Operators argue for delay in fee payment

They also expressed disagreement yesterday with the idea that delayed payments should be subject to an additional interest burden.

Suphab Kleekachai, executive adviser to both Thai TV and the Club of Digital Terrestrial TV Operators, said all operators had been affected by economic and political uncertainties.

Moreover, public awareness of digital-TV broadcasting service remained low due to delay in the provision of subsidised digital-TV coupons, he said, adding that network roll-out was also still behind schedule. 

“Given these difficulties, all holders of digital-TV licences should be allowed to postpone licence payments without any conditions,” he stressed, speaking at yesterday’s public hearing on the matter organised by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). 

He suggested that the ongoing transition to the digital-TV era should be addressed as a national agenda issue, as it was in many developed countries, in order to ensure maximisation of the national benefit. 

Kematas Paladesh, president of Bangkok Media and Broadcasting – the operator of PPTV digital HD channel 36 – told the hearing that the current broadcasting regulations did not reflect or support business growth. 

Teerat Ratanasevi, director of variety programmes and digital media at Voice TV, said quality content production needed sufficient investment.

If the broadcasting regulator agreed to allow the operators to postpone their second instalment to next May, the decision would be helpful in terms of enabling them to put more money into developing and improving their content, he added. 

Executives from all the other digital-TV broadcasters – GMM 25 channel, One, Bright TV, Now 26, Nation TV, Amarin TV, MCOT HD, MCOT Family, 3HD, 3SD, 3 Family, New TV, Springnews TV, Mono 29, Loca, Channel 7HD, Channel 8, True4U, TNN 24, Workpoint TV and Thairath TV – also reached a similar consensus on the matter.

At the meeting, all operators also opposed an idea to add interest at the Bank of Thailand’s minimum lending rate as a key consumer-protection measure if they were allowed to defer their fee payments.

They suggested this would create a huge difficulty for all digital-TV broadcasters. 

Representatives from consumer advocate groups present at the public hearing partly agreed with the idea floated by the private sector, but said all digital-TV broadcasters must ensure that they produce and provide better-quality content for their audiences, particularly for children.

Responding to the views expressed at the hearing, NBTC acting deputy secretary-general Sombat Leelapata said the regulator would take the opinions and comments from all participants into the upcoming meeting of its broadcasting committee, which takes place next week.

The final decision on the matter would be taken by the NBTC’s board, he said. 

Meanwhile, NBTC member Thawatchai Jittrapanun said that in his view, digital-TV operators should be granted delayed instalment payments without additional interest being charged.