Scramble To Prevent Blank TVs In Thailand: Olympic Games Broadcasting

[webfact]

BROADCASTING

Scramble to prevent blank TVs

WATCHIRANONT THONGTEP

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Authorities will launch frantic efforts to help almost 7 million satellite TV households watch the Olympic Games, who might otherwise miss out on the quadrennial event beginning in London this month.

Fears of a repeat of the Euro 2012 controversy surfaced yesterday as the Television Pool of Thailand (TV Pool) and the National Broadcasting Television (former Channel 11) have the rights to broadcast this world sports event via terrestrial broadcasting only.

This will spark another heated controversy over copyrighted sports events after satellite TV households and TrueVisions subscribers were left with a blank screen during the recent Euro soccer tournaments due to copyright restriction by the rights holder. However, TrueVisions subscribers will be able to watch the Olympics.

Yesterday, TV Pool members held talks with the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) along with representatives from major broadcasters at the NBTC's roundtable discussion to find a solution to the non-availability of upcoming copyrighted sports tournaments, including the Olympics and the Fifa World Cup.

The London Games will be held from July 27 to August 12. The media rights to broadcast this tournament are currently held by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU).

As a result of being a member of ABU, TV Pool received the rights for free-to-air terrestrial broadcasting, said Surin Krittayaphonphun, executive vice president of Bangkok Entertainment Company, the operator of ThaiTV3 and a member of TV Pool. TV Pool groups four major TV broadcasters - BEC's ThaiTV3, Royal Army's TV5, BBTV's Channel7 and MCOT's Modernine TV - to jointly acquire the rights to broadcast international sports events on a cost-sharing basis.

The selected live tournaments will be aired about six hours a day. However, TV Pool will negotiate with ABU and the IOC to allow TV Pool channels to transmit encrypted satellite signals to satellite TV receivers equipped with a conditioned access (CA) system to solve this problem, said Surin. "We strongly believe that both organisations will understand our reasons and the result should be more constructive," said Songapiratch Singhto, deputy director for planning and policy at TV5.

Meanwhile Wichit Aurareevorakul, executive adviser of the Thailand Cable TV Association, said that though cable TV operators will not be affected by this restriction, the Public Relations Department's National Broadcasting Television (NBT), another ABU member and part of the government, should negotiate with ABU and IOC to extend such rights to satellite TV receivers who normally watch free-TV via this platform. NBT will air other selected live tournaments about 12 hour a day.

Meanwhile, TrueVisions, which has acquired the rights for cable TV operators to broadcast this event will also offer its customers nine special channels. The NBTC commissioner for consumer protection, Supinya Klang-narong, said she would discuss this issue with PM's Office Minister Worawat Auapinyakul as his office is responsible for overseeing NBT.

To prevent such problems in the long run, the NBTC will work closely with the Commerce Ministry's Department of Intellectual Property to draft a law regarding copyright compulsory licensing.

Under compulsory licensing, an individual or company seeking to use a patent can do so without seeking the patent holder's consent, and pays the patent holder a set fee for the licence.

Supinya said the NBTC will also implement the rules and the regulations regarding minimum standard for set-top boxes that must be equipped with a CA system as soon as possible.

A representative from RS, which holds the rights to broadcast the Fifa World Cup 2014 in Brazil, said that all households would be able to watch this football tournament via any platforms.

-- The Nation 2012-07-06

[bobl]

Wow. Didn't see that one coming at all...

I am wondering, however, why it's become a problem now... What did they do for the world cup 2 years ago or the olympics 4 years ago? Or was it the same clusterf*** back then too?

[HeavyDrinker]

Typical Thailand. The egos of the few <ship> it up for the many...but they all claim to be the "perfect Thais"...

I think there will be a lot of events streamed live on the website anyways.

http://www.olympic.org/

Edited July 6, 2012 by metisdead

[hullupullo]

ABU has rights for terrestrial and ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) for cable/satellite?

http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/167532/ioc-awards-broadcast-rights-in-asia-for-2010-2012-olympic-games

Under the deals, the ABU has acquired the free-to-air television and radio rights within the region and ESS has acquired non-standard television rights including cable and satellite television platforms. In addition, both organisations will have certain simultaneous unaltered retransmission rights on other media platforms.

[QED]

ABU has rights for terrestrial and ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) for cable/satellite?

http://www.sportbusi...2-olympic-games

Under the deals, the ABU has acquired the free-to-air television and radio rights within the region and ESS has acquired non-standard television rights including cable and satellite television platforms. In addition, both organisations will have certain simultaneous unaltered retransmission rights on other media platforms.

