Broadcasters' Cautious Nod Amid Regret At Lack Of Industry Voices: NBTC

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NBTC

Broadcasters' cautious nod amid regret at lack of industry voices

By Watchiranont Thongtep

Television and radio broadcasters have urged the newly elected National Broadcasting and Telecom-munication Commission to undertake a free and fair reallocation of broadcasting frequencies as a first priority in its coming master plan.

The broadcasters also expressed their "slight disappointment" that no direct representative from their industry was among the final 11 commissioners selected by the Senate this week.

"We have to respect the result of the NBTC's selection [process], and the successful commissioners have acceptable qualifications," said Radio-Television Broadcasting Profession Federation president Jamnan Siritan Nunbhakdi. "This is a new beginning for our industry after a long wait for such a broadcasting and telecommunications watchdog."

However, Jamnan confessed that she was a bit disappointed that there was no one from the broadcasting industry among the final 11 commissioners - because its representatives understood the industry and had many years' experience in broadcasting.

She explained that the broadcasting industry was quite sophisticated, in that it involved financial circulation of more than Bt100 billion as well as having a wide range of content providers, from community radio stations to national broadcasting companies. The industry was also engaged with key sectors such as the public service, security and the private sector.

Satellite Television Association (Thailand) chairman Niphon Naksompop suggested that the NBTC should select experts from the broadcasting industry and place them in a subcommittee that would take responsibility for developing a master plan. "Frequency reforming is very crucial for the broadcasting sector, both for free TV and cable and satellite television," he said.

Thai Cable Television Association president Kasem Inkaew said the process of creating a master plan should stay away from political and business interference to protect the public interest.

He said that over the past couple of years, the country had faced political instability partly because politicians had used new media such as community radio and satellite television to persuade people to take part in political activities. Unregulated community radio stations and satellite television had also become a key issue that should be addressed in the master plan.

Kasem said it would be a big challenge for the NBTC to change such a strong movement while at the same time creating reconciliation in the country.

Even though many broadcasters, including MCOT and Thai TV3, said they believed that having a newly appointed NBTC was a good start for both the broadcasting and telecom industries after a wait of almost a decade, they also questioned how frequency reforms could succeed as the military retained a strong role in both the NBTC and the broadcasting industry.

Apart from the Royal Thai Army's broadcasting company RTA Television, which operates Channel 5, and its concession to Bangkok Broadcasting Television for Channel 7, there are 163 FM and AM radio stations around the country. Of these, 126 belong to the Army, 22 to the Royal Thai Air Force and the rest to the Royal Thai Navy. A further 72 radio stations are run by the Public Relations Department and 62 by MCOT.

MCOT vice president for marketing Kematat Paladesh said the industry had to wait and see what the further process would involve. The 11 members of NBTC should be working closely with related sectors as well as taking a chance to prove their ability.

-- The Nation 2011-09-07

[mca]

However, Jamnan confessed that she was a bit disappointed that there was no one from the broadcasting industry among the final 11 commissioners - because its representatives understood the industry and had many years' experience in broadcasting.

Thank God this sort of stuff doesn't quite extend into all aspects of Thai society.

" Good morning Khun MCA. This is General Viroj Buacharoon who will be performing your liver transplant today"

[lovetotravel]

Who was responsible for the selections? I have been following this a bit, but must have missed that part.

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Who was responsible for the selections? I have been following this a bit, but must have missed that part.

NBTC

11 NBTC members selected

By The Nation

The Senate Monday elected 11 members of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission.

More:

[Thai at Heart]

"We have to respect the result of the NBTC's selection [process], and the successful commissioners have acceptable qualifications,"

However, Jamnan confessed that she was a bit disappointed that there was no one from the broadcasting industry among the final 11 commissioners - because its representatives understood the industry and had many years' experience in broadcasting.

Isn't face a wonderful thing that ties you in knots when you try to make a polite criticism.

[mca]

a bit disappointed

" I was a bit disappointed to come home and find that my brand new Lamborghini had been stolen from my front yard, my house had burned down after being struck by lightening destroying every possession I have in the world apart from the clothes I was wearing and my wife was having a menage a trois with my father and my mother who who turned out to be a hermaphrodite. "

You've got to love it really. A true lesson in diplomacy. She should give lessons.

[hammered]

Interesting to compare and contrast the reactions of groups/media to this selection with the reactions of groups/media to the changing of a police chief caught with a gambling den problem on his watch.

[hammered]

The DSI have accepted the case to investigate the procedure in selecting these dudes. Oddly enough among all the scrutiny of everything team Yingluck does, there is little mention of this.

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Chalerm to take NBTC selection to DSI

BANGKOK, 7 September 2011 (NNT) – Deputy Prime Minister Police Captain Chalerm Yubumrung will take the controversial selection of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to the meeting of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

Upon the news report that the DSI will bring the NBTC selection issue into its meeting, Police Captain Chalerm admitted that this issue has wide-ranging impact on the operation of the public sector as well as the Thai society, and has received wide attention from the public.

The deputy prime minister stated that he wanted this issue to be a lesson for the Thai society that an appointment of any panel cannot be made freely but must be made transparently. He noted that he will wait for a conclusion drawn by the DSI first.

Police Captain Chalerm added that he will report this issue to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra if any witnesses or evidences indicate that the widely-criticised selection of the NBTC panel members was not transparently made.

Regarding the operation of DSI Director-General Tharit Pengdit, the deputy prime minister responded that it will depend on Justice Minister Police General Pracha Promnog if he will let Mr Tharit continue working in the same position or have him removed.

Police Captain Chalerm noted that the DSI should engage itself less in national politics and should instead focus on tackling special cases. He promised that he will revive this operational norm in the organisation himself.

-- NNT 2011-09-07

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Telecom Body Faces New Legal Challenge

The Special Investigation Department will launch an inquiry into the formation of the telecommunications and broadcast regulatory panel as it has obtained evidence suggesting irregularities in the selection of panel members.

Director-general of the Department of Special Investigation, or DSI, Tharit Pengdit, said the panel on special cases chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobumrung approved an inquiry into the selection process of the 11 members of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission.

Tharit said evidence suggests that the proceedings were carried out unlawfully.

He said the qualifications of the people in charge of shortlisting candidates for the Senate's vote and the process for selecting people from the economic field are among the issues that will be investigated.

Tharit stated that his department will determine whether the selection panel violated the Criminal Code.

He said the DSI's move has no impact on the NBTC members, but he did say that the prime minister and the Cabinet's secretary-general will decide if their names should be put forward for royal endorsement.

Tharit went on to say that his agency has no power to seek an Administrative Court's injunction preventing the panel members from assuming their posts.

He stated that the investigation should take around six months depending on the complexity of the case and denied that his agency's move is politically motivated.

-- Tan Network 2011-09-07

[lovetotravel]

Interesting to compare and contrast the reactions of groups/media to this selection with the reactions of groups/media to the changing of a police chief caught with a gambling den problem on his watch.

That's because a member of Thaksin's clan was promoted to police chief. Under the guiese of gambling dens being found. Which everybody knows about.