T I T V To Become First Public Television Station Without Advertising

[Jai Dee]

Former TiTV employees demanding responsibility for redundancy

Ex-executive of TiTV Tripob Limprapat (ไตรภพ ลิมปพัทธ์) led former employees of TiTV to meet with the temporary board of the Thailand Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) to demand responsibility for the redundant employees.

Mr Tripob also brought with him the Administration Court’s verdict which rejects the employees’ request for temporary broadcasting after the television station was required by the Public Broadcasting Service Act to stop operating.

However, member of the Thai PBS board Nuannoi Trirat (นวลน้อย ตรีรัตน์) says the board has yet been officially contacted by Mr Tripob.

Meanwhile, more than 10 people have traveled to the headquarters of the Public Relations Department to apply for a job at Thai PBS today. None of them are former employees of TiTV.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 January 2008

[sriracha john]

THAILAND: Angry TV producers

An angry group of TITV producers led by well-known TV host Traiphop Limpraphat has urged the government to revise its decision to turn the troubled broadcaster into a model public television station.

The group plans to submit a letter to the cabinet as soon as possible, according to Mr Traiphop. Producers said the closure of TITV, previously known as iTV, would kill their profession. About 120 producers make content for TITV, including Mr Traiphop's company Born and Associates Co.

"I wonder about the legitimacy of this government to shut down TITV," Mr Traiphop said angrily at a press briefing yesterday.

Other producers attending the briefing were from How Come Entertainment -- a company partly owned by Panthongtae Shinawatra, son of former prime minister Thaksin -- ST Grand Corporation, ID Project, Kontai Entertainment and TV Thunder.

- Asia Media

========================

They want their over-inflated salaries back and don't want to work for a public broadcaster....

Former TiTV employees demanding responsibility for redundancy

Ex-executive of TiTV Tripob Limprapat (ไตรภพ ลิมปพัทธ์) led former employees of TiTV to meet with the temporary board of the Thailand Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS) to demand responsibility for the redundant employees.

Mr Tripob also brought with him the Administration Court’s verdict which rejects the employees’ request for temporary broadcasting after the television station was required by the Public Broadcasting Service Act to stop operating.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 January 2008

Perhaps billionaires like Tripob[Traiphop] and Panthongtae could help out the former employees?

Edited January 18, 2008 by sriracha john

[Jai Dee]

Govt. to set up permanent Thai PBS board in next 6 months

Chairman of the temporary board of the Thailand Public Broadcasting Service (Thai PBS), Kwansuang Atibhodhi (ขวัญสรวง อติโพธิ) discloses that the television station is aimed at producing programs which have independence and variety. Most of the programs will educate the society and assist the less-fortunate people.

However, the chairman says the board has yet scheduled the programs as it is still studying content of the programs. The board is recruiting personnel for the production of news shows expected to be aired in February 1.

Mr Kwansuang says the government will set up a new committee to oversee Thai PBS after the temporary board’s six-month term ends.

The Cabinet resolved to allocate 1.7 billion baht for Thai PBS annually. Mr Kwansuang expresses confidence that the television station’s programs will have good quality and there will be more donations from the private sector.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 January 2008

[george]

TPBS to focus on prime time news, education programs

NAKHON PATHOM: -- Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS), Thailand’s first public TV station, would focus on children’s programs, news and documentaries during prime time hours from 6 pm until midnight, when it began broadcasting on February 1, said acting station head Thepchai Yong.

Mr. Thepchai said at the end of a meeting of the five member interim TPBS board held in Nakhon Pathom on Sunday, the meeting had agreed to concentrate in its first phase on programs aimed at children which would be followed by local news and foreign news analysis, documentaries and short features which were not currently aired in Thailand.

Other programmes would, according to Mr. Thepchai, start in phase 2 as the interim TPBS board had too little time to prepare and only about 150 employees would initially be hired to work for the station.

More employees would be hired after the next one or two months so the station could then operate round-the-clock, he said.

Under the Public Broadcasting Service Act, TPBS took over the TITV station which went off the air abruptly on Tuesday January 15. The closure left 835 staff jobless, who were required to reapply for jobs at TPBS.

Mr. Thepchai said immediate tasks facing TPBS were the call for a transfer of TITV assets and settlement of other obligations, which would be difficult because TITV had assets throughout Thailand.

He said a sub-committee could be set up to handle TITV’s assets.

--TNA 2008-01-20

[Jai Dee]

Newly discovered documents make TPBS liable for TITV employees

New information submitted to the interim board of the Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) by former executives of TITV have shown clauses that may hold the TPBS liable for the terminated contracts of TITV’s employees. The information was submitted to the board during a meeting which invited former TITV executives such as News Director Atcha Suwanapakpraek (อัชฌา สุวรรณปากแพรก).

A document submitted by the former executives showed additional information than previously submitted by the Public Relations Department. The information stated that a clause put in place by the Administrative Court held the TPBS as the successor to TITV responsible for the channels prior commitments in terms of employees.

The TPBS’s legal body will investigate the matter and discuss the issue with the board today.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 23 January 2008

[Jai Dee]

TPBS to begin full broadcast on February 15th

Interim Director of the Thailand Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) Thepchai Yong (เทพชัย หย่อง) stated that the station has completed its program line up to begin airing this Friday. Mr. Thepchai expressed his confidence that the programming will please viewers with its socially beneficial content and up to date news.