Agree, this article makes no sense at all. I read it three times and still cannot fathom it out - headache now

True magazine had the olympics on the front cover and said it would be on about 5 channels I think, Truesports 3,4,5, ESPN, TS Extra2 etc, etc. - &lt;deleted&gt;?

After the Euro's I am sure they will not let this happen again

[Thaddeus]

ABU has rights for terrestrial and ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) for cable/satellite?

http://www.sportbusi...2-olympic-games

Under the deals, the ABU has acquired the free-to-air television and radio rights within the region and ESS has acquired non-standard television rights including cable and satellite television platforms. In addition, both organisations will have certain simultaneous unaltered retransmission rights on other media platforms.

Agree, this article makes no sense at all. I read it three times and still cannot fathom it out - headache now

True magazine had the olympics on the front cover and said it would be on about 5 channels I think, Truesports 3,4,5, ESPN, TS Extra2 etc, etc. - &lt;deleted&gt;?

After the Euro's I am sure they will not let this happen again

I agree, it is difficult to plough through.

But I think I've got it.

The people who pay for the Gold and Plat packages shouldn't have a problem, but the people who just have the basic packages may do if they block the terrestrial channels being transferred to the satellite stream.

[hullupullo]

But I think I've got it.

The people who pay for the Gold and Plat packages shouldn't have a problem, but the people who just have the basic packages may do if they block the terrestrial channels being transferred to the satellite stream.

Yes, on Truevisions it might be like that. But everyone who use any other satellite dish, PSI, GMM(lol) etc could get blank screen too.

[w11guy]

Typical Thailand. The egos of the few &lt;deleted&gt; it up for the many...but they all claim to be the "perfect Thais"...

I think there will be a lot of events streamed live on the website anyways.

http://www.olympic.org/

When did they claim to be perfect? I didn't see any one of them make that claim. I think you must have just made up so that you can post a stupid comment.

[QED]

ABU has rights for terrestrial and ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) for cable/satellite?

http://www.sportbusi...2-olympic-games

Under the deals, the ABU has acquired the free-to-air television and radio rights within the region and ESS has acquired non-standard television rights including cable and satellite television platforms. In addition, both organisations will have certain simultaneous unaltered retransmission rights on other media platforms.

Agree, this article makes no sense at all. I read it three times and still cannot fathom it out - headache now

True magazine had the olympics on the front cover and said it would be on about 5 channels I think, Truesports 3,4,5, ESPN, TS Extra2 etc, etc. - &lt;deleted&gt;?

After the Euro's I am sure they will not let this happen again

I agree, it is difficult to plough through.

But I think I've got it.

The people who pay for the Gold and Plat packages shouldn't have a problem, but the people who just have the basic packages may do if they block the terrestrial channels being transferred to the satellite stream.

Makes sense, you must have got my half full cup this morning

[brewsterbudgen]

If I remember rightly from the Beijing Olympics, most of the coverage in Thailand was of weightlifting and boxing (understandably!). I don't expect to see many of the athletics, swimming, gymnastic heats but hopefully all the finals will be covered.

[hotandhumid]

ESPN is going to be on HD too on True when the olympics start.

Very nice.

[johnlandy]

ABU has rights for terrestrial and ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) for cable/satellite?

http://www.sportbusi...2-olympic-games

Under the deals, the ABU has acquired the free-to-air television and radio rights within the region and ESS has acquired non-standard television rights including cable and satellite television platforms. In addition, both organisations will have certain simultaneous unaltered retransmission rights on other media platforms.

Agree, this article makes no sense at all. I read it three times and still cannot fathom it out - headache now

True magazine had the olympics on the front cover and said it would be on about 5 channels I think, Truesports 3,4,5, ESPN, TS Extra2 etc, etc. - &lt;deleted&gt;?

After the Euro's I am sure they will not let this happen again

After the Euro's I am sure they will not let this happen again and pray tell what do you base this assumption on ?

You seem to have forgotten that TIT and if it is humanly possible to screw something up it will screwed up. 'without a doubt and without fail'

[animatic]

Conditional access just means it is

not broadcast in the clear for any open satellite disk receiver.

But True can automatically down load a patch to any turned on box to give

uncharged free access to scrambled signals from the satellite downlink.

