FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

NBTC panel to consider funding for ratings meter

NBTC panel to consider funding for ratings meter

THE BROADCASTING Committee will consider in the next two weeks a proposal for Bt368.8 million in early-stage funding for multi-screen audience measurement, submitted by the media association and digital TV broadcasters.

Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), said on Tuesday that he had received the official written request from the Media Agency Association of Thailand (MAAT) and the digital terrestrial television business.
He said they asked for the project to develop a national TV ratings and multi-screen audience system to be supported by the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Research and Development Fund for the Public Interest (NBTC Fund). 
Takorn said he had met with the MAAT and broadcasters on Monday. 
Takorn said he personally believes that the establishment of a national television ratings meter would fall within the NBTC Fund’s criteria. 
If five members of the broadcasting committee agree in principle with this proposal, it will be fleshed out and presented to the fund’s committee for approval before endorsement by the 10 members of the NBTC . 
If everything goes smoothly, the fund would finance this project by October. 
Although all the proceeds from the late-2013 auction of 24 commercial digital terrestrial TV licences were transferred to state coffers, the NBTC Fund still had about Bt1 billion, which should be sufficient for this project, Takorn added. 
MAAT chairwoman Wannee Ruttanaphon has said a Bt1.4-billion budget was needed to start up and run the new TV ratings system for six years. 
 
nationthailand