The Nation Channel Beams To Us Living Rooms

The Nation Channel beams to US living rooms

BANGKOK: -- Thais and Laotians living in the United States and Canada can now watch the Nation Channel via the satellite-television channel of its partner, Network of Asian Tele-communication, TV & Radio

The alliance between Nation Channel and NAT TV, which will broadcast Nation Channel in both Thai and Lao, was announced yesterday. Nation Channel is run by Nation Multimedia Group, which publishes The Nation.

The satellite channel is beamed to 15 countries in the Americas using a digital KU band signal, said Banyat Nopphakhunk, chief executive of NAT TV. Anyone with a US$150 satellite dish from NAT TV can receive the channel free of charge.

NAT TV has been on air for a year and boasts an audience of about 600,000, mostly Thais and Laotians living in North America, Banyat said.

Sixty per cent of satellite channel's airtime is used for broadcasting programmes from the Nation Channel, which also produces English-language news programming.

NAT TV will produce documentaries, variety and entertainment programmes for 10 per cent of the airtime, while another 20 per cent will be allocated for soap operas, game shows and variety shows |by other Thai producers, Banyat said. The remaining 10 per cent of |airtime will be Laotian entertainment programmes, such as Laos Trips and Laos Variety.

Nation Multimedia will sell advertisements for the channel to Thai businesses, said Thanachai Santichaikul, vice president of the group.

NAT TV will air the Nation Channel's Nation News Headlines, From The Nation's News Room, Kom Chad Luek and Krissana's Variety Show.

NAT TV produces two programmes - Focus and Inside Thai Talk shows.

Focus is an interview-format show featuring successful Thai businessmen and women, while Inside Thai Talk documents life in Thai communities in North America.

Most of the NAT TV-produced shows are made by Thais living in the United States, including a programme providing marriage advice by Thmmarat Naksuriya, a Look Thung music show, and programmes featuring the opinions of Thai expatriates on current events.

Nation Channel in Thailand will also broadcast programmes produced by NAT TV and Thai producers in the United States, Banyat said. More details on NAT TV programming is available online at www.nattv.com.

Banyat said he was confident that the content on NAT TV would meet the demands of Thai expatriates in North America. Before launching the satellite channel the firm conducted a survey to gauge their interest.

The 600,000-strong audience gives manufacturers of Thai products an opportunity to expand into the North American market, Thanachai said. He said Otop (One Tambon One Product) goods could also gain a foothold in the market through the satellite channel.

Banyat said the audience includes Laotians, Cambodians, Vietnamese and Burmese who can understand either Thai or Laotian. He said the audience is expected to grow to more than 1 million in the next three years.

Banyat said his firm initially sold satellite dishes and receivers for Channel 5's satellite TV operation, Thai Global Network, before deciding to open its own satellite channel with the hope of using it as a gateway for Thais to reach North America.

--The Nation 2004-12-24