FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Bt923m aid for satellite costs

Bt923m aid for satellite costs

TWENTY-SIX DIGITAL terrestrial-TV channels and the Army’s satellite-based Thai TV Global Network (TGN) will receive a combined subsidy of Bt922.9 million from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission to support their satellite-transmission expenditure during the next 12 months.

 “The budget will be partly allocated from the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Research and Development Fund for the Public Interest, in accordance with the recent [use of] Article 44 of the interim charter to provide relief measures for digital-TV operators,” Takorn Tantasith, secretary-general of the NBTC, said yesterday. 
 Last week, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha invoked the special power available to him under Article 44 in order to assist digital-TV broadcasters facing business difficulties during the economic slowdown. 
 Under the PM’s order, the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Research and Development Fund Commission was permitted to subsidise the monthly cost faced by digital-TV broadcasters for transmitting their programmes to satellite and cable platforms for three years, at a total subsidy of Bt2.5 billion. Takorn said the members of the NBTC board had approved the financial subsidy for TV broadcasters yesterday. 
 Starting from next year, the fund commission will pass the subsidy to Channel TV 5, which will seek permission for broadcasters to provide satellite transmission services.
 Currently, TV operators seek permission to do so on their own.
 It is estimated that each standard-definition channel will be able to save Bt15 million per year in transmission costs, while each high-definition channel can save Bt60 million a year. 
 The subsidy will apply to all 22 commercial broadcasters and four public broadcasters.
 Takorn added that apart from the terrestrial-based digital-TV operators, the Army-run TGN satellite-based TV station would also receive the privilege. 
 Supinya Klangnarong, a member of the NBTC, posted on Twitter that she disagreed with the NBTC’s decision to grant a Bt200-million subsidy for TGN as the channel broadcast its programmes overseas.
 

TAGS
nationthailand