8 public digital TV licences to be granted for new players: Thai broadcasting regulator 

In June, only eight licences for 12 public digital TV channels will be granted to potential bidders in a "beauty contest", while the remainder will be reserved for the existing analog broadcasters to run their TV programmes during a simulcast period, according to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission.



Natee Sukonrat, chairman of the NBTC's broadcasting committee, said yesterday that the beauty contest for the eight public digital TV channels, scheduled to begin in June, would be earmarked for new players. 

"The broadcasting panel is working on the required specifications of potential bidders, conditions and essential details for this unique kind of bid," Natee said.

He added that after those details were complete, the NBTC would announce public participation before the beauty contest begins. The validity term for the eight new licences for public TV channels is four years. 

He explained that another four spectrum slots would be reserved for the Royal Thai Army's TV5, the Public Relations Department's Channel 11 and the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) with the remaining two channels.

Natee stressed that during the simulcast period, the broadcasting regulator must allow existing TV broadcasters to air their analog programmes through digital signals. 

Under the International Telecom-munication Union (ITU), a common method for international broadcasting and telecommunication regulators to ensure that television viewers without set-top boxes are not deprived of services is to have analog and digital broadcasting in tandem for the simulcast period. 

Under such guidelines, TV5, Channel 11 and Thai PBS must pay network leasing fees to transmit their analog programmes via digital signals. The simulcast period will end when the NBTC orders those state agencies to switch their analog services off. 

Additionally, according to the broadcasting master plan (2012-16), the NBTC must determine an exact time frame for the state agencies, state enterprises and other state units or persons who are currently assigned frequencies to return them for future operations, as specified in the spectrum management master plan, within two years. 

Natee added that his panel expected to set the exact time frame for TV5 and Channel 11 by the end of next month, while Thai PBS had signed a memorandum of understanding to return its holding spectrum within the next three years to the NBTC for reallocation. Under this MoU, the NBTC must, in return, allocate two spectrum slots for Thai PBS's public TV channels. 


However, on Sunday civil-society groups, journalist associations and academics called for the postponement of this process, particularly to allow TV5 and Channel 11 to run their analog programmes over the digital TV platform, because they believed it would breach the spirit of media reform. They also suggested that the NBTC should allow relevant parties to engage in the process before the beauty contest began.

Rewrited from The Nation newspaper 
April 2, 2013

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/NBTC-reveals-plans-for-public-TV-licensing-30203180.html

MyCommentary....

Countdown to digital TV in Thailand

The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission or NBTC which acts as the telecom and broadcasting regulator in Thailand is pushing the conversion from analog to digital terrestrial TV broadcasting in the kingdom, expected to be taken place by end of this year or early next year.

The questions on public participation and accountability were raised among opinion leaders in Bangkok. They express their concern that five commissioners in broadcasting committee will use their absolute power to select inappropriate ones to run new 12 digital public TV channels.


Under the NBTC's broadcasting master plan, of total 48 new digital terrestrial TV channels, it reserves 12 digital TV channels for public service, 24 for commercial TV and the remainder for community-based service. The watchdog aims to reset this Bt70-billion broadcasting industry after granting all 48 digital TV licences by next year. Adding more details on this effort, the NBTC wants to open more door for new potential players coming to this industry which had been dominated by big analog TV operators, BEC's Channel3, Royal Army's TV5, MCOT's Modernine TV and the Public Relation Department (PRD)'s Channel 11 for more than 40 years. 

Royal Army's TV5 aims to

have a licence to run public TV

for national security purpose.

Find more  at www.tv5.co.th

Entering into digital terrestrial TV era, both existing TV broadcasters and new players must acknowledge together that they will run their business under licencing-base regime. 

Currently operating Channel 11 or NBT, 

the PRDalso wants to obtain a licence

 for government and public relation 

channel in digital TV platform

Find more at http://nbttv.prd.go.th/

Before grabbing a licence for public TV channel, each operator must prove itself that its mission and responsibility truly reflects real public interest via a beauty contest judged by the NBTC.  

Ironically, only five commissioners at the NBTC's broadcasting committee will be big guys to decide whom those licences to be granted for. 

Bangkok Entertainment Co. (BEC)

also wishes to join a spectrum

 bid for commercial TV licence. 

Find more at www.thaitv3.com

Civil society groups call for participation into this process for transparency and accountability but no response from the watchdog.



In a part of commercial digital TV section, the watchdog sets to welcome potential TV broadcasters into this TV category through spectrum auction, which is expected to kick off in the last quarter of this year (2013). But details of specification of bidder, starting bid prices and related conditions have not been completed yet. 

Bangkok Broadcasting and TV, 

the country's most popular TV channel

credited by Nielsen media research,

targets to win a licence of variety HD channel.

Find more at www.ch7.com  

Of 24 commercial digital TV channels, there are 7 variety TV in high-definition service; 7 variety TV in standard-definition; 7 news channels and 3 for kid's channels. 

Formerly known as Channel9, 

Modernine TV expects to grab 3 licence

 of variety, news and 

kid's channels. Find more at www.mcot.net 

Digital TV channel for community-based service will be the last category that the NBTC will make it happened. Thai people may see this kind of TV channels in next year. 


Given more advanced technology, more choices to be watched, digital TV broadcasting is expected to bring more benefits to all in the kingdom, I guess. 






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Additional information:

Find more details about 

the first public TV channel

in the Thailand at www.thaipbs.or.th 

Thai Public Broadcasting Service, Thailand's first public TV broadcaster, also will have two licences of public TV channels, including Thai PBS channel for variety programme and Thai PBS Learning Channel for kid's and family channel.