Local Media Bias

[Ausiefella]

ok, as I couldn't post in the last one as it went off topic and pcn was winging to admin so they closed it. So I've started this one which is on topic. Lets see if he's prepared to answer?

As I was saying, why is it that your news programme PCN, constantly makes mention about the wonderful work of the Tourist Police and the VOLUNTEERS. On Saturday night there must have been 5 mentions of the Tourist Police. As I asked before is it because the top guy was down and you needed to make an impression?

Your news programme makes more mention of the Tourist Police then the others, why? You are not alone in this, we have the same problem with Pattaya Mail newspaper. They are constantly promoting the family who own that publication, and the charity work thats done by the wonderful family. Also, the Rotory is promoted as he is a member. The you have PPN always promoting the expats club as Neils is the chairman. Everyone having thier own agenda. IMHO you should all get on and report the news and promote Pattaya and not your own agendas.

BTW, you asked me about seeing you on the raid. Well it was after the raid, YOUR TV news programme reported it Saturday night, drugs bust, and you were in the background when all the drugs and suspects were caught. I think it was your lips I saw as well close to the arse of the top guy

[davethailand]

why are you worried about this? PCN need a good relationship with the police, whether they are tourist or not it does'nt matter.

If someone who is important or influential in one way or another comes into your place, would'nt you be nice to them and sing their praises?

I would, it's not arse licking, it's looking after the people that could one day help you out.

i've met howard once before, and i don't really know him very well, he being a volunteer policeman is his choice, i have my doubts about farang volunteers but i also feel there is some good about it, if done correctly.

As for PCN, He's trying to make it the best channel in Pattaya, whats wrong with that?

[Bad News]

Like this is a scene edited out of a Tarantino film?

Hey guys what is your motivation for this particular scene?

[Pattaya City News]

Ok, Mr Aussie Fella,

The other night there were 5 stories on my show, 4 were from the tourist police and one was a meeting. This has never happened before and it just so happened that the top brass was down so the regular tourist police were out to impress which means lots of arrests. All the journalists from Pattaya were there and Pattaya People News featured the same stories.

I try very hard to put stuff on my show that people enjoy and not what I want to show. This is important for me and differs from PPN which is indeed dominated by Expat Club News, which is boring for someone who didnt go to the meeting. If you regularly watch my program, you will rarely see me in any pictures apart from the permanent features such as "Wine and Dine" and "Business Matters" which require me to present. I rarely go to parties or meetings and get my photo taken with anyone just to look good....thats not my style.

Aussie Fella, you obviously dont like the media in Pattaya so instead of moaning about it, dont watch or read it. I will always answer sensible questions from you and other posters unlike other organisations who will never do what I am doing. I am not saying I am Mr Fantastic, I am just saying that I am prepared to answer any questions or criticism made against Pattaya City News because I want it to remain the best show in Pattaya.

[Ausiefella]

I watch because I'm interested in whats going on in the town I live in. But I hate bias. If you want to be the best then report the facts. As I said before, which you didn't answer by the way, how can two news programmes report on the same story on the same evening and report it differently? Someone isn't telling the facts, is it you or is it them? Only you know that answer.

Dave, my problem is that as you say he needs a good relationship with the police, anyone with a brain can see that, so he becomes a volunteer so he gets inside info makes his programme better (?), reports the stories they tell him to report, its unhealthy. Even in this country I would expect the farang news to be balanced.

PPN does a good about town section which I enjoy to watch and thats good local interest stuff, and he scores above PCN on this section in my eyes, certainly better then the tired food and drink and business section PCN does, very repetative.

By the way Mr Volunteer, why is it the Tourist police only get their fingers out when the big cheese turns up? Perhaps he should come more often?

[manfromoz]

PCN,

Is there any reason why you don't give any coverage to the dangerous state of some of the walkways around town? Many tourists (and locals) are falling down open drains where the covers have been removed and left laying next to the hole. Some of these have been there so long the grass has grown over the cover. None of the local media seem to report on any of it, but it can have direct impact on the memories a tourist has when they leave.

