PR needed to avoid confusion over reset of channel numbers

"On behalf of the 22 digital terrestrial-TV broadcasters, we are very appreciative of the watchdog’s brave decision to set a single standard for digital-TV channel numbers through all media platforms. But the change will cause confusion among local audiences if PR campaigns are not undertaken properly," said Suphab Kleekachai, president of the Digital TV Club.

He raised the issue at the "NBTC Public Forum", held yesterday among representatives of consumer-rights protection groups and Supinya Klangnarong, a member of the National Broadcasting and Tele-communications Commission (NBTC) – and chairperson of its subcommittee for consumer-rights protection.

Suphab stressed that people should be made well aware of the upcoming channel-number change, because more than 70 per cent of all households in the country watch free-TV channels via cable and satellite receivers.

Following implementation of the administrative order on rearranging digital-TV channels on those platforms on December 2, digital-TV channel numbers will run from 1 to 36.

Currently, digital-TV channel numbers run from 11 to 46 for both cable and satellite set-top boxes.

Some cable- and satellite-TV operators have said they are ready to comply with the new regulation.

Fahmai Dumrongchaitham, chief operating officer for platforms at GMM Z – a leading satellite-TV operator – said that all 5 million GMM Z set-top boxes would reset all channels in accordance with the order.

CTH, along with members of the Thailand Cable TV Association, appears to be ready to do the same.

Besides the request for an effective PR effort, Suphab agreed with association president Nattachai Arksorndit that the NBTC should offer remedial measures to those providers of cable- and satellite-TV platforms that carry all digital terrestrial-TV channels for local audiences.

Nattachai said such measures would possibly include a reduction in the annual licence fee or financial support for those cable-TV providers that wanted to upgrade their fibre-optic network from the analogue to the digital system. Supinya said she would take the requests and suggestion to a meeting of the NBTC’s broadcasting committee.

"In my opinion, remedial measures like an annual-fee reduction are possible, but might take time," she added.

In line with the rearrangement of channel numbers, the regulator’s broadcasting panel has added new conditions for carrying digital-TV channels on cable and satellite platforms, with such operators not allowed to provide the channels outside the permitted area.

True4U and TNN24 have lodged letters opposing the new rule with the NBTC, Supinya told the forum.