Scepticism Over Interior's Climb Onto The Tv Bandwagon

[Steve2UK]

BURNING ISSUE

Scepticism over interior's climb onto the TV bandwagon

By Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

R_pravit(at)hotmail.com

BANGKOK: -- The Interior Ministry's latest decision to introduce its own cable-television channel - dubbed 'blue-shirt television' by the media for its close association with Bhum Jai Thai Party kingmaker Newin Chidchob - will further exacerbate the already tense political situation and is a reminder of how the government still thinks crude propaganda works.

The ministry, now controlled by the party, insists it will run documentaries to protect the monarchy along with other serious content reflecting the political stance of the ministry (if not the party momentarily in control of the all-powerful ministry). But there will also be game shows and other light entertainment.

One must ask why there is such a need now and whether such a need warrants creating a new TV channel.

Matichon group newspapers on Tuesday cited a source at the ministry as saying the true aim of the new channel was winning political converts - from the yellow-shirt People's Alliance for Democracy, and especially from the red-shirt Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship - from viewers of the current two channels, numbering a combined 5 million households nationwide, who subscribe to ASTV and DTV. Those at the ministry are gullible enough to think there will be no negative, unintended repercussions.

It seems these people still believe repeated political propaganda works and that recipients of messages accept the text as it is. Wrong! People in fact react to the same message or propaganda differently.

Do they really think that by repeatedly telling red shirts that Thaksin Shinawatra is a corrupt politician 10 times a day on the new blue-shirt channel will convince them? It will likely outrage them instead.

This is because people do not memorise messages that are sent to them. If so, the generals' ongoing reassurances that there will be "no coup" would have worked by now, and the police would not need to hunt down those spreading the rumours as if they were criminals.

The fact is, people tend to interpret and react - rightly or wrongly - based on their beliefs and assumptions. The new channel will therefore mainly enable the yellow shirts and red shirts to use it as justification supporting their belief the government is out to propagandise them - which is correct, by the way.

And since when is it the ministry's job to run a television channel? Matichon reported the ministry would mobilise tambon administrative organisations and provincial administrative organisations nationwide to watch the channel.

Since the May 1992 uprising, people should have learnt the state must have less and less control over mass media, since it will abuse it for political gain.

The military and the Prime Minister's Office already control media they propose to eventually give up, but show no sign of doing so. Now the Interior Ministry wants a propaganda channel, too. Such is the regressive state of Thai democracy.

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's control of iTV was harshly criticised and rightly so, as anti-government content hardly made its way to broadcast. Why repeat the same mistake?

Newin, the man said to be behind the channel, has no history of being a royalist. But since breaking away from Thaksin in late 2008, he has behaved as if he has always been an ultra-royalist - last December organising a 4-D light-and-sound show praising His Majesty as "The Greatest of the Kings".

One would do well to be mindful about these people who can change colour quicker than the drop of a hat.

-- The Nation 2010-02-04

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2010/02/04...cs_30121782.php

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[hammered]

This is how red TV was initially set up. Stick it on state TV and then when the lost government conrol they had to go private. What they did was hideous abuse of state organs and now Newin et al are repeating it. It should be condemned. I notice that in the unmetionable one ex-TRT propaganda chief Suranand didnt highlight the red use of this in recent history.

Yellow TV, red TV are both hideously boring propaganda channels fronted by egomaniacal and meglomaniacal lunatics. No doubt blue TV will be the same. However, any TV channel that is going to release gossip will still attract as people want to know the dirt even if it is unsubstantiated and most of the garbage on colour coded TV is utter garbage.

[animatic]

...Yellow TV, red TV are both hideously boring propaganda channels fronted by egomaniacal and meglomaniacal lunatics.

...colour coded TV is utter garbage.

Ah yes,

and one more "megalomaniacal lunatic" would hardly be noticed!

Just part of the background clutter of Thai life.

Sad they feel the need to do this. But then again

it's one of the few ways to get your point of view out

that can't bbe torn down and burned or beaten till it leaves the area.

It will be interesting in which directions this new attack dog is pointed.

meg·a·lo·ma·ni·a n.

1. A psychopathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of wealth, power, or omnipotence.

2. An obsession with grandiose or extravagant things or actions.

3.

Edited February 6, 2010 by animatic

[Steve2UK]

This is how red TV was initially set up. Stick it on state TV and then when the lost government conrol they had to go private. What they did was hideous abuse of state organs and now Newin et al are repeating it. It should be condemned. I notice that in the unmetionable one ex-TRT propaganda chief Suranand didnt highlight the red use of this in recent history.

