Pitt Karchai caught with toe in neighbour's pond

Now that the digital revolution has made the traditional rivalry between Channels 3 and 7 seem quaint by comparison, Pitt has been yanked from his starring role in the new Thai Rath TV series “Ugly Betty Thailand”. 

The unavoidable deciding factor was that Pitt remains under contract to RS, which has its own digital channel and produces its own series. What made him think he could get away with starring on a competitor’s channel? 

Pitt’s “de-casting” was revealed during the ritual announcement of the project. “I’ve been with RS for almost eight years, but I haven’t had any work at all in the last five or six months and I’m struggling to pay my bills,” he laments. “I thought Thai Rath and RS were friendly enough toward one another that it wouldn’t matter if I worked for Thai Rath while I was available.” 

RS might be forgiven for laughing mirthlessly, but Pitt had auditioned and landed a lead role and it wasn’t the least amused. “Ugly Betty” producer Kantana got a call, and then Pitt got a call from Kantana. Pitt ended up publicly apologising to Thai Rath TV for wasting its time. He acknowledged that the blunder was his, but is fretting even more now about his living expenses. “I haven’t got any job, not even as a TV host, so I need to go talk to the phuyai,” he said, meaning the boss at RS. 

Best of luck!

 

Digitise! Digitise!

Meanwhile the grumbling continues among folks contracted to Channel 3 whose shows are hanging in limbo unless the station can make a deal with the National Broadcasting and telecommunication Commission. They aren’t getting much sympathy from the viewing public, though.

Channel 3 chief Pravit Maleenont took his views to Sorayuth Suthasanachinda’s top-rated show on Thursday and a swath of the celebrities who work for him saw his side of the story.

Actor Sarawit “Kong” Subun, for example, posted on Instagram that the boss had “clarified everything”. 

“I’m glad he explained clearly why we can’t do simulcast broadcasting,” Kong declared, referring to Channel 3’s refusal to put its analogue programmes on free digital TV, as demanded by the broadcasting regulator. Kong begged his many fans to understand the difficulty facing the channel. 

Most of them declined. Those TV shows are too hot not to share.

And this coming from a guy who really rocked during the anti-government protests prior to that coup thing. A lot of the fans were upset. Kong was dubbed “a slave of capitalism”. 

Pakon “Boy” Chatborirak took some stick as well after pointing out, also on Instagram, that digital TV isn’t widespread enough yet and most Channel 3 viewers still don’t have it in their homes. Talk-show host Patcharasri Benjamas was on Facebook urging “those who stay behind the keyboard” to “listen carefully” to what Pravit had to say. One fan noted that it’s understandable that the channel’s stars want to protect the boss, but she and the others are “crossing the line of decency”. 

“We want to see Channel 3 do the right thing,” was how another viewer put it.