THE MUANG THAI PROGRAM WILL BE TAKEN OFF AIR

The MCOT Public Company Limited, lead by Mr. Rawat ChamChalerm, the Chairman of the Board, gave a press conference stating that the station will cease broadcasting the Muang Thai weekly program of the ThaiDay Dotcom company.

The MCOT reasoned that the Muang Thai program, which was hosted by Mr. Sonti Limthongkul (สนธิ ลิ้มทองกุล), and Ms. Sarocha PornUdomsak (สโรชา พรอุดมศักดิ์), and aired every Friday on Modern Nine between ten and eleven PM, had given information concerning individuals which was biased, and did not give the opportunity for debate. The program was constantly on the legal borderline, and had received many warnings from the MCOT Company both verbal and written.

Source: thaisnews.com ประจำวันศุกร์ที่ 16 กันยายน 2548

It was a very interesting program overall. Sorry to see it go. Like lots of other interesting things these days. disappear.

Most likely related to Ch. 9 television (also part of MCOT) dropping his television show as well:

Channel 9 yesterday decided to cancel a weekly live programme hosted by veteran journalist Sondhi Limthongkul because it improperly cited His Majesty the King and the monarchy on several occasions over the past month, an executive of the TV station said.

The content of the programme, “Muangthai Rai Sapda” (Thailand Weekly), could have caused misunderstandings on the part of the public, said Rewat Chamchalerm, chairman of MCOT Plc, which operates Channel 9.

The last straw for the TV station was last Friday’s programme, during which Sondhi said the appointment of a senior monk to perform caretaker tasks on behalf of the Supreme Patriarch was against royal powers, Rewat said.

Rewat said MCOT executives on Tuesday met His Majesty’s principal private secretary, Asa Sarasin, and other senior officials from the Palace to discuss the matter. He said the officials told MCOT that Sondhi had not been given permission by the Palace to talk about the matter.

MCOT said in a statement that Sondhi’s programme, which aired every Friday from 10pm to 11pm, had been the subject of several legal actions and that the station had warned Sondhi several times to avoid violating individual rights.

“Muangthai Rai Sapda” would be taken off the air effective today, said Mingkhwan Sangsuwan, president of MCOT.

Sondhi yesterday insisted everything he said in his show was true. He said MCOT and media organisations under its control appeared to be “tools of the government” rather than media organisations that bore the public in mind.