Just curiuos if city hall have said that you can not report such things?

[davethailand]

PCN,

Is there any reason why you don't give any coverage to the dangerous state of some of the walkways around town? Many tourists (and locals) are falling down open drains where the covers have been removed and left laying next to the hole. Some of these have been there so long the grass has grown over the cover. None of the local media seem to report on any of it, but it can have direct impact on the memories a tourist has when they leave.

Just curiuos if city hall have said that you can not report such things?

it seems that no one in city hall gives a toss about this, surely making walkways and pavements safe is a prority in pattaya.

[kurgen]

I'm not sure about the pathways but the reason there are so many open drains on the roads is for safety.

If drivers and riders didn't have to worry about potholes etc anymore, then they would start sightseeing whilst driving/ riding as opposed to staying alert. This would lead to lots more accidents.

See, city hall are helping us all in their own little way

[Pattaya City News]

Firstly, my being a Tourist Police Volunteer is nothing to do with brown-nosing the police. My Thai Journalists get the news for me, I am not a reporter, I just read the news every day. Regarding the accuracy of the stories, well, every media outlet have their own journalists so it is up to them how they report stories. This is same with international journalists, I can only compare UK journalists who often report different versions of the same story. I have done a number of pieces on pathways, eroding beaches etc. in the past, the others would never dream about doing such stories off their own back, only if the rest of us did the same story. I am certainly not "scared" of the local authorties and strive to broadcast everything, sometimes there are "gagging orders" imposed on stories, that is just the way it is in Pattaya and we all have to put up with it and this cam be applied to every country in the World where newspapers, TV are banned from reporting certain stories.

Aussie Fella, I am sure that many people enjoy PPN and the "about the town", as a viewer, I don't and am not afraid to say so, I try and make my program a little more professional with many different sections to please everybody. Ask yourself why he does it, is he thinking of the viewer or potential advertising?? Sometimes I am guilty of that but most of the time, if I think something is interesting I will show it regardless of any possible advertising -example -Wine and Dine.

[davethailand]

I'm personally fed up with hearing about the expats club.

i am an expat but i like to do things on my own (if i can) the last thing i want to do is listen to a load of expats saying how better things are in our own country. Around the town is ok but also a bit boring.

PCN can you send me an email letting me know your tv advertising rates, i'm thinking of using both channels for the high season.

cheers

[Digger]

ok, as I couldn't post in the last one as it went off topic and pcn was winging to admin so they closed it. So I've started this one which is on topic. Lets see if he's prepared to answer?

As I was saying, why is it that your news programme PCN, constantly makes mention about the wonderful work of the Tourist Police and the VOLUNTEERS. On Saturday night there must have been 5 mentions of the Tourist Police. As I asked before is it because the top guy was down and you needed to make an impression?

Your news programme makes more mention of the Tourist Police then the others, why? You are not alone in this, we have the same problem with Pattaya Mail newspaper. They are constantly promoting the family who own that publication, and the charity work thats done by the wonderful family. Also, the Rotory is promoted as he is a member. The you have PPN always promoting the expats club as Neils is the chairman. Everyone having thier own agenda. IMHO you should all get on and report the news and promote Pattaya and not your own agendas.

BTW, you asked me about seeing you on the raid. Well it was after the raid, YOUR TV news programme reported it Saturday night, drugs bust, and you were in the background when all the drugs and suspects were caught. I think it was your lips I saw as well close to the arse of the top guy

Personally I think all the local media coverage here is biased in terms of what gets covered however its hardly surprising given that nobody has any requirement to be unbiased. I would say however that the intent to inform is pretty consistent with all the channels and print media without going up against any influencial characters. Personally, I enjoy seeing them for what they are - local information channels, not deep investigative reporting.

Just one suggestion for Howard, please get another character to do the voice overs - no offence but hearing your dolcit tones with every ad becomes a bit much !!!

