Channels 3, 7 exempted from licence fee, source says
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CHANNELS 3 and 7 will be exempted from paying the annual fee for their analog-TV licences, a source with the broadcasting regulator said yesterday.
The source said the committee approved a combined refund of Bt252.2 million for the two analog TV stations.
Bangkok Broadcasting and Television (BBTV), the operator of Channel 7, will receive Bt68.9 million, equivalent to 2 per cent of last year’s revenue of Bt3.45 billion.
Bangkok Entertainment Co, the operator of Channel 3, would be refunded Bt183.3 million.
BEC reported annual revenue of Bt9.17 billion.
The source said the decision was based on advice from the Council of State that analog TV broadcasters, which run under concessions, have no obligation to pay the annual licence fee, unlike digital terrestrial channels.
BBTV’s concession was from the Army, while BEC’s was from MCOT.
The broadcasting committee of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission was considering a way to give the money back and would conclude this matter soon, the source said.
However, a source at the NBTC said BBTV had also paid a Bt4.2-million annual licence fee for Channel 7 HD, its digital TV operation.
The company reported revenue of Bt211.7 million from its digital TV operation last year.
BEC-Multimedia, which operates the 3HD digital TV station, also paid out an Bt8.6-million annual licence fee. Last year, the company earned revenue of Bt433.9 million.
In yesterday’s meeting, the broadcasting committee also approved the analog switchover plan proposed by the Army, the Public Relations Department, MCOT and Thai PBS. They aim to switch off their analog channels by 2018.
Meanwhile, Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the NBTC, said his administration would tell Bangkok Bank to honour its obligation to pay the Bt288-million second instalment of the up-front licence fees from Thai TV Co.
That company, which operates the Thai TV digital news channel and Loca family channel, has decided to give up its digital-TV business and has refused to pay the instalment.
Bangkok Bank agreed to guarantee the fees when Thai TV Co won the licences at auction in 2013.