Yellow TV, red TV are both hideously boring propaganda channels fronted by egomaniacal and meglomaniacal lunatics. No doubt blue TV will be the same. However, any TV channel that is going to release gossip will still attract as people want to know the dirt even if it is unsubstantiated and most of the garbage on colour coded TV is utter garbage.

Well, it seems Suranand (like so many - all? - others) can't claim particularly clean hands when he occupied the post of PM's Office Minister; regrettably, it seems to come with the territory for that post (cf. Sathit - the current "propaganda chief"). The present government's use of Channel 11 also seems to have parallels with what was done under previous administrations. Plus ca change etc......

Openly using the BJT-controlled Interior Ministry's budget to set up/fund its own channel seems notably blatant and certainly should be condemned - but then we also shouldn't underestimate the manoeuvres and manipulations that have generally "eased the way" for other such agenda-driven media activities before now and ongoing.

Edited February 6, 2010 by Steve2UK

[hammered]

This is how red TV was initially set up. Stick it on state TV and then when the lost government conrol they had to go private. What they did was hideous abuse of state organs and now Newin et al are repeating it. It should be condemned. I notice that in the unmetionable one ex-TRT propaganda chief Suranand didnt highlight the red use of this in recent history.

Yellow TV, red TV are both hideously boring propaganda channels fronted by egomaniacal and meglomaniacal lunatics. No doubt blue TV will be the same. However, any TV channel that is going to release gossip will still attract as people want to know the dirt even if it is unsubstantiated and most of the garbage on colour coded TV is utter garbage.

Well, it seems Suranand (like so many - all? - others) can't claim particularly clean hands when he occupied the post of PM's Office Minister; regrettably, it seems to come with the territory for that post (cf. Sathit - the current "propaganda chief"). The present government's use of Channel 11 also seems to have parallels with what was done under previous administrations. Plus ca change etc......

Openly using the BJT-controlled Interior Ministry's budget to set up/fund its own channel seems notably blatant and certainly should be condemned - but then we also shouldn't underestimate the manoeuvres and manipulations that have generally "eased the way" for other such agenda-driven media activities before now and ongoing.

Dont worry though the next lot whoever they are will also adopt the same policies through whoever happens to be their propaganda chief.

Controlling what people think rather thanb letting them think is the name of the game. Sadly this isnt confined to only Thailand

[RKASA]

As long as the drivers don't get lunch and they don't have cooking on the channel, then it must be legal.

[hammered]

As long as the drivers don't get lunch and they don't have cooking on the channel, then it must be legal.

As long as you dont get caught lying to the court too

[animatic]

As long as the drivers don't get lunch and they don't have cooking on the channel, then it must be legal.

As long as you dont get caught lying to the court too

As long as the boss doesn't decide you are no longer useful too.

[Thailand]

Will it be free to air so we all have the opportunity to see it?

[MAJIC]

This is how red TV was initially set up. Stick it on state TV and then when the lost government conrol they had to go private. What they did was hideous abuse of state organs and now Newin et al are repeating it. It should be condemned. I notice that in the unmetionable one ex-TRT propaganda chief Suranand didnt highlight the red use of this in recent history.

Yellow TV, red TV are both hideously boring propaganda channels fronted by egomaniacal and meglomaniacal lunatics. No doubt blue TV will be the same. However, any TV channel that is going to release gossip will still attract as people want to know the dirt even if it is unsubstantiated and most of the garbage on colour coded TV is utter garbage.

Agree with you and when you have an Isaan Mother in law tuned in 12 hours a day to their ranting and raving its no wonder I escape to the nearest Bar

[MAJIC]

This is how red TV was initially set up. Stick it on state TV and then when the lost government conrol they had to go private. What they did was hideous abuse of state organs and now Newin et al are repeating it. It should be condemned. I notice that in the unmetionable one ex-TRT propaganda chief Suranand didnt highlight the red use of this in recent history.

Yellow TV, red TV are both hideously boring propaganda channels fronted by egomaniacal and meglomaniacal lunatics. No doubt blue TV will be the same. However, any TV channel that is going to release gossip will still attract as people want to know the dirt even if it is unsubstantiated and most of the garbage on colour coded TV is utter garbage.

Agree with you and when you have an Isaan Mother in law tuned in 12 hours a day to their ranting and raving its no wonder I escape to the nearest Bar.