[Up2U]

Just one suggestion for Howard, please get another character to do the voice overs - no offence but hearing your dolcit tones with every ad becomes a bit much !!!

Hear, hear

[Pattaya City News]

Digger, Up2U,

Point taken. I always encourage new customers to voice the ads themselves but they always want me to do it. When I say to them that my voice is pretty much through the whole program, they still want me to voice it. Sorry but you know the saying - The customer is always right!

[davethailand]

Digger, Up2U,

Point taken. I always encourage new customers to voice the ads themselves but they always want me to do it. When I say to them that my voice is pretty much through the whole program, they still want me to voice it. Sorry but you know the saying - The customer is always right!

Why did'nt that northern git scott do his own voice over for expat motorcycles?

"eh upp, welcom to expat motocycles, it's a deal it's a steal"

(i hope you read this scotty boy)

love

dave

(ps, where's my carb kit)

[Ausiefella]

PCN

I agree about the About Town bit and then surprise surprise a week or so later an ad appears for that bar, kitchen shop etc. However it isn't always the case and I have been introduced to a bar/resturant or activity new to me by watching this. Also it makes a change to hear some good stuff, I get fed up with seeing murdered people, motorbike deaths and suicides.

When the bullshit expat section comes on I turn it over. 25 - 30 people sitting in a pub on a Saturday morning is not an expat meeting. The other one on Sudays is much bigger something like 120+ go each week to that, and Dave its not like you say, I've got some good advice from there, even if the club is run by yanks and pommys!!! I met an Aussie finacial advisor there the other week... God save us

[davethailand]

PCN

I agree about the About Town bit and then surprise surprise a week or so later an ad appears for that bar, kitchen shop etc. However it isn't always the case and I have been introduced to a bar/resturant or activity new to me by watching this. Also it makes a change to hear some good stuff, I get fed up with seeing murdered people, motorbike deaths and suicides.

When the bullshit expat section comes on I turn it over. 25 - 30 people sitting in a pub on a Saturday morning is not an expat meeting. The other one on Sudays is much bigger something like 120+ go each week to that, and Dave its not like you say, I've got some good advice from there, even if the club is run by yanks and pommys!!! I met an Aussie finacial advisor there the other week... God save us

please, not the bloke with the paper arrows.

[Khun ?]

It is the old networking gang. Find out what foreigner has cash so they can be targeted for some scheme. Do something useful such as Find out why MJE owners ran out of town without making arrangements to pay their debts and where they would be running to along with where did all the passports go they had of other people ( maybe peter, another ring knocker, would know something about this even though it has not been mentioned in the pattaya mail news). If farangs are trying to get a group of people together they do not know, there is most likely a motive which in many instances has to do with getting someone elses money in their pocket. Too many Farangs end up cutting their working life short back home and opt out for the cheap living and glamour of Thailand just to find out later on, that living cheap anywhere in the world is not as good as they thought it would be. Most wait until they are down and out and tried these, get the new farang's money schemes, before they decide to head back home or get ran off.

The same old excuse, well Thais can live cheap we should be able to also, does not cut it. They have several bordering countries with cheap charlie squatters if they need them. If you do not have enough to retire back home then it would be wise to keep working till you do. We will never be more than guest so regardless of what funds you have you may find yourself back home anyways and it would be best to have the money to afford such situations. No one back home is going to listen to your self made sob stories. I know max out the credit card get an income from some injury or some illness and run off to Thailand. I am tired of paying taxes for dead beats and fakes so I wish they all get stuck on a baht buss that never stops. Maybe follow some of these people who complain about the price of chang and barfines have gone up. Some stories titled Lowlifes of Pattaya would be of interest and would stop a few thousand of them that show up and settle down each year. The perils of Pattaya or the lowlife's extravaganza or the farang scams shows would go over big with the audience.

[davethailand]

As far as financial advice for me is concerned it is between me, my father (lawyer) and my wife. thats it.

goes, The last person i would trust in pattaya would be one of these so called finacial advisors.(especially and aussie)