NBTC, Channel 3 told to talk
BEC World refuses to comply with order
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has instructed the telecom regulator to have serious talks with Channel 3 operator BEC World Plc to solve the broadcasting crisis for the analogue channel.
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) will oversee the talks. A solution must follow the legal framework and benefit Thais.
The crisis stems from the broadcasting committee of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission on Monday resolving to end the free status for analogue Channel 3 the day after its 100day extension period expired.
The channel did not comply with the resolution, claiming NCPO announcement No.27 allowed it to air on all platforms. All platform operators have complied with the announcement. If the NBTC’s resolution is implemented, satellite and cable TV operators cannot carry Channel 3, in accordance with the amended must-carry rule, meaning 70% of the nation could not watch analogue Channel 3.
The NBTC said it intended to push forward with the digital transition, as Thailand had 24 digital TV channels. Six analogue channels — Channels 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 plus Thai PBS — have been encouraged to migrate to broadcast digital signals through a simulcast.
Channel 3 does not want to simulcast, saying its concession with MCOT Plc allowed it to broadcast on the analogue system until 2020.
Yesterday, BEC World provided three reasons why Channel 3 would not simulcast. First, Bangkok Entertainment Co, a subsidiary of BEC World, which holds the Channel 3 concession, did not join the digital TV auctions due to the strict conditions by MCOT, the concession owner. Thus, Channel 3 does not have a digital TV licence.
Second, BEC Multimedia Ltd, another subsidiary, holds the digital TV licences. If Channel 3 migrates all its content to digital, it will violate the NBTC’s regulation for using different juristic persons for digital broadcasts.
Third, Channel 3 holds many copyrights, and the migration may violate its contracts with rights owners. Moreover, it does not want to pay duplicate concession fees and annual fees. Channel 3 claims transferring its content to air digitally would cost 8 billion baht due to taxes among subsidiaries in the group.
NBTC member Supinya Klangnarong said Channel 3 should migrate its existing content to air digitally, allowing Channel 3’s content to air via satellite and cable systems as usual under the must-carry rule, leaving it with the same number of viewers. “Otherwise it should get a pay-TV licence and halve its ad airtime to six minutes an hour,” she said.