Terrestrial-based Digital TV should take on wider role and responsibility in society, forum hears
TERRESTRIAL-BASED digital television should promote not only profits but also edu?cation, social responsibility, creativity and Thai culture, a forum heard yesterday.
“TV should be an alternative medium for igniting audience inspiration and support?ing education among Thais,” said Somkiat Tangkitvanich, president of the Thailand Development Research Institute.
TV stations should encourage viewers to learn new things, just like from reading books. The proliferation of new digital TV channels will create more choices for peo?ple, ranging from family and news to variety programmes.
More important, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission should take on a more sup?portive role towards the industry to con?summate the transition of TV broadcasting from analog to digital, Somkiat said.
The NBTC should amend some regula?tions that might raise barriers to the transi?tion, such as relaxing rules for licence hold?ers. Licences should be transferable through mergers and acquisitions, he said.
The high network leasing fees are anoth?er headache for the new digital TV operators. The NBTC should support them by encour?aging providers of digital TV network serv?ices to help reduce the charges for TV sta?tions, he said.
Natee Sukunrat, chairman of the NBTC’s broadcasting committee, said that under current regulations, mergers and acquisi?tions were allowed by the regulator, but they must comply with existing laws.
His committee appreciated the need to help the industry through both financial and non-financial measures to speed up the tran?sition to the digital era.
“In a free market, there might be gainers and losers. But the birth of this new broad?casting service opens more doors for both old and new players.
“As such, people will benefit from this change, which might take time,” he said.
Veerathai Santiprabhob, governor of the Bank of Thailand, said TV was still playing a key role in communication. It could help the government to speak directly to the pub?lic about its key policies. The transition from analog to digital offered more windows for people to voice their opinions and demands.
Thares Punsri, chairman of the NBTC, said that in last two years, the NBTC had made a historic change in the broadcasting industry by holding the auction of 24 digi?tal terrestrial TV licences for commercial purposes in an attempt to liberalise the industry, which had only six analog TV sta?tions.
The NBTC also initiated 12 public broad?casting channels.
The seminar on the “60 Years of Thai TV: From Analog to Digital Terrestrial TV System” was organised by the NBTC to mark the 60th anniversary of broadcasting in Thailand and to raise public awareness of digital TV.
The event was held at the Bank of Thailand Museum, which was the home of the first TV station in not only the country but also Southeast Asia.
On June 24, 1955, Thai Thorathat Company, commonly known at the time as “Channel 4 Bang Khun Phrom”, took to the airwaves.
In 1977, Thai Thorathat was transformed into the Mass Communication Organisation of Thailand (MCOT).
