THAILAND: Advert-free future for former iTV
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- Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 07:40:00 +0800
THAILAND: Advert-free future for former iTV
Prime Minister's Office will draft a law that will guide TiTV's transformation
into public television; the fate of 1,000 station employees remains unclear
Bangkok Post
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
The fate of Thailand Independent Television (TITV) was sealed yesterday when the
government decided to turn the financially struggling operation into a
commercial-free public station. The decision could lead to the departure of some
staff, including those considered unnecessary for commercial-free television.
The cabinet had studied two options proposed in a report by a committee set up
to explore the future of TITV.
The first proposal suggested that if TITV became commercial-free, it could
receive financial support from public donations, "sin taxes" and funding from
the Thailand Health Promotion Foundation and the Education Ministry.
The second option was for a "free television" channel in which 51% of the shares
were controlled by individuals and the rest distributed to public groups and
non-governmental organisations focusing on social and human development issues.
TITV was formerly known as Independent Television (iTV), once controlled by the
family of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. It has been placed under the
control of the Prime Minister's Office after it failed to pay concession fees
and fines.
PM's Office Minister Dhipavadee Meksawan, who supervised the committee, said the
cabinet agreed to turn TITV into an advertisement-free public station based on
the results of a committee survey.
The panel, led by the dean of the communication arts faculty at the University
of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Darunee Hiranrak, held several public forums to
gather input and found supporters of public television outnumbered those wanting
TITV to become so-called free television.
Khunying Dhipavadee said professionals will be recruited to run the station
instead of letting state officials control it.
"We will try our best [to turn TITV into a public station] within this
government."
She said the station will be supervised by five panels with members selected
from the public sector.
The next step for the PM's Office and the Council of State is to draft a law
clearing the way for establishing the public television station. The draft will
be completed by May 11, and will be forwarded to the National Legislative
Assembly (NLA) for consideration.
Khunying Dhipavadee said that in the first stage about 1.7 billion baht will be
needed to run the station.
Learning of the decision, TITV news anchor Kitti Singhapat said it was now
easier for him to leave the station.
He said he felt uncomfortable working in a bureaucracy which is inflexible.
Mr Kitti said other TV channels had approached him, but he had rejected their
offers because he did not want to leave the station when its fate remained
unclear.
He said more than 1,000 TITV employees were in financial trouble because they
were working unpaid.
The Public Relations Department will not spend money to support the channel even
though air-time income continues to flow into its purse, he said.
News anchor and programme host Saisawan Khayanying said she had not been
approached by any other station and she did not intend to leave.
TITV executive editor Alongkorn Muandao last night told staff that sales,
marketing, public relations and debt collection personnel would be laid off
because they will not be needed at the non-profit, advertisement-free station.
Public Relations Department chief Pramote Ratthavinij is to discuss the
station's fate with staff today.
A source said Mr Pramote will pay salaries to TITV staff retroactively for
unpaid work in the past month.
The department will clear TITV's debts with all agencies by early next month and
will finalise the structure of TITV as a public service station, the source
said.
Date Posted: 4/25/2007
http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-southeastasia.asp?parentid=68510
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