Being scrambled, then decoded, doesn't mean a fee must be charged,

but does mean those in other markets with non-host-brand receivers

can't get the scrambled signal to use.

Edited July 6, 2012 by animatic

[tragickingdom]

Scrambling a signal did not help much during Euro 2012. True could have broadcast the signal scrambled on one of their lousy sport channels. What Euro 2012 has told us is that there need to be a decent choice. True is still only offering 2 HD channels why charging an absurd monthly fee (The 3rd channel is a freebie) while others are offering 10 or more HD channels free of charge. The Mafia (Charoen Pokhand and Paiboon) rules when it comes to entertainment in Thailand.

[ukrules]

Wow. Didn't see that one coming at all...

I am wondering, however, why it's become a problem now... What did they do for the world cup 2 years ago or the olympics 4 years ago? Or was it the same clusterf*** back then too?

I watched the Chinese Olympics opening ceremony (well part of it anyway) through the True Gold package when it was on four years ago.

[GiveMeABreak]

ESPN is going to be on HD too on True when the olympics start.

Very nice.

Yeah but you'll have to buy yet another package for other HD channels!! I heard there is more HD channels coming, but they will group them in 1s or 2s and charge another 500 per channel! Such a scam!

[drdoom6996]

Now it's TRUE's turn. Do you really believe they won't do it to you if they can. You may think this is like children fight, but it is actually about millions of dollars. Who loses? We do!

By the way after the commercial interuptions during the US Open Golf and now Wimbledon I have cancelled TRUE. It looks like TRUE commercials is showing the sports.

Just my humble opinion, download what you want from the internet and buy an hdmi cable for your tv. And it is all in FULL HD not what TRUE calls HD.

[crazykopite]

Call me selfish but what goes around comes around I really really hope that GMM has blank screens throughout the Olympics will my prayers be answered only time will tell Yes I am a true visions subscriber and I was really pissed with the way we were treated by GMM they blocked channels that are free channels to prevent us from watching the football !!!!

[crazykopite]

Now it's TRUE's turn. Do you really believe they won't do it to you if they can. You may think this is like children fight, but it is actually about millions of dollars. Who loses? We do!

By the way after the commercial interuptions during the US Open Golf and now Wimbledon I have cancelled TRUE. It looks like TRUE commercials is showing the sports.

Just my humble opinion, download what you want from the internet and buy an hdmi cable for your tv. And it is all in FULL HD not what TRUE calls HD.

Thats okay if you live in the city and have optic cable but when you live in the sticks amongst the mountains and the nearest phone line is 1 km away and you have to depend on a donglr from cat you have no chance of streaming to watch a 2 minute utube vid takes 20 minutes !!!!!

[crazykopite]

ESPN is going to be on HD too on True when the olympics start.

Very nice.

Yeah but you'll have to buy yet another package for other HD channels!! I heard there is more HD channels coming, but they will group them in 1s or 2s and charge another 500 per channel! Such a scam!

Do not believe all this &lt;deleted&gt; rumour where does all this crap come from some drunken falang/thai in a bar I suggest you ring true if you are looking to find out if there are any increases I spoke with them 2 days ago and there are no increases in the pipeline !!!!!!!

[animatic]

Scrambling a signal did not help much during Euro 2012. True could have broadcast the signal scrambled on one of their lousy sport channels. What Euro 2012 has told us is that there need to be a decent choice. True is still only offering 2 HD channels why charging an absurd monthly fee (The 3rd channel is a freebie) while others are offering 10 or more HD channels free of charge. The Mafia (Charoen Pokhand and Paiboon) rules when it comes to entertainment in Thailand.

If you saw the picture of the heads of GMM and True sitting side by side,

they clearly loath each other. If they could actual negotiate there could

have been signal under UEFA rules for all. But thew powers that can

force them to function together, got in the game too late.

But in this case for the Olympics, it is completely different entities with rights and mechanisms.

Edited July 6, 2012 by animatic

[animatic]

Call me selfish but what goes around comes around I really really hope that GMM has blank screens throughout the Olympics will my prayers be answered only time will tell Yes I am a true visions subscriber and I was really pissed with the way we were treated by GMM they blocked channels that are free channels to prevent us from watching the football !!!!

I have both and I still think True was more the problem than GMM protecting their contracted rights. Tures boss has a real ingrown hair across his ass and we the customers get stuck for his inability to do business with people he doesn't like. Dude just do the business and then drink to your opposites ill health on your own time not ours.

