Journalists’ bodies up in arms over NBTC’s suspension order for Peace TV

By THE NATION

 

 

THE THAI JOURNALISTS Association (TJA) and the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association (Thai BJA) yesterday called for the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to review its recent order to suspend the broadcast of the red-shirt Peace TV.

 

The two media organisations slammed the order as infringing on media rights protected by the Constitution and warned the NBTC action, which followed the junta’s orders, would only undermine the agency’s independence and credibility.

 

The NBTC on Wednesday ordered Peace TV to go off air completely for 30 days after it was accused of broadcasting content deemed provocative and causing confusion in four of its news and news talk programmes.

 

The contents were against the Administrative Court’s order that demanded the station respect the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) order Nos 97/2557 and 103/2557, which made it binding on the media to not broadcast any provocative content, according to the NBTC. Peace TV had repeatedly disobeyed the orders, the agency said.

This is not the first time Peace TV has faced this predicament. In the four years since the coup, the red-shirt station has been temporarily shut down for 15 or 30 days several times because of controversial political content.

 

The TJA and Thai BJA said in the statement that the suspension of Peace TV had an impact not only on the station but also on the people working there even though some of them were not part of the problematic programmes. Unless the NBTC was prudent in exercising its power, it could easily destroy press freedom as well as the media as business organisations, the statement read.

 

Duty to protect independence of media

 

Apart from that, the media organisations also reminded the NBTC of its direct role in protecting the independence of media companies.

 

However, the order imposed on Peace TV was in violation of the Constitution, which prohibited the shutting down of mass media companies, it said.

 

The TJA and Thai BJA said that the NBTC could have considered punishing only problematic programmes, not suspending the entire station.

 

In addition, other laws such as defamation were available to deal with the issues they posed, they added.

 

If the station was really irresponsible |in its reports, the TJA and Thai BJA |said the market mechanism and |consumers would bring consequences to the station.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30345202

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-05-12

2 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

the NBTC action, which followed the junta’s orders, would only undermine the agency’s independence and credibility.

wake up people, we live in a police state

What exactly was considered provocative about the material?

And there will be fair and free elections in 9 months 

There's still red shirts? I thought Prayuth had crushed this movement.

Sent from my SM-A700FD using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Bailiff, whack his PP

 

1 hour ago, Wilsonandson said:

I thought Prayuth had crushed this movement.

He has been trying his best  but like every other thing has failed at this too.

Edited May 12, 20188 yr by johng

The road to reconciliation

Sent from my SM-J730GM using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

5 hours ago, 4evermaat said:

What exactly was considered provocative about the material?

It contained the truth? 

Now the total squashing comes. Crush and Rule is not Peace & Order. 

Prayut's road map for democracy: a train wreck for freedom of speech

 

5 hours ago, InfinityandBeyond said:

It contained the truth? 

 

How do you know? Did you watch it?

The junta says it is 'binding on the media to not broadcast any provocative content'.

 

What is 'provocative content'? Anything that does not lavish fulsome praise on Prayut, Piggy Prawit and their junta. Anything that dares to question - even a little bit - the direction (downward for the next 20 years) which the junta are taking this country.

 

Most of all, 'provocative content' is any content that encourages the viewers to look at Thailand as it currently is structured and mismanaged and ask the question: 'Are we, the Thai people, sovereign in our own country - or are we merely manipulated and despised slaves of the military and a Hidden Hand?'

 

Edited May 12, 20188 yr by Eligius

11 hours ago, 4evermaat said:

What exactly was considered provocative about the material?

 

If they told you, then they'd have to kill you...