THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

TrueVisions cans 6 channels after contract failure

TrueVisions cans  6 channels after  contract failure

HBO Asia’s six subscription movie channels will no be longer available on TrueVisions next year because the country’s biggest pay-TV operator failed to renew a content-distribution agreement with its business partner, the broadcasting regulator has confirmed.


Last week, TrueVisions requested revocation of its licences to broadcast HBO, Cinemax, HBO Signature, HBO Family, HBO Hits and Red by HBO. 
Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the broadcasting committee of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), said yesterday that this was a normal situation when a pay-TV operator could not reach any agreement with a content owner to broadcast its programmes, so his committee approved the request. 
However, under broadcasting law, a pay-TV operator must inform its subscribers at least 30 days before cancellation of any service to protect consumer rights. 
Natee said the broadcasting committee had ordered a subcommittee on consumer-rights protection to convene with TrueVisions about remedial measures for affected subscribers because the proposal to cancel the HBO services was submitted only |last week, and the cancellation of |those channels would take place on January 1. 
According to the proposal, TrueVisions promised that it would offer at least six new channels – Food Network, Paramount, Warner TV, Celestial Classic Chinese Movies and Fox Action Movies and Sony Channel – to replace HBO’s channels. 
However, NBTC member Supinya Klangnarong, who voted against the broadcasting committee’s resolution on this matter, tweeted that she disagreed with the panel’s decision because TrueVisions had proposed its plan improperly without any remedial measures. 
Supinya, who is also chairwoman of the subcommittee on consumer protection, also said the NBTC should issue administrative orders against TrueVisions because of the inconvenience it was causing subscribers. 
 

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