Edited July 6, 2012 by animatic

[Lifer]

Typical Thailand. The egos of the few &lt;deleted&gt; it up for the many...but they all claim to be the "perfect Thais"...

I think there will be a lot of events streamed live on the website anyways.

http://www.olympic.org/

When did they claim to be perfect? I didn't see any one of them make that claim. I think you must have just made up so that you can post a stupid comment.

It's like that with every single article that is put up on TV. Stupid comments and uneducated expertise.

[GiveMeABreak]

ESPN is going to be on HD too on True when the olympics start.

Very nice.

Yeah but you'll have to buy yet another package for other HD channels!! I heard there is more HD channels coming, but they will group them in 1s or 2s and charge another 500 per channel! Such a scam!

Do not believe all this &lt;deleted&gt; rumour where does all this crap come from some drunken falang/thai in a bar I suggest you ring true if you are looking to find out if there are any increases I spoke with them 2 days ago and there are no increases in the pipeline !!!!!!!

of course they say that!

But look at history with True... any increase in channels they put into groups and make you pay extra. They call them a la carte - all extra different packages all have to pay. They had extra discovery - thats another package. They had an extra HBO group - thats another package for extra. They had an extra Disney - thats an extra package you have to pay extra for. They put on BBCE - that an extra package - 300 for one channel! The HD channels came and they gave you 2 or 3, but the others you have to pay extra for.

So sorry not some rumour from some drunken farang in a bar.... just going on precedent already set by the outrageous operations of True. I've never seen such &lt;deleted&gt; - their service is crap, their operations are crap, and frankly they dont care. I was even told by the girl on the telephone that they moved all the a la carte channels to the end (where there is less reception) because it was mainly farang who watch those channels and their main customers they are aiming at are Thai . I cant wait for a really decent competitor to come. They have a monopoly. No one I know is happy with them. Thai or farang. You should hear my Thai staff go on how much they cant stand them!

[animatic]

ESPN is going to be on HD too on True when the olympics start.

Very nice.

Yeah but you'll have to buy yet another package for other HD channels!! I heard there is more HD channels coming, but they will group them in 1s or 2s and charge another 500 per channel! Such a scam!

Do not believe all this &lt;deleted&gt; rumour where does all this crap come from some drunken falang/thai in a bar I suggest you ring true if you are looking to find out if there are any increases I spoke with them 2 days ago and there are no increases in the pipeline !!!!!!!

of course they say that!

But look at history with True... any increase in channels they put into groups and make you pay extra. They call them a la carte - all extra different packages all have to pay. They had extra discovery - thats another package. They had an extra HBO group - thats another package for extra. They had an extra Disney - thats an extra package you have to pay extra for. They put on BBCE - that an extra package - 300 for one channel! The HD channels came and they gave you 2 or 3, but the others you have to pay extra for.

So sorry not some rumour from some drunken farang in a bar.... just going on precedent already set by the outrageous operations of True. I've never seen such &lt;deleted&gt; - their service is crap, their operations are crap, and frankly they dont care. I was even told by the girl on the telephone that they moved all the a la carte channels to the end (where there is less reception) because it was mainly farang who watch those channels and their main customers they are aiming at are Thai . I cant wait for a really decent competitor to come. They have a monopoly. No one I know is happy with them. Thai or farang. You should hear my Thai staff go on how much they cant stand them!

While I haven't heard the rumor, the USA Tax code is easier to deal with than Truvisions billing / services modus.

The only thing you can be sure of is;

services will drop

prices will increase,

and customer service will be hell to deal with.

[smedly]

The terrestrial channels that true provides in their package should not be scrambled - they are FTA

This whole arrangement of TV in Thailand is a shambles - but I didn't expect anything less I guess

Just wait till they try to roll out digital TV - &lt;deleted&gt; me I can't wait for the spectacle - it's entertainment in it's own right

and why do these fookups happen - because they are all trying to line their pockets every which way they can using uneducated childrens logic - corruption at it's worst - this country needs some new laws concerning declaration of personal assets and taxation - who has the balls to do it

[smedly]

Sky TV in the UK do exactly the same thing as TRUE - if not actually worse regarding channel lineups and packages - they are all robbing fookers

[crazykopite]

ESPN is going to be on HD too on True when the olympics start.

Very nice.

Yeah but you'll have to buy yet another package for other HD channels!! I heard there is more HD channels coming, but they will group them in 1s or 2s and charge another 500 per channel! Such a scam!