[MAJIC]

This is how red TV was initially set up. Stick it on state TV and then when the lost government conrol they had to go private. What they did was hideous abuse of state organs and now Newin et al are repeating it. It should be condemned. I notice that in the unmetionable one ex-TRT propaganda chief Suranand didnt highlight the red use of this in recent history.

Yellow TV, red TV are both hideously boring propaganda channels fronted by egomaniacal and meglomaniacal lunatics. No doubt blue TV will be the same. However, any TV channel that is going to release gossip will still attract as people want to know the dirt even if it is unsubstantiated and most of the garbage on colour coded TV is utter garbage.

Agree with you and when you have an Isaan Mother in law tuned in 12 hours a day to their ranting and raving its no wonder I escape to the nearest Bar.

[givenall]

I guess they are running out of money to do demonstrations since over here people only attend demonstration if they are paid so the best next thing is to have a tv. And then you can lie to more people but after a while people tend to get kales and just like commercials, they become very ineffective

[CLOD]

"Blue-shirt television" , sounds like a porn channel.

Only the PAD and yellowshirts will be tuning in.

[animatic]

"Blue-shirt television" , sounds like a porn channel.

Only the PAD and yellowshirts will be tuning in.

One could assume you only watch Blue-Nose television.

[jb5music]

TV does something you can now never stop once it hit's unsophisticated rural areas.

It seems to

A) Make shootem up brat bullies out of little boys.

Make annoying little looky loo Cadet FBI agents out of young parents and general citizens.

C) Teach housewifes that their husbands are monsters that need to be divorced and

half the property confiscated.

D) Generally disburse rose gardens from view.

Moral of the story - before big brother makes it to all corners of earth

ride the wave of technology (past the end of the TV broadcasting tower) to the roses and don't just smell them along the way

because you won't be able to get away with it anymore.

Other than that who cares what they do politically with it.

Who cares about politics?

People ranting and raving and waring over ape-anine issues.

Who cares? At almost fifty how long do you have before you can't wiggle your arms and legs anymore?

Edited February 7, 2010 by jb5music

[MAJIC]

TV does something you can now never stop once it hit's unsophisticated rural areas.

It seems to

A) Make shootem up brat bullies out of little boys.

Make annoying little looky loo Cadet FBI agents out of young parents and general citizens.

C) Teach housewifes that their husbands are monsters that need to be divorced and

half the property confiscated.

D) Generally disburse rose gardens from view.

Moral of the story - before big brother makes it to all corners of earth

ride the wave of technology (past the end of the TV broadcasting tower) to the roses and don't just smell them along the way

because you won't be able to get away with it anymore.

Other than that who cares what they do politically with it.

Who cares about politics?

People ranting and raving and waring over ape-anine issues.

Who cares? At almost fifty how long do you have before you can't wiggle your arms and legs anymore?

Not to mention Teaching Thais that violence is quite normal and acceptable,with no regard for poisoning young minds.

All the soaps seem to be written by the same script writing team,same storyline,bad man Thaiman seems to need

chastisement every few minutes,by the: Wife,Girlfriend,Mother and Father of the wife/girlfriend and Uncle Tom Cobbly.

Suppose it will take another 30 years before violence is controlled on TV in Thailand the same as in the West.

[MAJIC]

TV does something you can now never stop once it hit's unsophisticated rural areas.

It seems to

A) Make shootem up brat bullies out of little boys.

Make annoying little looky loo Cadet FBI agents out of young parents and general citizens.

C) Teach housewifes that their husbands are monsters that need to be divorced and

half the property confiscated.

D) Generally disburse rose gardens from view.

Moral of the story - before big brother makes it to all corners of earth

ride the wave of technology (past the end of the TV broadcasting tower) to the roses and don't just smell them along the way

because you won't be able to get away with it anymore.

Other than that who cares what they do politically with it.

Who cares about politics?

People ranting and raving and waring over ape-anine issues.

Who cares? At almost fifty how long do you have before you can't wiggle your arms and legs anymore?

Not to mention Teaching Thais that violence is quite normal and acceptable,with no regard for poisoning young minds.

All the soaps seem to be written by the same script writing team,same storyline,bad man Thaiman seems to need

chastisement every few minutes,by the: Wife,Girlfriend,Mother and Father of the wife/girlfriend and Uncle Tom Cobbly.

Suppose it will take another 30 years before violence is controlled on TV in Thailand the same as in the West.