunica-tions Commission’s broadcasting committee has been seen several times. The simulcast of Channel 3’s analog programmes via a digital platform is, for instance, directly involved in the transition.
Last year, three of the committee’s five members decided that the 3HD digital channel run by BEC-Multimedia should be allowed to carry Channel 3 programmes so Bangkok Entertainment Company, the operator of Channel 3, could comply with the NBTC’s “must carry” rule. Under this rule, cable and satellite TV operators are allowed to carry national free TV channels, but Channel 3 was no longer included in the definition of “free TV” as it was not digital.
Therefore, the only way to watch this channel – one of the most popular in the country – was via old-fashioned antennas, which are used by around 30 per cent of households, while most watched television by cable or satellite receivers.
The three members of the broadcasting committee who voted for |the 3HD solution were Supinya Klangnarong, Thawatchai Jittrapanun and Lt-General Peerapong Manakit, while committee chairman Colonel Natee Sukonrat and Pol Colonel Thaweesak Ngamsanga voted against the move.
The committee has also demonstrated a lack of unity in the controversy over the legitimacy of Solution Corner (1998)’s shareholding in Nation Multimedia Group.
Supinya and Thawatchai insisted that the rule governing cross-holdings that was imposed ahead of the auction of digital-channel licences must remain in force, but the other three thought differently.
Under that rule, a major shareholder of a digital broadcaster was not allowed to hold more than 10 per cent of other companies in the same licence category.
Solution Corner, since renamed as News Network Corporation (NEWS), has acquired 12.27 per cent of NMG, the parent company of NBC Next Vision, the licensed operator of Nation TV, a digital news channel. NEWS is the parent company of Springnews TV, another licensed digital news channel.
Amid these conflicts, the Office of the NBTC, led by secretary-general Takorn Tantasith, appears to be playing an increasingly vital role in the transition from analog to digital, particularly since the military seized power last year from the elected government and set up a ruling junta.
An example of this is the digital-TV voucher programme initiated by the broadcasting committee, in which discount coupons to subsidise the purchase of digital receivers were sent to households throughout the Kingdom.
That programme now is being overseen by the NBTC Office.
The plan to distribute the Bt690 vouchers to each household was postponed to October from its original kick-off schedule of last July.
So far, of the 8.3 million vouchers provided by the NBTC, 4.2 million have been redeemed to purchase digital TV receivers. However, it is still not known how many receivers are actually being used.
Meanwhile, a national campaign to promote digital broadcasting, which was supposed to begin last month, has been put on hold. Takorn said his office needed to fix some details in the terms of reference for selecting a public relations agency.
In response to this delay, RS Channel 8 executive vice president Ong-art Singlumpong said his company was disappointed with the NBTC’s slow progress in moving Thailand into the digital era.
“Audience reach and public awareness about digital TV are still low.
“We need more support from the regulator in this regard,” he said.
Kematat Paladesh, president of Bangkok Media and Broadcasting, operator of the PPTV high-definition channel, said the current regulations were not supportive of digital-TV operators, who in the early stages had to invest huge amounts of money to create quality TV programmes to attract audiences.
Meanwhile, digital reception is still limited in key areas, he said.
Many top executives in the digital-TV business have suggested that the regulator provide an assistance scheme in the early stage of the sector’s development, for example by reducing licence fees.