Do not believe all this &lt;deleted&gt; rumour where does all this crap come from some drunken falang/thai in a bar I suggest you ring true if you are looking to find out if there are any increases I spoke with them 2 days ago and there are no increases in the pipeline !!!!!!!

of course they say that!

But look at history with True... any increase in channels they put into groups and make you pay extra. They call them a la carte - all extra different packages all have to pay. They had extra discovery - thats another package. They had an extra HBO group - thats another package for extra. They had an extra Disney - thats an extra package you have to pay extra for. They put on BBCE - that an extra package - 300 for one channel! The HD channels came and they gave you 2 or 3, but the others you have to pay extra for.

So sorry not some rumour from some drunken farang in a bar.... just going on precedent already set by the outrageous operations of True. I've never seen such &lt;deleted&gt; - their service is crap, their operations are crap, and frankly they dont care. I was even told by the girl on the telephone that they moved all the a la carte channels to the end (where there is less reception) because it was mainly farang who watch those channels and their main customers they are aiming at are Thai . I cant wait for a really decent competitor to come. They have a monopoly. No one I know is happy with them. Thai or farang. You should hear my Thai staff go on how much they cant stand them!

Well we live in a free world no one forces you to have cable/satalite so dare I say it switch it off as for OPs moaning about adverts all I can say is live in the US for a month or two there adverts run forever. Until something better comes along I am with true I have now had my system for over 4 years I am on gold my very 1st true bill was 1568.12 that was 24 march 2008 my latest bill is 1858.12 so in 4 years my gold package has increased by 290 bht and that ios because I upgraded to HD+ my son back in the UK pays sky £60 per month and still does not get what true shows over here as all the pay 4 view ie boxing , football is free !!!!

[brewsterbudgen]

ESPN is going to be on HD too on True when the olympics start.

Very nice.

Yeah but you'll have to buy yet another package for other HD channels!! I heard there is more HD channels coming, but they will group them in 1s or 2s and charge another 500 per channel! Such a scam!

Do not believe all this &lt;deleted&gt; rumour where does all this crap come from some drunken falang/thai in a bar I suggest you ring true if you are looking to find out if there are any increases I spoke with them 2 days ago and there are no increases in the pipeline !!!!!!!

of course they say that!

But look at history with True... any increase in channels they put into groups and make you pay extra. They call them a la carte - all extra different packages all have to pay. They had extra discovery - thats another package. They had an extra HBO group - thats another package for extra. They had an extra Disney - thats an extra package you have to pay extra for. They put on BBCE - that an extra package - 300 for one channel! The HD channels came and they gave you 2 or 3, but the others you have to pay extra for.

So sorry not some rumour from some drunken farang in a bar.... just going on precedent already set by the outrageous operations of True. I've never seen such &lt;deleted&gt; - their service is crap, their operations are crap, and frankly they dont care. I was even told by the girl on the telephone that they moved all the a la carte channels to the end (where there is less reception) because it was mainly farang who watch those channels and their main customers they are aiming at are Thai . I cant wait for a really decent competitor to come. They have a monopoly. No one I know is happy with them. Thai or farang. You should hear my Thai staff go on how much they cant stand them!

For goodness sake, True might not be perfect but they're no different from any other commercial broadcasting company. You obviously don't know too many people, as those I know are happy enough with the service. Of course, there are a lot of repeats and it's not cheap, but as long as I can watch the superb sports coverage, news, documentaries (particularly since the BBC channels arrived) I'm not going to join the moaners.

[bigbamboo]

The terrestrial channels that true provides in their package should not be scrambled - they are FTA

This whole arrangement of TV in Thailand is a shambles - but I didn't expect anything less I guess

Just wait till they try to roll out digital TV - &lt;deleted&gt; me I can't wait for the spectacle - it's entertainment in it's own right

and why do these fookups happen - because they are all trying to line their pockets every which way they can using uneducated childrens logic - corruption at it's worst - this country needs some new laws concerning declaration of personal assets and taxation - who has the balls to do it

You can never be absolutely sure who has the balls in Thailand!

But once again we are faced with a fiasco which needs sorting out at the last minute. Simply not good enough.

Oh, and those who were hoping to watch the women's beach volleyball in HD don't be surprised if all hints of cleavage (anywhere) are blurred out. Got to protect Thailand's reputation after all!

Edited July 6, 2012 by bigbamboo