TrueVisions to increase payout after pulling HBO channels

 TRUEVISIONS will pay additional compensation to about 1,000 subscribers who exited its platinum and gold packages from January 1-25 after the company’s cancellation of six HBO channels on December 31, said Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission’s broadcasting committee.
The broadcasting committee yesterday voted three to one to order TrueVisions to pay add-on compensation to those departing subscribers.
 The committe then asked TrueVisions if it agreed with the conclusion. 
True chief content and media officer Birathon Kasemsri na Ayudhaya said the company agreed with the panel’s resolution.
“We always welcome fair decisions from the regulator,” Birathon said. 
Nateed added that the company had to inform their exiting subscribers within 30 days on the extra compensation after the panel’s decision. The subscribers will be required to detail their membership number and bank account information to TrueVisions to get compensation. 
The calculation for the compensation is based on the monthly fees for the platinum and gold packages – Bt2,155 and Bt1,568, respectively. For example, the compensation for a platinum subscriber who cancelled their membership on January 20 will be based on the average daily package price over the first 20 days from January 1.
TrueVisions has already paid the first compensation payouts to affected subscribers. Unlike the ad-on compensation, the first compensation was based on the full 31 days of January. If they cancelled on January 25, the compensation will be calculated on the last seven days of January (January 25-31). TrueVisions yesterday also made an extra offering to existing subscribers by upgrading those gold, super family, sport family and happy family packages to the next level for two months for free until the end of March, up from one month in its first compensation offering.
Platinum subscribers will get an additional 1,000 reward points on the True Black Card privilege cards, up from 1,000 points in the first compensation offering. 
TrueVisions added seven new channels – Warner TV, Paramount Channel HD, Celestial Classic Movies, Food Network, Fox Action Movies HD, Sony Channel and True Film HD 2 – immediately after HBO’s feeds were switched off on January 1. 
Natee said the broadcasting committee officially issued its first warning to TrueVisions for breaking the NBTC regulation that it should inform its subscribers 30 days in advance of withdrawing the programmes. 
There is no penalty for a first warning. If the company breaks any regulation and gets warned again, it will have to face some penalty. 
On December 26, the broadcasting committee asked the NBTC’s subcommittee on consumer-rights protection, chaired by NBTC member Supinya Klangnarong, to negotiate with TrueVisions for more remedial packages after the broadcasting panel declined to approve its first compensation packages. 
TrueVisions breached the NBTC rules that require pay-TV operators to notify subscribers 30 days before a programme cancellation. TrueVisions informed the broadcasting committee on December 25 that it would drop HBO channels after failing to renew its contract with HBO.