Thai TV hit with end-October deadline
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THE broadcasting regulator has set a deadline for the operator of Thai TV and MVTV to pay its Bt288-million installment on licence fees and related fines by the end of this month to avoid a temporary suspension of its digital TV licences, which could even
Sombat Leelapata, acting deputy secretary-general of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, said yesterday that the NBTC’s five-member broadcasting committee agreed to give one last chance to Thai TV Co, which had been declining to pay the second instalment of its upfront licence fees since early this year.
The NBTC office will soon issue a notice to the company in the hopes that Pantipa Sakulchai, president of Thai TV Co, will show up and pay the outstanding amount, which includes the Bt288-million instalment plus the incurred 7.5-per-cent interest and fines.
Sombat said that if the company failed to do this, it would face a temporary suspension of both of its licences for the news channel Thai TV and MVTV Family.
Yesterday’s decision was in line with advice from the Central Administrative Court after Thai TV sued the broadcast regulator for Bt700 million in compensation for the NBTC’s alleged failures in overseeing the transition from analog to digital television. The court suggested on June 30 that the two parties should negotiate a solution for this dispute within three months.
Thai TV Co was also granted a chance to find new business partners so it could continue its digital-TV business. The company would be able to have partners supply up to 40 per cent of its total content, or about nine hours a day of programming. Sombat said Thai TV Co could be granted a series of temporary suspensions after this deadline.
