Ubc

[midas]

I have just returned from overseas so i have only just noticed - UBC have confirmed that after considering the issue of commercials on UBC for a long time the MCOT has just released the final approval to allow them to be seen by subscribers! As the commercials were not originally produced by UBC they don't need to block them out any longer !!

Isn`t this great news ??!!!!!!! It means no longer having to dive for the mute button

each time there is a break on CNN or BBC because of the extremely annoying and very loud music when the commercials are shown but I interpret it also as a

willingness by the Thai government to finally face up to the realities of the commercial world and give up their feeble attempt on what has been this little bit of protectionism by trying to block out inteernational tv advertising. It has been disappointing to not be able to see some of these international commercials on CNN or BBC because some of them are well made and even quite entertaining.

Does anyone have any other views ?

[Tywais]

If that is true I'm all for it. Sometimes they would be a little slow in putting the RED page up and found myself actually enjoying seeing a commercial, while back home would consider it the bane to television.

[Gazza]

Hope not. I'll really miss marching on the spot singing along to "Chitlada, Chitlada, Chitlada".

Oh No! the songs stuck in my head again.

[Butterfly]

Is that really good news ? I love that red screen

[Spit the Dog]

Can't say I've noticed yet. Usually when the commercials come on, I change the channel for a couple of minutes or go for a piss.

To be honest if they show commercials or the red screen I won't watch either.

[ovenman]

I noticed this morning that UBC was letting the commercials pass-thru on CNN. I thought that it was just somebody asleep at the switch, which happens from time-to-time.

[peter_griffin]

Commercials -oh, good! I have often thought that the commercials are spoilt by the programmes

[mouse]

And one of the first I noticed was by ipStar! Now who own that company?

[ovenman]

I always thought it ironic that UBC was forced to block the advertising on CNN. Whenever I have had the chance to view CNN-International with commercials, it seemed at times like 50% of the advertising was for THAI Airways.

[Superfly]

I thought the whole point of cable/satelite/pay tv was that since we were paying for it they didn't need to annoy us with commercials.

(how old am I??!!)

[midas]

I cant believe anyone liked the music which came with the red card intervals ?

[lamphun]

Commercials -oh, good! I have often thought that the commercials are spoilt by the programmes

Agreed, this is especially true on UBC.

[ovenman]

I thought the whole point of cable/satelite/pay tv was that since we were paying for it they didn't need to annoy us with commercials. 

(how old am I??!!)

Who is they? All UBC does for the majority of the channels it provides is re-transmit signals that come from elsewhere through their system. I'm paying to see all of CNN, not merely selected parts of CNN. Why should it up to UBC to edit (censor) certain parts of these channels? UBC didn't delete advertising for the Thai commercial channels. I can see how UBC wouldn't be allowed to tack advertising onto their own channels such as UBC-Series, the UBC sports channels, etc. as these channels do not exist as entities outside the UBC system.

[Sphere]

Does this mean that subscription rates shall be reduced now?

UBC claimed in the past that their rates were higher than cable operators in neighbouring countries, because UBC was forced to pay more for broadcast rights by networks whose commercials were blocked in Thailand.

[DJ Pat]

I may now get UBC at my current abode, the red screen was one of the reasons I cancelled my subscription last year when i lived in Thong Lor, it just got far too annoying and the music was too loud.

What next?

[ovenman]

Does this mean that subscription rates shall be reduced now? 

Knowing the way things work in Thailand, UBC will probably consider removing the annoying red screens worthy of a rate increase.

[RDN]

Sorry midas, didn't see this thread when I started another in the "Communications" forum. I'll close this one and ask people to post there: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=46394