FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

TV Pool sets Bt1.6 bn for digital-TV channel content

TV Pool sets Bt1.6 bn for digital-TV channel content

Thai TV Pool, publisher of the leading entertainment magazine TV Pool, has prepared more than Bt1.6 billion to spend on TV-programme production for its two digital terrestrial TV channels.

The company’s subsidiary, Thai TV, recently grabbed two digital TV licences in the news and kids/family channel categories, bidding a total of more than Bt2 billion at the recent spectrum auction held by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). The firm expects to see a profit within three years. 
President Pantipa Sakulchai, renowned as “Big Sister Tim of TV Pool” in the Thai entertainment industry said that of the total investment in content development and production, Bt1 billion would be reserved for its news station, which is to be called THV channel. 
“We will team up with strategic partner Post TV to produce news programmes for THV channel,” Pantipa said.
Of the total 13 hours of news timeslots, Post TV – which failed to win a licence during the NBTC bidding – will provide general news TV programming to fill about six hours’ worth, while news programmes in the remaining slots will be dedicated to entertainment news produced by TV Pool teams. 
Pantipa added that with news programmes from Post TV’s production and TV Pool’s teams, the company believes it will maintain more than 50 per cent of total airtime slots for news programming in accordance with the NBTC’s rule on programming and scheduling for digital terrestrial TV news channels.
For the kids/family channel, which the company will name “Loca”, Bt600 million will be invested in content production and procuring international TV formats. Post TV will also provide two-hour news programmes each day for this kid’s channel. 
Meanwhile, the company is also partnering with other independent TV production houses to co-produce entertainment and variety programmes. Those companies are STG Multimedia, Show No Limit – owned by IT guru Pongsuk Hiranprueck – and Pasang Yasorn.
Pasang Yasorn is owned by Nirattisai Kaljaruek, a famous film director and former boss of Kantana Group.
The company aims to achieve Bt2 billion revenue in the first year. Of that, about 60 per cent will come from THV channel, while the rest will be from Loca. The station will offer ad rates of between Bt50,000 and Bt100,000 per minute. 
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