TPBS’s programming will be divided into 39.98 percent news, 5.42 percent current events analysis and documentaries, 29.57 percent documentaries, 11.58 percent general interest viewing, 7.01 percent youth orientated shows and 6.44 percent entertainment.

Mr. Thepchai said the channel will offer an alternative for viewers as well as feature some shows focusing on current events within the country. He said some key shows will analyze domestic occurrences as well as keep viewers up to date.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 14 Febuary 2008

[BigSnake]

Watch a little TPBS not bad not bad at all. Remind me a little of BBC(UK) and PBS(US).

[mrbojangles]

Is it being streamed over the internet ? Always nice to give the mrs an extra channel to choose from whilst in the Uk.

[Kna]

Is it being streamed over the internet ? Always nice to give the mrs an extra channel to choose from whilst in the Uk.

try http://tv.ku.ac.th/index.php#

[sriracha john]

Public TV news offers feisty debut

Thai Public Broadcasting Service (TPBS) news reporting is off to a smooth start, at least for now

Optimism, as well as a sense of defiance, marked the first day of public-service television news. The station touched upon a highly sensitive issue in one of its news programmes.

The news documentary looked at the October 6, 1976 bloodbath at Thammasat University, less than a week after new Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, in a CNN interview, attempted to distance himself from the event and downplayed it.

In that interview, Samak said one "unlucky" person only had died, contrary to an official death toll of more than 40.

TPBS broadcast footage of turmoil and violence from the day, and interviews with those involved. And, despite Samak's conspicuous announcement yesterday that the government would "revamp" government-run Channel 11, turning it into a "modern" news and information station - supposedly competing with TPBS - there was excitement and anticipation among TPBS news staff as they went to air for the first time.

The station has been running documentaries and children's programmes since February 1.

TPBS personnel have pledged to turn the station - which was previously privately owned - into a genuine public-service broadcaster. Set up as an "independent" station in 1995, iTV, as it was initially known, was controversially taken over by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2000.

The station was virtually seized by the state after the September coup in 2006, after being ruled to have violated its concession contract with the government. It was renamed TiTV.

The atmosphere at TPBS yesterday was lively as the broadcaster got back to the business of reporting the news. Crews were dispatched and the station's newsroom was a hive of activity. The event attracted members of the news media from other organisations, keen to report on the country's first public-service broadcast.

Acting TPBS Executive Editor Teerat Ratanasevi said employees were happy to be back on the job. He described the event as a "rebirth." "Now we are looking forward, to how we cover the news for people. We believe TPBS is an alternative station for them," he said.

He said the station's style would not over-emphasise political or Bangkok news. It will spread its resources over the whole country and activities of society, he added. Teerat said it would cover all news for all people. Teerat added that the editorial staff felt no pressure from the government. The only pressure is ensuring viewers receive the best product possible, he said. Acting Director Thepchai Yong told employees the board would handle the government, according to Teerat.

TPBS environment reporter Budsakorn Angkanit was excited about yesterday's debut broadcast. Staff are not thinking about the old TiTV, she said. They have moved on and today are thinking only of how to make the new public service worthwhile for viewers and the country, Budsakorn said.

Thepchai was pleased with the inaugural effort. He said the station aimed to be a medium for the whole family. There will be emphasis on investigative and in-depth reporting. Viewers polled said the station resembled the old TITV. They want to see more documentaries.

"I want to see more investigative, in-depth news and analysis and foreign news," said one viewer. She suggested the station scrap soap operas and news-talk programmes, available on free-to-air stations.

- The Nation

[Siripon]

I was very pleased with its first news broadcasts last night, clips from October 6 to remind Samak of his lies, it's good to see them being 'hardhitting'. Their investigative treatment of other news took me back to their early days of incisive reporting before Thaksin neutered them. Let's hope Thepchai can keep up the quality and prevent Thaksin's poodle from interfering as he's already threatened to.

[Plus]

It's a very difficult business. They can't rely on stuff people like - soaps and game shows and funny advertising.

They have to do some real investigative reporting and we know it's not easy in Thailand. They need to be penetrating but not sensationalist. They need to be serious but engaging. They need to provide space for new people to come and try to make a difference, and that's the most difficcult part - they'd be foolish to think that they can just bring Nation TV on a big stage and everything will work out.

In some ways people like Thepchai are dinosaurs, their ideas were catchy ten years ago, but new generation of Thais comes from completely different background.

I hope it works out ok.

[Jai Dee]

TPBS to change its name to TV Thai

Acting Director of the Thai Public Broadcasting Station (TPBS) Thepchai Yong (เทพชัย หย่อง) spoke during the launch of the station's new symbol, logo and show listing at the Sukhothai Hotel that the channel would be changing its name to TV Thai, while retaining its public access state. The logos were open to the public to send in submissions with the winning logo being adopted for use along with the new name.

Mr. Yong revealed that the stations new show listings would feature up to as much as 39.85 percent of news programming. The channel until now has only featured news programs and documentaries and follows in the readjusting of Thai Channel 11, which has been revamped into NBT.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 02 April 2008

[Shah Jahan]

the last month or so has been devoted to current employees taking inventory of all the station assets

this week all the employees are interviewing for their jobs

they are all being laid-off and have to be hired again